蜜芽传媒

An t-seachdain sa chaidh bha mi ag innse dhuibh mu na Cuimrich a dh鈥檉h脿g a鈥� Chuimrigh is a chaidh a dh鈥檉huireach ann an Argentina, agus an uair sin a dh鈥檉h脿g Argentina agus a chaidh a dh鈥檉huireach ann an Saskatchewan. Uill, bha buidheann de Gh脿idheil ann a rinn an dearbh she貌rsa rud, ach chaidh iad m貌ran na b鈥� fhaide. Chanadh iad na Normanites riutha oir b鈥� e an ceannard fear air an robh Norman McLeod 鈥� an t-Urramach Tormod MacLe貌id. Anns an Litir seo, agus anns an feadhainn a leanas oirre, tha mi airson innse dhuibh mu na daoine sin.

Rugadh Tormod MacLe貌id ann an Asainte ann an seachd ceud deug is ochdad (1780). Bha a ph脿rantan ri croitearachd is iasgach ach bha Tormod na sgoilear math agus aig aois fichead 鈥檚 a seachd, chaidh e a dh鈥橭ilthigh Obair Dheathain. Dh鈥檌onnsaich e Seann Ghreugais, Matamataig, E貌las-n脿dair, Feallsanachd N脿darrach agus Feallsanachd Mhoralta. Nuair a cheumnaich e ann an ochd ceud deug 鈥檚 a dh脿-dheug (1812), bhuannaich e am bonn 貌ir airson Feallsanachd Mhoralta.

Chaidh e dhachaigh a dh鈥橝sainte agus ph貌s e a leannan, M脿iri NicLe貌id. An uair sin, airson dreuchd fhaighinn mar mhinistear, b鈥� fheudar dha dhol a Dh霉n 脠ideann airson c霉rsa a dh猫anamh ann an Diadhachd. Ach airson 霉ine mh貌r bha Tormod air a bhith a鈥� f脿s na bu theagmhaiche mun Eaglais mar a bha i agus gu seachd 脿raidh mu na ministearan innte. Bha iad ro dh矛leas do na h-uachdarain agus do dh鈥櫭筭hdarrasan na st脿ite. Bha cus 霉idh aca, na bheachd, ann an gnothaichean saoghalta, seach gnothaichean spioradail. Rinn Tormod co-dh霉nadh m貌r. Leig e seachad a鈥� mhinistrealachd. 鈥淏 fhe脿rr leam,鈥� sgr矛obh e, 鈥渁 bhith ceangailte le s猫ine ri tr脿ill nan Innsean an Iar, agus cogais shaor agam, seach a bhith ceangailte ri pearsaichean-eaglais na h-Alba mar a tha iad an-dr脿sta鈥︹��

Ged a bha an Eaglais a-nise d霉inte dha, bha cothrom aige na dh鈥檌onnsaich e ann am foghlam a chur gu feum mar fhear-teagaisg. Fhuair e obair mar thidsear sgoile ann an Ulapul. 鈥橲 iad an fheadhainn a dh鈥檉hastaich e buidheann air an robh The Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge. A bharrachd air a bhith a鈥� teagasg tron t-seachdain, bhathar an d霉il gun leughadh e na Sgriobtaran do mhuinntir an 脿ite air an t-S脿baid. Cha robh am ministear, an t-Ollamh Ross, ann an Ulapul gu tric air an t-S脿baid oir bha an sg矛re aige ro mh貌r.

Agus nuair a bha e a鈥� searmonachadh ann an Ulapul, ged is e duine foghlamaichte a bh鈥� ann, cha do ch貌rd na thuirt e bhon ch霉baid ri Tormod idir. Bha Tormod dhen bheachd gu robh na searmonan aige farsaing ach eu-domhain. Sguir e dhol don Eaglais nuair a bha an t-Oll. Ross anns a鈥� ch霉baid. Cha robh e di霉id ann a bhith ag innse do dhaoine carson nach robh e a鈥� frithealadh na h-eaglais air an t-S脿baid.

Bha am ministear m矛-thoilichte mu dheidhinn dol-a-mach Thormoid. S脿baid a bha seo, bha e a鈥� searmonachadh ann an Ulapul agus dh鈥檉h脿s e feargach. Thuirt e ris a鈥� choitheanal, nan robh duine aca a鈥� toirt taic don tidsear, agus na beachdan a bha e a鈥� cur an c猫ill, gum faodadh iad falbh sa bhad. Ach chaidh e na b鈥� fhaide na sin. Dh鈥櫭瞨daich e do mhuinntir a鈥� bhaile an cuid cloinne a thoirt a-mach 脿 sgoil Thormoid. Thug a鈥� chuid a bu mhotha dhiubh an taic do Thormod, ge-t脿.

Dh鈥檌arr am ministear air an tidsear nochdadh mu choinneamh seisean na h-Eaglais. Agus ch矛 sinn d猫 thachair ann an ath-sheachdain.

Faclan na Litreach: cheumnaich: graduated; bonn 貌ir: gold medal; Diadhachd: Theology; s猫ine: chain; tr脿ill: slave; pearsaichean-eaglais: clergy; Ulapul: Ullapool; di霉id: shy.

Abairtean na Litreach: a dh鈥檉h脿g Argentina agus a chaidh a dh鈥檉huireach ann an Saskatchewan: who left Argentina and went to live in Saskatchewan; chaidh iad m貌ran na b鈥� fhaide: they went much further; chanadh iad X riutha: they called [would call] them X; agus anns an feadhainn a leanas oirre: and in the ones which follow it [on her]; Seann Ghreugais, Matamataig, E貌las-n脿dair, Feallsanachd N脿darrach agus Feallsanachd Mhoralta: Ancient Greek, Mathematics, Natural History, Natural Philosophy and Moral Philosophy; ph貌s e a leannan: he married his sweetheart; b鈥� fheudar dha dhol a Dh霉n 脠ideann: he had to go to Edinburgh; bha Tormod air a bhith a鈥� f脿s na bu theagmhaiche: Norman had been growing more dubious; ro dh矛leas do na h-uachdarain: to loyal to the landlords; bha cus 霉idh aca ann an gnothaichean saoghalta: they were too interested in wordly matters; seach gnothaichean spioradail: rather than spiritual matters; an fheadhainn a dh鈥檉hastaich e: the ones who hired him; bha an sg矛re aige ro mh貌r: his parish was too large; ged is e duine foghlamaichte a bh鈥� ann: although he was an educated man; gu robh na searmonan aige farsaing ach eu-domhain: that his sermons were broad but shallow; nuair a bha an t-Oll. Ross anns a鈥� ch霉baid: when Dr. Ross was in the pulpit; dh鈥檉h脿s e feargach: he grew angry; nan robh duine aca a鈥� toirt taic don tidsear: if any of them supported the teacher; gum faodadh iad falbh sa bhad: that they could leave immediately; an cuid cloinne a thoirt a-mach 脿 sgoil Thormoid: to remove their children from Norman鈥檚 school; nochdadh mu choinneamh seisean na h-Eaglais: to appear in front of the Kirk session.

Puing-ch脿nain na Litreach: S脿baid a bha seo: this particular Sunday/Sabbath. Do you notice that I have not used the common phrase L脿/Latha na S脿baid (Sabbath Day) here, but simply the noun S脿baid (Sabbath). This is a common usage and not only for religious purposes; eg we might say bidh am pr貌gram sin air an teilidh a h-uile S脿baid (that programme is on the telly every Sunday). S脿baid is a feminine noun (hence L脿 na S脿baid); for 鈥淪unday afternoon鈥� we might say feasgar na S脿baid. Note the alternative Did貌mhnaich for Sunday.

Gn脿ths-cainnt na Litreach: bhathar an d霉il gun leughadh e na Sgriobtaran do mhuinntir an 脿ite air an t-S脿baid: it was expected that he would read the Scriptures to the local people on the Sabbath. Bhathar/bhathas an d霉il: it was expected. Thathar/thathas an d霉il: it is expected.