A' Tagradh an Dualchas Fhèin	Claiming Their Own Heritage
"Seachd Sgeulachdan às Inbhir Nis" le Ruairidh MacillEathain; Clàr, Gàidhlig, £4.50 bog ri fhaighinn bho Chomhairle nan Leabhraichean	"Seachd Sgeulachdan às Inbhir Nis" by Roddy MacLean; Clàr, Gaelic, £4.50 paperback available from the Gaelic Books Council
lèirmheas le Iain MacIlleChiar, Inbhir Nis (teacs tùsail)	review by Iain MacIlleChiar, Inverness (translation)
'Se leabhar beag taitneach a tha seo le cruinneachadh de sgeulachdan a bhuineas do dh'Inbhir Nis. Saoilidh mi gu bheil e sàbhailte gu leòr sin a ràdh a-nis, ach aig aon àm bha e air a bhith na b'fhìre a ràdh gur ann a taobh Inbhir Nis a bha iad, ach leis an fhàs a tha air tighinn air a' bhaile o chionn ghoirid, tha a' mhòrchuid dhe na h-àitichean a tha ainmichte a-nis suidhichte taobh a-staigh crìochan a' bhaile. Agus tha sin cudthromach, oir tha mi cinnteach gur e pàirt dhe na bha fa-near dhan ùghdar ann a bhith gam foillseachadh, sgeulachdan a bhuineas dhan dùthaich seo a chur fa chomhair clann an àite fhèin.	This is a small, pleasant book with collections of stories that belong to Inverness. I believe it is safe enough to say that now, though at one time it would have been truer to say that they were from near Inverness, but with the growth that the town has experienced recently most of the places mentioned are now to be found within the town bounds. And that is important, for I'm sure that part of what the author had in mind in publishing them was to give local children access to tales belonging to these parts.
Leis mar a tha na sgoiltean Gàidhlig a' dol am meud, chì an t-ùghdar gum feum buinteanas a bhith ann do chloinn thìr-mòr eadar a' chànain sa bheilear gam foghlam agus an t-àite sa bheilear gan àrach. Chan eil rud eile cho cudthromach na gum bi fhios aca air ainmean nan àiteachan a tha mun cuairt orra sa chànain san deach an ainmeachadh sa chiad àite. Leis cho leisg 's a tha a' mhòrchuid dhe na h-ùghdarrasan ionadail air sanasan dà-chànanach a chur an àirde - gun ghuth air mearachdan Radio nan Gàidheal is eileanaich eile! - uaireannan 'sann ainneamh a chluinneas iad ceart iad, agus 's ionann sin mu chinnidhean thìr-mòr cuideachd. Ma-thà, tha iad an-seo, eadar Tom na h-Iùbhraich, Tòrr Bheathain, Bail an Fhraoich is Cinn Mhìlidh ann an Inbhir Nis fhèin, na h-àiteachan a tha gu math faisg, leithid na Manachainn, Srath Spè, Feisidh, agus cinnidhean leithid Grannd, Cuimein is Friseil.	With the growth in the Gaelic schools the author can see that mainland children need to be able to associate the language in which they are being educated and the place in which they are being brought up. There is nothing else so important than that they should know the names of the places around them in the language in which they were named in the first place. Because of how reluctant most of the local authorities are to erect bilingual signs - not to mention the mistakes of Radio nan Gàidheal and other islanders! - sometimes it is rare for them to hear them correctly, as is also the case with mainland surnames. Well, here they are, with the Gaelic for Tomnahurich, Torvean, Muirtown and Kinmylies in Inverness itself, for the places close by such as Beauly, Strathspey and Feshie, and for surnames such as Grant, Cumming and Fraser.
Tha an t-ùghdar aithnichte do leughadairean na h-iris seo mar-thà mar fhear a tha air suim mhòr a ghabhail ann an dualchas Gàidhealach baile Inbhir Nis (Prìomh Bhaile na Gàidhealtachd?, Cothrom 15). Seo an ceathramh foillseachadh leis a' chompanaidh ùir seo sa bheil an t-ùghdar air fear dhen luchd stèidheachaidh (An Cuideachd nan Ainmhidh is na Cloinne, Cothrom 14) agus 'se ùrachadh nan seann sgeulachdan is an ath-innse ann an Gàidhlig ghlan shìmplidh an là an-diugh, air a leithid a dhòigh 's gun tuig clann iad, an amas.	The author is known to readers of this magazine as someone who has placed great value in the Gaelic heritage of the town of Inverness (First Town of Gaeldom?, Cothrom 15). This is the fourth publication by this new company of which the author is one of the directors (In the Company of Children and Animals, Cothrom 14) and their aim is to revive the old tales and to retell them in clear, simple, modern-day Gaelic, in such a way as children will understand them.
Tha dol leotha san amas ud. An toiseach tha na cuspairean freagarrach le trì dhe na sgeulachdan mu shìthichean, a-dhà dhiubh mu Chalum Cille agus na dhà eile mu àiteachan is mar a fhuair iad an ainm. Sa mhòrchuid aca tha tomhas dhe na tha dìomhair no neo-aithnichte ann, rud a chòrdas gu mòr ri cloinn, gu h-àraidh dhen aois dha bheil seo sgrìobhte - eadar seachd gu deich, chanainn.	They are successful in this aim. Firstly, the subjects are suitable with three of the tales concerning fairies, two about Columba and the remaining two about places and how they got their names. In most of them there is a degree of the mysterious or the unknown in them, something which appeals greatly to children, especially for those of the age for which these are written - from seven and ten, I would say.
Tha a' chànain aig an ìre cheart cuideachd, sìmplidh gun a bhith ro shìmplidh. Tha faclan ann a ruigeas an inntinn, mar lainnireach, tràilleachd, gnùis, ach leis na tha ann de dh'fhaclairean cloinne a-nis cha bu chòir sin bacadh sam bith a chur air leughadairean òga èasgaidh. Mar an ceudna, tha gnàthsan sean-fhasanta ann, mar a bhiodh dùil ann an seann sgeulachdan, ach tha iad air an tanachadh gu math gus nach eil na h-uimhir aca ann a bhiodh 'na chnap-starradh air an tuigse. Ma bhios rud sam bith doirbh dhaibh, agus tha seo fìor mu sheann sgeulachdan ann an cànain Eòrpach sam bith cha mhòr an-diugh, 'se gu bheil clann an là an-diugh cho fada as bho ghnothaichean nàdarrach, gu h-àraidh obair àiteachais, nach tuig iad na cleachdainnean a tha anns na sgeulachdan. Gu dearbh am b'urrainn do chuid dhe'm pàrantan am mìneachadh dhaibh!	The language is at the right level too, simple without being too simple. There are words which reach the imagination, such as the Gaelic for glittering, slavery and countenance, but with all the children's dictionaries now on the go they shouldn't present any barrier to young, energetic readers. Similarly, there are old-fashioned phrases, as is to be expected in old tales, but they have been greatly pruned down so as not to overwhelm them and hinder their understanding. If there is anything that presents a difficulty for them, and this is true about old tales in almost any European language these days, it is that today's children are so distant from natural life, especially agricultural work, that they won't understand the customs in the tales. Indeed, can some of their parents explain them to them!
Tha na dealbhan leis an aon dealbhadair ris na leabhraichean eile bho Chlàr, Siùsan Nic an Fhùcadair, dubh is geal ach an còmhdach, a tha bog, agus freagraidh iad air na h-amannan eugsamhail ann an eachdraidh san do thachair iad. Mar sin tha prìs an leabhair air a chumail reusanta, rud nach eil fìor ro thric a thaobh leabhraichean Gàidhlig cloinne.	The pictures are by the same illustrator as for the other books from Clàr, Susan Walker, black and white except for the cover, which is paperback, and suiting the various periods of history depicted. So the price of the book is kept reasonable, which is not often the case with Gaelic children's books.
Loch na Sanais	Loch na Sanais
Bha gobha aig an robh nighean bhrèagha a' fuireach ann an Cill Bheathain faisg air Tòrr Bheathain. Bha e airson gum pòsadh a nighean marsanta beartach ann an Inbhir Nis, ach bha i fhèin air nòisean a ghabhail de dhuine òg a bha a' fuireach rathad Doch a' Phùir, taobh a-muigh a' bhaile. Cha robh mòran airgid aig an duine òg, ach bha e air leth eireachdail. Bha an gobha mì-thoilichte mu dheidhinn agus dh'iarr e air a' mharsanta agus companach feitheamh ris an duine òg anns an dorchadas airson dochann a dhèanamh air gus nach tigeadh e faisg air an nighinn a-rithist.	There was a blacksmith with a beautiful daughter who stayed at Kilvean near Torvean. He wanted the girl to marry a wealthy merchant in Inverness, but she had fallen for a young man that stayed in the vicinity of Dochfour, outwith the town. The young man didn't have much money, but he was exceptionally handsome. The blacksmith was unhappy about him and he asked the merchant and a companion to waylay the young man in the dark and to injure him so that he wouldn't come near the girl again.
Thàinig an latha, agus bha an dithis a' feitheamh le droch rùn ann an Coille nam Bodach, faisg air an loch. Ach 's ann leis a' ghille thapaidh a chaidh a' chùis, agus rinn an dithis eile air an dachaighean le fiaclan briste agus sùilean leth-dhùinte. Bu mhòr an fhearg a bh'air a' ghobha nuair a chuala e mu na thachair.	The day came, and the two were waiting, with bad intentions, in Coille nam Bodach [wood of the old men] near the loch. But it was the strong lad who won the day, and the other two made for their homes with broken teeth and half-shut eyes. Great was the blacksmith's anger when he heard what had happened.
Feasgar a bha seo, beagan às dèidh na droch ionnsaigh, bha an nighean a' gabhail sgrìob faisg air an loch. Bha e a' fàs dorch nuair a mhothaich i do dhithis a bha a' tighinn ga h-ionnsaigh. Cho luath 's a dh'aithnich i cò bh'annta - a h-athair agus am marsanta - leum i air cùl pris a bha ri làimh. Fad 's a bha an dithis a' coiseachd seachad oirre, chuala i iad a' bruidhinn ann an sanas, agus iad ag ràdh gu robh iad a' dol a mharbhadh a leannain. An àite dhol dhachaigh, rinn an nighean air taigh a leannain ann an cabhaig airson rabhadh a thoirt dha. Theich iad còmhla agus phòs iad taobh a-staigh mìos.	One evening, a short while after the vicious assault, the girl was taking a walk near the loch. It was getting dark when she noticed two people approaching her. As soon as she recognised them - her father and the merchant - she leapt behind a bush that was near at hand. Whilst the two were walking past her, she heard them talking in a whisper, saying that they were going to murder her sweetheart. Instead of going home, the girl went off to her sweetheart's house in a hurry to warn him. They ran away together and got married within a month.
Nuair a chuala muinntir na dùthcha mu na thachair, thòisich iad air "Loch na Sanais" a chantainn ris an loch seo [faic d58 air son ainm is ciall cheart an locha!].	When the locals heard of what had happened, they began calling it "Loch na Sanais" [the loch of the whisper - see p58 for the actual Gaelic and meaning!]

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