Gràinne and the Grey Magician (3)
The Grey Magician was in pursuit of Fionn and Gràinne when they reached
the Red River. On the far side was Glenelg and safety. The river was
too big to swim over. But Gràinne had a magic jewel in her hair.
Gràinne took hold of the jewel. She asked it to make them a boat.
Gràinne and Fionn went in the boat. When the Grey Magician reached the
river, the couple were too far out.
Fionn and Gràinne were living in Glenelg. They were expecting a child,
but shortly before the day of the birth, Fionn was asked to help Clann
Morna. Fionn had promised to help Clann Morna that he would help them
if they were in danger.
He was gone three days. In that time, the Grey Magician appeared again
and he took Gràinne away against her will. When Fionn returned, he put
his finger under his tooth of knowledge. He found out that Gràinne had
been transformed. She was now running [through] the forests of Glen
Affric as a white hind.
Although the Fianna were often hunting, they never saw a white hind.
Twelve years elapsed and, one day, they were hunting near a copse.
Bran, Fionn’s dog, became wild. He wouldn’t let dog or man, except
Fionn, among the trees.
Fionn went it and he found a twelve year old lad. He had no language
but the language of the deer. In the middle of his forehead, there was
a tuft of deer hair. Fionn understood that this was his son. He called
him Oisean. That means ‘little deer’.
When Gràinne died, the Grey Magician allowed Oisean to go to the Land
of Darkness to bring his mother’s remains home. She was now in the form
of an old woman. The Fianna made a burial place for her on the summit
of a mountain on Skye near Glenelg. We still call that mountain Beinn
na Caillich ‘the mountain of the old woman’.
Gràinne agus am Buidseach Glas (3)
Bha am Buidseach Glas an tòir air Fionn agus Gràinne nuair a ràinig iad an
Abhainn Dearg. Air an taobh thall bha Gleann Eilg agus sàbhailteachd. Bha
an abhainn ro mhòr airson snàmh a-null. Ach bha leug dhraoidheil aig
Gràinne na falt.
Ghabh Gràinne grèim air an lèig. Dh’iarr i oirre bàta a dhèanamh dhaibh.
Dh’fhalbh Gràinne is Fionn anns a’ bhàta. Nuair a ràinig am Buidseach Glas
an abhainn bha an cupall ro fhada a-mach.
Bha Fionn is Gràinne a’ fuireach ann an Gleann Eilg. Bha iad an dùil
leanabh, ach goirid ro latha a bhreith, chaidh iarraidh air Fionn taic a
thoirt do Chlann Mòrna. Bha Fionn air gealltanas a thoirt do Chlann Mòrna
gun toireadh e taic dhaibh nam biodh iad ann an cunnart.
Bha e air falbh trì latha. Anns an ùine sin, nochd am Buidseach Glas
a-rithist agus thug e Gràinne air falbh an aghaidh a toil. Nuair a thill
Fionn, chuir e a chorrag fo a dheud-fios. Fhuair e a-mach gun deach
cruth-atharrachadh a dhèanamh air Gràinne. Bha i a-nise a’ ruith nan
coilltean ann an Gleann Afraig mar eilid bhàn.
Ged a bha na Fianna a’ sealg gu tric, chan fhac’ iad eilid bhàn. Chaidh
dusan bliadhna seachad agus, latha a bha seo, bha iad a’ sealg faisg air
doire. Dh’fhàs Bran, cù Fhinn, fiadhaich. Cha leigeadh e le cù no duine,
ach a-mhàin Fionn, a dhol am measg nan craobh.
Chaidh Fionn ann agus lorg e gille dusan bliadhn’ a dh’aois. Cha robh cànan
sam bith aige ach cànan nam fiadh. Ann am meadhan a bhathais, bha dos de
ghaoisidean fèidh. Thuig Fionn gum b’ e seo a mhac. Chuir e an t-ainm
Oisean air. Tha sin a’ ciallachadh ‘fiadh beag’.
Nuair a chaochail Gràinne, leig am Buidseach Glas le Oisean dhol gu Tìr an
Dorchadais airson dust a mhàthar a thoirt dhachaigh. Bha i a-nise ann an
cruth caillich. Thog na Fianna àite-tiodhlacaidh dhi air mullach beinne
anns an Eilean Sgitheanach faisg air Gleann Eilg. ʼS e Beinn na Caillich a
chanas sinn ris a’ bheinn sin chun an latha an-diugh.
