Scotland

Sradagan san Iarmailt / Sparks in the Firmament

SRADAGAN SAN IARMAILT / SPARKS IN THE FIRMAMENT Ginealach Ùr Bhàrd Gàidhealach / A New Generation Of Gaelic Poets Francis Boutle Publishers announces the publication of Sradagan san Iarmailt / Sparks in the Firmament, a major new anthology bringing together the foremost Gaelic poets to have emerged since the turn of the millennium. This wide-ranging […]

Tadhail air Ghetto na Gàidhlig – Bella Caledonia

An Open Letter to Defend Gaelic

Le Bella Caledonia Editor

As Misneachd writes: “There will not be a second chance to preserve Gaelic as a spoken vernacular language in Scotland.” This is an Open Letter to Jenny Gilruth and Shona Robison which you are invited to draw on and submit your own letter to the ministers in opposition to the cuts to community development workers […]

Tadhail air Ghetto na Gàidhlig – Bella Caledonia

Community of Contested Discourse in the Gaelic Development Debate

Le Bella Caledonia Editor

The editor of Bella Caledonia contacted me at the end of last week about a vigorous debate around “Gaelic” in relation to the Gàidhealtachd, and with the Gàidhealtachd referring to the grounding in which the Gaelic language – and a great deal more – might be said to live, and move, and have its being. […]

Tadhail air Ghetto na Gàidhlig – Bella Caledonia

The Celtics

Le Bella Caledonia Editor

If you’ve been spending any time in the Gaelic or Gaelic-adjacent parts of Twitter over the last few days, you’ve probably been made unpleasantly aware of a filmmaker in the United States who has been trying to raise money to make a Celtic-themed television series. If you haven’t been spending time in the Gaelic or […]

Tadhail air Ghetto na Gàidhlig – Bella Caledonia

Gaelic Promotion as Social Justice, Part One: Gaelic as the Language of a Minoritised Community

Le Bella Caledonia Editor

In the first of a series of articles Adam Dahmer explores the importance of promoting the Gaelic language, in response to some of the anti-Gaelic bigotry and misinformation that still exists. When I first came to Scotland and began to study Gaelic, my teachers warned me about ‘mì-rùn mòr nan Gall’ – the indifference or […]

Tadhail air Ghetto na Gàidhlig – Bella Caledonia

Gaelic and the Hebrides are Valuable – Let’s Strengthen Them

Le Bella Caledonia Editor

Charles (Teàrlach) Wilson argues that the Hebrides are not a remote archipelago with nice views and old-fashioned ways of life: they are a crucial and important part of Scottish society, identity, history. If we reconceive the problems of Gaelic as not a crisis of language but a crisis of how we see rural and Highland […]

Tadhail air Ghetto na Gàidhlig – Bella Caledonia

On Gaelic, Language and Identity

Le Bella Caledonia Editor

Scotland is evolving as a country, as a cultural entity, as a place that knows itself. * The contradictory and dividing myths we’ve told ourselves (and been told) are falling apart. One of the enduring mythologies is that of the “divided self” – from the “double and divided” Scottish self in literature including Hogg’s The […]

Tadhail air Ghetto na Gàidhlig – Bella Caledonia

Education and the colonisation of the Gàidhlig mind … 2

Le Bella Caledonia Editor

Part two of Iain MacKinnon’s exploration of colonisation and education in the Scottish and global context – see part one here. In the nineteenth century fairly direct forms of oppressive violence and terror appear to have been used in efforts to frighten young Gaels into abandoning their language. That physical force and forms of psychological […]

Tadhail air Ghetto na Gàidhlig – Bella Caledonia

Scottish Gaelic’s Journey to Duolingo

Le Bella Caledonia Editor

Ciaran Iòsaph MacAonghais – a Primary Teacher from Fort William and co-creator of the Scottish Gaelic Duolingo course – takes us through Scottish Gaelic’s journey to Duolingo. [follow Ciaran at @thaseomath ] Scottish Gaelic is the latest language to feature on Duolingo – the world’s largest language learning platform. Over 50,000 people have signed up to […]

Tadhail air Ghetto na Gàidhlig – Bella Caledonia

Mac Bheatha an lighiche & MacIlleEathain

Le Unknown

Àras, Muile far an deachaidh am Peutanach a chéilidh air MacIlleEathainn

Tha Clann Mhic Bheatha, lighiche do Rìghrean Innse Gall agus Rìghrean nan Albannach ainmeil airson sàr-obair léighe thar nam bliadhnaichean. Tha e fìor gu bheil ainmean Mhic Bheatha ri leughadh air clàr nan oileanaich aig feadhainn de na h-oilthighean as motha ann an Roinn Eòrpa anns na Meadhan Aoisean, Salerno, Bologna, Monte Casino agus Montpellier nam measg.

Aig aon àm, ri linn sàr-obair Chlann Mhic Bheatha, bha a’ Ghàidhlig, aon de na trì cànanan eile, Laideann, Greugais agus Arabais a bhiodhte ga h-ùisneachadh airson sgrìobhainnean léighe.

Bhiodh Clann Mhic Bheatha a’ measgachadh sàr ionnsachadh léigh nam Meadhan Aoisean agus seann eòlas Gàidhealach nan luibhean. Ach a-réir coltais, cha chuireadh dòighean-obrach neo-ghnàthach dragh air feadhainn den Chlann, cho fhad ’s a thoireadh iad toraidhean.

Latha a bha seo, latha a bha siud, bha bodach MacIlleEathain na leabhaidh fo bhuaidh tinneis. Thigheadh càirdean, companaich agus coimhearsnaichean a chéilidh air.

Roimhe cheann fhada, dh’fhàs e seach searbh sgìth den tinneas agus an uiread de dhaoine a bhitheadh a’ tighinn a-staigh. “Cà’ bheil am Peutanach? Cuir fios air Mac Bheatha agus innis dha gu bheil mi nam leabaidh fo bhuaidh tinneas na galla seo!” Ars’ MacIlleEathain.

Sin na rinn iad. B’ ann á Àras ann am Muile a bha ‘m bodach a bha seo agus le sin, b’ e Seumas Mac Bheatha, an leighiche a tháinig fhaicinn. Dar a chaidh an lighiche don leabaidh thubhairt MacIlleEathain “O Mhic Bheatha, Mhic Bheatha an léighe! Tha pian mhór nam bhrù. Nach leighis sibh mi ma tha sibh comasach ri dhèanadh?”

Ceann tacain, dh’innse Mac Bheatha do MhacIlleEathainn gun robh fhios aige na bha ceàrr air. Bha othras na bhrù. Thubhairt Mac Bheatha gum biodh e comasach a leighis, ach bhitheadh aige ri falbh agus tilleadh ceann beagan làithean.

“O Mhic Bheatha, Mhic Bheatha, leis a’ phian mhór seo nam bhrù agus sluagh aig cois mo leapa, chan faigh mi cadal samhach. Feumaidh gu bheil thu comasach rudeigin a dhèanamh?” Arsa MacIlleEathain.

“Nist.” Arsa Mac Bheatha. “Tha aona rud ann, ach bhitheadh agam ri tilleadh ceann beagan làithean fhathast.” “Ceart” Arsa MacIlleEathain. “Dèanaibh na dh’fheumas sibh” Agus sin na rinn Mac Bheatha.

Sheas Mac Bheatha air beulaibh an teine agus chuir a chùl ris a’ ghealbhan mhór agus rinn e cac. Theas Mac Bheatha an cac anns an teine gus nach robh ann ach pùdar dubh. Chruinnich an lighiche am pùdar agus chuir e ann am measair dubh e agus chroch e e air leabaidh MhicIlleEathain.

“Ceart” Ars’ am Peutanach. “Tillidh mi ceann beagan làithean agus fhad ’s a chrochas am measair seo air bhur leabaidh, théid bhur leighis, agus fàsaidh sibh nas làidir.” Agus dh’fhàg an lighiche.

An ath latha, mar as àbhaist, tháin’ an sluagh, tháin’ na càirdean, caraidean agus coimhearsnaichean a chéilidh air a’ bhodach bhochd. Dh’iarr fear dhiuch air a’ bhodach “Dé am pùdar dubh anns a’ mheasair dhubh seo a tha a’ crochadh air bhur leabhaidh MhicIlleEathain?”

“O” Arsa MacIlleEathain “Chan e ach leighis a th’ ann. Thug Seumas Mac Bheatha, an lighiche, e dhomh agus thubhairt e gun téid mo leighis agus gum fàs mi nas làidir.” Dh’aithnich am fear an t-ainm Seumas Mac Bheatha, leis cho ainmeil ’s a bha comas an teaghlaich. Bha annas aige den ‘léigh’ a bha seo cho làidir, ghabh e blasad dheth.

Mhothaich am bodach na rinn e agus rinn e fìor ghaire mhór ris an duine. Bha e a’ ghàire cho làidir, bhrist am bodach othras na bronn agus dh’fhalbh a’ phian mhór.

Roimhe cheann tacain, mar a gheall e dha, thill Mac Bheatha. Dar dh’innse am bodach dha na thachair cha tubhairt an lighiche ach “Nach b’ i an fhìrinn a dh’innis mi dhuibh?” agus dh’fhalbh e.

Tadhail air Air an Dara Làimh