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An Litir Bheag 968

Litir Bheag na seachdain sa le Ruairidh MacIlleathain. Litir 脿ireamh 968. This week's short letter for G脿idhlig learners.

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Sun 3 Dec 2023 13:30

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An Litir Bheag 968

There lived on fair Loch Rannoch-side, In slated cottage neat and bright, A woman famous far and wide, For gift of second-sight.

鈥橲 ann mar sin a tha d脿n a鈥� t貌iseachadh. Tha e a鈥� d猫anamh tuairisgeul de bhoireannach. Bha i a鈥� fuireach ann an Cille Chonain air cladach Loch Raineach. Bha an d脿 shealladh aice.聽

B鈥� e 霉ghdar an d脿in an t-Urramach Iain Mac na Ce脿rdaich. Bha e na mhinistear ann an Ceann Loch Raineach. Dh鈥檉hoillsich e an d脿n anns an leabhar Schiehallion ann an naoi ceud deug 鈥檚 a c貌ig (1905).

Tha am ministear a鈥� m矛neachadh a鈥� ghnothaich ann an ro-r脿dh fon tiotal 鈥�The Second Sight: A Rannoch Mystery鈥�.鈥橲 e 鈥楽arah鈥� a ghabh e air an t-seann bhoireannach. Ach tha mi a鈥� tuigsinn gum b鈥� e a f矛or ainm 鈥楻aghnaid Chamshron鈥�.

Sgaoil a cli霉 fad is farsaing. Ghabh Marcas Bh貌id 霉idh innte. Bha esan an s脿s anns an Psychical Research Society. Chaidh coimiseanair aig a鈥� bhuidhinn a Raineach airson agallamh a dh猫anamh le Sarah ann an ochd ceud deug, naochad 鈥檚 a c貌ig (1895).聽

Bha am ministear anns an 猫isteachd. An d猫idh l脿imhe, rinn e n脿dar de chl脿r air na thuirt Sarah ann an riochd b脿rdachd Beurla. Bha i p貌sta agus bha teaghlach m貌r aice.聽

Tha cladh ann an Cille Chonain. Gu tric, bhiodh Sarah a鈥� faicinn taibhs anns a鈥� chladh. Bhiodh i a鈥� faicinn daoine 鈥� ann an riochd thaibhsean 鈥� air an tiodhlacadh. Agus bhiodh i a鈥� cluinntinn fuaimean piocaid no spaid ga h-obrachadh anns a鈥� chladh.聽

Chan ann a-mh脿in ann an sg矛re Raineach a bha a t脿lantan feumail. Chaidh fear a bh脿thadh ann an Loch Obha ann an Earra-Gh脿idheal. Tha sin p矛os m貌r air falbh bho Raineach. Dh鈥檉heuch sguad de dhaoine ri a chorp a lorg. Dh鈥檉h脿ilnich orra.

Aig a鈥� cheann thall, chuir iad litir gu Sarah mun ch霉is. Air an dearbh latha a fhuair i an litir, rinn i sgeidse de Loch Obha. Chomharraich i an t-脿ite far an robh corp an duine. Nuair a chaidh feadhainn ann, bha a chorp d矛reach far an tuirt a鈥� bhan-fh脿idh a bhitheadh e.

The Little Letter 968

鈥楾here lived on fair Loch Rannoch-side, In slated cottage neat and bright, A woman famous far an wide, For gift of second-sight.鈥�

That鈥檚 how a poem begins. It is giving an account of a woman. She was living in Killichonan on the shore of Loch Rannoch. She had the second sight.

The poem鈥檚 author was the Rev. John Sinclair. He was a minister at Kinloch Rannoch. He published the poem in the book Schiehallion in 1905.

The minister explains the matter in a foreword under the title The Second Sight: A Rannoch Mystery鈥�. It鈥檚 鈥楽arah鈥� that he called old woman. But I understand that her real name was Rachel Cameron.

Her reputation spread far and wide. The Marquis of Bute took an interest in her. He was involved in the Psychical Research Society. A commissioner of the group went to Rannoch to conduct an interview with Sarah in 1895.

The minister was listening in. Afterwards, he made a sort of recording of what Sarah said in the form of English poetry. She was married and had a large family.

There is a cemetery in Killichonan. Often, Sarah would be seeing a ghost in the cemetery. She would be seeing people getting buried. And she would be hearing the sounds of a pick or spade being used in the cemetery.

It鈥檚 not only in Rannoch that her talents were useful. A man was drowned in Loch Awe in Argyll. That鈥檚 a good way from Rannoch. A squad of people tried to find his body. They failed.

Finally, they sent a letter to Sarah about the matter. On the same day she got the letter, she made a sketch of Loch Awe. She marked the place where the man鈥檚 body was. When some folk went there, his body was exactly where the [female] seer said it would be.

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