Gille Dubh Thangasdail a' sàbhaladh MhicNìll Bharraigh bho fhear à Sealtainn.
Contributors
Fieldworkers
Date
Track ID
5308
Part 1
Track Information
Original Track ID
SA1953.116.B2
Original Tape ID
Summary
How Gille Dubh Thangasdail saved MacNeil of Barra from a Shetlander.
Gille Dubh Thangasdail was the strongest man in Barra. He accompanied MacNeil of Barra on a cattle raid to Shetland. MacNeil was fighting a Shetlander and losing. Gille Dubh Thangasdail saved MacNeil and made the Shetlander give him his daughter's hand in return for his life. He remained in Shetland.
Item Subject/Person
Gille Dubh Thangasdail
Item Location
County - Shetland
Island - Shetland Mainland
Language
Gaelic
Genre
Collection
Transcription
Dòmhnall Caimbeul: 'S e an duine bu treasa am Barraigh. Ruamhaireadh e feannagan mòra na Dubh-àirigh am Borgh ann an aon latha, 's dh'fheumadh a mhàthair leth... ceathramh de mholt a bhith aige air a dhinneir. Agus latha dhe na lathaichean thuirt e rithe:
"Ach," ars esan, "'s ann tha gòrach duine a tha a' fuireach agad a' stèarbhadh," ars esan.
'S dh'fhalbh e agus thug e Cìosamul air. Ràinig e MacNìll air a' chaisteal - chunna tu fhèin e - 's:
"Dè tha thu ag iarraidh?" ars esan.
"Tha mi ag iarraidh maighstir," ars esan.
"Gheibh thu sin," arsa MacNìll. "Thig a-staigh. 'S cinnteach gu bheil an t-acras ort," arsa MacNìll.
Bha e an dèidh ceathramh a' mhuilt ithe an Tangasdal roimhe sin.
"Uill chan eil mi falamh dheth," ars esan.
Chuir MacNìll a-staigh e 's fhuair e a dhìol ann an sin, agus nuair a thàinig an latha sheat MacNìll a' bhirlinn airson falbh a thogail creiche. Agus, co-dhiù:
"Chan eil i coltach," ars esan, Gille Dubh Thangasdail, "falbh an-diugh," ars esan. "Tha i mòr."
"Och," ars esan, "tha i... bidh... bidh i math gu leòr eadar na tuinn sa chuan," ars esan, arsa MacNìll, "eadar na cìsean..."
"Cà 'm bi sinn," ars esan, "ris na frasan a tha sin... an siud?" ars esan, Gille Dubh Thangasdail.
"Bidh sibh am fasgadh nan cìsean mòra sa chuan."
"Uill ma-thà," ars esan, Gille Dubh Thangasdail, "thig a-staigh 's beannachd leat."
Co-dhiù, thàinig MacNìll a-nuas air carraig a' chaisteil 's thug an Gille Dubh a làmh dha 's tharraing e a-staigh i.
"Uill, ma bhios i... ma bhios i math agamsa," ars esan, "bidh i math agad fhèin cuideachd," ars esan, agus e ga tharraing a-staigh air a bheulaibh.
'S chaidh... chaidh an long-fhada a-staigh a dh'Orasaigh - 's aithne dhut Orasaigh. Chaidh an long-fhada a-staigh a Phort 'ic Dhùghaill Mhòir, 's e th' aca air, far an deach i a-staigh, gus an tàinig latha brèagha, 's dh'fhalbh iad gu ruige Sealtainn a thogail creiche.
Co-dhiù, nuair a bha iad a' tighinn leis na... Ach a Dhia càite seo a-nist... Bha beothaichean innte co-dhiù, ge brith cà 'n d' fhuair iad iad, agus bha an Gille Dubh ga taomadh 's cha robh MacNìll... bha e a' toirt a-staigh uabhas de... uabhas de shàl ann, agus:
"Stiùir tioram i," ars esan, an Gille Dubh.
"Tha mi ga dhèanamh sin," arsa MacNìll.
Uair dhe na h-uairean rug e air, 's phaids e suas am measg nam beothaichean e. Shuidh e fhèin aig an stiùir.
"Cà 'n do dh'ionnsaich thu an stiùireadh?" ars esan, MacNìll.
"Dh'ionnsaich mi e," ars esan, "a' stiùireadh a' chruinn-rùslaidh aig m' athair," ars esan, Gille Dubh Thangasdail.
Ràinig iad Sealtainn co-dhiù, 's bha MacNìll a' goid nam beothaichean co-dhiù, 's siud am bad MhicNìll a chaidh fear à Sealtainn co-dhiù, 's chuir fear Shealtainn a dhruim ri talamh 's bha e a' coimhead air a' Ghille Dhubh, a bheil fhios agad, feuch an toireadh e help dha, 's b' fheudar... b' fheudar dhan Ghille Dhubh a dhol a-null 's a thogail far muin MhicNìll - fear Shealtainn. 'S chuir... cha robh an Gille Dubh fada ga chur-san ri talamh.
"Dè," ars esan... "leig... leig nam sheasamh... leig... leig mo bheatha leam," ars esan, "an... 's leat... 's leat," ars esan, "as diù mi dhen t-saoghal," ars esan, "agus mo nighean ri pòsadh."
"Seadh ma-thà," ars esan, Gille Dubh Thangasdail, "tha a bhargan dèanta."
'S leig e... leig e, an Gille... leig Gille Dubh Thangasdail fear Shealtainn na sheasamh. Agus:
"Thalla thusa," ars esan, Gille Dubh Thangasdail ri MacNìll, "'s bheir d' aghaidh air Barraigh," ars esan. "Chan eil mise a' falbh idir."
Sin mar a chuala mise e. An cuala thu i siud riamh?
"Ach," ars esan, "'s ann tha gòrach duine a tha a' fuireach agad a' stèarbhadh," ars esan.
'S dh'fhalbh e agus thug e Cìosamul air. Ràinig e MacNìll air a' chaisteal - chunna tu fhèin e - 's:
"Dè tha thu ag iarraidh?" ars esan.
"Tha mi ag iarraidh maighstir," ars esan.
"Gheibh thu sin," arsa MacNìll. "Thig a-staigh. 'S cinnteach gu bheil an t-acras ort," arsa MacNìll.
Bha e an dèidh ceathramh a' mhuilt ithe an Tangasdal roimhe sin.
"Uill chan eil mi falamh dheth," ars esan.
Chuir MacNìll a-staigh e 's fhuair e a dhìol ann an sin, agus nuair a thàinig an latha sheat MacNìll a' bhirlinn airson falbh a thogail creiche. Agus, co-dhiù:
"Chan eil i coltach," ars esan, Gille Dubh Thangasdail, "falbh an-diugh," ars esan. "Tha i mòr."
"Och," ars esan, "tha i... bidh... bidh i math gu leòr eadar na tuinn sa chuan," ars esan, arsa MacNìll, "eadar na cìsean..."
"Cà 'm bi sinn," ars esan, "ris na frasan a tha sin... an siud?" ars esan, Gille Dubh Thangasdail.
"Bidh sibh am fasgadh nan cìsean mòra sa chuan."
"Uill ma-thà," ars esan, Gille Dubh Thangasdail, "thig a-staigh 's beannachd leat."
Co-dhiù, thàinig MacNìll a-nuas air carraig a' chaisteil 's thug an Gille Dubh a làmh dha 's tharraing e a-staigh i.
"Uill, ma bhios i... ma bhios i math agamsa," ars esan, "bidh i math agad fhèin cuideachd," ars esan, agus e ga tharraing a-staigh air a bheulaibh.
'S chaidh... chaidh an long-fhada a-staigh a dh'Orasaigh - 's aithne dhut Orasaigh. Chaidh an long-fhada a-staigh a Phort 'ic Dhùghaill Mhòir, 's e th' aca air, far an deach i a-staigh, gus an tàinig latha brèagha, 's dh'fhalbh iad gu ruige Sealtainn a thogail creiche.
Co-dhiù, nuair a bha iad a' tighinn leis na... Ach a Dhia càite seo a-nist... Bha beothaichean innte co-dhiù, ge brith cà 'n d' fhuair iad iad, agus bha an Gille Dubh ga taomadh 's cha robh MacNìll... bha e a' toirt a-staigh uabhas de... uabhas de shàl ann, agus:
"Stiùir tioram i," ars esan, an Gille Dubh.
"Tha mi ga dhèanamh sin," arsa MacNìll.
Uair dhe na h-uairean rug e air, 's phaids e suas am measg nam beothaichean e. Shuidh e fhèin aig an stiùir.
"Cà 'n do dh'ionnsaich thu an stiùireadh?" ars esan, MacNìll.
"Dh'ionnsaich mi e," ars esan, "a' stiùireadh a' chruinn-rùslaidh aig m' athair," ars esan, Gille Dubh Thangasdail.
Ràinig iad Sealtainn co-dhiù, 's bha MacNìll a' goid nam beothaichean co-dhiù, 's siud am bad MhicNìll a chaidh fear à Sealtainn co-dhiù, 's chuir fear Shealtainn a dhruim ri talamh 's bha e a' coimhead air a' Ghille Dhubh, a bheil fhios agad, feuch an toireadh e help dha, 's b' fheudar... b' fheudar dhan Ghille Dhubh a dhol a-null 's a thogail far muin MhicNìll - fear Shealtainn. 'S chuir... cha robh an Gille Dubh fada ga chur-san ri talamh.
"Dè," ars esan... "leig... leig nam sheasamh... leig... leig mo bheatha leam," ars esan, "an... 's leat... 's leat," ars esan, "as diù mi dhen t-saoghal," ars esan, "agus mo nighean ri pòsadh."
"Seadh ma-thà," ars esan, Gille Dubh Thangasdail, "tha a bhargan dèanta."
'S leig e... leig e, an Gille... leig Gille Dubh Thangasdail fear Shealtainn na sheasamh. Agus:
"Thalla thusa," ars esan, Gille Dubh Thangasdail ri MacNìll, "'s bheir d' aghaidh air Barraigh," ars esan. "Chan eil mise a' falbh idir."
Sin mar a chuala mise e. An cuala thu i siud riamh?
Source Type
Reel to reel
Audio Quality
Good