Page 39 - Dan Angus Beaton: "Colainn gun Cheann"

ISSUE : Issue 45

Published by Ronald Caplan on 1987/6/1

Dan Angus Beaton: "Colainn gun Here is a pair of stories, in Gaelic and in Eng? lish, told by Dan Angus Beaton of Hays River. They are about Raghnall Mac Ailein Oig. (In Issue 43 of Cape Breton's Magazine, Dan Angus told a story a- bout the voice that was calling for Raghnall 200 years before he was born.) Again, we warn our read? ers that the English and the Gaelic are quite dif? ferent • and both worth the reading. One is not sim- ply a translation of the other. "TheHeadlessBody Oh, that's a long story. That was Raghnall Mac Ailein Oig again, you know. He was travelling, sailing too--he did different things, you know. And he came into this to'm. And this Headless Woman, she caused an awful lot of trouble in Scotland. She lived in this cave. To cross the mountain was about 3 or 4 miles, but (to go) around the place was a- bout 10 or 12 miles. And if you'd go a- cross the mountain, all day, back and forth--there was a trail right across this cave--never bothered. But as soon as the sun'd go down, you're finished. If you crossed after sundown, you'd never be seen. She'd come out and grab you. But there was a fellow in Scotland, and he was a great piper, one of the best pipers that ever lived. And he was sent--he was given this chance to go into the cave. They could pipe so perfectly in Scotland, that they could just tell what was in the cave, you know. And if he'd go in, and tell, and if he could come out--he'd have , ENGLISH CONTINUES ON PAGE 41 fl Cheann" Bha Raghnall Mac Ailein Oig 'na sheoladair, comhla ris gach uile rud eile'rinn e. Agus bha e 'na dhuine 6g agus b'fhior thoigh leis a dhol gu dannsaichean. Ach turus dhe na turasan a bh'ann, thainig e gu baile beag agus bha dannsa ann agus bha e 'son dhol a dh'ionnsaidh an dannsa. Cha robh ann ach soithichean seolaidh aig an am ud, agus ghabhadh e tri neo ceithir a lathaich- ean dhaibh mu'm faigheadh iad am badhar a bh'aca a chur dheth agus badhar ur a chur air. Bha an dannsa bha seo, bha aca ri dhol "pross" beinn 'ga ionnsaidh--mu cheithir mile "cross" a' bheinn agus mu dha mhile deug mu chuairt air a' bheinn. Fhuair e mach far an robh 'n dannsa, ach bha seann duine fuireach an sin: "Chan eil math dhuitsa," ars esan-, "a dhol 'cross' a' bheinn an deidh dol fodha na greine. Bi a' ghrian fodha mus faigh thi 'cross,' agus duine sam bith a chaidh ann an deidh dol fodha na greine, cha chualas mu dheidhinn tuilleadh. Thig spiorad 'Colainn gun Cheann' as an uamha agus beiridh i ort ag? us thig do mharbhadh. Tha coiseachd uamhas? ach agad ri dheanamh a' dol mu chuairt. 'S fhearr dhuit fuireach aig an tigh." "Biodh sin mar a bhitheas," thuirt esan, "tha mise dol a dh'ionnsaidh na dannsa ag? us tha mi dol 'cross' an rathad goirid." Thuirt am bodach ris, "Tha mise dol a dh'fhagail beannachd agad, chan eil duil 'am gum faic mi thu gu brath tuilleadh." "Biodh sin mar a bhitheas," thuirt Ragh? nall Mac Ailein Oig, agus dh'fhalbh e. Cha robh e fada sam bith gus an deach a' ghrian fodha, agus a' "Cholainn gun Cheann" a bha seo--bha e feitheamh rithe. Agus bha e'air innse, nan cuireadh duine gu brath sios i air a druim, nach biodh i na bu lai- dire na cuileag an uair sin--nach biodh spionnadh sam bith innte. Bha Raghnall air a cheum. Nuair a bha e tighinn goirid dhan uamha--cinnteach gu leoir--chunnaic e "Colainn gun Cheann" a' tighinn amach. Colaidh uamhais de bhoirion- nach mor uamhasach gun cheann idir oirre. Bha eagal air, ach thuirt e ris fhein, "Feumaidh mi an gnothach'a dheanamh neo bi mi reidh." Dar a bha e direach mu coin- neamh, rug iad air a cheile, o "swing" gu "swing," chuir i air a ghluinean e dha no tri thrupan 's bha ise air a gluinean aige tri no ceithir a thrupan. Mhair an t-sa- baid mu uair neo corr: bha coltas mu dheir- eadh gun robh i 'm brath an gnothach a dheanamh. Leis an eagal a ghabh e, theann- sa gun d'thug e dha barrachd spionnaidh. An dolas mur tug e aon draghadh uamhasach oirre 's chuir e air a druim i. Dar a fhuair e air a druim i, cha robh i na bu laidire na gin eile. GAELIC CONTINUES ON PAGE 40 (39)

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