Cudromachd na Beul-aithris	The Importance of Oral Tradition
Bha an òraid seo aig an Ratharsach Dr Alasdair MacillEathain, a tha cliùiteach air son a chuid obrach agus ùidh ann an dualchas traidiseanta (mar a bha a bhràithrean Calum is Somhairle), mar phàirt de dh'Òraidean ChLI 1998 aig a' Mhòd Nàiseanta ann am Port Rìgh. Chaidh an sreath seo a lìbhrigeadh sa Bheurla mu choinneamh luchd ionnsachaidh, luchd taice is luchd bruidhinn na Gàidhlig. (eadar-theangachadh)	This talk was given by Raasay-born Dr Alasdair MacLean, renowned for his work with and interest in traditional heritage (as were his brothers Calum and Sorley), as part of the 1998 CLI Lectures at the National Mòd in Portree. The series was presented in English to a mixed audience of Gaelic learners, supporters and speakers. (original text)
Mar bu dual dha, 'se facal farsaing a bh'aig an Dr Samuel Johnson nuair a thuirt e nach robh litreachas aig a' Ghàidhlig. Gu dearbh cha b'ann pailt a bha na leabhraichean a bh'ann an clò ann an 1773, ach 'se nach do thuig am briathradair mòr gu robh stòr aibheiseach de litreachas ri fhaighinn anns a' bheul-aithris a bh'air a toirt seachad bho ghinealach gu ginealach a-nuas tro na linntean: sgeulachdan gaisge, sgeulachdan mu fhuamhairean is uilebheistean is sìthichean, fios sloinntearachd, òrain is duain agus mòran eile.	Dr Samuel Johnson made a sweeping statement, as he was wont to do, to the effect that there was no literature in Gaelic. Admittedly the number of Gaelic books in print was not large in 1773, but what the great lexicographer did not realise was that there was a vast literacy store in oral tradition handed down from generation to generation over the centuries: heroic tales, tales of giants, monsters and fairies, genealogical details, songs and chants and much else besides.
Bha sgoilearan air a bhith tional na beul-aithris seo ann an làmh-sgrìobhainnean bho chionn dà cheud bliadhna, agus gu sònraichte anns an fhichead bliadhna ro chuairt an t-Seonstanaich - MacGriogair, Deadhan Lios Mòr, ann an 1530, MacRath ann an Sgrìobhainn Fheàrnaig 1688, Pope 1739 agus sgrìobhainnean an dèidh sin. Ach mhair mòran dhen traidisean air bilean daoine cumanta aig an robh inntinnean fosgailte ach 's dòcha a bha saor bho threalaich an fhoghlaim fhoirmeil.	Scholars had been committing this oral material to manuscript collections over the past two centuries, and particularly for the twenty years previous to Dr Johnson's visit - MacGregor, the Dean of Lismore, in 1530, Macrae in the Fernaig Manuscript 1688, Pope 1739 and other later manuscripts. But much of the tradition remained on the lips of ordinary people who had receptive minds, perhaps uncluttered with formal education.
Shuath Boswell, co-shiùbhlaiche Johnson, ris an stòrlann bheòil seo ann an Ratharsair nuair a dh'innis Calum MacLeòid dha an sgeulachd air mar a rinn an Gobha Mòr dìoghaltas air an each uisge ann an Loch na Mèilich, faisg air Dùn Canna, a bh'air a nighean a mharbhadh. Chunnaic Boswell na bh'air fhàgail dhen tunail a rinn an Gobha gus, a rèir aithris, an t-uilebheist a thàladh as an loch a dh'ionnsaigh fàileadh muc ga ròstadh, agus far am faigheadh e air a' bhèist a mharbhadh le bior caoirdhearg air a dheiseileachadh anns an aon teine.	Boswell, Johnson's fellow traveller, touched on this oral treasure house in Raasay when Malcolm MacLeod told him the tale of how the Big Blacksmith had revenged himself on the water horse in Loch na Mèilich, near Dun Caan, which had killed his daughter. Boswell saw the still visible remains of the tunnel which the Smith was reputed to have constructed to entice the monster out of the loch towards the smell of roasting pig, to where he could kill it with a red-hot spit prepared in the same fire.
B'e sin an dearbh sgeul, ach air a h-eadar-theangachadh, a chuala mise 'na m' òige aig a' chailleach Ceit NicillEathain ann an Ratharsair. 'Se an aon diofar meanbh gun tuirt Ceit gur e caora òg a bha sa bhiathadh; 'se sin "hog" ann an Sgots, agus theagamh gur e am briathar sin as coireach dhan troimh-chèile is Boswell ga thuigsinn mar mhuc.	That was the same story, in translation of course, that I heard as a small boy from old Kate MacLean in Raasay. The only disparity in detail was that Kate referred to the bait as a young sheep, a hog in Scots, a term which may have caused the confusion as Boswell could have interpreted that as pig.
'Se tha suaicheanta mu dheidhinn seo gun do lean an sgeul gun atharrachadh fad faisg air dà cheud bliadhna, is e cudromach gum biodh na bhathar air a chluinntinn ga thoirt seachad facal air an fhacal. Tha daoine dualtach am prionnsabal seo a leigeil mu làr san lath' a th'ann, is e nas fhasa na bha e riamh briathran a sgaoileadh gu mionaideach, ach lean e gu làidir ann an cuid a sgìrean gu meadhan na linne seo.	The significance in all this is that the story remained unchanged for nearly two hundred years because it was important to transmit the material exactly as one heard it. People tend to ignore this principal in the present day, when it was never so easy to transmit material accurately, but it persisted strongly in certain areas until the middle of this century.
Bha seo sònraichte fìor mu Uibhist agus Barraigh. Mar eisimpleir, bhiodh an abairt seo ga cluinntinn gu minig am measg nan Sgitheanach a rugadh mu 1880: "Air an droigheann 's air a dris, air an talamh tha fo m' chois, air a' ghrian a chaidh seachad sìos [ort], cò chunnaic riamh do chuid mheann?" Bha e cur an cèill tur aineolas air càit an robh rud air choreigin; ged a bha an coitheacs air a dhìochuimhneachadh.	This was especially true of the Uists and Barra. For example, a Gaelic phrase was frequently heard among Skye people born about 1880: Upon the bramble and its thorn, upon the earth beneath my feet, upon the sun which has gone and set, who has ever seen your kid goats? It denoted complete ignorance of the whereabouts of something; although its context was forgotten.
'Se bh'innte ach abairt a uirsgeul eadar-nàiseanta air stèidh moitif nan trì mucan beaga, ged a bha e a-mach anns an tionndadh seo air trì gobhair bheaga. Chaidh a h-aithneachadh air aithris boireannaich a Uibhist a-Deas a rugadh mu 1920 agus a bha eòlach air an sgeul gu lèir, a' gabhail a-staigh na dearbh abairt a bha air mhaireann gun choitheacs anns an Eilean Sgitheanach 30 bliadhna mus rugadh i.	It was in fact a phrase from an international folk tale on the three little pigs motif, although in this case it referred to three little goats. Its identity was established by a South Uist woman born about 1920 who knew the whole story, including the precise phrase which had existed entirely out of context in Skye 30 years before she was born.
Air mhaireann ann am Barraigh bha tionndadh annasach Gàidhlig de dh'uirsgeul eadar-nàiseanta eile ris an canar Cinderella anns a' Bheurla. Tha barrachd de thaitneachd agus 's dòcha de chreideis anns an tionndadh Bharrach, agus gu h-annasach ged a tha diofar anns a' mhion-fhiosrachadh tha fad a bharrachd aige an com-pàirt ri fear a chaidh 'fhoillseachadh leis na bràithrean Grimm air an robh "Ashputel". Chaidh a chlàradh aig an tè thàlantach ud Annag NicIain nach maireann.	An interesting survival in Barra was a Gaelic version of another international folk tale known in English as Cinderella. The Barra version is a more attractive and perhaps more credible one and curiously although differing in detail it has much more in common with the one published by the Grimm brothers entitled "Ashputel" than with the Cinderella story. It was recorded from the late and much talented Annie Johnstone.
Chan eil e soilleir car son a dh'fhuiling an t-Eilean Sgitheanach barrachd crìonadh ann an ealain an sgeulaiche - 'sann tha e furasta a chur air adhart gu robh gnothach aig an diofar ann an creideamh eadar na h-eileanan ris, ach cuimhnichear gu robh eachdraidh mòran dhe na sgeulachdan gaisge aca ann an eilean Caitligeach Uibhist a-Deas ri leantainn air ais gu seanchas fear cheist Prostanach, Ruairidh Ruadh MacCuinn a Uibhist a-Tuath.	Why the art of story-telling had suffered such relative deterioration in Skye is not clear - it is perhaps easy to suggest that religious differences between the islands played a part, but it is remembered that many of the heroic tales known in Catholic South Uist could be traced back to the telling of a Protestant catechist, "Red" Roderick MacQueen from North Uist.
'Se bh'ann am fear cheist duine neo-chlèireach a bheireadh cobhair air na pearsachan eaglais le bhith dol air chuairt a' teagasg na bh'ann an Leabhar nan Ceist do shluagh aig nach robh leughadh, agus tha e inntinneach cuimhneachadh gun deach na dannsaichean Innse Gall, mar a chanar riutha, a th'aca anns na h-Eileanan a-Muigh a thoirt a dh'Uibhist a-Deas le fear cheist Caitligeach, MacLachlainn a Mòrar, ge b'e co as a thàinig iad dha-rìribh.	A catechist was a layman who assisted the clergy by going about teaching the non-literate population the contents of the Catechism, and it is interesting to reflect that the so-called "Hebridean dances" known in the Outer Islands were brought to South Uist by a Catholic catechist, MacLachlan from Morar, whatever their actual origin.
Fhad 's a tha mi air a' chuspair seo theagamh gum faod mi dhol air m'fhiaradh le beagan cnuasachaidh; gum faod a bhith toirt a-steach nì ùr do thraidisean cur as do chultar a tha nas sine. Dh'fhaodadh seo mìneachadh car son a chaidh cuimhne air seann dannsaichean a chumail na b'fhaide ann an Uibhist a-Tuath - "Cailleach an Dùdain" mar eisimpleir, a chaidh a dhìochuimhneachadh gu tur ann an Uibhist a-Deas, a rèir choltais. Dh'fhaodadh e cuideachd ciallachadh gun urrainn seann eòlas traidiseanta a bhith air a mhilleadh mar an ceudna le bhith toirt a-steach atharraichean nuadha: Ceanadach Friseal mar eisimpleir, agus tha a leithid fhathast fo sheòl.	While on this subject I could perhaps diverge into a bit of speculation; that the introduction of a fresh subject into tradition may well cause the loss of an earlier culture. This could explain the persistence of memories of older dances in North Uist - "Cailleach an Dùdain" [the old woman of the mill dust] for example, whose existence appears to have been forgotten in South Uist. It could also suggest that traditional lore can be so damaged by the introduction of modern modifications: Kennedy Fraser for example, and the process still goes on.
ri leantainn	to be continued

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