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30/01/2017

Tha litir bheag na seachdain aig Ruaraidh MacIllEathain ag innse dhuinn mu Naomh Mhunna. Series of letters written for people starting to learn Gaelic.

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Mon 30 Jan 2017 19:00

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An Litir Bheag 612

Tha Cill Mhunnu, no Kilmun ann an C貌mhghall. Tha e co-cheangailte ri Munnu, seann naomh Ceilteach. Ach c貌 bha ann am Munnu? Uill, bha far-ainm air na naoimh. B鈥 e Finten ainm-baistidh Mhunnu.

听听听听听听听听听听听 Tha an sgoilear Gilbert M谩rkus air leabhran inntinneach a dh猫anamh air Munnu. 始S e Brilliant Flame ainm an leabhrain. Tha e a鈥 d猫anamh iomradh air aithris mu Mhunnu ann am Beatha Chaluim Chille, a chaidh a sgr矛obhadh le E貌nan, naoidheamh aba 脤. 始S e 鈥楩inten鈥 a chanas E貌nan ris.

听听听听听听听听听听听 Rugadh is thogadh Finten ann an 脠irinn. Bha e ag iarraidh a dhol a dh鈥橢ilean 脤 mar eilthireach. Bha e airson coinneachadh ri Calum Cille. Thachair e ri dithis mhanach 脿s Eilean 脤. Bha naidheachd aca mu Chalum Cille. 鈥楾ha e air a dhol gu Cr矛osd anns na beagan l脿ithean a dh鈥檉halbh,鈥 thuirt iad.

听听听听听听听听听听听 Thuit Finten don l脿r. Bha e a鈥 caoineadh. An d猫idh greis, dh鈥檉haighnich e, 鈥楥貌 dh鈥檉h脿g Calum Cille 脿s a dh猫idh mar fhear-leantainn?鈥

听听听听听听听听听听听 鈥楤aith茅ne, dha robh e na oide,鈥 fhreagair na manaich.

听听听听听听听听听听听 鈥楳a cheadaicheas an Tighearna,鈥 thuirt Finten, 鈥榯h猫id mi gu Baith茅ne. Ma ghabhas e rium, bidh e na aba dhomh.鈥

听听听听听听听听听听听 Nuair a r脿inig e Eilean 脤, chaidh Finten air beulaibh Bhaith茅ne. Chaidh e air a ghl霉in. Dh鈥檌arr an t-aba air 猫irigh. Chuir e ceistean air an fhear 貌g.

Dh鈥檃ithnich an t-aba gum b鈥 e seo an duine air an do rinn Calum Cille f脿idheadaireachd. 鈥楾ha mi a鈥 toirt taing do Dhia gun t脿inig thu,鈥 ars an t-aba. 鈥楢ch, gu dearbh, cha bhi thu nad mhanach an seo.鈥

Rinn an naidheachd sin Finten br貌nach. 鈥楾ha e coltach nach eil mi airidh air a bhith nam mhanach,鈥 thuirt e.

鈥楥han e nach eil thu airidh, a mhic,鈥 thuirt an seann duine. 鈥楢ch chan urrainn dhomh a dhol an aghaidh sti霉ireadh Chaluim Chille. Aon latha, thuirt e rium, 鈥淕oirid 脿s d猫idh dhomh an saoghal seo fh脿gail, thig br脿thair 脿s 脠irinn 鈥 fear Finten mac Thalchain. Bidh e ag iarraidh a bhith na mhanach dhut. Ach chan fhaod e a bhith na mhanach dhut.鈥濃 Carson a thuirt Calum Cille sin? Innsidh mi dhuibh an ath sheachdain.

The Little Letter 612

Cill Mhunnu, or Kilmun, is in Cowal. It鈥檚 connected to Munnu, an old Celtic saint. But who was Munnu? Well, the saints had a nickname. Finten was Munnu鈥檚 baptismal name.

听听听听听听听 The scholar Gilber Mark煤s has written an interesting booklet about Munnu. The booklet is called 鈥楤rilliant Flame鈥. It gives an account of a report about Munnu in Vita Columbae, which was written by Adamnan, the ninth abbot of Iona. Adamnan calls him 鈥楩inten鈥.

听听听听听听听 Finten was born and raised in Ireland. He was wanting to go to Iona as a pilgrim. He was wanting to meet Columba. He came upon two monks from Iona. They had news of Columba. 鈥楬e has gone to Christ in the last few days,鈥 they said.

听听听听听听听 Finten fell to the ground. He was weeping. After a while, he asked, 鈥榃hom did Columba leave after him as a successor?鈥

听听听听听听听 鈥楤aith茅ne, to whom he was teacher,鈥 the monks replied.

听听听听听听听 鈥業f the Lord permits,鈥 said Finten, 鈥業 shall go to Baith茅ne. If he accepts me, he will be my abbot.鈥

听听听听听听听 When he reached Iona, Finten appeared in front of Baith茅ne. He went on to his knee(s). The abbot asked him to get up. He posed questions of the young man.

听听听听听听听 The abbot recognised that this was the man of whom Columba had prophesied. 鈥業 give thanks to God that you came,鈥 said the abbot. 鈥楤ut, certainly, you shall not be a monk here.鈥

听听听听听听听 That news made Finten sad. 鈥業t appears that I鈥檓 not worthy of being a monk,鈥 he said.

听听听听听听听 鈥業t鈥檚 not that you鈥檙e not worthy, son,鈥 said the old man. 鈥楤ut I can鈥檛 go against the command of Columba. One day, he said to me, 鈥淪hortly after I depart this world, a brother will come from Ireland 鈥 a man called Finten, son of Talchan. He will want to be your monk. But he cannot be your monk.鈥濃 Why did Columba say that? I鈥檒l tell you next week.

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  • Mon 30 Jan 2017 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)

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