Sìthichean is Sglèatan Sa gheamhradh 1936-37, chaidh sreath rèidio air an robh "Am Measg nam Bodach" a chraoladh, anns an robh daoine pongail as na h-eileanan Gaidhealach a’ cuimhneachadh seann daoine an òige. Tha sinn a’ leantainn tron t-sreath leis an dara leth dhen aithris aig Liusaidh NicCoinnich air Eisdeal agus Luinn. (teacs tùsail)	Sprites and Slates In the winter of 1936-37 was broadcast a radio series called "Am Measg nam Bodach", in which eloquent speakers from the Hebrides remembered the old folk of their youth. We continue through the series with the second half of the programme by Liusaidh NicCoinnich on Easdale and Luing. (translation)
Chuala mi na bodaich gu tric a’ bruidhinn mu Dhiorbhorgail Nic a’ Bhruithinn, a bhana-bhàrd Luinneach. Bha ise fuireach an Tobar Dhonnchaidh. Bhiodh i le minnean bàn air teadhair a’ dol gus am Barra Mòr. Shuidheadh i an sin a’ dèanamh suas nan òran, is aig a’ cheart àm a’ cumail a sùil air an linne, feuch am faiceadh i iùbhrach a leannain, Alasdair mac Colla, a’ dol seachad. Bha esan ainmeil mar fhear reubainn air muir, is a’ creachadh is a’ spùinneadh air tìr. Bhiodh sin mar a thogradh e, thug ise gaol a cridhe dha. B’ ann dhàsan a rinn i an t-aon òran aice a tha againn ann an clò. Nuair a bhiodh amharas aig a cuideachd gun robh Alasdair a’ tighinn, bha i air a fògradh gu Eilean Shiùna. Seo rann a rinn i:	I heard the old men frequently talking about Diorbhorgail Nic a’ Bhruithinn, the Luing bardess. She lived in Toberonochy. She would go with a white kid on a leash to the Barra Mòr. She would sit there composing the songs, and at the same time keeping an eye on the firth to see if she could spy the boat of her sweetheart, Alasdair son of Colla, going past. He was famous as a freebooter at sea, and for raiding and plundering on land. Though that might have been his bent, she gave him her heart’s love. The one song of hers that we have in print was composed for him. When her family suspected that Alasdair was coming, she was banished to the Island of Shuna. Here is one of her verses:
Gura mise tha tùrsach 'S mi 'n Siùna ghorm a' bharraich Tha mo shùil air a' chaolas 'S chan fhaod mi dhol thairis	I am full of sadness Here in fertile Shuna of the brushwood My eye is on the channel Without permission to pass over
Bha i suas an làithean an àm Phrìonnsa Tearlaich. Bha a co-fhaireachdainn uile le cùis nan Stiùbhartach. Nuair a bha i air leabaidh a bàis, dh'iarr i cuach a thoirt dhi. Rug i oirre, is ga togail gu bilean dh'òl i slàinte a' Phrionnsa le dùrachd, a' guidhe gach buaidh is soirbheachadh leis. Chaochail i mun deach Cùil Lodair a chur.	She was of an advanced age in the time of Prince Charles. Her sympathy was totally with the Stewarts. When she was on her deathbed, she asked to be given a quaich. She took a hold of it, and raising it to her lips, she drank the health of the Prince with passion, wishing him every triumph and success. She died before Culloden was fought.
Bha gamhlas eadar i fhèin is na Caimbeulaich. Rinn i bàrdachd nach do thaitinn riutha. Bho chionn trì fichead bliadhna bha tòrradh ann an Cille Chatain. Bha aon de na Caimbeulaich an sin agus gu dè rinn e ach leum e air uaigh Dhiormhorghuil, mar a shaoil leis, is mhallaich e an duslach a bha fo chasan. Thug Donnchadh MacLachainn fainear dha, agus ars' esan is e a' cur mun cuairt na cuaich, "A-nis, fhearaibh, òlaidh mi deoch slàinte Diorbhorgail, is thusa, 'Chaimbeulaich, cha tèid boinne nad bhus. Nach eil fhios agad gur ann air uaigh do sheanmhair fhèin a leum thu? Chan ann a' sin tha Diorbhorgail na laighe, ach cha seall mi idir dhuit i."	There was ill-will between herself and the Campbells. She composed poetry that was not to their pleasing. Over sixty years ago there was a funeral in Kilchattan. One of the Campbells was there and what did he do but jump on Diorbhorghuil's grave, or so he thought, and he cursed the remains beneath his feet. Donnchadh MacLachainn noticed him, and said as he passed the quaich around, "Now, sirs, I will drink a toast to Diorbhorgail, and you, Campbell, not a drop will go in your mouth. Do you not know that you jumped on your grandmother's own grave? Diorbhorgail doesn't lie there, and I won't show you at all where she does."
Bha fear dom b' ainm Artair MacLachlainn an geall air carragh cuimhne a chur suas an urram Diorbhorgail, ach chaochail an duine còir sin gu h-obann, is cha deach a' chùis a thogail tuilleadh.	There was a man called Artair MacLachlainn who had promised to erect a memorial stone in honour of Diorbhorgail, but this fine man died suddenly, and the matter was never again taken up.
Bidh e car neònach leinne a bhith a' creidsinn nam beachdan a bh' aig ar sinnsre. Ach cò sinne a bhith a' cur teagamh ann an cuid de nithean nach eil sinn fhèin a' tuigsinn. Bha duine a' fuireach ann an Àird Luinne ris an canadh iad Calum Nighinn Eòghain. Bha e air a ràdh gun robh e air a bhuileachadh le buadhan sònraichte. Nam measg bha an dà shealladh aige, agus ann a bhith a' cainnt ri neach sam bith, dh'innseadh e mu chuid de na nithean a bha ri tachairt.	It will feel somewhat strange to us to accept the beliefs of our ancestors. But who are we to doubt some of things we don't ourselves understand. There was someone staying in Ard Luing called Calum Nigh- inn Eòghain. He was said to have been endowed with special powers. These included having the second sight, and in talking with anyone, he would tell of some of the things that were going to happen.
Bha e air a ràdh gun robh cumhachd leigheis aige cuideachd, is gun togadh e galar no tinneas bho dhuine no bho bheathach. 'S e an t-iomradh a bha aca air mar a fhuair e an cumhachd seo gun do ghoideadh e leis na sìthichean nuair a bha e na leanabh. Bha e fad cheithir bhliadhna sa bhrugh; chaidh Fidilean Finndinn, seann sìogaidh seanair Chloinn Chròig fhagail aig a mhàthair, ach mhothaich ise gum b' e am fleasgach sin fhèin a bha aice, is le cuideachadh Griosal Mhòir rinn i bràighde gill air Fidilean is sgiùrsadh e don dùn as an tàinig e. 'S ann mar sin a fhuair i Calum aice fhèin. B' iad na sìthichean a chuir an t-seunmhorachd ud air Calum.	It was said that he had the power of healing too, and that he could dispel disease or illness from man or beast. The word on how he got this power was that he was stolen by the fairies when he was an infant. He was four years in the fairy knoll; Fidilean-finndinn, the old fairy grandfather of Clan Cròig was left with his mother, but she realised that this was the very stripling she had, and with the help of Griosal Mhòir she used Fidilean as a bargaining counter and he was driven off to the mound from which he came. That's how she got her own Calum. It was the fairies who gave him that magical power.
Chuala mi iad ag ràdh mun bhrùinidh a bh' ann an Eilean Shiùna gum biodh e a' toirt sanais air a theachd le bhith a' dèanamh fead chruaidh. Mo thruaigh iadsan a dhèanadh dearmad air a' chnotag bhleith a lìonadh làn bainne is ceapaire somalta fhàgail dha. Bhiodh e, a rèir coltais, a' nuallanaich mun cuairt an taighe is gach ball àirneis a' dannsadh is a' tuasaid, is am bitheantas bhiodh aon den chuid feudail le cas bhriste na laighe an sloc sa mhadainn.	I've heard them say of the brownie which resided in Shuna that he would give notice of his coming by giving a hard whistle. My pity on those who forgot to fill the grinding mortar full of milk and to leave him an ample sandwich. He would, apparently, be howling round the house with every item of furniture dancing and clashing, and usually one of the cattle would be lying in a hollow with a broken leg in the morning.
Anns a' bhliadhna ochd ceud deug is a h-aon deug thar fhichead b' e àireamh an t-sluaigh san dà sgìreachd dà mhìle, ochd ceud is trì deug thar fhichead. Ceud bliadhna an dèidh sin, anns a' bhliadhna naoidh ceud deug 's a h-aon deug thar fhichead, cha robh ann ach ochd ceud is trì thar fhichead, no ann an ceud bliadhna a bhàrr air dà mhìle duine nas lugha.	In the year 1831 the level of population in the two districts was 2,833. A hundred years later, in the year 1931, there were only 823 people, or in a hundred years over two thousand less. There were 22 farmers in Luing in addition to crofters at that time, and today there are only half a dozen.
Bha dà thuathanach thar fhichead an Luinn a thuilleadh air croitearan san àm sin, is chan eil ann ach leth dusan an-diugh. Bha toradh an fhearainn a’ pàigheadh an cuid màil, is bha am muillear air a chumail cho trang is a ghabhadh. Nuair a chaochail am Muillear Bàn cha robh a mhac ach dà bhliadhna deug a dh’aois, ach chùm esan an obair air aghaidh, is aig ceann na bliadhna, bhleith e deich ceud is ceithir bolla mine. Sheall duine measail a bha an Luinn dhomhsa achadh thar an tug an tuathanach leth-cheud bolla mine. Chuir e sin gu gàirneal a’ mhorair an Eisdeal, phàigh e am màl is fhuair e aon nota deug air ais. Tha sin a’ leigeil ris duinn cho dìcheallach, tapaidh ’s a bha an tuath le crann is spaid, le fàl is corran, is bha gach trusgan air a chalanas leis na mnathan.	The bounty of the land paid their rent, and the miller was kept as busy as could be. When the Muillear Bàn died his son was only 12 years old, but he kept the work going, and by the end of the year he had ground 1,004 bolls of meal. A respected man in Luing showed me a field off which the farmer took fifty bolls of meal. He sent that to the laird's granary in Easdale, paid the rent and got £11 back. That shows us how hard working and assiduous the tenantry were with plough and spade, with scythe and spade, and every outfit was produced by the women
Is iomadh cèilidh mhòr a bha aca an taigh a' ghreusaiche anns a' Bhail' Ùr. Ged nach eil ann ach na làraichean an-diugh, bha còrr is leth-cheud pearsa a' fuireach ann. B' ann sa Bhail' Ùr a bha na plaideachan a b' fheàrr air am figheadh san dùthaich. Is bu mhath na brògan a dhèanadh iad cuideachd. Bha lìon a' cinntinn gu pailt an sin. Sheall bean dhomhsa dà bhrèid leapach a rinneadh le lìon a chinn an Luinn, 's a bha air an dualachadh le figheadair a' Bhail' Ùir. Bha am baile bòidheach sin an ceann an ear-thuath de Luinn.	Many a large cèilidh was held by them in the cobbler's house in Balure. Though only the sites are to be seen today, more that fifty people used to stay here. It was in Balure that the best blankets in the land were woven. And the shoes they made were good too. Plenty of flax grew there. One woman showed me two bedcovers made of flax which grew in Luing, and which had been braided by a Balure weaver. That beautiful township was in north-east Luing.
Ged nach eil mòran maise air an-diugh, is caomh leam cuairt a ghabhail feadh nan làraichean. Ar leam gur aithne dhomh iadsan uile a bha a' tàmh an sin le bhith a' cluinntinn an cliù bho na seann daoine. 'S e àireamh an t-sluaigh trì cheud, is cha bhiodh eadhon an àireamh sin fhèin ann mur b' e gu bheil oibrichean sglèata san eilean.	Though it does not have much of that beauty today, I love to take a walk amongst the foundation stones. I believe I know all who resided there by listening to the old folks telling their stories. The number of people is three hundred, and even that number wouldn't have been there were it not for the slate works in the island.
Bha an àireamh sin am Beul na h-Uaimhe bho chionn dà fhichead bliadhna, ged nach eil aon duine fhèin ann an-diugh. Tha e duilich a ràdh cuin' a thòisich iad air obair an sglèata an Eisdeal an toiseach. Chuala mi na bodaich ag ràdh gun deach an cur air Caisteal Àird nam Madadh a chaidh a thogail anns a' bhliadhna sia ceud deug, trì fichead 's a sia deug, agus bha e air a ràdh cuideachd gur iad a bh' air Caisteal na Stalcaire san Apainn Latharnach a chaidh a chur suas dà fhichead bliadhna is a còig roimhe sin. Bha an sglèat air a cheangal ris na taighean anns na làithean sin le prìneachan fiodha.	The same number was to be found in Belnahua forty years ago, though there is not one person left there today. It is difficult to say when they first started to work the slate in Easdale. I heard the old men say that they were put on Ardmaddy Castle which was built in the year 1676, and it was also said that these were the slates on Castle Stalker in Appin which was put up 45 years previously. The slate was attached to the houses in those days by wooden pins.
Tha 'n t-eilean sin gu falamh, fàs Gun ann ach plaosg den tìm a bhà Gach fàrdach leagte 'n ear 's an iar 'S tha eunlaith fhiadhaich a' neadach' ann	That island empty and desolate With but a shell of a time that was Each dwelling brought down east and west And wild flocks nesting in them
Sin mar a tha anns gach ceàrn, agus 's e ar dòchas uile gun tig cùisean nas fheàrr is gum bi am pailteas lòin is cosnaidh le sìth is sonas na cheann aig òigridh an latha an-diugh mum fàs iad suas gu bhith nam bodaich is nan cailleachan.	That's how it is in every district, and it is our sincere hope that this state of affairs will improve and that there will plenty of food and employment with peace and happiness to go with them for the youth of today before they grow up to be old men and women.

You can find more articles in the archive under Gaelic Column and information on the organization at C.L.I.