Beachdan ionadail air mort Eige.
Track Information
Original Track ID
SA1965.123.14
Original Tape ID
Summary
Local opinion about the Eigg massacre.
In 1577, 394 people were murdered on Eigg. Some local folk believe the incident never took place because Clanranald was so powerful that nobody would harm his people. It was also written that the corpses were buried, but there is no sign of any graves. It would have been easier to have closed the cave where the murder took place and leave the dead undisturbed.
The old folk said the people of Eigg were hauling a large stone to the cemetery when they saw MacLeod's galley coming. The stone can still be seen today [1965].
The contributor gives an account of the Eigg massacre as he heard it from the old folk. One woman survived because she didn't go into the cave. MacLeod didn't kill her, but said he would leave nothing for her to eat and he removed all the shellfish from the shore. The woman responded in verse. Nan MacKinnon from Vatersay says she is descended from a survivor of the massacre. It was said that some of the young people of Eigg were on the mainland when the massacre took place.
Item Location
County - Inverness-shire
Island - Eigg
Parish - Small Isles
Language
Gaelic
Genre
Collection
Source Type
Reel to reel
Audio Quality
Good