Main content

14/06/2010

Tha litir bheag na seachdain-sa aig Ruaraidh MacIllEathain. This week's short letter for learners is introduced by Ruaraidh MacLean.

5 minutes

Last on

Mon 14 Jun 2010 19:00

Clip

An Litir Bheag 266

鈥橲 e 脌th Maol Ruibhe baile beag ann an聽Siorrachd Pheairt. Faisg air, tha Gleann聽Cuaich. Anns a鈥 ghleann tha Loch聽Fraochaidh. Ciamar a fhuair an loch聽ainm? A bheil e co-cheangailte ris an lus聽鈥 fraoch? Uill, chan eil, a r猫ir beul-aithris.聽鈥橲 e Fraoch ainm aig fear. 鈥橲 e聽gaisgeach a bha ann. Bha boireannach聽uaireigin anns an sg矛re. 鈥橲 e Maoidh an聽t-ainm a bha oirre. Ghabh i trom ghaol聽air Fraoch. B鈥 esan am fear a bu聽mhaisiche san Fh猫inn. Bha nighean aig聽Maoidh. 鈥橲 e Aoirlinn an t-ainm a bha聽oirre. Bha i air leth maiseach. Thug聽Fraoch a ghr脿dh do dh鈥橝oirlinn. Ph貌s聽iad. Ach bha Maoidh feargach. Bha i a鈥櫬燿ol a chur 脿s do Fhraoch.聽Dh鈥檉h脿s Maoidh tinn. Bha d矛reach聽aon rud a dh猫anadh i nas fhe脿rr. Mar a聽thuirt i fh猫in e: 鈥... caorann an Eilein聽Fhuair, 鈥檚 gun duine ga bhuain ach聽Fraoch.鈥 B鈥 e an t-Eilean Fuar eilean聽anns an loch. Anns an eilean bha craobh-chaorainn.聽Cha b鈥 urrainn do dhuine聽dhol faisg air a鈥 chraoibh. Bha biast聽mh貌r a鈥 fuireach aig a bonn.聽Ach bha Fraoch misneachail is聽gaisgeanta. Shn脿imh e don eilean. Lorg聽e a鈥 chraobh-chaorainn. Bha a鈥 bhiast na聽cadal. Thug Fraoch leis geugan bhon聽chraoibh. Thug e do Mhaoidh iad.聽Bha Maoidh an d貌chas gun聽cuireadh a鈥 bhiast 脿s do Fhraoch. Nuair a聽chunnaic i an geug caorainn, cha robh i聽toilichte. Thuirt i ri Fraoch nach robh i聽s脿saichte. Bha i ag iarraidh na craoibhe聽gu l猫ir.聽Thill Fraoch don eilean. Bha a鈥櫬燽hiast na suain aig bonn na craoibhe.聽Sp矛on Fraoch a鈥 chraobh-chaorainn 脿s an聽talamh. Agus dh鈥檉halbh e leatha. Ach聽dh霉isg a鈥 bhiast. Thug i ionnsaigh air聽Fraoch. Cha robh sgian aig Fraoch.聽Ghleac e fh猫in is a鈥 bhiast. Thuit iad le聽ch猫ile marbh air a鈥 chladach. Chaidh聽ainm a鈥 ghaisgich a thoirt don loch.聽Canaidh daoine Loch Fraochaidh ris聽fhathast.

The Little Letter 266

Amulree is a village in Perthshire.聽Close by, there is Glen Quaich. In the聽glen there is Loch Freuchie. How did聽the loch get its name? Is it connected聽to the plant 鈥 heather? Well, no,聽according to oral tradition.聽Fraoch is a man鈥檚 name. He was聽a hero. There was once a woman in聽the area. Her name was Maoidh. She聽fell madly in love with Fraoch. He聽was the handsomest of the Fingalians.聽Maoidh had a daughter. Her name聽was Aoirlinn. She was extremely聽beautiful. Fraoch gave his love to聽Aoirlinn. They married. But Maoidh聽was angry. She was going to kill聽Fraoch.聽Maoidh became ill. There was聽only one thing would make her better.聽As she herself said: 鈥... the rowan of聽the cold island, with no man plucking聽it but Fraoch.鈥 The Eilean Fuar was聽an island in the loch. On the island聽there was a rowan tree. Nobody could聽go near the tree. There was a large聽beast living at its base.聽But Fraoch was confident and聽heroic. He swam to the island. He聽found the rowan tree. The beast was聽asleep. Fraoch took with him聽branches from the tree. He gave them聽to Maoidh.聽Maoidh was hoping that the聽beast would kill Fraoch. When she聽saw the rowan branch, she wasn鈥檛聽pleased. She said to Fraoch that she聽wasn鈥檛 satisfied. She was wanting the聽whole tree.聽Fraoch returned to the island.聽The beast was slumbering at the base聽of the tree. Fraoch plucked the rowan聽tree from the ground. And he left with聽it. But the beast awoke. It attacked聽Fraoch. Fraoch had no knife. He and聽the beast wrestled. They fell dead聽together on the shore. The hero鈥檚聽name was given to the loch. People聽still call it Loch Fraochaidh.

Broadcast

  • Mon 14 Jun 2010 19:00

All the letters

Tha gach Litir Bheag an seo / All the Little Letters are here.

Podcast: An Litir Bheag

The Little Letter for Gaelic Learners

An Litir Bheag air LearnGaelic

An Litir Bheag is also on LearnGaelic (with PDFs)

Podcast