An Comunn Gàidhealach Publications > Deo-gréine > Volume 3, October 1907-September 1908

86
AN DEO-GREINE.
who, finding the Gael not strong enough at
first to offer them resistance, as in other parts
of the country, were able at an early era to
push on into the country of the aboriginal
peoples. The Men of Fortrenn, who are
identified by Rhys with the Verturiones
(usually but erroneously written Vecturiones,
the name Yecturiones seeming to mean the
people of the fortresses) are considered by him
as a mixture of Dumnonian Brythons and
Piets, and to have been the same as the Boresti
(i.e. Foresters) and to have occupied the out¬
lying portion of the nation of the Brythons,
and to have dwelt on the outskirts of the
Caledonian Forest, in the districts of Menteith,
Strathearn and Fothreve on the western por¬
tion of Fife. The Epidii who occupied the
the South-west Highlands from Ben Nevis to
the Mull of Cantyre, are said by some to have
been Brythons, their name shewing that they
belonged to the P. race of Celts, as if the
name had been of Gaelic origin it would have
been Equidii (cf. Latin, equites) meaning horse¬
men. Rhys, however, classes these people
with the non-Celtic tribes, though he admits
the name looks as if it had been given them
by a Brythonic people, but he thinks they
would have had more use for coracles than for
horses, and that the Brythonic appearance of
the name is perhaps due to an accident, and
he holds that it is the same word as appears
in the name Ebuidae (or Hebrides). At the
same there have, from time immemorial been
breeds of ponies in the Highlands (c.f. the
ancient Celtic horse we hear so much of now¬
adays). Be this as it may the Caledonians
whom Agricola in 86 fought against at Mons
Graupius or Granpius at the junction of the
Isla and the Tay, seem, if we are to believe
that the pre-Celtic races of the country con¬
sisted of a short squat people akin to the Laps,
and also of a short dark race with long or oval
skulls akin to the Basques and the Berbers,
and called Iberii by ancient writers, to have
belonged to one or other branch of the Celtic
race, probably the Brythonic branch, perhaps
even to have been a mixture of both races.
Tacitus described them as a noble people
fighting in chariots as well as on foot, with
long swords and short shields (c.f. the clay¬
mores and targets of the Highlanders), and
from their red hair and large limbs he argued
a German origin. From this statement has
arisen a theory that the Piets were a Teutonic
or (iothic race. But we know that the Gauls,
who under Brennus invaded Rome, were of
blue eyes and fair hair (c.f. Macaulay’s
“ The Gaul shall come against thee,
From the land of snow and night,
Thou shalt give his fair-haired armies
To the raven and the kite,”
SINE BHAN.
[Fhuair a’ sgialachd-sa a’ cheud duais aig M6d
Ghlaschu am bliadhna. Bha e air a sgriobhadh le
Mr Cailein Macpharsoin, d Giaschu.l
’S ainneamh aite’s a Ghaidhealtachd, ma tha
aon idir ann, is mo a dhruidheas air iuntinn
an duine, gu h-araidh ’s an 6g mhaduinn
Shamhraidh, na ’nuair a sheasas e os cionn
Baile-an-t-Sthroim, no mar a b’ bhearr a dh’
fhaoidte a radh an diugh, far an robh e, or o’n
a chaidh a’ rathad iaruinn a chur air aghaidh
thun a Chaoil, chaill e gu mor a luach agus
fheum.
Tha Lochcarronn ’na luban’s ’na charan, a’
dol a steach fada do fhearann air a chuairt-
eachadh gu mor le beanntan airde, creagach,
gun toradh agus air bheag snuadh. Tha a’
loch gu ciuin, samhach, gu h-iosal fothad, ’s
ioma sgbbh bhuidhe gu socrach air a bhroill-
each. Chi thu tigh is tigh a togail ceb’s na
bailtean beaga air taobh eile a’ loch. Tha
eunlaidh na coill’ a togail an caithreim ann’s
an dlu-choille laimh riut ; ach ged a tha, tha
rud-eigin’s an t-sealladh, cho tiamhaidh’s
gu’n toileach leis an fhear-thuruis sealltuinn a
mach air a chuan, agus’s an astar chi e beann¬
tan oirdheirc an Eilein Sgiathanaich a’ togail
an cinn.
Le an tulchain ris na nebil, agus ceb ghlas
thana na maidne a’ snamh seachad oirre, am
fac’ thu seallamh a riamh a bheireadh barr
air? ’S ann anns a’ bhaile bheag-’tha direach
air taobh thall an loch mu choinneamh an
t-Sthrbim, ris an can iad Cisoirne, a rugadh’s
a dh’ araicheadh Sine Bhan. B’i an dara
h-aon a b’ bige de ’n teaghlach. Dh’ fhas i
suas mar luibhe bhbidheach, an luaths ’s am
fallaineachd, mar an earb air slios na beinne.
Cha robh maise bha ri innseadh nach robh
oirre, cha b’ ann a mhain ’na dealbh, ach ’na
gniomh, ’na beus agus ’na buadhan.
Am b’ ioghnadh, ma ta, ged a bhitheadh siiil
iomadh gille big oirre ? Ach faodaidh mi
radh nach robh fior speis aig Sine ach do
Dhbmhnull Og. Bha Dbmhnull ’na ghille
eireachdail, deanadach agus glic. Dh’ fhas e
fein agus Sine suas ann an cuideachd a cheile
o’n bige. Bu trie a shiubhail iad lagan agus
bruaich ag iarraidh nead a bhreacan-bheithe ;
cha robh eas na coire air nach robh iad eblach.
Thrus iad am maorach le cheile’s an traigh,
agus bu trie a thug iad carnag is giomach d
fdic.
Mar a dh’ fhas iad ann a laithean, dh’ fhas
an gradh mar an ceudna, agus theireadh tu
nachxrobh ni na bu fhreagarraiche. na gu’m
pbsadh iad. Tha e air aithris, nach robh
cursa ’n fhior ghraidh riamh a’ siubhal gu reidh
agus’s ann mar sin a thachair ; co dhiu, air
taobh Sine aig an am so.