An Comunn Gàidhealach Publications > Deo-gréine > Volume 13, October 1917-September 1918

AN DEO-GREINE.
155
For Brusgac's plan of skinning the flea, compare Nicolson 181, “ Feannadh na fride airson a ge'ire.
Flaying the tetter for its tallow.” And also the following—
Ola cas easgainn,
A’s bainne cich circe,
Agus geir mheanbh-chuileag,
Ann .an adharc muice,
Agus ite cait ’ga shuathadh ris.
An Gaidheal I., 323.
Eel’s foot oil,
And hen’s milk,
And midge’s tallow,
[Place] it all in a pig’s horn,
And [take] a cat’s feather to mix it together.
An Capull Bacach, Ban. A cripple white horse occurs in West Highland Tales, I, No. 9. Various
magic animals are described as cripple and white in other tales. See Celtic Review, V., 67. An Gobhar
Bacach, the Lame Goat, is the Skye name for the corn-dolly, called in other places, “ A’ Chailleach” or
“ A’ Mhaigdean Bhuana,” “ the Old Witch,” or “the Reaping Maiden.”
The following Toimhseachan, or enigma, is appropriate to the incident of the hare’s reaping of the field
by means of the sickle thrown into her ear. An incident similar to that noted by Campbell as occurring in
Tale No. 128, mentioned above—
Siubhlaidh e na leunagan,
Siubhlaidh e na breunagan,
Siubhlaidh e'n t-imire fada,
’S thig e dhachaidh anmoch,
An corran buana.
It travels on the little meads,
It travels on the midden steads,
It travels on the lengthened riggs,
And home it cometh late at night,
The reaping hook.
West Highland Tales, II., 399.
Magic hares and deer in other stories when being chased, drive sparks from their toes at the foremost
hunter, who in his turn drives sparks from his toes into the face of the man behind him, who passes it on to
the next man, and so down to the last man in the row of pursuers. See Murchadh Mac Brian, and An
t-Amadan Mor, West Highland Tales, II., No. 38, and Ibid. IV., p. 410, No. 173. “ Chuir mi tein’ as an
iirlar a’ tarruing as,” is said in modern times of one who hurries off at speed.
IAN MIN MAC-AN-ABA AGUS
ROBAIR LOCH EIRE.
Aig Cill fhinn, ri taobh amhann Dochart, tha
Cinn - alia, a ite - cbmhnuidh cinn - f headhna
Chloinn-an- Aba, Thaiomradh againnairCloinn•
an-Aba co fhada air ais ris an aon linn deug.
Cha ’n ’eil mi ’g radh gur e so am fine a’s sine
th’ againn aims a Ghaidhealtachd. Thubhairt
mi sin aon la ri Alpein an iasgaich, ’s e ’na
shuidhe gu seasgair air cathair aig dorus Tigh-
na Sraid an Cill-fhinn, ach ma thubhairt bu
bheag mo thaing. “ Tha mi faicinn,” ars’
Alpein, an duine c6ir, “ nach ’eil thu ehlach air
eachdraidh nam fineachan Gaidhealach. ’S e
Clann Alpein am fine a’s sine a th’ ann. Nach
cuala thu riamh an sean-fhacal, “ cnuic is uisge
is Alpeinich1? ” Tha Clann Alpein cho sean ris
na cnuic. An urrainn thu sin a radh a thaobh
fine air bith eilel Alpein, tha thusa nis air
trial! dh’ ionnsuidh tir an aigh, agus cha d’ fhag
thu bheag coltach riut ad dheidh air son modh
agus suairceis, air son aoidhealachd agusdeadh-
bheus. Le tlachd tha mi ’cur cloiche ri d’ ch&rn.
Aig ceann an ear Loch Eire, agus dluth do
St. Fillans, tha eilean beag anns an loch, agus
air an eilean so bha caisteal, agus b’ e an
daingneach so aite-c6mhnuidh Mhic-Nis, robair
ainneil ri linn righ Seumas an t-seathamh.
Cha ’n fhuiligeadh e bata air an loch ach a bhata
fhein. An uair a dheanadh e meirle
no breach ’s a’ choimhearsnachd theicheadh e
gus an daingneach so, agus cha b’ urrainn
namhaid ruigheachd g’a ionnsuigh gu dioghaltas
a dheanamh air, agus cha d’ thainig fhathast
an t Am air a bheil am bard a’ sgrlobhadh :—-
“ Tha lagh is parlamaid aca
Chumail ceartais riu is corach;
’S tha mheirl’ an deidh a casgadh,
Sguir na creachan is an tbrachd.”
’S an am so, tri cheud bliadhna air ais, bha
falachd agus naimhdeas mhor eadar Clanu-an-
Aba, agus Clann Nis. Mu am na bliadhn’ hire
’n uair bha seirbhisich Tc-an-Aba a’ tighinn air
ais o Chraoibh, luchdaichte le biadh is deoch,
milsean is goireasan eile fa chomhair cuirm na
bliadhna hire, chaidh an spuinneadh ’s an
creachadh le robair Loch Eire. Bhhidich Mac-
an-Aba dioghaltas, ag radh nach rachadh an
gamhlas air chhl gus am biodh an gniomh ud
paidhte, Bha da mhac dheug aig Mac-an Aba
’s iad uile laidir, calma, clis; ach bha aon
dhiubh, am mac bu shine, fuathasach calma,
agus uamhasach neartmhor,’aigne mar leomhann,
agus sealladh gruamach aige, ris an abaireadh
iad am bitheantas Ian Min Mac an-Aba. An
oidhche an dhidh na robaireachd, chaidh