The great hunter and the Pleiades
Do you know the constellations in Gaelic? That’s the constellations.
Orion [the great hunter] can be seen throughout the world. In many
cultures it’s seen as a hunter. In English it’s called Orion. Orion was
a hunter in the Greek legends.
There are two very bright stars in that constellation. Betelgeuse is in
the ‘shoulder’ of Orion. In Orion’s ‘foot’, there is Rigel. Betelgeuse
is the eighth brightest star in the heavens. Rigel is the sixth
brightest star in the heavens.
In the middle of Orion, there is a line of three stars close to each
other. That’s Orion’s Belt. In Gaelic – the belt or the hunter’s belt.
Hanging below the belt, there is a line of three small stars called
Orion’s Sword in English. To the Gaels, that’s the Dirk.
Also below the Belt, next to the dirk, there is a nebula. A nebula is a
collection of gases and dust. We call that nebula The Sporran. The Old
Gaels were likening Orion to a Highland warrior wearing the belted
plaid.
Outside Betelgeuse, there are stars that are seen, in some cultures, as
a weapon raised above Orion. To us, that’s the Plaid – part of the
belted plaid of the old Highland warrior.
Now, I want to guide you to another constellation. Have a look at
Orion’s Belt. Follow the line of the belt to the right and keep going.
You’ll reach a large star called Aldebara. Keep going beyond that in
the same line and you’ll reach a group of closely-packed stars. That’s
the Pleiades or An Grioglachan. With the eye, you can see seven stars.
Sometimes people call this constellation The Seven Sisters or, in
Gaelic, Grioglachan of the seven stars.
If you get binoculars (or a telescope) you can see dozens of stars in it.
Astronomers tell us that there are about four hundred of them all told.
An Sealgair Mòr agus An Grioglachan
A bheil sibh eòlach air na reul-bhadan ann an Gàidhlig? Sin na constellations. Chithear an Sealgair Mòr air feadh an t-saoghail.
Ann am mòran chultaran, tha e air fhaicinn mar shealgair. Ann am Beurla, ʼs
e Orion a chanar ris. Bha Orion na shealgair ann am faoinsgeulan
na Grèige.
Tha dà rionnaig gu math soilleir anns an reul-bhad sin. Tha an Spor Dearg
no Betelgeuse ann an ‘gualainn’ an t-Sealgair. Ann an ‘cas’ an
t-Sealgair, tha an Spor Liath no Rigel. ʼS e an Spor Dearg an
ochdamh rionnag as soilleire anns an iarmailt. ʼS e an Spor Liath an
t-siathamh rionnag as soilleire anns an iarmailt.
Ann am meadhan an t-Sealgair Mhòir, tha sreath de thrì rionnagan faisg air
a chèile. ʼS e sin Orion’s Belt. Ann an Gàidhlig – An Crios no
Crios an t-Sealgair. Crochte fon Chrios, tha sreath de thrì rionnagan beaga
air a bheil Orion’s Sword ann am Beurla. Do na Gàidheil, ʼs e sin
A’ Bhiodag.
Cuideachd fon Chrios, ri taobh na Biodaig, tha neul-reultan no nebula. ʼS e neul-reultan cruinneachadh de ghasaichean is duslach.
Canaidh sinn An Sporan ris an neul-reultan sin. Bha na seann Ghàidheil a’
samhlachadh an t-Sealgair air gaisgeach Gàidhealach le fèileadh-mòr air.
Taobh a-muigh an Spuir Dheirg, tha rionnagan a th’ air am faicinn, ann an
cuid de chultaran, mar bhall-airm air a thogail os cionn an t-Sealgair.
Dhuinne, ʼs e sin Am Breacan – pàirt dhen fhèileadh-mhòr aig an t-seann
ghaisgeach Ghàidhealach.
Nise, tha mi airson ur stiùireadh gu reul-bhad eile. Thoiribh sùil air
Crios an t-Sealgair. Leanaibh loidhne a’ Chrios suas gu deas agus cumaibh a
dol. Ruigidh sibh rionnag mhòr ris an canar Aldebaran. Cumaibh a
dol nas fhaide na sin anns an aon loidhne agus ruigidh sibh
dlùth-bhuidheann de rionnagan. ʼS e sin Pleiades no An
Grioglachan. Leis an t-sùil, chì thu seachd rionnagan. Uaireannan bidh
daoine a’ gabhail ‘The Seven Sisters’ air an reul-bhad seo no, ann
an Gàidhlig, Grioglachan nan Seachd Rionnag.
Ma gheibh sibh prosbaig, chì sibh na ficheadan de rionnagan ann. Tha
reultairean ag innse dhuinn gu bheil mu cheithir cheud dhiubh ann
uile-gu-lèir.
