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An Litir Bheag 785

Litir Bheag na seachdain sa le Ruairidh MacIlleathain. Litir 脿ireamh 785. Roddy Maclean is back with this week's short letter for G脿idhlig learners.

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Sun 31 May 2020 16:00

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An Litir Bheag 785

Ge b鈥� e a dh貌irteas fuil duine, le duine d貌irtear fhuil-san. A bheil sibh e貌lach air an abairt sin? Whoever sheds human blood, by humans shall their blood be shed. Tha e 脿s a鈥� Bh矛oball. Ge b鈥� e a dh貌irteas fuil duine, le duine d貌irtear fhuil-san. Tha e anns an t-Seann Tiomnadh, Leabhar Genesis Caibideil IX, Rann 6.聽

Carson a tha mi a鈥� t貌iseachadh le sin? Uill, bha mi a鈥� leughadh seann chunntas de mhurt. Chr矛ochnaich an cunntas leis an earrainn sin 脿s a鈥� Bh矛oball. Ch矛 sinn carson, nuair a thig an cunntas agam fh矛n gu cr矛ch.

Thachair e ann an sia ceud deug, ceathrad 始s a tr矛 (1643) ann am paraiste Chnoc Mhoire faisg air a鈥� Mhanachainn. Bha uachdaran ann. Bha fear ann ris an canadh iad Iain mac 始an Mh貌ir a bha ag obair dha. Chan e duine onarach a bha ann.

Bha Iain a鈥� goid e貌rna. Chunnaic gille, D貌mhnall mac Uilleim, na thachair. Bha an t-eagal air Iain gun cluinneadh an t-uachdaran mun ghnothach. Chuir e roimhe D貌mhnall a mhurt. 鈥楲org mi r貌n marbh air a鈥� chladach,鈥� thuirt e. 鈥楥han eil fios aig duine eile mu dheidhinn, ach mo bhr脿thair-ch猫ile, Iain MacCoinnich. Carson nach tig thu c貌mhla rinn? Gheibh sinn uile ar cuid dhen r貌n.鈥櫬�

Cha do thuig D貌mhnall an cunnart san robh e. Thachair an dithis ri Iain MacCoinnich faisg air a鈥� chladach. Gun rabhadh, thug Iain mac 始an Mh貌ir biodag a-mach. Sh脿th e an gille tro a chridhe. Cha do thuig Iain MacCoinnich an toiseach d猫 bha dol.聽

Thuirt Iain mac 始an Mh貌ir ris, 鈥楽脿th thusa e, Iain. Bidh thu fh猫in a cheart cho ciontach 始s a tha mise.鈥� An robh Iain MacCoinnich dhen bheachd nach robh roghainn aige? Chan eil fhios a鈥檓, ach sh脿th esan an gille cuideachd.

Ghi霉lain iad corp Dh貌mhnaill don chladach. Chan fhaca duine iad. Bha an l脿n a-mach. Dh鈥檉h脿g iad an corp air a鈥� chladach. Bha iad an d霉il gum biodh e air a sguabadh air falbh leis an l脿n. Ach d猫 thachair? Innsidh mi dhuibh anns an ath Litir.

The Little Letter 785

Whoever sheds human blood, by humans shall their blood be shed. Do you know that phrase? Whoever sheds human blood, by humans shall their blood be shed. It鈥檚 from the Bible. Whoever sheds human blood, by humans shall their blood be shed. It鈥檚 from the Old Testament, Book of Genesis, Chapter IX, Verse 6.

Why am I starting with that? Well, I was reading an old account of a murder. The account finished with that passage from the Bible. We鈥檒l see why, when my own account reaches its conclusion.

It happened in 1643 in the parish of Kirkhill (Wardlaw) near Beauly. There was a landlord. There was a man called John son of big John who was working for him. He was not an honest man.

John was stealing barley. A lad, Donald son of William, saw what happened. John was fearful that the landlord would hear about the matter. He decided to murder Donald. 鈥業 found a dead seal on the shore,鈥� he said. 鈥楴obody knows about it except my brother-in-law, John Mackenzie. Why don鈥檛 you come with us? We鈥檒l all get our share of the seal.鈥�

Donald didn鈥檛 appreciate the danger he was in. The two [of them] met John Mackenzie near the shore. Without warning, John son of big John produced a dirk. He stabbed the lad through his heart. John Mackenzie initially didn鈥檛 understand what was happening.

John son of big John said to him, 鈥榊ou stab him, John. You鈥檒l be just as guilty as I am.鈥� Was John Mackenzie of the opinion that he had no choice? I don鈥檛 know, but he stabbed the lad as well.

They carried Donald鈥檚 body to the shore. Nobody saw them. The tide was out. They left the body on the shore. They were expecting that it would be swept away by the tide. But what happened? I鈥檒l tell you in the next Litir.

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  • Sun 31 May 2020 16:00

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