Inside Front Cover - Hughie Dan MacDonnell: Raonall Mac Ailein Oig (Ranald Son of Young Allan)

ISSUE : Issue 13

Published by Ronald Caplan on 1976/6/1

Hughie Dan MacDonnell i;''' ''"''''' % Raonall Mac Ailein Oig Bha daoine uamhasach uile gu leir foghain? teach anns an t-seann duthaich agus tha iad ann a dh'ionnsaidh an latha an diugh. Ach bha aon duine ann ris an abradh iad Raonall Mac Ailein Oig, agus tha seans gu robh e gabhaidh uile gu leir laidir. Agus an com- panach aige, bha e a cheart cho laidir ris fhein, Ach bha gleann ann an sin • ann an Albainn • agus cha deachaidh duine riamh seachad 'sa ghleann a bha seo 'nuair a thi? geadh an oidhche nach deachaidh a chur gu bas, Bha duine ann a sin ris an abradh iad Colann gun Cheann agus mharbhadh e a h-uile sian a bha a' dol cross air, Agus bha an companach eile aig Raonall Mac Ailein Oig • chaidh e dha'n ghleann a bha seo oidhche 's bha gunna aige 's thachair Colann gun Cheann air agus start am baiteal 's tha seans gu robh am baiteal gabhaidh, ach fhuair esan cothram air baraill a' ghunna a chur sios 'na amhaich 's chuir e finish air companach Raonaill Mhac Ailein Oig, Ach chuala Raonall Mac Ailein Oig mu dhei? dhinn seo agus thuirt e, "Well, ma chaidh mo chompanach-sa a mharbhadh a raoir theid raise marbhadh a nochd air neo marbhaidh mise esan," Agus ??s ann mar sin a bh'ann, CONTINUED PAGE 18 Ranald Son of Young Allan There were men in the old country who were altogether terribly strong and they are still there to this day. But there was one man they called Ranald son of Young Allan, and he must have been fearfully strong in? deed. And his companion was every bit as strong. But there was a glen there • in Scotland--and when night came no one ever passed that glen without being killed. There was a man there called The Headless Body and he killed everything that he came across. And the other companion of Ranald's, he went to that glen one night with a gun and the Headless Body met him and the battle began. It must have been a fearsome battle but the Headless Body got a chance to stick the barrel of the gun down the other's throat and he put a finish to Ranald's companion. But Ranald heard about this and he said, "Well, seeing as my friend was killed last night, I'll be killed tonight or I'll kill the Headless Body." And that's what hap? pened. When night came, he started out and went to the glen and the Headless Body came as it had the previous night. The battle began and Ranald kept at him, and finally he managed to do a quick turn-about on hira • on the Headless Body • and it looked as if he was going to finish him off completely. The Headless Body asked a favour of him then; to let him clear and not to kill him. "I will," said Ranald, "if you promise me one thing. That you will not come to this glen again as long as there are blood- relatives of mine here in Scotland." The Headless Body gave him his promise and Ran? ald let him clear. And that was all right. Ranald was at home, staying there and nothing was giving him much bother. At that time in the old coun? try there were women possessed by seven de? mons. And when these women died, if they managed to get (up) over the planks • the dead were laid out on planks in those days instead of in coffins • if they got up over the planks and got a grasp on the outside, they became spectres that would come to haunt that place from then on. A wealthy man in Scotland at that time had a big daughter and he decided that she was poss? essed by the seven demons. It happened that she died, so the man set out and sent word to Ranald • he could not think of a better man for this • that he would like to see him. Ranald started out toward his place and he had to cross a fearsome mountain on the way, but in the early evening he reached the place of the lord • this man was a lord • and the lord met him and he was very pleased indeed. He told Ranald then about his daughter, "Well," said Ranald, "had I known about this before I left I would not have come. But since I have come, take me to her CONTINUED PAGE 18

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