Blair Collection > Sar-obair nam bard gaelach, or, The beauties of Gaelic poetry, and lives of the Highland bards

G2
SAK-OBAIR NAM BARD GAELACH.
Nèill, mine DhòrahnuiU, mhic Lachuinn, mine Nèill mhòir, mhic Lachuinn,* mhie Dhònih-
nuill, do shloinne chlann Mhulrich, ann an lathair Ruairidh INIhic Nèill tighearna BÌiìira,
thabhairt a chodaich, mar is fiosrach e-san, gur e fein an t-ochdamh glùn dèug o Mhuireach
a bha leanmhuinn teaghlaich Mhic-'Ic-Ailein, ceannard Chlann-Raonuill, mar bhardàibh,
• This is Lachunn mor Mac Miiuirich Albannaich, or Lachlan mòr MacVuìrich of Scot-
land, the second of this famous tribe of bards.
Where there are several individuals of tlic same name, it is necessary to have some marks to
distinguish them. This has been always attended to by the Gael though in various ways. It is
commoti to cult persons by their patronimics; and among clans, where many have the same name
and surname, they could not be distinctly called and recognised otherwise: instead of saying
Alexander M' Donald, where two, three, or four were found of the same name, in the same place,
they called one, Alexander, the son of Allan, the son of John ; another, Alexander, the son of
Donald, the son of Neil; and another, the son of liory, the son of Dugald, &c.
The Gaelic language being susceptible of describing beings and objects most minutely; in-
dividuals are frequently distinguished and described from their appearance, or qualities external
and internal. Thus our author has been culled Lachlann Mor, in contradistinction to another of
the same name who was less. Mùr signifies great in respect of one's person or mind. Its
literal meaning is magnitude, and this is the sense in which It has been applied here. Ijut there
is another mark by which this bard was distinguished, namely, by his country, Albanach. or of
Scotland. Irish bards, or minstrels, were once uo strangers in Scotland, and especially the
Highlands; for Albainn, the Gaelic term for Scotland, had been particularly applied to the
Highlands. The cognomen, Albannach, had been given Lachlan mor MacVurich emphaticalli/^
being the great poet of his day. The language of the two countries being the same, the Scottish
Highlanders and Irish understood each other ; and there was frequent intercourse between them.
They, in fact, were originally the same people ; and^ instead of disputing about the origin of the
one or the other, historians ought to regard them as one and the same, removing from the one
kingdom to the other as occasion or necessity required. Of the works of this famous poet, all
now extant is an extraordinary one— a war song, composed almost wholly of epithets arranged
in alphabetical order, to rouse the Clan Donuil to the highest pitch of enthuMasm before the
battle of Harlaw. This poem is entitled in Gaelic; — '* Brosnacha-catha Le Lachunn Mor
Mac Mhuirich Albannaich Do Dhomhnum. a Ii.e 1Ugh-1nnse-gai,l agus Iarla Hois Latha
Machraìch CiiATH-GAiRiACH."* The piccc has a part for every letter in the Gaelic alpbabet till
near the end consisting altogether of three hundred and thirty-eight lines. It would occui)y
to much space to print it in this work. Here follow the two first, and also the thirteen last lines
of the poem : —
A chlanna Cuinn cuimhnichibh, A chuileanan chonfhadach,
Cruas an am na h-iorghuill. A bheirichean bunanta,
^ % * * # * A leoghainnean lan-ghasta
Gu ur-labhrach, ùr-lamhach neart-mhor, Aon-chonnaibh iorghuilleach
Gu coisneadh na cath-larach, De laochaibh chrodba, churanta
Ri bruidhne 'ur biubhaidh, De chlannaibh Chiiinn cheud-chathaich
A chlanna Chuinn cheud-chathaich, A chlanna Chuinn, cuimhnichibh
'Si nis uair 'ur n'aithnaichidh. Cruas an am na h-iorghuill.
This poem is very valuable in two respects ;— First, It is the best proof that could he given of a
language, so copious and abounding in epithets, that the number poured out under each letter
is almost incomprehensible. What command of language ! How well deserved our bard the
* This battle wns fouubt, nnnn 1111. at a Fmall villi.ige called Harlaw, in the district of Carioch. within ti-n miles
of Aberik-en. Tlif r ui r , t* ir -v r^ thi- :- V.'n'frr I rslv. a man nobly horn, succeeded to the liarldoni of Kosa, in
riEht nf his lady, ■■ t ■■■ ' ' rit < 'i , i le had by her a son, who succeeded him, and a daughter, who
was married to'thi I i !■ : . . ,1 a daughter of the duke of Albany, son nf Robert II.. at that
time Rovernoroi ". ],:.!>; , ,: irhmd him only one child. It is said that Khe was somewhat de-
formed, i.nd rend- m -i 1m. 11 ,1 i:. : MM, li li,r the governor easily procured a resignation of the L'aildom ot
Itnss in favonr of Jnlin r..rl »t' Iin«li;.M, his Mcnn.l son, lo the prejudice nf Donald lord of thu l>Us v.lio was t;r;.ni!.
6on of the taid Leslv, and supposed (he nearest heir. He claimed his right accordingly, but tiniinit,- the ^;()Vl■rnn^,
who probably regarded him already as too powerful a subject, not inclined to do him that jut^tice lie expcrUci, he lui-
mediately raised an army of no less than 10,000 men within his own isles, and putting himself at their lieail, made a
descent on the continent, .ind, without opposition, seized the lands of Koss, .ind after increasing his army with ilie
rch from Ross until he came ro Garioch, within ten miles of Aberdeen, ravaging
issed, and threatenrng to enrich bis men with the wealth of that town. Jiut before
as stopped by Alexander Stewart, the grandson of Itobert II., and ear! of
from the governor, drew togelher, with great expedition, almost all the