The Plough
We have a word in Gaelic that means ‘directing or guiding by the
stars’. Steòrnadh. I’d say that our ancestors were more familiar with
the heavens at night than we are today. Last week, we looked at Orion
and the Pleiades. This week I want to look at another constellation.
But before I do that, here is a Gaelic proverb connected to the
Pleiades.
Caillidh fiù an Grioglachan a chùrsa –
even Pleiades can stray off course. It means that even the most stable
person can go off the road.
Caillidh fiù an Grioglachan a chùrsa.
Anyway, back to
steòrnadh
. The most useful star for that is the ‘guiding star’. That’s Polaris
or The Pole Star. For ancient mariners, it was used to find a way to
the north.
The easiest way to find the Pole Star is to initially find the
constellation called The Plough. That means in English ‘the baker’s
bread-shovel’. The Plough. The English name for this constellation is
the Plough. It’s also recognised as Ursa Major or The Great Bear and
The Big Dipper.
There are three stars in the handle of the Plough. They have Arabic
names. Alkaid is the furthest one out. In Gaelic ‘the bear’s head’. The
next one, that is Mizar. There is a small star above Mizar. That’s
Alcor. In Gaelic, we call it ‘the little old man’.
There is another star on the Plough’s handle – Alioth. We are now at
the body of the Plough. The first two stars are Megrez and Phad or
Phecda. Up to now, I’ve named five stars. Together they have a Gaelic
name
– Còig Gadhair Osgair – the five mastiffs of Oscar. Osgar is one
of the Fingalian heroes.
Finally, we’re coming to the two stars on the right side of the Plough –
Dubhe and Merak. We use these two stars in star-guiding – as I’ll explain
next week.
An Crann-arain
Tha facal againn ann an Gàidhlig a tha a’ ciallachadh ‘ directing or guiding by the stars’. Steòrnadh. Chanainn
gun robh ar sinnsirean na b’ eòlaiche air iarmailt na h-oidhche na tha
sinne an-diugh. An t-seachdain sa chaidh, thug sinn sùil air an t-Sealgair
Mhòr agus An Grioglachan. An t-seachdain seo, tha mi airson sùil a thoirt
air reul-bhad eile.
Ach mus dèan mi sin, seo agaibh seanfhacal Gàidhlig co-cheangailte ris an
Grioglachan. Caillidh fiù an Grioglachan a chùrsa – even Pleiades can stray off course. Tha e a’ ciallachadh gum bi
eadhon na daoine as seasmhaiche a’ dol far an rathaid. Caillidh fiù an
Grioglachan a chùrsa.
Co-dhiù, air ais gu steòrnadh. ʼS e an rionnag as fheumaile airson sin an
Reul Iùil. ʼS e sin Polaris no The Pole Star. Airson
seòladairean na seann aimsir, bha i air a cleachdadh airson steòrnadh a
dh’ionnsaigh na h-àirde a tuath.
ʼS e an dòigh as fhasa an Reul Iùil a lorg, a bhith a’ lorg an toiseach an
reul-bhaid ris an canar An Crann-arain. Tha sin a’ ciallachadh ann am
Beurla ‘the baker’s bread-shovel’. An Crann-arain. ʼS e an t-ainm
Beurla airson an reul-bhaid seo The Plough. Tha e air aithneachadh
cuideachd mar Ursa Major no The Great Bear agus The Big Dipper.
Tha trì rionnagan ann an làimh a’ Chrainn-arain. Tha ainmean Arabach orra.
ʼS e Alkaid an tè as fhaide a-mach. Ann an Gàidhlig ‘An Ceann
Mathain’. An ath thè, ʼs e sin Mizar. Tha rionnag bheag os cionn
Mizar. ʼS e sin Alcor. Ann an Gàidhlig, canaidh sinn Am Bodachan
rithe.
Tha rionnag eile air làmh a’ Chrainn-arain – Alioth. Tha sinn a-nise aig
cas a’ Chrainn. ʼS iad a’ chiad dà rionnaig Megrez agus Phad no Phecda.
Thuige seo tha mi air còig rionnagan ainmeachadh. Còmhla, tha ainm Gàidhlig
orra – Còig Gadhair Osgair – the five mastiffs of Oscar. ʼS e
Osgar fear de ghaisgich na Fèinne.
Mu dheireadh, tha sinn a’ tighinn chun na dà rionnaig air an taobh dheas
dhen Chrann-arain – Dubhe agus Merak. Bidh sinn a’ cur na dà rionnaig seo
gu feum ann an steòrnadh – mar a mhìnicheas mi an-ath-sheachdain.
