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An Litir Bheag 874

Litir Bheag na seachdain sa le Ruairidh MacIlleathain. Litir 脿ireamh 874. Roddy Maclean is back with this week's short letter for G脿idhlig learners.

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Wed 16 Feb 2022 22:55

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An Litir Bheag 874

Tha mi a鈥� dol a dh鈥檌nnse dhuibh sgeul goirid 脿 脌ird nam Murchan. Tha e gu math sean. Buinidh e do dheireadh an t-siathamh linn deug. 始S e ainm an sge貌il B脿s Aonghais Mh貌ir. Tha e co-cheangailte ri Aonghas M貌r mac 始ic E貌in.聽

Bha Aonghas a鈥� fuireach faisg air Sr貌n an t-S矛thein. Bha droch bhean aige. Co-dhi霉, 始s e sin a tha na sgeulaichean a鈥� cumail a-mach. Bhiodh i ag iarraidh air Aonghas e fh猫in a shuidheachadh mar cheannard na fine 鈥� D貌mhnallaich 脌ird nam Murchan.

Chuala iad gun robh nephew aige 鈥� D貌mhnall 鈥� gu bhith a鈥� p貌sadh nighean aig a鈥� cheann-chinnidh chumhachdach, Camshron Loch Iall. Cha bhiodh cothrom aig Aonghas tuilleadh a bhith na cheannard fine. Dh鈥檌arr a bhean air D貌mhnall a mhurt.

Bha fios aig Aonghas gum biodh D貌mhnall a鈥� gabhail slighe a dh鈥檌onnsaigh na bainnse tro Cheann Tr脿. Bha aige ri leum tarsainn fadhail an sin. Bha Aonghas agus luchd-leantainn aige a鈥� feitheamh ri D貌mhnall. Nuair a bha D貌mhnall a鈥� leum, loisg fear de luchd-leantainn Aonghais saighead air aodann.

Nuair a bhuail a chasan air an talamh air an taobh thall, shiaraich D貌mhnall. Bha e mar gun robh e a鈥� dannsadh. An uair sin thuit e. Thuirt Aonghas ris mus d鈥� fhuair e b脿s, 鈥楽aoil an danns thu cho cridheil sin aig banais nighean a鈥� Chamshronaich?鈥櫬�

Chaidh an ce貌l air feadh na f矛dhle nuair nach do nochd D貌mhnall aig a鈥� bhanais. Chaidh buidheann de dhaoine air th貌ir Aonghais. Theich e. Loisg na daoine saighdean air mullach-tughaidh an taigh aige. Bha spong a bha a鈥� losgadh ceangailte ris na saighdean. Chaidh an taigh na sm脿l.

Dh鈥檉halbh Aonghas a Mhorbhairne. Ach lean an fheadhainn eile e. Anns a鈥� mhadainn, bha a鈥� ghrian ag 猫irigh. Thog Aonghas a chlogaid airson coimhead. Bha l脿mh aige a鈥� cumail solas na gr猫ine bho a sh霉ilean.

Thuirt fear de a n脿imhdean, 鈥楴ach e deagh chothrom a tha seo a mharbhadh?鈥� Fhreagair fear eile, 鈥楥ha d猫an do l脿mh a鈥� ch霉is.鈥�

鈥楪e-t脿,鈥� thuirt a鈥� chiad fhear, 鈥楴矛 saighead i.鈥� Loisg e an t-saighead. Bhuail i Aonghas na bhathais, agus mharbh i e. Agus sin agaibh sgeul B脿s Aonghais Mh貌ir.

The Little Letter 874

I鈥檓 going to tell you a short story from Ardnamurchan. It鈥檚 very old. It belongs to the end of the 16th century. The story is called 鈥楾he Death of Big Angus鈥�. It鈥檚 connected with Aonghas M貌r mac 始ic E貌in.聽

Angus was living near Strontian. He had a bad wife. At least, that鈥檚 what the storytellers maintain. She would be asking Angus to establish himself as the clan leader of the MacDonalds of Ardnamurchan.

They heard that a nephew of his 鈥� Donald 鈥� was going to marry a daughter of the powerful clan chief, Cameron of Lochiel. Angus would no longer have an opportunity to be clan leader. His wife asked him to murder Donald.

Angus knew that Donald would be taking a route to the wedding through Kentra. He had to jump a sea-ford there. Angus and followers of his were waiting for Donald. When Donald was jumping, one of Angus鈥檚 followers fired an arrow towards his face.

When his feet touched the ground on the other side, Donald staggered. It was as if he were dancing. Then he fell. Angus said to him before he died, 鈥楧o you reckon you鈥檒l dance as merrily as that at the wedding of Cameron鈥檚 daughter?鈥�

Things went totally haywire when Donald didn鈥檛 appear at the wedding. A group of people went in pursuit of Angus. He fled. The men fired arrows on the thatched roof of his house. Burning tinder was attached to the arrows. The house was burned to the ground.

Angus went to Morvern. But the others followed him. In the morning, the sun was rising. Angus lifted his helmet to look. A hand of his was shading his eyes from the sunlight.

One of his enemies said, 鈥業sn鈥檛 this a good opportunity to kill him?鈥� Another replied, 鈥榊our hand won鈥檛 do the job.鈥�

鈥楬owever,鈥� said the first man, 鈥楢n arrow will.鈥� He fired the arrow. It struck Angus in the forehead and it killed him. And that is the story of the Death of Big Angus.

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  • Sun 13 Feb 2022 14:30
  • Wed 16 Feb 2022 22:55

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