蜜芽传媒

Faisg air Seapail Fhaolain ann an Srath Fhaolain tha abhainn ann air a bheil Uisge Fhaolain. Anns an abhainn, tha linne air a bheil Linne Fhaolain. Dh鈥檉h脿g Naomh Faolan d矛leab mh貌r as a dh猫idh anns an d霉thaich sin, mar a ch矛 sibh!

Anns an t-seann aimsir, bhiodh daoine a bha a鈥� fulaing le tinneas-inntinn air an cur fodha anns an linne, a tha gu math domhainn. Bhiodh aca ri naoi clachan a thogail 脿 bonn na linne agus bhiodh aca ri coiseachd tr矛 tursan timcheall gach fir de thr矛 c霉irn air bruach na h-aibhne, a鈥� tilgeil clach air gach c脿rn gach turas. An uair sin bhiodh iad air an ceangal le r貌p gus nach fhaigheadh iad air gluasad, is bhiodh iad air am f脿gail anns an t-seann seapail fad oidhche le d矛reach feur orra airson an cumail bl脿th.

Thathar ag r脿dh gun do rinneadh leigheas air iomadach duine anns an d貌igh sin. Ach thathar ag r脿dh cuideachd nach eil cumhachd leigheis aig an linne tuilleadh. Chaill i a cumhachd nuair a thuit tarbh innte, agus coin an t貌ir air.

Ma tha sibh air a bhith ann an Taigh-tasgaidh na h-Alba ann an D霉n Eideann, 鈥檚 d貌cha gum bi sibh e貌lach air d脿 rud 脿rsaidh aig a bheil ceangal do Naomh Faolan 鈥� a bhachall agus a chlag. Uill, leis an fh矛rinn innse, chan eil a bhachall gu l猫ir ann 鈥� d矛reach an ceann dheth, am p矛os air am biodh duine a鈥� greimeachadh. 鈥橲 e an t-ainm a th鈥� air 鈥渁n Coigreach鈥�. Fhuair e an t-ainm sin leis gum biodh daoine ga thoirt leotha a dh鈥櫭爄teachan fad air falbh airson rudan a chaidh a ghoid a thoirt air ais. Bhiodh am fear air an robh an t-uallach airson an Coigreach a ghl猫idheadh, a鈥� faighinn ceithir sgillinn no paidhir bhr貌g, agus biadh airson aon oidhche, nuair a bhiodh e a鈥� falbh leis a dh鈥檌arraidh crodh a bh鈥� air an iomain gu gleann eile fad air falbh.

鈥橲 e an t-ainm a bh鈥� air an fhear a chumadh rudan mar sin 鈥渁n De貌r鈥�, facal 脿s a bheil an sloinneadh Dewar (Mac an De貌ir) a鈥� tighinn an-diugh. B鈥� e a鈥� chiad Phr矛omh Mhinistear ann an Alba, D貌mhnall Mac an De貌ir nach maireann, fear de shliochd a鈥� chinnidh sin. Chanadh daoine 鈥淒e貌r a鈥� Bhe脿rnain鈥� ris an fhear a bha an urra ri clag Naoimh Fhaolain, oir 鈥檚 e 鈥渁m Be脿rnan鈥� a chanadh iad ris a鈥� chlag fh猫in. Bha 脿ite s貌nraichte aig a鈥� chlag nuair a bhathar a鈥� cr霉nadh R矛gh Seumas IV ann an ceithir-deug, ochdad 鈥檚 a h-ochd (1488). Ach bha e air a ghoid bhon t-seapail, far an robh e crochte, le fear-turais Sasannach d脿 bhliadhna ro dh猫ireadh an ochdamh linn deug (1798) agus bha e air a thilleadh a dh鈥橝lba d矛reach ann an ochd-deug, seasgad 鈥檚 a naoi (1869).

Bidh sibh a鈥� mothachadh gu robh an clag fhathast anns an t-seann seapail nuair a bhiodh daoine, a bha a鈥� fulaing le tinneas-inntinn, air am f脿gail ann airson na h-oidhche, as d猫idh gun deach am bogadh anns an abhainn. Gu dearbh, bhiodh an clag os an cionn fhad 鈥檚 a laigheadh iad, fliuch is gun teas. Anns an fh矛or sheann aimsir, bhiodh daoine a鈥� creidsinn ann an leigheas mar sin, ach bha droch bheachd aig ministear na sg矛re air a鈥� ch霉is ann am meadhan an naoidheamh linn deug.

鈥淐ha chuala sinn guth air gin a chaidh am feabhas,鈥� thuirt e, 鈥渁ch, air feasgar fuar geamhraidh, dh猫anadh an gnothach deuchainn mhath air duine sam bith a bha am beachd a bhith a鈥� toirt a鈥� chreidsinn gu robh tinneas-inntinn air.鈥�

Faclan na seachdaine: Seapail Fhaolain: St Fillan鈥檚 Chapel; Uisge Fhaolain: River Fillan; Linne Fhaolain: St Fillan鈥檚 Pool; 脿rsaidh: very old; an Coigreach: [lit.] the Stranger; crochte: hung.

Abairtean na seachdaine: dh鈥檉h脿g X d矛leab mh貌r as a dh猫idh: X left a great legacy after him; bhiodh daoine a bha a鈥� fulaing le tinneas-inntinn air an cur fodha: people suffering from mental illness would be submerged; bhiodh aca ri naoi clachan a thogail: they would have to pick up nine stones; timcheall gach fir de thr矛 c霉irn air bruach na h-aibhne: around each one of 3 cairns on the riverbank; gus nach fhaigheadh iad air gluasad; so they couldn鈥檛 move; le d矛reach feur orra airson an cumail bl脿th: with only hay on them to keep them warm; gun do rinneadh leigheas air iomadach duine: that many people were healed; chaill i a cumhachd nuair a thuit tarbh innte, agus coin an t貌ir air: it lost its power when a bull, which was being chased by dogs, fell in; ma tha sibh air a bhith ann an X: if you have been in X; chan eil a bhachall gu l猫ir ann: his entire crozier is not there; leis gum biodh daoine ga thoirt leotha: as people would take it with them; a dh鈥檌arraidh crodh a bh鈥� air an iomain gu gleann eile: to fetch cattle that had been driven to another glen; b鈥� e a鈥� chiad Phr矛omh Mhinistear D貌mhnall Mac an De貌ir nach maireann: the first First Minister was Donald Dewar (deceased); fear de shliochd a鈥� chinnidh sin: one of the descendants of those people; nuair a bhathar a鈥� cr霉nadh R矛gh Seumas IV: when King James IV was being crowned; as d猫idh gun deach am bogadh: after they had been immersed; bhiodh an clag os an cionn: the bell was [would be] above them; cha chuala sinn guth air gin a chaidh am feabhas: we never heard of any who were cured.

Puing-ghr脿mair na seachdaine: thathar ag r脿dh cuideachd nach eil cumhachd leigheis aig an linne tuilleadh: it is also said that the pool no longer has healing power(s). Can I suggest that sometimes you take a look at one word which appears in many different guises? If you are in a Gaelic learners鈥� group you might all choose a word and try to use it in as many ways as possible. Tuilleadh is a good example. You will be familiar with its common use meaning 鈥渕ore, extra鈥� eg am faigh mi tuilleadh? (may I have more?) 鈥� as Oliver Twist would have asked in the Gaelic version. But in the example in the Litir it is being used as an adverb meaning 鈥渁ny more鈥� and is usually associated with a negative verbal form. This might be a future form eg cha bhruidhinn mi riut tuilleadh (I won鈥檛 speak to you again); cha till e tuilleadh (he will never return). It might also, as in the Litir, relate to past or present events eg chan obraicheadh e tuilleadh (it wouldn鈥檛 work any more). How else might we use tuilleadh?A bheil tuilleadh eisimpleirean agaibh?

Gn脿ths-cainnt na seachdaine: dh猫anadh an gnothach deuchainn mhath air duine sam bith (a bha am beachd a bhith a鈥� toirt a鈥� chreidsinn gu robh tinneas-inntinn air): the business would be a good test of any man (who was considering pretending insanity).