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An Litir Bheag 862

Litir Bheag na seachdain sa le Ruairidh MacIlleathain. Litir 脿ireamh 862. Roddy Maclean is back with this week's short letter for G脿idhlig learners.

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Sun 21 Nov 2021 14:30

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An Litir Bheag 862

Bha mi ag innse dhuibh mu Fhearchar Lighiche. Air an rathad dhachaigh, chaidh Fearchar gu doras caisteal an R矛gh. Dh鈥櫭╥gh e, 鈥楢鈥� bhiast-dubh air a鈥� chn脿mh gheal.鈥� Tha an abairt sin annasach. Ach tha dreach eile aig Iain 脪g 脤le ann am Popular Tales of the West Highlands. An sin, tha Fearchar ag r脿dh, 鈥楢n daol dubh ris a鈥� chn脿mh gheal鈥� 鈥� 鈥�the black beetle on the white bone鈥�. Bha Fearchar a鈥� tuigsinn gun robh lighichean an R矛gh a鈥� cur daolan no daolagan air an lot ann an cas an R矛gh. Bha na daolagan ag ithe na fe貌la. Bha e uabhasach piantail don R矛gh.

Ma tha sibh e貌lach air sgeulachdan na F猫inne, bidh sibh a鈥� d猫anamh coimeas leis mar a fhuair Fionn mac Cumhail a chuid e貌lais. An 脿ite nathair gheal, 始s e bradan a bha sa phoit. Tha e coltach gu bheil an d脿 sgeul ceangailte ri ch猫ile.

Agus tha nathair gheal a鈥� nochdadh ann am beul-aithris eile aig na G脿idheil. Tha Iain 脪g 脤le ag innse dhuinn mu thri霉ir bhr脿ithrean 脿s 脤le air an robh MacBheatha no Peutan mar ainm. Bha iad ainmeil airson a bhith sgileil mar lighichean.

Chaidh fear dhiubh, Iain, a dh鈥檉huireach ann am Muile. 始S e an t-Olladh Muileach a chanadh daoine ris. Dh鈥檉huirich an d脿rna fear, Fearghas, ann an 脤le. B鈥� esan an t-Olladh 脤leach. B鈥� e an treas fear 鈥� Gilleadha 鈥� am fear a b鈥� ainmeile. Bha e na sh脿r-e貌laiche air luibhean, agus bhiodh e a鈥� cruinneachadh lusan fiadhain airson Fhearghais.聽

Seo mar a fhuair an treas br脿thair a chuid e貌lais air luibhean. Latha a bha seo, bha coire aige air teine. Bha e a鈥� goil luibhean. Ach chaidh nathair gheal a chur don phoit. Bha Gilleadha a鈥� cur a鈥� bhrota mun chuairt. Chaidh balgam dheth air a l脿imh. Bha e teth. Dh鈥檌mlich an duine a l脿mh.聽

Sa mhionaid, bha e貌las s貌nraichte aige air a h-uile leigheas fon ghr猫in. Chaidh iarraidh air leigheas a dh猫anamh air R矛gh na h-Alba. Ach bha farmad aig lighichean eile air. Chaidh a phuinnseanachadh agus cha do thill e a dh鈥櫭宭e a-chaoidh.

The Little Letter 862

I was telling you about Fearchar Lighiche. On the way home, Fearchar went to the door of the King鈥檚 castle. He shouted, 鈥楾he black creature on the white bone.鈥� That phrase is strange. But John Francis Campbell has another form of it in Popular Tales of the West Highlands. There, Fearchar says, 鈥楾he black beetle on the white bone鈥� 鈥� 鈥榯he black beetle on the white bone鈥�. Fearchar was understanding that the King鈥檚 physicians were putting beetles on the wound on the King鈥檚 foot. The beetles were eating the flesh. It was terribly painful for the King.

If you are familiar with the stories of the Fianna, you will compare [this story] with how Fionn mac Cumhail gained his knowledge. In place of a white snake, it鈥檚 a salmon that was in the pot. It appears that the two stories are related to each other.

And a white snake appears in other Gaelic oral tradition. John Francis Campbell tells us about three brothers from Islay called Beaton [or Bethune]. They were famous for being skilful as physicians.

One of them, John, went to live on Mull. He was called the Islay Doctor. The second one, Fergus, remained on Islay. He was the Islay Doctor. The third one 鈥� Gilleadha 鈥� was the most famous one. He was an expert on herbs, and he would collect wild plants for Fergus.聽

Here鈥檚 how the third brother gained his knowledge on plants. One particular day, he had a cauldron on a fire. He was boiling plants. But a white snake was put in the pot. Gilleadha was stirring the broth. A drop of it went on his hand. It was hot. The man licked his hand.

Immediately, he had a special knowledge of every medical cure in the universe. He was asked to cure the King of Scotland. But other physicians were jealous. He was poisoned and he never returned to Islay.

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