Blair Collection > Popular tales of the West Highlands > Volume 2

RIDERE NAN CEIST. 3 5
fear a b' bige. " 'S mise mac Aidean ngh mòr na h-Albann." " 'S
mise do bhratbair." 'S ann an so a dh' aithnicli iad a' cheile. Cliuir
iad failte 's furan air a cheile, 's thug gaisgeach na sgiath-baine an
so a stigh e do 'n luchairt, agus 's e 'bha toileachfbaicinn nighean au
ridire. Dh' f ban e car tamull maille riu, agus 'na dheigh sin, smaoiu-
ich e gun rachadh e dhachaidh d'a rioghachd fein, agus a nuair a
bha e gabhail seachai air paileas mor a bha' sin, chunuaic e da
f hear dheug a' camanachd fa chomhair a phhileis. Smaoinich e gun
rachadh e greis a chamanachd leo, ach cha b' f had' a bha iad a' cam-
anachd 'n uair a chaidh iad a mach air a' cheile, agus rug am fear bu
suarraiche dhiubh air, agus chrath 'se e mar gu'n deanadh e air paisde.
Smaoinich e nach robh math dha' lamh a thogail, am measg an dii
cheathairneach dheug so, agus dh' f heoraich e dhiubh, co dha bo
mhic iad ? Thubhairt iad, " Gu 'ra b'e clann aon athar iad, brathair
do ghaisgeach na sgiath-baine, agus nach b'e an aon mhathair a bh'
aig a h-aoii dhiubh." " 'Smise bhur n-athair," thubhairt esan ; s dh'
fharraid e dhiubh, " An robh am mathraichean uile beo?" Thuirt
iad gu 'n rol)h. Chaidh e leo gus an d'f huair e na mathraichean,
amis a nuair a bha iad uile gu falbh thug e leis dhachaidh an da
bhean dèug 's a' dha nihac dheug, agus cha 'n 'eil fios agarasa nach
e 'n sliochd a tha 'nan righrean air Alba gus a' latha "n diugh.
Written do-wn from the recitation of John Mackenzie, fisher-
man at Inverary, who says that he learned the tale from an old
man in Lorn many years ago. He has been thirty-six years
at Inverary. He first told me the tale fluently, and afterwards
dictated it to me ; and the words written are, as nearly as pos-
sible, those used by Mackenzie on the first occasion.
April 1859. Hectoe UEQDn.\i;T.
The word pronounced Eèèt-djere, and variously spelt Ridir,
Righdir, and Righdeire, is explained in a manuscript history
of the Campbells, written about 1827, as Righ, king — dei, after
— Ri, king. If this be correct, the word would mean a following
or minor king. It may equally be a corruption of Ritter, or
Reiter ; and I have translated it by hnifjJd, because it is now
applied to all knights.
The author of the manuscript says : — The term is handed
down even in Gaelic tales, and mentions several which were then
current, Righdiere nan Spleugh, and an Righdeiri Ruadh; he adds,
that Righdeirin dubh Loch Oigh (the Llack Knights of Loch