VV ool .. 1133 NNo. 22 - Highland Village Museum · AnRubha Vol. 13, No. 2 3 An Rubha All contents...

AnRubhaThe Highland Village Gaelic Folklife Magazine

www.highlandvillage.ca

Vol. 13 No. 2Vol. 13 No. 2

Sgeul ri Aithris / The Story Telling TraditionAig Baile

An Tuagh L eathann - The Broad Axe

Naidheachd a’ ChlachainThe Village News

Gillean an Dròbhair/The Drover’s LadAn Gaildheal Portmhor/Scotch Music

www.androchaid.ca

Tha An Drochaid Eadarainn stéidhichte air Stòras a’ Bhaile: sgoil bheul-aithris air a cumail aig a’ Chlachan Ghàidhealach gubliadhnail. `Na làraich-lìn eadar-gnìomhail, tha An Drochaid Eadarainn a’ cleachdadh tecneolais mar mhodh a lìonas beàrnfar a bheil dualchas air tar-aisig o ghlùin gu glùin a dhìth.

Gus dualchas Gàidhlig na h-Albann Nuaidh a chur an céill, tha An Drochaid Eadarainn a’ tarraing air clàraidhean, air antasgadh is `gan deanamh an là an-diugh, a chuireas air thaisbeanadh cultur Gàidhealach na Mór-roinn.

Air a’ làraich-lìn seo, togar fianais air luchd na Gàidhlig tro an stòraidhean, òrain, ceòl is dannsa, dualchainnt, sloinntear-achd, creideamh, nòs a’ bhìdh agus leigheasan aig baile.

Thig luchd-tadhail còmhla cruinn mar chom-pàirtichean air An Drochaid Bheò, roinn cho-obrachail na làraich far am faodiad an cuid fhéin do dhualchas na h-Albann Nuaidh a riarachadh an cuideachd a chéile.

An Drochaid Eadarainn (The Bridge Between Us) is an interactive website emulating the social transmission of Gaelic language and culture through technology. Communicating recorded expressions of Nova Scotia Gaelic culture, visitors willwitness native speakers through storytelling, music and dance, dialectal samples, kinship, belief, traditional foods, homeremedies and cures.

Participants can meet, share and exchange Nova Scotia Gaelic traditions on An Drochaid Bheò (The Living Bridge), an interactive feature of the website.

AnRubha Vol. 13, No. 2 3

An RubhaAll contents ©2013 the Nova Scotia HighlandVillage Society & the Province of Nova Scotia(unless otherwise noted).

An Rubha (The Point) is published in Iona, Nova Scotia, Canada by Comunn ClachanGàidhealach na h-Albann Nuaidh/Nova ScotiaHighland Village Society. Comments, sugges-tions and contributions are welcome.

Contact:4119 Rathad/Highway 223 Sanndraigh/Iona, Alba Nuadh/Nova ScotiaB2C 1A3 - CanadaGuthan/Phone: 902.725.2272Toll Free: 1-866-4GAELICFacs/Fax: 902.725.2227E: [email protected]: www.highlandvillage.ca

Editorial Committee:Rodney Chaisson, Seumas Watson, PaulineMacLean, Katherine MacLeod, & JanetMacNeil.

Contributors:Caitlin Bauman, Rodney Chaisson, DanielMacDonald, Jamie MacIntyre, PaulineMacLean, Katherine MacLeod, EillsonRobertson, Seumas Watson.

Layout: Katherine MacLeod

Printing: City Printers Ltd, Sydney

Front cover photo: Animator Kaye Anne MacNeil spinning as part ofthe annual Pioneer Day celebration. Kaye has been aHighland Village animator since 1984.

Also, on the front is the image for Gaelic NovaScotia. The image is that of a salmon in the shape ofthe letter 'G'. The salmon represents the gift ofknowledge in the Gaelic storytelling traditions ofNova Scotia, Scotland, Ireland and the Isle of Man.The 'G' represents the Gaelic language and the rip-ples are the manifestations of the language throughits attendant culture: song, story, music, dance, cus-tom and belief system.

ISSN # 1914-6043

Mailed under Canada Post Canadian Publi cations Mail Product Sales Agreement#41257540

Inside This IssueFrom the Director’s Desk 4Collaborative Success - Rodney Chaisson

Mar is Léir Dhomh Fhìn 5Designing For Gaelic Culture - Caitlin Bauman

Naidheachd a’ Chlachain / The Village News 6The 2012 Season at Hector’s Point - Katherine MacLeod

Sgeul ri Aithris / The Story Telling TraditionTaibhsearachd `s an Tuirc - Malcolm MacKinnon 7Beannachadh an Fhir-Fhuadain - Murdock MacNeil 8

A Pioneer Account from Mac Talla 9From the Isle of Coll to Malagawatch- Seumas Watson

Fo na Cabair / Under the Rafters 10An Taigh-logaichean Anns a' Choillidh Dhuibh

An Rubha Photo Album 12Joe Peter MacLean & Peter Jack MacLean

Tir is Teanga 14The Nova Scotia Gael and their Relationship to their Environment - Daniel MacDonald

Aig Baile 16An Tuagh Leathann - The Broad Axe - Pauline MacLean

Excerpt from “Fear na Cèilidh” 17Mar a Thòisich Iad Air Ti An Iona - How Tea Became Fashionable in Iona - Seumas Watson

An Gàidheal Portmhor / Scotch Music 18Port Cruinn: Gillean an Dròbhair - The Drover’s Lads - Watson & MacLean

Seinn fo Sgàil nan Geugan Uaine/Songs from the Greenwood 19An Té a Chaill a Gàidhlig - The Women Who Lost her Gaelic - Seumas Watson

An Rubha ReviewsPuirt-à-beul - The Vocal Dance Music of the Scottish Gaels 20Air Bilean an t-Sluaigh Sealladh air Leantalachd Beul-Aithris Ghàidhlig Uibhist a Tuath 21

Our People - Acknowledgements & Accolades 22

Tapadh leibh-se gu mórThe Nova Scotia Highland Village Society gratefully acknowledges the support of its government partners. Inaddition to our core funding from the Nova Scotia Department of Communities, Culture & Heritage (Nova Scotia

Museum), support has also been received from:

Province of Nova Scotiathrough the Departments of Transportation & Infrastructure Renewal, Economic &

Rural Development & Tourism, and the Office of Gaelic Affairs;

Government of Canada through the Department of Canadian Heritage, Enterprise Cape Breton Corporation & Service Canada;

Municipality of Victoria County through District 1 and the Recreation & Tourism Dept.

“Whereas, Nova Scotians believe thehistory, culture, language and tra-

ditions of the Scots-Gaelic people are avaluable and living part of the NovaScotian story; and, these people have con-tributed greatly to the formation of ourNova Scotian identity... Therefore, we, theundersigned, duly pledge to continue towork toward the creation of an under-standing of the story of the Scots-Gaelicpeople through our museum. We promiseto continue to preserve and present theGaelic language and culture for the benefitof all Nova Scotians and visitors. We agreeto strive to inspire the people of ourprovince to know, value, and maintain thisimportant part of Nova Scotia’s past, pres-ent and future: the culture, traditions, andlanguage of the Scottish Gaels.”

The Highland Village is firmly focusedon being a centre of excellence for the trans-mission and experiential presentation ofGaelic Nova Scotia culture and heritage.We strive to provide quality visitor experi-ences and leadership in promoting linguis-tic and cultural renewal in our community.All of our work is guided and supported byour vision and mission statements (to theright of this article) as well as the proclama-tion (excerpt above) signed with theProvince of Nova Scotia in June 2000, whenwe joined the Nova Scotia Museum family.

So, how are we doing? We are continu-ing to move forward in areas of interpre-tive development and community out-reach. Throughout 2012, we advanced andevolved our interpretive programming,especially in terms of first person (roleplaying) animation. We believe that thisform of interpretation is a more effectiveway to tell our story, and provide visitorswith insight into our ancestors and theGaelic way of life. First person betterenables visitors to make emotional connec-tions to the story, thus receiving a morerewarding experience.

We also continued to grow our innova-tive outreach to the Gaelic learners’ com-munity through our annual Stòras a’ Bhaileprogram and the recently launched AnDrochaid Eadarainn website, whichenables transmission of Gaelic culturethrough technology.

When the season came to a close at theend of October, our visitation was up 2%and our earned income up 7% over 2011,largely thanks to a record breaking cruiseship season for the Highland Village and

The Nova Scotia Highland Village Society(Comunn Clachan Gàidhealach na h-AlbannNuaidh) was incorporated on November 3,1959 under the Societies Act of Nova Scotia.Its purpose was to construct and operate anoutdoor folk museum dedicated to theScottish Gaelic culture in Nova Scotia.

The vision of the Highland VillageMuseum/An Clachan Gàidhealach is to beinternationally acknowledged for advancingresearch, fostering appreciation, learningand sharing authentic Gaelic language andheritage while serving a vibrant Gaelic cultural community.The mission of the Highland VillageMuseum/An Clachan Gàidhealach, a livinghistory museum, is to research, collect, preserve and share the Gaelic heritage andculture of Nova Scotia and represent it accurately and vibrantly.The Highland Village Museum/An ClachanGàidhealach is a part of the Nova ScotiaMuseum Family of Provincial Museums,Department of Communities, Culture &Heritage. The Nova Scotia Highland VillageSociety operates the site on behalf of theProvince.

The Society is a member of National Trust ofScotland, CLI Gàidhlig, Gaelic Society ofInverness (Scotland), Association of NovaScotia Museums (ANSM), CanadianMuseums Assoc. (CMA), Heritage CapeBreton Connection, Council of NS Archives(CNSA), Genea logical Assoc. of NS (GANS),Cape Breton Genealogy & Heritage Society,Interpretation Canada, Assoc. of LivingHistorical Farms and Agricultural Museums(ALHFAM), American Assoc. for State & LocalHistory (AASLH), Celtic Heart of NorthAmerica Marketing Cooperative, TourismIndustry Assoc of NS (TIANS), Baddeck &Area Business Tourism Assoc. (BABTA),Sydney & Area Chamber of Commerce,Strait Area Chamber of Commerce, andCape Breton Partnership.

4 Vol. 13, No. 2 AnRubha

From the Director’s DeskFirmly Focused on Vision

__________________________

Nova Scotia Highland Village SocietyRodney Chaisson, Director

the Port of Sydney. The cruise ship market-ing has enabled us to maintain our visita-tion over the past decade, while manyother heritage sites have experienced sig-nificant declines.

The successes noted above occurred inspite of significant challenges for theHighland Village operation, the most seri-ous of which are human resources and vis-itor & earned income growth. Both of theseissues speak to the long term sustainabilityof the operation.

An aging work force and demographicchanges in our community are presentingthe Highland Village with some significantshort and long term staffing challenges. Inthe months to come, we will embark on thedevelopment of a human resources strate-gy for the organisation, a key component ofwhich will be succession planning.

While feedback from our visitors hasnever been better, we are increasingly chal-lenged to maintain and grow our visitationbase, and earned income. At the end ofOctober, off the road visitation was downfrom both local and tourism audiences by3% from 2011. These decreases in visita-tion, which are being experienced at mostrural heritage attractions in AtlanticCanada, are largely attributable to localpopulation decline, a Canada-wide loss ofmarket share in the lucrative US travelmarket, and massive changes in thetourism industry. While we are expectingincreased numbers from cruise ships visit-ing the Port of Sydney next season, our2013 marketing plan is focused on growingour local visitation and halting the declineof off the road tourist traffic. We are alsolooking at ways to generate new sources ofincome, diversifying our revenue base.

The final challenge in moving the oper-ation forward is site infrastructure. Therehave been no major enhancements or addi-tions to the period site since the addition ofthe Malagawatch Church in 2003. Supportfacilities for visitor services, retail, adminis-tration, collections management, andmaintenance are inadequate. The aestheticsof the Highland Village entry area providea poor first impression for the HighlandVillage visitor. A site development strate-gy, currently in draft form, is focused onaddressing those issues.

The Highland Village/An ClachanGàidhealach is moving forward. In spite ofsome challenges, with a firm focus on ourvision, we will continue to make progress.

ABAIRT/ SAYING

Na ruith am feasd an déidh bréig, Leig leatha sàmhach agus ruithidh i fhéin gu bàs.Never run after a lie. Leave it alone and it will run itself to death. - The Casket

Mar is léir dhomh fhìnDESIGNING FOR GAELIC CULTURE

that Gaelic culture is largely based in oralcommunication and not visual communi-cation. As such, there is not a strong visu-al design presence in the Gaelic tradition.This left me with some interesting work todo. In order to create design work thataccurately represented Gaelic culture, Ineeded to first figure out what comprisesGaelic identity, and how this culturalidentity is expressed.

My general ignorance about all thingsGaelic turned out to work to my advan-tage. From a design standpoint, beingcompletely in the dark allows you to seethings in a less biased way. Nothing is tooobvious, or too vague–you are open to anyand all information as you are not sureexactly what you are looking for yet. So,when I began my initial phase of broadresearch involving the history of theGaelic immigrants from Scotland toCanada, I began to pick up on qualitiesand traits characteristic of the culture thatmay have been overlooked, or dismissed,from an internal standpoint. As Iresearched further, I began to see thatwhere Gaelic culture lacks visual identi-fiers and symbols, they make up for intheir use of language and their oral tradi-tions. I expanded my research from sim-ply reviewing visual imagery to research-ing all aspects of creative expression,including music, dancing, poetry, and sto-rytelling. Here was Gaelic identity, con-tained within its language. I began to readtales, folklore, poetry, and any transcribedoral accounts I could find, keeping lists ofrepeated visuals and imagery.

After this phase of research into Gaelicculture and identity, the project got a bittrickier. I started looking into “best prac-tices” for designing for oral-based cul-tures. Time went by and I continued tosearch for material, but I had to concedethat much of the information I found didnot relate to the unique situation of theNova Scotian Gaelic community. Likeother oral cultures, much of Gaelic identi-ty is tied up in the words of their music,songs, poetry, stories, and historicalaccounts. However, many other oral cul-tures’ folklore is abundant in symbols thatare easily adapted into visuals. For exam-ple, Haida totems are often symbolic


Caitlin Bauman, Bachelor of Design Student, NSCAD

Not only is there a definite beat, but cho-ruses are repeated between verses, andthere is often a interaction between theleader of the song and the other partici-pants. Knots, circles, and swirls are alsovery apparent in Gaelic visuals. This cycleis a fundamental feature in nature: day andnight, summer and winter, high tide andlow tide.

Creating images or patterns that relateto this repetition in language, story-tellingand music is another way to create visualsfor materials. This is also common in oralcultures, especially those tied with Gaelicexpression. Celtic peoples created “phar-lae”, ornamental metal discs worn by theirhorses. The designs of these decorationswere based off of abstractions of repetitionso common in their culture, designed tocreate a dynamic circular image.

Continuing along this vein of cycles andswirls, visual abstractions of movementcan also be taken from the journey theGaels took from Scotland to Nova Scotia:displacement, immigration, and settle-ment. Mapping this movement could pro-vide further visuals. Further, the knots, cir-cles, and swirls that represent nature andits movements can also relate to the land-scape the Gaels have settled on in NovaScotia, to which they are deeply attached.

This is just a jumping point to get ideasrunning. Getting the community involvedin developing a strong visual identitycould enrich and strengthen the NovaScotia Gaelic culture, as well as ensure thattheir identity is not expressed inappropri-ately (for example, using Celtic symbols todenote Gaelic identity). It is a way to communicate and appeal to a broad rangeof people, as visuals transcend languagebarriers. Cultivating the development of avisual identity within the Gaelic communi-ty would further establish the Nova ScotiaGaelic culture as a living, thriving commu-nity, a distinct group with its own values,separate from the Scottish Gaels andunique within Canada.!

Caitlin Bauman is a Bachelor of Design student atNSCAD. She held a student postion as CurtorialAssistant of Desgin, through Young Canada Works.

crests representing ancestors found in theculture’s stories, myths, and legends.Gaelic stories may be less visual in nature,seeming to rely on human attributes andhumour to spin the tale. When visualimagery is described in these oral or writ-ten accounts, Gaelic folklore seemed toavoid abstraction or symbolism in favourof the concrete, describing everydayscenery such as the landscape, forest orfarm animals, and the ocean. My runninglists of Gaelic visuals included fish, stags,oats, boats, fog, rain, and rolling hills.

Other oral cultures I researched mostlycentered on indigenous cultures such as theMi’kmaq, Haida, or other First Nationspeoples. The interesting factor in thisresearch is that there are distinct symbolsthat we as a Western society sees as“Indian,” (think totem poles, teepees, orfringed moccasins). Whether these fairlyrepresent the First Nations community isobviously another discussion; the point isthat there is a strong visual identity alreadyin place for these cultures, accurate or not.This is one of the challenges with designingfor an entire culture. There is a need to lookat the visuals present and assess whetherthey accurately and fairly represent the culture, or whether they are simply inade-quate stereotypes. The symbols that wemight associate with Gaelic culture areoften drawn from symbols of Celtic cultureand Gaelic Scotland. The challenge, then, isto come up with a strong visual identity for the uniquely Nova Scotia Gaelic community.

As a designer, this openness is extreme-ly exciting. Due to the little explored terri-tory of Gaelic visual art and design, there isgreat potential for the Nova Scotia Gaeliccommunity to cultivate a visual identityout of its already rich heritage of language,custom, music, and dance. As a startingpoint, I took inspiration from Gaelic lan-guage and stories and brainstormed a fewvisual ideas. Recurrence is a distinct oralculture practice. Stories and songs are toldover and over again in order to be remem-bered, as rhythm aids recall. With the pas-sage of time, these stories gradually morphand evolve through different tellers withdifferent memories. This rhythmic patternis also seen in some types of Gaelic song.

When I began my student design position at the Highland Village this summer, I came with little knowledge ofthe Gaelic community in Nova Scotia. Over the summer, it was my job to review visual imagery from Nova

Scotia Gaelic culture, research visual communications best practices for primarily oral based cultures, and use myfindings to create a visual communications plan for Highland Village.The key challenge in this project was the fact


The Seòmbar na Gréineadh (SummerRoom) lecture series began in July withguest speaker Dr. Alastair McIntosh. His presentation, titled “Community,Belonging, Place and Identity,” highlightedhumankind’s linking relationship with thenatural and social environment. Dr.McIntosh is a writer and academic fromthe Isle of Lewis and Fellow of Scotland’sCentre for Human Ecology.

Stòras a’ Bhaile 2012, was held over fourdays in August. Participation was at an alltime high this year as participants andleaders focused on immersion languageacquisition by way of socially directed cul-tural learning. Stòras 2012 emphasizedlearning and reciting stories drawn fromNova Scotia field recordings. Participantswere provided with transcripts in advanceof their arrival and were asked to preparefor telling a circulated story, or one of theirown. Scheduling also featured dailyimmersion walks around the site.Afternoon sessions focused on nativeGaelic-speakers including Joe PeterMacLean, Catherine MacNeil, AnnaMacKinnon, Mickey MacNeil, JeanMacKay and Martha Ramey. Each dayconcluded with a cèilidh in the picnic shelter.

Summer 2012 also saw the launch ofHighland Village’s annual Scotch MusicSeries, dedicated to the late Gaelic fiddlingstylist Alex Francis MacKay. The first pres-entation in this three part series was titledThe Alex Francis MacKay Gaelic in BowLecture. Held in August, legendary pianoplayer, Doug MacPhee played tunes and

With the 2012 season behind us, it’s time to reflect on another successful year at Highland Village. Animatorscontinue to work on character development for first person interpretation. Overall, feedback to this new

approach is confirmed as a step in the right direction for providing deeper visitor experience on the site. Further ani-mator training will again be led by Calithumpian’s Peter Pacey over the off-season.

Naidheachd a’ Chlachain - The Village NewsTHE 2012 SEASON AT HECTOR’S POINTBy Katherine MacLeod, Learning & Media Specialist

recounted stories heard dur-ing music sessions at theMacKay house. The secondevent, Ag Èirigh air Puirt(Risin’ on the Tunes), a work-shop was given by West Bayfiddler, Shelly Campbell. At awell attended session, shedemonstrated bowing tech-niques to a group of fiddlelearners in the school house onPioneer Day. An GàidhealPortmhor (The Musical Gael)rounded out the series in lateSeptember. John DonaldCameron, Fr. Francis Cameron, JanetCameron and Doug MacPhee played, toldanecdotes and discussed Scotch music aswe were informed by some of our very besttraditional musicians.

Other 2012 events included natural dyeworkshops, cèilidhs, milling frolics and special storytelling tours, as well as regu-larly offered children’s programming.

Pioneer Day marked the beginning offall as visitors came to watch demonstra-tions such as Barvas ware, shingle makingand flax processing, along with the annualmilling frolic, children’s games and corn-boil. During Celtic Colours, a packedGaelic song workshop was held in theTuning Room. Featured guests wereKathleen MacInnes and Cathy AnnMacPhee both from Scotland, together withJim and Colin Watson who shared songsand stories for this afternoon event. Theannual Joe Neil MacNeil Lecture Series waspresented at this time by Dr. John Gibson,Judique, author of books on traditional pip-ing. He spoke on his research of CapeBreton Step Dancing and the importance of the Nova Scotia Gaidhealtachd to its cultural history.

The 2012 season came to a close withthree nights of Oidhche nam Bòcan - Night ofthe Spooks. Always a best seller, visitorswere treated to lamp guided tours of theVillage to enjoy skit performances of tradi-tional stories of ghosts and forerunners.

Caidreabh na Tì (pronounced cach-ur-uvnuh tee) has started once again. The gather-ings take place the first Tuesday of everymonth during the off-season and allowGaelic-speakers an opportunity to gatherand share an afternoon of stories and song.During the December Caidreabh, a book

launch was held for Mar a b’ Àbhaist ‘s a’Ghleann – As It Was In The Glen, contain-ing song compositions by Hugh F.MacKenzie and stories from Rod. C.MacNeil. It was compiled by Kim Ells, andpublished by Sìol Cultural Enterprises.

We welcomed five summer students toour staff this year. Caitlin Bennett andMatthew Moore joined the animation staff.Laura MacNeil was our Digital CollectionsCoordinator were she created a short DVDthat will offer visitors a virtual tour of thesite. Through funding from the YoungCanada Works program, Caitlin Bauman,Curatorial Assistant of Design and DanielMacDonald, Curatorial Assistant Researchwere hired to research aspects of NovaScotia Gaelic culture. We would like tothank all the students for a job well doneover the summer months.

Visitation from the cruise ship passen-gers was up 32% over the pervious year. Inorder to maintain proper interpretation ofthe site with the increase, three part-timeanimators were welcomed to the staff forthe season, Jamie MacIntyre, Sharon F.X.MacNeil, and Pauline Campbell.

As always, the Highland Village staffare all deserving of praises for their dili-gence and hard work. This season was notwithout its challenges due to circumstancesof illness. Staff were quick to react and takeon extra roles to ensure daily animationcontinued to provide visitors with the storyof the Nova Scotia Gael. We would also likeacknowledge the contributions of High-land Village volunteers. Without their support, many of our programs would notbe possible to run. Ceud taing a chàirdeanchòire (One hundred thank yous kindfriends).!Dr. Alastair McIntosh speaking to a crowded room.

Fr. Francis Cameron, John Donald Cameron and Doug MacPhee during theAlex Francis MacKay lecture series.


chnapachan mar siod.Chan eil sìon a chuimhn' agam càit' a'

robh càch. Ach dh'fhosgail an dorust 'sbhuail iad stràc ri chéile. 'S an uair sin thà-naig straighlich uamhasach amach air anstairsich. Ghabh mis' an t-eagal. Dh'éirichmo mhàthair. Dh'fhosgail i an dorust. Bhadùil aic' gu robh pàirt dhe 'n fheadhainnagainn fhìn a' feuchainn ris an eagal a chuiroirnn. 'S dar a dh'fhosgail i an dorast dolastaigh dha 'n hall, bha an dorust dùinte.Cha robh e air fhosgladh idir. Cha robh sìonri fhaicinn. Dh'fhàs i fhéin car nervous anuair sin.

Ach thànaig m'athair dhachaidh 's thànaig na gillean fhéin astaigh. 'S bha i 'ginnse dhaibh... 's: "Hu! Na bi cuir sùim sam bith ann a' sin. Thànaig sin as aninntinn agad."

An ceann mhìosan as a dhéidh sin... Bhaseana-bhean anns a' nàbuchd. O, cha robh iach cóig mionaidean o `n taigh. Bha i airpìos dha 'n bhaile - i fhéin, 's a mac 's anighean a' fuireach ann a' sin. Aguschaochail i.

Agus an uair sin, bhiodh 'ad a' dèanamhciste-laighe. M' athair fad na h-ùine...Bhiodh shuas air na beams a's an attic - bùirdghiùthais, 's mar sin, aig' a' tiormachadh.Dh'fhaoidte gum biodh 'ad bliadhnaicheanann a' cruinneachadh dusg. Dar a dh'fhalbhan t-seana-bhean, thànaig nàbaidh anall(Teàrlach MacFhionghain - Teàrlach Màiri).Thànaig esan anall 's bha e `faighneachd airna bùird. Thànaig e. Dh'fhosgail e 'm frontdoor 's bhuail e an knob air an dorust eile.Chaidh iad suas 's thug 'ad na bùird far nah-attic anuas 's leig `ad stràcan air a’ star-saich. Co-dhiubh: dusg, agus obair a'phoca-phuinnsein 's gnothaichean a bhiodh a' cruinneachadh orra shuas anns an àite anna' sin. 'S chaidh `ad suas gu fear eile dha nacoimhearsnaich 's rinn e ciste-laighidh dha'n t-seana-bhean a bhàsaich.

'S e sin an fhìrinn ghlan. Chan eil mi`deanamh suas i idir! Tha an fhìrinn ghlan ann!

Agus an déidh dhi a’fuaim a chluin-ntinn... Bha às…an car suas ri bonn a'bhanga, mar siod, an taigh aca. Agus chaiche fhéin (Teàrlach Màiri) 's m 'athair suasmar sin leis na bùird air an guallainn. 'S annanull ann an April a bha e, cha chreid mi.Bha rathad-sléigh' a' fas dona, 's cha robh

Sgeul ri Aithris / The Story Telling TraditionTAIBHSEARACHD `S AN TUIRCAir Aithris le Calum mac Sheonaidh, 'ic Ian, 'ic Ian Ruaidh, 'ic Ghilleasbaig

rathad-cuibhleachan math 's bha na bùirdair an guallainn dol anull a dh'ionnsaidh fara robh fear MacKay. Bha e dol a dheanadhna ciste.

Agus bha sinn amach tric, agus bha dàsholust a' dol suas gu bonn a' bhanga.Thigeadh iad mar an dealan. Dh'éireadh sinamach uair na dhà cuideachd. Chìthinn-s' e's chìtheadh mo mhàthair e - dà sholust pìoso chéile `dol suas. 'S dar a thug 'ad leò nabùird air a' cheum suas gu bonn a' bhanga -'se sin an t-ainm a bh' ac' air o chionn bhabruthach eadar an dà àite - gach fear dhiubhagus buncha do bhùird air a ghuallainn -chan fhaca sinn na solais tuilleadh 's chachuala sinn a’ fuaim aig an dorust tuilleadh.Agus an t-seana-bhean... tha mi mìnigeadhbha i alright. Bha i a' cheart a cho math riboireannach sam bith eile. Cha b'e drochbhean a bh'innte. Bha i dìreach somalta. Bhai a cheart a cho math ri càch 's bha i a chearta cho dona ri càch. Màiri Eachainn, sin anstoidhl' a bh' ac' oirre. 'S ann a mhuinntirGhlen Coe a bha ise cuideachd.

A Forerunner in the Turk

At that time, they made the coffins. Theymade them at home.

There was nobody home but me and mymother. There was a door on the front of thehouse which was seldom opened. Whenthat door would open, it would hit the doorgoing into the kitchen. The knobs wouldstrike together. She and I were in thekitchen. I don’t recall where the rest were,but the door opened and they struck intoeach other. I took a fright. My mother got upand opened the door. She thought that itwas some of our own trying to put a scare inus. When she opened the door going into thehall, the (outside) door was shut. It wasn’topen at all. There was nothing in sight. Shegot a little nervous then.

My father arrived home and the boyscame inside. And she was telling them…“Huh! Never mind the like of that. That’sjust your imagination.”

A few months later… There was an oldlady in the neighbourhood. Oh, she wasonly five minutes from the house. She andher daughter and son lived there on a littlepiece of the farm and she died.

At that time they made the coffins. My

An uair sin bhiodh 'ad a' dèanamh nan ciste laigh'. Bhiodh 'ad 'gan dèanamh aig an taigh. Cha robh duin' astaighach mi fhìn 's mo mhàthair. Agus bha dorust air aghaich an taigh - fear nach biodh fosgailte ach ainneamh. Ach

nuair a dh'fhosgladh an dorast ud, bhuaileadh e an dorust eile `dol astaigh dha 'n chidsin. Bhuaileadh na nobs a chéile.Agus bha sinn astaigh 'sa chidsin, mi fhìn 's i fhéin. Chan eil cuimhn' agam càit' a' robh càch. Cha robh mis'ach ‘nam

father always… He had boards on thebeams up in the attic, pine boards, and thelike, drying. They might be there for yearsgathering dust. When the old lady died, aneighbour came over (Charles MacKinnon,Charles son of Mary). He came over andwas enquiring about the boards. They wentup and took down the boards and theymade a clattering noise on the threshold.(They were full of) dust, cobwebs and stuffthat gathered on them up in that place. Theywere taken up to another one of the neighbours and he made a coffin for the oldwoman who died.

That’s the pure truth. I’m not making itup whatsoever! That’s the utter truth of it!

After she (his mother) heard the noise…They were… Their house was there at theturn up at the bottom of the embankment.Charles Mary himself, and my father, wentup with the boards on their shoulders. Ithink it was over around April. The sleighroad was getting bad, and the wagon trackwasn’t good – and they carried the boardson their shoulders going over to theMacKay fellow, who was going to make thecoffin.

And we were often outside and therewould be two lights going up to the foot ofthe embankment. That happened a time ortwo. I could see it, and my mother could seeit, two lights a bit apart from each othertravelling upward. When they took theboards with them on the path up to the bottom of the banking – that’s what theycalled it, because there was an embankmentbetween the two places – each one with a bunch of boards on his shoulder… Wenever again heard saw any lights, or heard asound at the door.

The old lady, I mean, she was alright. Shewas just as good as any other woman. Shewasn’t a wicked woman. She was just ordi-nary. She was just as good as anyone else.She was just as bad as anyone else. The stylethey had on her was Mary Hector. She wasalso from Glencoe.!

Told by the late Malcolm MacKinnon, An Isle of Muck decedent, Malcolm was born and raised in Glencoe, Inverness County. © Collected, transcribed and translated by Seumas Watson.


Àm na Depression a bha sin 's poile dodh'fheadainn nach robh obair aca. Bha

'ad a' trabhaileachadh na dùthcha 's bhiodh'ad a' faighinn ride air na trèinichean 'dol dhan dùthaich. 'Coiseachd uaireannan,tha fhios agad, a' dol gu taighean far a faigheadh 'ad biadh. Taighean a bhiodh airan taobh muigh goirid dhan a' rathad.

Ach co dhiubh, feasgar a bha seo thànaiga' fear seo gu taigh 's dh'fhoighneachd afaigheadh e biadh. Bha i goirid gu àm nasuipearach. Uell, fear an taighe, cha robh ecoibhneil sam bith ris, tha fhios agad. Cha do bhruidhinn e cus mu dhéidheinnfuireach airson biadh ach dh'iarr e air tigh-inn astaigh 's a dhol 'na thàmh.

Ach co dhiubh, thànaig e staigh 's ge bithgu dé am biadh a bh'aca, chaidh e air a'bhòrd. Bha an duine 's a bhean ann agusgille. Sin a bha 's an teaghlach aca. Ach codhiubh, air a shuidh 'ad aig a' bhòrd, thuirta' seann-fhear, "Uell," os esan, "Feumaidhsinn anisd am biadh a bheannachadh," os'e-san. "Taing a thoirt do Dhia 'son a' bhiadh."'S rinn e choistrigeadh.

Lùb e cheann 's thuirt e, "Gum beannaic-headh Dia mi fhìn, mo bhean 's Dòmhnall,mo mhac agus gun duin' ach sinn." Rinn echoistrigeadh 's theann air an t-suipeir a

ghabhail, ge bith gu dé bh'ann.Ach cha do chòrd seo ris an trabhailear

math sam bith. Ach co dhiubh, air a bha 'adullamh a ghabhail an suipear, thionndaidhan trabhailear ri fear an taighe. Thuirt e,"Anisd, an doir thu cead dhomhsa 'son ambeannachadh a dheanamh an deaghaidh nasuipeir?"

"Uell," thuirt e, "tha mi 'creidinn gumbiodh e math gu leòir."

Rinn e choistrigeadh agus lùb e cheann 'sthuirt e,"Gun dugadh an deamhan leis thu-fhéin 's do bhean 's Dòmhnall do mhac, agusgun duin' ach sin."

Amach air an dorust a bha e 'n uair sin.

The Tramp's Blessing

During the Great Depression there werea lot of people without work. They

travelled about the countryside, hitchingrides on trains going out to the country.Sometimes they walked, going to houseswhere they could get something to eat.These were houses out near the road.

Anyway, this particular evening a fellowcame to a house and asked for something toeat. It was near to supper time. Well, theman of the house, you know, wasn't recep-

tive at all. He didn't say anything aboutfood, but asked him in to rest.

So, he came inside and whatever foodthey had was put on the table. The man andhis wife and a boy were there, that was theextent of the family. When they sat down atthe table, the man of the house said, "Wehave to bless the food and thank the Lordfor it."

He crossed himself and bent his headand said, "God bless myself , my wife, myson Donald and no one but us." He blessedhimself and whatever food there was, hebegan to eat.

But this didn't please the traveller at all.When they had finished eating their supper,the tramp turned to his host and asked,"Now, will you give me leave to say a graceafter supper?"

"Well," the old fellow said, "I supposethat would be alright."

The tramp blessed himself, lowered hishead and said, "May the Devil take you,your wife and Donald your son and no one else."

And he took off out the door.!

Told by the late Murdock “Gillis”MacNeil ofRear Christmas Island. © Seumas Watson.

Sgeul ri Aithris / The Story Telling TraditionBEANNACHADH AN FHIR-FHUADAINAir Aithris le Murchadh mac Dhòmhnaill ìc Sheumais Dhòmhnaill a’ Chùil.

`Sann a mhuinntir shuas an Àrasaig abha Dòmhnall Mhamaidh, agus tha mi

`smaointinn gur h-e MacGillebhràth abh'ann.

Co-dhiubh, chaidh e dh'obair suas airfeadh na Mór-roinn. Ma dh' fhaoidte gund’ranaig e suas cho fada ri New Brunswick.Ach co-dhiubh, `s ann am miosg nanSasunnach a thànaig anuas ás na Stàitean abha e nuair a thànaig an fheadhainn sin abha dìleas dha 'n Rìgh, na mar a bheir àd"Na Loyalists." Theich àd anuas ás naStàitean Aonaichte agus `s e a' Bheurla a bhaàd daonnan a' cleachdadh. Agus cinnteach,nuair a bhiodh feadhainn ag obair dhaibh,nach robh àd glé mhath gus am biadhadh.Cha bhiodh biadh, na tuarasdal, ach beag.

Ach, co-dhiubh, thànaig DòmhnallMhamaidh dhachaidh a dh'Àrasaig, agustha mi `creidsinn gu robh e air fàs seach,sgìth dhe 'n togail a bha shuas aig càcha.Chaidh e nuair sin gu taigh-faire agus bha e'na chleachdadh anns an àm a bha sin, 's nataighean faire, gum biodh iad a' gabhailùrnaigh greis dhe 'n oidhche. Bhiodh cuidei-gin a' gabhail ùrnaigh agus bhiodh càcha 'ga

always spoke English. It’s certain, whensomebody worked for them, they weren’tvery good to feed them. Wages and foodwould only be small.

Anyhow, Donald Vami returned hometo Arasaig and I’m sure he was weary of theothers’ way of things. He went to a wakeand it was the practice at wakes in houses atthat time to pray part of the night. Someonewould pray and the rest would respond.And there was a part of the prayer theycalled the litany. That was very lengthy andthey would respond to it. And in the prayer,there was “From the storm, from the thun-der, from the lightening…” And theresponse was “Save us, oh Lord!”

And what happened but the other fellowmade a little hesitation after this was said.Donald Vami replied saying, “from English,the Loyalists and cornmeal porridge…”And the whole gathering replied, “Save us,oh Lord!”

Told by the late Joe Neil MacNeil, Middle Cape.© Collected, transcribed and translated by SeumasWatson.

DÒMHNALL MHAMAIDHAir Aithris le Eòs Nìll Bhig

fhreagairt. Agus bha an uair sin earrann dhe'n ùrnaigh ris an canadh iad a’ leadan. Agusbha sin gu math fada cuideachd agusbhiodh àd 'ga fhreagairt. Agus bha anns anùrnaigh; "bho 'n stoirm, bho 'n tairneanach,agus bho 'n dealanaich…" agus `s e `n fhrea-gairt a bha sin "Teasraig sinn a Thighearna".

Agus ge b’e dé thachair gun do rinn a’fear eile dàil bheag an deaghaidh a bha seoa chantail. Fhreagair Dòmhnall Mhamaidh,agus thuirt e, "Bho Bheurla, na Loyalists `sbho lite na mine buidhe..." Agus, fhreagairan còmhlan uile gu léir "Teasraig sinn aThighearna".

Donald Vami

Donald Vami belonged to Arasaig(Antigonish County). I believe he was a

MacGillivray. In any event, he worked allaround the province and maybe he got sofar away as New Brunswick. Anyway, hewas among the English that were faithful tothe king who came up from the States, or asthey would say, the Loyalists. They fled,coming up from the United States, and they


A Pioneer AccountFROM THE ISLE OF COLL TO MALAGAWATCHThe Historical Account of Bartimeaus.

When we acquired cattle, a cow wouldvery often come home mangled by a

bear. When we got sheep, the women madeall types of clothing from their wool. Sincewe had potatoes, and the lake was full ofevery kind of fish, we envied no one underthe sun. These were happy days, althoughmodern folk think they were mindless. Imust confess, however, that the area wasvery much unenlightened, lacking as it dida school and teacher inside the Bras d'Orregion. What’s more, there wasn't a doctorin the territory we now call InvernessCounty. In 1823 one of my neighbour’s legswas frozen, and it was necessary to takehim sixty miles by small boat to Dr.MacDonald in Antigonish.

Around 1824, Dr. Noble arrived. Manyreaders of Mac-Talla are familiar with thesong written for his wife by Bard MacLean.In the year 1824 William Compton, fromPrince Edward Island, built a saw mill on the north side of Malagawatch Lake;something that was a great service to the area's people. There wasn't a road from Judique to River Denys aroundMalagawatch or to West Bay. A track ranfrom West Bay through River Inhabitants tothe Strait of Canso.

A person had to follow the shore goingaround every point and cove. Fear of bearskept travellers out of the woods.

In 1825 John Lewis was commissionedby the government to establish propertyboundaries for the settlers. He establishedthe first road running from Malagawatch

through River Denys and Judique Mountainon to Long Point. In the same year theKavanaughs arrived in St. Peters. They werein business on the Boom Strait (Alba) gettinglumber and shipping it to Europe. I remem-ber once seeing four, great three-mastedschooners loading lumber at the same time,and very often three.

In 1827 the ship called "James and Tom"- which I mentioned in another issue of Mac-Talla - was built for a company out ofLiverpool, England. John MacNeil, one ofour neighbors and a good scholar, sailedaboard her to England. He obtainedfinances from the Home Mission to open aschool here which was done upon his returnin 1831. After a few years he relocated toPrince Edward Island where he remained.By this time River Denys had become wellpopulated and was famous for its pine.

Donald MacDonald from GlengarryScotland was the first minister to come outto Cape Breton. He served for two yearsbetween Whycocomagh, West Bay andMalagawatch. From here he went to PrinceEdward Island where he died. In 1826 theFree Church of Scotland sent the ReverendJohn MacLennan to Cape Breton as a mis-sionary. He advised the people of this areato build a church in which visiting clergycould preach.

We began this work with a single-mind-edness in 1828. The church’s dimensionsmeasured forty feet long and thirty feetwide with three lofts: one at the end and oneon both sides. Its capacity was spacious, and

it was the first Presbyterian Church built inCape Breton. Among those contributing toits building was a young lad who madespruce shingles. I saw him preaching in thatchurch after he received an education fromthe Free Church in Edinburgh. The churchheard its first sermon in the summer of1829, delivered by the Reverend DougalMacKeigan. In 1832 the Reverend JohnStewart was placed in West Bay. From himwe received a service every fifth Sunday. In 1837 the Reverend Peter MacLean was appointed to Whycocomagh and thecongregation was provided with a serviceby him every fifth Sunday as well.

The Reverend Alexander provided uswith some of his services around the time hewas located in Middle River. He experi-enced many hardships while travellingfrom place to place as a missionary. Boatsweren’t as plentiful as they are today andvery often Indians would transport him incanoes of bark. I recently got proof that it is true he went from Middle River toMiramachi in one of these to be ordained,because that was the nearest Presbytery.

Many missionaries informed us in thefollowing years. Among them, I can namethese: the Reverends James Fraser, AdamMacKay and Murdock Stewart. We also had the Reverend Angus MacMillan whowas with us for thirteen years. He is now in West Bay.

Great changes have occured since myfirst memories of coming to Malagawatch.Fine homes have taken the place of humble

shanties, and the oldchurch has been replacedby a new one including amanse a few yards away.Regular schools and aSunday school have beenestablished along withwide horse and coachtravelled roads. The mailis delivered regularly andthere are many otherimprovements which Ineedn’t waste time men-tioning. True is theproverb that says, "Hewho lives a long life willsee many things."!

Bartemeus

Part one appeared in the lastissue of An Rubha. Translatedby Seumas Watson. Orginallyfrom MacTalla Vol. 3 July 7th18 84. Illustration by EllisonRobertson.

©

Ellis

on R

ober

tson


Part One - By Seamus Waston

Fo na Cabair / Under the RaftersAN TAIGH-LOGAICHEAN ANNS A' CHOILLIDH DHUIBH

The story of large-scale Highland immi-gration to North America begins after theBattle of Culloden (Blàr Chùil-lodair).Fought over boggy terrain outside thetown of Inverness in 1746, the obsoleteClan System was dismantled forever in its aftermath. The end to an ancient way of Highland life came on a miserable springday in April; when the House of Hanover'stroops cut down the Jacobite clans advocat-ing the exiled Stewarts' restoration to theBritish throne.

The old Gaelic order's sway in theHighlands was soon to become a pastromanticized in the parlours of the emerg-ing Victorian bourgeois. For the Gael livingon the land, in a countryside under heavyfortification and entering a modern economy, the close relationship betweenchief and soldier tenant gave way. Movingtoward's the eighteenth century's end, clanchieftains increasingly became members ofthe landed gentry, drawing on culturalcues from southern Britain for their socialvalidation. As the Clan System's break-upaccelerated, more and more disaffectedartisans, property managers and the lowerclasses came to regard emigration as theirbest alternative to an impoverished life in

images that greeted their unfamiliar eyes ina new place.

Tha sinn gun fhearann, gun spréidh Cha doir an t-uachdaran dhuinn spéisTheir e gur e duine gun chéillA rachadh ceum a' rathaid ud

We are landless without stock. Thelandlord has no respect for us. Hesays that only a senseless man wouldtake a step on the road of emigration.

Macrae was one of the first Gaelic songcomposers in North America. The details ofhis Dean Cadalan Samhach a Chuailein MoRùin (Rest Quietly My Young Darling),communicates the pioneering Gaels' dazedfeelings in the presence of a wilderness.

Tha sinne mar Innseanaich cinnteach gu leòr

Fo dhubhar nan craobh,cha bhi aon againn beò

Coin-allaidh 's béistean ag éigheach 's gach fròigTha sinne 'nar n-eiginn

on thréig sinn Rìgh Deòrs'

Gaelic Scotland. Immigration to North America from the

Scottish Highlands can be divided into two general time frames and classificationsof circumstances: voluntary leavings in the late decades of the eighteenth centuryand the later mass evictions lasting untilthe 1880s.

Subsequent to the Clan System'sdecline, it became increasingly attractivefor the middle-men of the Highlands toseek their fortunes elsewhere; often forpolitical as well as economic considera-tions. Looking towards the colonies as ven-ues of opportunity, large numbers of thetacks men class (estate managers usuallyrelated to a clan chief) and their depen-dants began taking leave of Scotland'snorthern glens.

The first major out-migrations to NorthAmerica took place in the late 1760's andearly 1770's. The bulk of those leaving theOld World behind were from North Uistand the Isle of Skye. Their destination wasthe Cape Fear River area of North Carolina.Among those early emigrants was Kintailbard John MacRae (Iain mac Mhurchaidh).His poetry provides glimpses of the condi-tions emigrants sought to escape and

Immigrating Gaels to Eastern Nova Scotia had immediate concern for shelter from the harsh elements. They soonadapted building skills to putting up log cabins in the great Acadian Forest. This new series of Fo na Cabair will

explore the material culture of early Gaels’ log cabins, along with stories and songs recalled by their descendants.

© El

lison

Rob

ertso

n


We live like the aboriginals them-selves. Under the forest's darkcanopy none of us will survive.Wolves and all manner of beastsscreech in every hollow. We havefallen on desperate times since aban-doning King George.

We can only imagine the precise tur-moil affecting Scottish Gaels coming to thegreat forest of Nova Scotia in the nine-teenth century: material poverty, appre-hensions, expectations for improvement ormodest wishes to endure. Oral accountsfrom the Highland pioneers' Gaelic speak-ing descendants provide us with rareinsights to the drama of upheaval sur-rounding passage from the Old World tothe new. The late Johnny AllanMacDonald (Seonaidh mac Alasdair MhóirSheonaidh Aonghais 'ic 'Ille Chrìosda) ofEnon, Cape Breton County provided onesuch account which describes the comingof his great grandfather to Cape Breton,

O, Aonghas Dòmhnallach. Bh'e á Càrnais,Uist-a-Tuath...

Bha 'ad ann an Càrnais an toiseach agusmhùbh 'ad an uair sin. Cha robh mòran àit' acaann an Càrnais 's chaidh 'ad a dh'àite ris ancan 'ad Sruth an Uisge. Agus ás a' sin, chaidh'ad a dh'àit' eile. Tha mi air an t-ainm adhiochuimhneachadh, ach 's ann am Beinn a'Bhaoghla a land 'ad. Agus bha meeting aigAonghus agus na càirdean aige 's h-uile neacha b'aithne dha. Tha fhios agad, gu robh e cheartcho math dhaibh deanamh deiseil airson mùb-hadh amach ás a' siod mu 'm biodh 'ad 'gandraoiveadh air falbh uaireiginn.

Chall e meeting agus dh'inns' e dhaibhdìreach mar a bha gnothaichean. Agus, "Thami 'faighinn a' bhàta. Tha mise 'faighinn a'bhàta agus chì mi gu gum bidh uisge glan annam baraillean glan. Agus tha móran a' falbh ása' seo air soithichean agus na baraillean aca... 'se baraillean anns a' robh grèis. 'S tha feadhainndhiubh 'bàsachadh mus ruig 'ad anall 's feadhainn a' bàsachadh an déis dhaibh tighinn anall.

Agus creicibh sibh a h-uile sìon a théidagaibh air faighinn an aghaidh as aonais annam bliadhna. Agus biodh fios agaibh dé tha dola dh'éirigh dha na gnothaichean a chumas sibhnuair a gheibh sinn facal a dhol chun a' bhàta.Agus biodh porg agus min-choirce gu leòragaibh agus sin agaibh na théid agaibh airgiùlan airson biadh. Dh'fhàg 'ad an uair annan 1828... Nuair a fhuair 'ad fios falbh, mhùbh'ad cleabhar chun a' bhàta: Commerce an t-ainm a bh'air a' bhàta. Cha do bhàsaich gindhiubh ('tighinn anall).

Bha 'ad uile gu léir ann an slàinte mhath

"S mór mo mhulad 's cha lugham' éislean. Cha n-eil eibhneasa' tighinn dlùth dhomh; Bho 'na thàinig mi do 'n tìr seo. Gubheil m'inntinn air a mùch-adh; Chaill mi mo shùgradh 'smo sheanchas Bho 'n a dh'fhalbh mi ás mo dhùthaich.Toiseach a' chiad mhìos de 'nfhoghar Sheòl sinn air adhart'nar cùrsa.

- Bàrd Abhainn Bhàrnaidh

My sorrow is prodigious andnot less is my grief. No mirthattends me since arriving inthis land. My wits have beensmothered. I've lost my pleas-ure and sociable conversationsince leaving my country. Atthe beginning of fall's firstmonth we set sail on ourcourse.

- John MacLean, Barney’s River.

#

'tighinn astaigh a Shudni...Bha airgead ac' uilig - aig a h-uile gin dhiub-

ha thànaig anall - agus fhuair 'ad bàta. Thug 'admóran dhiubh gu Irish Cove (Còbh nan Éirean-nach). Bha feadhainn eil' a chaidh sios a dheas.

Nuair a thànaig 'ad á Sudni gu Irish Cove,cha robh sìon ach bha sen-ach air a shettleadh a'san àm... Có a thachair riuth' ach seann duine.Bh'e bhos agus feumaidh gu robh e bhos bli-adhnaichean airson... bha fios aig' air a h-uile h-àit' an Ceap Breatann. 'Se land surveyor abh'ann: MacNab, Dougal MacNab an t-ainm abh'air.

Agus thuirt e riutha, "Tha àit' amuigh anna' siod agus ainmich mi fhéin e (Loch Lomond).Cha n-eil sìon ann ach léigeachan agus chì thu

poidhle do thalamh math. Agus na léigeachan...Faodaidh tu ceimhead àite sam bith anns naléigeachan 's cha n-fhaic thu sìon ach bric,dìreach tha 'ad làn do bhric. Agus mathoileachas sibh p-fhéin, coisichidh mise 'machcòmhla ribh"

Agus thànaig 'ad uilig amach. Cha robh móran biadh aca. 'Se bric a' rud a

bu mhoth' a bh'aca. Ach bha min-choirc' aca -bhiodh min-choirc aca co dhiubh. Agus senagad dìreach a am biadh a bh'aca. Ach fhuair'ad beagan buntàta 's chuir 'ad e timchioll airna stumpaichean e. Uell, cha robh móran vari-

ety aca co dhiubh. Oh, Angus MacDonald, he was from

Carnish in North Uist...At first they lived in Carnish and then

they moved. They didn't have much landin Carnish and they went to a place calledSruth an Uisge. From there they went toanother place, I've forgotten the name butthey fetched up in Benbecula and Angusand his relatives and everyone he knewmet. You see it was just as well for them toprepare for emigrating before the timewould come that they were driven out.

He called a meeting and explained tothem just how things were. He said, "I'mgetting a ship and I'll see that there is cleanwater in clean barrels. A lot of people areleaving here on ships and there was greasein their water barrels. Some are dyingbefore they get over and some are dyingafter arrival.

Sell everything within a year you canget along without. Be aware of what'sgoing to happen to the belongings youkeep when you get word to go to the shipand see that you have enough oatmeal andpork; that's what you can carry for food.They left in 1828. When they got word,they went promptly to the boat. The ship'sname was the Commerce. Not one died onthe crossing, they were all in good healthwhen they came into Sydney.

They all had money, everyone thatcrossed over, and they got a boat. A lot ofthem were brought to Irish Cove (CapeBreton County). Others went to the south-ward. When they got to Irish Cove fromSydney, there was nothing available tothem, the land had already been settled.Who met with them (there) but an old fellow. He was a land surveyor: MacNab,Dougald MacNab was his name.

He said to them, "There's a place outthere and I named it myself (LochLomond). It's all lakes and you'll see a lot ofgood ground. The lakes... you can lookanywhere in the lakes and all you will seeis trout. They are just full of trout. If youwish, I will walk out there with you." Andthey all went out.

They didn't have much food. Troutwere what they had the most of. But theyhad oatmeal, they'd have that anyway, andthat was their food. But they got a littlepotato (seed) and planted it among thestumps. Well, they didn't have much foodvariety anyway.!

© Seamus Watson. Part two will appear in thenext issue of An Rubha. Illustration by EllisonRobertson

SEANFHACAL/ PROVERB

Mar is tràithe a' ghaillionn 's ann as fhaide a' ghaillionn.The earlier the storm, the longer it lasts.

Seumas mac Aonghais ìc Uilleim ìc Iain ìc Mhurchaidh / Jimmy MacKay www.androchaid.com/mar-tràithe-ghaillionn-s-ann-fhaide-ghaillionn


B’e là na dùnach an t-aonamh là deug dha‘n Fhaoilleach 2013 nuair a chailleadh

dithist do Chloinn Ìlleathain a bha `gammeasadh mar churaidhean “cliùiteach, ciallach, fialaidh, grinn” am measg Gàidheilna h-Albann Nuaidhe. Bhuineadh an dithistaca dha `n cheàrnaidh seo fhéin, ri taobhLoch Mór nam Barrach, am meadhan EileanCheap Bretainn: Peadar MacÌlleathain(Peadar mac bean Jack Pheadair ìc CaluimGhobha) a mhuinntir Chùl Eilean naNollaig agus Eòs Peadar MacÌlleathain (EòsPeadar mac Theàrlaich Eòis) a mhuinntirChùl Bhaghasdail, Rathad Màiri Eumain,mar a theirte.

Rugadh Peadar MacÌlleathain an CùlEilean na Nollaig `s a’ bhliadhna 1912.Bhuineadh e do shliochd nam Barrach air andà thaobh dha theaghlach. Chaidh àrach antaigh far a robh móran spéis `ga toirt doghabhail nan òran agus bha ainm aigmàthair Pheadair `s an nàbuchd mun cuairta bhi `na deagh bhan-sheinneadair (Annan’in Mhìcheil Nìll). Bu chuimhne leis gufurasda na h-oidhcheannan nuair a bhiodhcomann na seinn astaigh ag éirigh air òrain.Thug e fhéin dealbh air mar a bh’ann:

“Bhiodh ad cruinn anns na taighean. Bhiodh

feadhainn aca… rachadh ac’ air a’ Ghàidhlig aleughadh `s a sgrìobhadh. Bhiodh àd… copaigdo leabharaichean… na seann bhàird, na seannòrain, mar a bha Dunnchadh Bàn `s BàrdMacÌlleathain`s Uilleam Ros - `s na h-òrain sin.Bha àd gu math déidheil air na h-òrain sin `s naseann òrain - gu h-àraid ma bha `Ghàidhlig cardomhain ann. Sin an ùine cur-seachad a bh’aca,an dòigh a bh’aca, cur-seachad na h-oidhcheadh.Bhiodh a’ chuid bu mhoth’ anns a’ gheamhradh -bhitheadh, na, uairean, ré an t-samhraidh.Bhiodh feadhainn a’ cruinneachdainn `s ceann-labhairt ac’ air òrain `s na seann bhàird – `bruid-hinn mun deidhinn.

“`S e an t-ionnsachadh òg an t-ionnsachadh bòidheach” agus bu tràth athog Peadar a cheud leasanann air nòs is dualchas ann an cuideachd mhuinntir a’ Chùil. `Na dhuine inbheach, thog esaoirsneachd mar chiùird, sgil a chur e gufeum gus tuarasdal a bhuain fad nam bliadhnaichean a bha e fhéin `s a bhean,Mairead, a’ còmhnaidh an crìochanBhostain anns na seasgadan. Bha, mar anceudna `s an àm ud, iomadach Gàidheal amhuinntir Cheap Breatainn air ceann achosnaidh `s a’ bhaile mhór. Bha Peadar guminig `s a’ chuideachd, an sàs ann an

cùisean culturach eadar céilidhean, àrd-ùrlar agus The Cape Breton Club. A bhar-rachd air a bhi math air na h-òrain, agus a’cur ri fidhlearachd, bha Peadar riamh `na dhuine fad-shùileach `s rinn e clàraid-hean ruidhle gu ruidhle air a’ cheòl `s na h-òrain aig cuid dhan fheadhainn ab’ainmeile a bh’ann r’ a linn. `Nam measgsin, bha Aonghas Siosalach, Uilleam Lamey`s sàr òranaichean a bhuineadh do gachceàrn dha `n Eilean.

Air dhaibh thilleadh dhan a’ Chùl annsna seachdadan, chum Peadar taic làidir andàrna cuid ri luchd-ionnsachaidh `s luchd-rannsachaidh na Gàidhlig. `Na ghaisgeachgus an deireadh, `s gann gu robh tachartasàite sam bith far a robh nòs `s cànain a’ tarraing sluaigh dha nach robh e dìleas achuideachd a chur ris. Cluinnear seinnPheadair air na clàraidhean Òr CheapBreatain agus Guthan Prìseil. Cluinnear tuil-leadh dhe `n t-seanchas aig Peadair air AnDrochaid Eadarainn: http://androchaid.ca/ 3-bha-mi-raoir-gu-sunndach-sunndach agus airCainnt mo Mhàthar http://www.cainnt-momhathar.com/speaker.php?sp=23&l=e

Peadar mac Jack Pheadair ìc Caluim GhobhaPETER JACK MACLEAN

A Bhi `Gan Cuimhneachadh `s `Gan Ionndrainn: A Bhi `Gan Cuimhneachadh `s `Gan Ionndrainn: Facal na Dhà `s an DealachadhFacal na Dhà `s an Dealachadh

Peadar mac Jack Pheadair ìc Caluim Ghobha

Micheal Eòin Chaluim Sheumais, Peadar mac Jack Pheadair ìc Caluim Ghobha &Maxie mac Dhòmhnaill Aonghais Iain Aonghais Eòin

© Highland Village

© Ry

an M

acD

onal

d Ph

otog

raph

y


Chaidh Eòs Peadar MacÌlleain (EòsPeadar mac Theàrlaich Eòis) a bhreith

`s a’chùl air Cnoc Bhaghasdail anns a’ bhli-adhna 1946. `Na bhriathran fhéin,

“Chaidh mo thogail air a’ rathad eadarBaghasdail `s Beighe na h-Àird an Ear. Canaidhàd, tha mi cinnteach… pìos ann a sin, canaidhàd Rathad Màiri Eumain (ris). Thànaig àdanall (cuideachd Eòis Pheadair)), thànaig àd asUibhist à Deas, An t-Seann Dùthaich. Uell, bhamo… muinntir m’athar, bha àd a’ cantail gurann a Fróbost ann a Uibhist à Deas a bha àd a’fuireach mun dàining àd anall. O, dhia… mio-sail air ceòl a sin (astaigh): seann phuirt air anfhìdhill. Bhiodh m’athair a’ seinn air an fhìdhill,seinn phort air an fhidhill `s bhiodh mise…Thòisich mise còmhla ris bho chionn móran bliadhn’ air ais. Bha mi sean. Bha mi ochd deug.Bha mi `nam bhodach an uair sin, nuair athòisich mi air seinn na fìdhill.”

Fhuair Eòs Peadar àrach is ionnsachadhòg air baile-fearainn `s an t-seann dòigh-bheatha. B’e a’ Ghàidhlig an cànan ab’fheàrr le pharantan astaigh (gu h-àraid amhàthair, Catrìona n’in EòghainnAonghnais, Bana-Chaimbeulach mun dophòs i.) Gu dearra, `s e a’ Ghàidhig a bumhotha gu léir a bhruidhnneadh na nàbuid-hean a thadhaileadh gu tric gus céilidhdheanadh am fardrach far an cluinnte seannseanchas, òran `s ceòl. Cha robh e `na ion-gantas, mathà, nuair a thànaig Eòs Peadar

gu inbhe, gu robh e `na Ghàidheal an darìreadh portmhor `s mór-spéis aige do gachcuspair a dhualchais.

Ged nach robh Eòs Peadar riamh `nadhuine aig a robh beairteas arigid, `s e anduine sona nach iarradh ach a bhreith andòigh phearsanta a bh’aige. `Na tagraichegaisgeil dhan a’ Ghàidhlig - aig baile `s airastar - bha eòlas aig na h-uimhir air thall `s abhos. `S ann ainneamh a bhiodh e dhìth `s a’chunndas `s e `cumail seanachais `s ciùil risgach seisean bogaidh, céilidh, consurt aguscruinneachadh a bhiodh ann a ghabhadhruigsinn le càr. Bithear `ga ionndrainn air antaobh thall dha `n Chuan Mhór cuideachd.Chan eil ann ach bliadhna on a thill edhachaidh às Uibhist a Deas far an do ghabhe pàirt as t-samhradh s’ chaidh aig Ceòlasmar fhear-teagaisg fìdhlearachd.

Cluinnear ceòl Eòis Pheadair air an dàCD Back of Boisdale agus Còmhla Cruinn.Gheobhar tuilleadh ceòl is còmhradh EòisPheadair air An Drochaid Eadarainn, CeapBreatainn: Loch Bhras d’Or: http://androchaid.ca/eòs-peadar-mac-theàrlaich-’ic-eòis-fìdhlear-1

Ged a bhios beàrn is bealach ann far arobh na laoich seo `s a’ chuideachd roimhe,`s e is gu ro luachmhor an dìleab a dh’fhàgiad as an déidh. Chan urrrainn dhuinn achar taing a thoirt dhaibh.

“A h-uile là a chì `s nach fhaic.”

Seumas Watson

Synopsis

The same day deaths of Peter MacLean,Rear Christmas Island, and Joe Peter

MacLean, Boisdale have left the Nova ScotiaGaelic community in mourning over thedeparture of two Cape Breton notables.Peter MacLean, age 99, Gaelic singer ofBarra ancestry, was born and raised atChristmas Island Rear in a householdknown as a céilidh house for song. Astaunch supporter of Gaelic learners andresearchers alike, his contributions includeyears of supporting Gaelic events and a sub-stantial collection of reel to reel recordingsof Nova Scotia Gaels he made while livingin Boston. Peter’s singing can be heard onthe CDs, Còmhla Cruinn, Òr Cheap Breatainnand the Guthan Prìseil CD insert. He can alsobe heard online at Cainnt Mo Mhàthar AnDrochaid Eadarainn in the Ceap Bretainn:Loch Bhras http://androchaid.ca/ 3-bha-mi-raoir-gu-sunndach-sunndach

Raised in a Gaelic-speaking home atMacAdam’s Lake, Joe Peter MacLean, 67,well known for his Gaelic style fiddling,avidly supported Gaelic cultural occasionsthroughout Cape Breton. He was rarelyabsent when Gaelic culture was the focusfor a social gathering, or learning experi-ence. Joe Peter recently finished serving as amentor in the Gaelic apprenticeship pro-gram Bun is Bàrr for Office of Gaelic Affairs.His fiddling can be heard on CDs CòmhlaCruinn and Back of Boisdale. He alsoappears in conversation and playing on An Drochaid Eadarainn in the CeapBreatainn: Loch Bhras d’Or section formusic and tunes: http://androchaid.ca/eòs-peadar-mac-theàrlaich-’ic-eòis-fìdhlear-1.

Eòs Peadar mac Theàrlaich EòisJoe Peter MacLean

© Ry

an M

acD

onal

d Ph

otog

raph

y

© Highland Village

Eòs Peadar mac Theàrlaich Eòis

Joe Peter MacLean & Paul Wukitsch playing a few tunes in the Tunning Room.


ing such a relationship, it must be under-stood that it has come to exist on a numberof different planes. Apart from the obviousattachment to the physical landscapeformed through agriculture, there are alsosocio-linguistic elements to considerresulting from a variety of cultural inter-pretations of nature that have existedthroughout the history of the Gaelic peo-ple. This article will provide insight intothese various cultural elements, particular-ly within the context of the song and story-telling traditions, and how, over time –along with an almost inherent respect andlove of physical nature – they have shapedthe perception and understanding of theworld and its place within the conscienceof the Nova Scotia Gael.

In order to fully understand the rela-tionship that exists between Nova ScotiaGaels and their environment, it is neces-sary to first look at such a relationship in ahistorical context; that is, the relationshipGaels in general have had with their envi-ronment, from Celtic times. Being anagrarian culture, a connection with theland has always been present and pervad-ed almost every aspect of the ancientGaelic lifestyle. This connection becamemost obvious in the druidic religion ofancient Ireland. As with many native cultures, the druidic belief system wasfocused on nature; both the reverence of its power and the teaching and under-standing of its elements. In a very basicsense, druidism can be seen as the first ves-tiges of science among the Celtic peoples.Apart from relatively unknown religiousduties, the druids were a learned groupfocused on astronomy, the telling of time,healing and the general understanding ofnature. It has been suggested that it is fromthis group of individuals that the bardictradition initially developed.

As an historically oral culture, wordshave always been important to the Gaels. Itwas believed that the power of the druidscame from their words. Later, as the bardictradition emerged, stories and poetry wereseen, in some cases, as possessing prophet-ic abilities. The concept of song-makingalso suggests an inherent rather magicalquality of words, something which justcomes to song-makers through no help of

their own. In his book Hebridean Song-Maker, Thomas A. MacKean uses thephrase “thigeadh ‘ad ‘gam ionnsaigh” (theywould come towards me) to describe thisconcept. He says, talking about his conver-sations with Skye bard Iain MacNeacail:“Firstly, the songs come unbidden, some-times unexpected. Secondly, in some ways,he (MacNeacail) feels that composition hasnothing to do with him; the songs come tohim, rather than him making them.Thirdly, there is a sense of physicalityabout song-making.”

Perhaps one could say the ability of abard is not the composing of songs, but the

Bateman, as the desert – am fàsach in Gaelic– the unknown. If we consider the role ofthe bard proposed above, then it could besaid that the bard serves as a form of medium between the unknown, uncontrol-lable fàsach and the domesticated world ofthe general population. As the formalbardic tradition declined, alongside manyother Gaelic social conventions around thetime of the Jacobite Rebellions - just beforemany of the Gaels immigrated to NovaScotia - so did the traditional role of thebard within the Gaelic community.However, with immigration came a modi-fication on this traditional role, subsequent-ly dispersing the role of the communitybard among the many immigrants whocame and discovered sections of thiswilderness. Though immersed in the histo-ry and cultural heritage of their homeland,these immigrant Gaels were also presentedwith a new landscape and are, in a mannerof speaking, at the edge of a new history.The bards and seanchaidhean of GaelicScotland were entrusted with keeping thehistory and knowledge of their communi-ties. Now, in a brand new world, this sametradition which cultural conservatism hasmaintained, falls to those who are amongthe first to arrive in this new land.

This new dùthaich becomes apparent inboth the story and song traditions of NovaScotia Gaels. In comparison to other Gaelicimmigrant communities, such as those thatexisted in Australia and New Zealand, theNova Scotia Gaels have a surprisinglysmall amount of stories that either originat-ed in or are set in Scotland or Ireland, apartfrom the class of takes known as Feniantales, a sort of epic reserved for specificindividuals within a community. ThoughJohn Shaw did note a few from Joe NeilMacNeil, a highly-regarded seanchaidhfrom Middle Cape, Cape Breton County,the majority of stories that were told atcéilidh houses drew on very similar themesas those from the “old country” howeverwere set within a Nova Scotian context.This was similarly true in the song-makingtradition, where the lack of laments relat-ing to the homeland were replaced bysongs dealing with the landscape in whichthe Gaels currently found themselves. It isimportant to note that this does not mean

Tìr Is Teanga: THE NOVA SCOTIA GAEL ANDTHEIR RELATIONSHIP TO THEIR ENVIRONMENTBy Daniel MacDonald

"As a society based on the

oral passage of knowledge, the Gaels’ concept of

dùthchas includes a strongcultural element that is

heavily reliant on symbolismand representation.

#

Undeniably, the physical and natural environment has always played an integral role in the human experience.Though this role has been greatly diminished in a number of first-world cultures due to the industrial revolu-

tion and various stages of economic growth, it is still quite prevalent in agrarian and land-based groups. The Gaelshave always had a deep connection to the land, dating right back to the Celt of prehistoric Ireland. When examin-

interpretation and understanding of thisinherent quality of words in a way thatmakes it accessible to the general commu-nity. The way in which these words areinterpreted presents a particular viewpointbased on certain beliefs, previous experi-ences and cultural acceptances. It drawsnot merely on the descriptive and geo-graphical but aims to inform a communityof a history and cultural significance whileremaining loyal to the linguistic nuanceswhich feature so prominently in the mindsof the Gaels. Such historical and culturalconservation becomes even more impor-tant within immigrant communities, suchas those which came to exist in Nova Scotiathroughout the late 18th and mid-19th cen-turies. It also changed significantly in anumber of ways from that of Scotland.

As noted in the work of Meg Bateman,the Gaels have always understood thatsome elements of nature cannot be con-trolled. This is known, according to


all songs or stories were written in a posi-tive light. There are still many examples ofthe Gaels condemning and criticizing theirnew home, however even with these exam-ples, the larger focus is on the new environment in which they find them-selves and their relationship to theunknown fàsach.

The instinct one has when faced withthe unknown is to name it. The manner inwhich something is named tells a lot aboutthe background and cultural values of aperson and their society. Again, consider-ing the power of words in the Gaelic con-science, this naming process takes in morethan just identifying a location. In his essaydiscussing natural influences on Gaelicpoetry, John MacInnes notes:

The native Gael who is instructed inthis poetry carries in his imaginationnot so much a landscape, not a senseof geography alone, nor of historyalone, but a formal order of experi-ence in which these are all merged.The native sensibility responds notto landscape, but to dùthchas. Andjust as ‘landscape’ with its romanticaura, cannot be translated directlyinto Gaelic, so ‘dùthchas’ and, indeed,‘dùthaich’ cannot be translated intoEnglish without robbing the terms oftheir emotional energy. The com-plexity involved can be appreciatedby reflecting on the range of mean-ing: dùthchas is ancestral or familyland; it is also family tradition; and,equally, it is the hereditary qualitiesof an individual.

As a society based on the oral passageof knowledge, the Gaels’ concept ofdùthchas includes a strong cultural elementthat is heavily reliant on symbolism andrepresentation. Just as is evident within thepatronymic nomenclature and its ability torecall an entire family history, not just agenealogy, it is not enough to be able tophysically describe the landscape. Adescription must include elements thatdetail a community’s relationship to itslandscape. Take, for example, a stream.The simple act of naming a stream as suchdoes not go far enough to create a connec-tion with nature. Many other factors mustbe considered, such as its location, its sizeand how the community interacts with it. Whether the community is a fishing community will impact on the importancethey give the stream as well, and likewiseif this becomes reflected in the dùthaich itwill in turn inform outsiders of other complimentary elements of nature. If sucha community is more interested in certainvarieties of fish, a stream could bedescribed as being full of or not havingmany of such fish. If one looks for theGaelic equivalent of stream, at least fourwords will present themselves, each vary-

ing in regards to the amount of water run-ning through the stream, its physical loca-tion, the manner and speed with which thewater flows. It is on detailed descriptions ofthe dùthaich such as these that the story-telling tradition and, subsequently, the songtradition of the Gaels are based.

As time passed in Nova Scotia and theGaels became more and more settled in thisnew world, their connection to the landgrew stronger and stronger, with links tothe country they left behind weakening.This was reflected in the oral literature ofthe various communities, much as it hashappened in other Gaelic communities. Ascommunities become more static, theyexpand their understanding and apprecia-tion for the land in which they live. Due tothe strong sense of cultural conservatismthat is present amongst the Gaels, many ele-ments of the “homeland” become part ofthe realm of seanchas. In this way they arestill remembered, but are not as presentwithin the minds of the community. A sim-ilar concept was noted by Seán Ó Tuama inIrish culture. He wrote:

It seems then that it is the sacred wed-ding of territory to chief – and byextension of territory to kin – which isat the heart of the passion for place inIrish life and literature. Parallel withthis bonding, of course, was thebonding of each free family groupwith its own particular inheritedland. Down to our own day eachfield, hill and hillock was named withaffection. ...There is a sense in whichplace finally becomes co-extensive inthe mind; not only with personal andancestral memories, but with thewhole living community culture. Ifone’s day to day pattern of living is found good, the feeling of identifi-cation with its place of origin isaccordingly enhanced. Communitybecomes place, place community.

As these tales of the old country fell fur-ther and further into the realms of history,they were replaced by recent equivalentsdiscussing similar themes, but within anew cultural paradigm.

As those entrusted with the knowledgeand dùthchas of their communities, the firstbards and seanchaidhean that arrived inCape Breton would be well-versed in thedescriptive power of words. As therewould have been no local sources to drawon when they first settled in Nova Scotia,the initial stories told would be ones fromtheir home communities. However, asexplained above, these would slowly giveway to tales of local events that took placeas immigrants grew more and more accus-tomed to their new lifestyle. Taking this tobe true, a series of changes can be seenoccurring within the Gaelic story and song-making traditions. These stories initiallysteeped in the heritage of Scottish Gaelicculture – for example, the Fenian tales col-lected by John Shaw from Joe Neil MacNeil– slowly became overwhelmed by localcompositions involving the experience ofthe immigrant Gaels as they seek to gain acertain degree of control over their newenvironment. Once again, due to culturalconservatism present within immigrantcommunities, these older epics are not lost,however it comes to be that they are heardfar less often in the céilidh houses than theyonce were. Similarly, it can be seen in thesong tradition that songs which initiallywere written about the physical aspects ofnature – written as the Gaels tried todescribe the world around them and deter-mine their place within it – are now morph-ing into songs dealing with more symbolicand emotional interactions between theGaels and their environment. If we consid-er Meg Bateman’s concept of am baile andam fàsach, it becomes understandable thatas the edges of the domesticated land con-tinue to expand, the focus shifts slightlyfrom an outward perspective to one whichis centered inward on the understanding ofone’s own community.

In the song tradition of Gaelic NovaScotia, this becomes apparent throughexamples such as A’ Choille Ghruamach, asong written by Tiree bard John MacLeanshortly after his arriving in Nova Scotia in1819, condemning the land in which hefinds himself. One doesn’t have to gobeyond the first verse to notice how clearlydescriptive this song is: “Gu bheil mi ‘mònarachd ‘s a choille ghruamaich/ Fhuair mi ‘nt-àite so’n aghaidh nàduir/ Gun thrèig gachtàlant a bha ‘n a m’cheann.” (Lonesome in thegloomy forest/ I’ve found this place to beso against nature/ that all of my talents Ihad in my head have abandoned me) Yearslater, songs begin to appear in praise ofboth nature as well as the various forms ofinteraction that the Gaels have with it.Songs such as Moladh Albann Nuaidh, by

Continued on Page 22

"Gu bheil an t-àite seo cho fuar

Nuair a thig an reòthadh cruaidhBheir e beàrnachan `s an tuaigh

Mur dean mi cruaidh a teòdhladh

Iain Dòmhnallach, Loch Laomain

It is a place so coldWhen the hard freeze arrives

It makes gashes in my axeIf I don’t temper its steel

John MacDonald, Loch Lomand

#


the string. The line was anchored in a cut inthe end of the log at both ends and snappedin the middle to make the line for cutting. Alog was placed on supports to steady it andanchored with a log dog. Vertical cuts weremade along one side to the depth of the linesand evenly spaced from end to end of thelog. The Broad axe was used to chop hori-zontally between the vertical cuts and makethat side square and smooth. The oppositeside was squared, the log was rolled ontothe square side and the process began again.

Aig Baile:AN TUAGH LEATHANN - THE BROAD AXE

The axe has been an indispensable toolfor centuries and comes in many forms

to suit whatever task is asked of it. Armedwith an axe and the help of neighbours andfriends, the early settler could build himselfa shelter in the forest he discovered whenhe came to Nova Scotia. As MargaretBennett states in her book, Oatmeal and theCatechism. “The physically demandingtasks of felling enormous first-growth timbers and then squaring logs with abroad-axe became the subject of ‘settler stories’ among a people who had neverseen an axe, far less swung one with accura-cy.” For many Gaels in Nova Scotia it meantworking in cooperation with previous settlers until they became proficient in theuse of the axe. Charles Dunn in his workHighland Settler says “…the pioneers cutand shaped all their building materials byhand with only the saw, adze and axe fortools. They developed a steady hand and atrue eye, and found no difficulty in suchdelicate work…”

In general terms, a broad axe is a hewingtool for wood. It has a chisel edge, meaningit was sharpened on only one side and itwas used to square off round logs or shapepieces of wood. The handles were notstraight but slightly angled away from thelog or piece of wood so the user’s fingersdid not get injured. This axe was made intwo ways with the angle of the handle andthe sharp side of the blade to suit both leftand right handed individuals.

The process of squaring a log beginswith removing the bark from the log. Lineswere marked down both sides of the logusing a chalk line. The chalk line was apiece of string or fine rope rubbed withchalk or a smut stick. The smut stick was acharred piece of wood rubbed the length of

Alan MacLeod (Ailean mac Ruaridh ‘ic Aonghais ic Dhòmhnaill ‘ic Iain) demonstrates the use of a broad axe at the Highland Village.

By Pauline MacLean

As the story goes, there was a marriagebetween a Presbyterian man and a RomanCatholic woman who eventually settled inInverness County. By and by there was achild from the marriage. In those days therewas no Presbyterian minister settled in thearea so a traveling minister, Rev. Dr.McGregor, came to visit the family. He told

the wife that her husband had sent forhim to christen the child and that the husband was willing for half the children tobe baptized in her faith and half in the husband’s. When she heard this she stated,“we may as well start now.” She placed thechild on the door step, picked up the broadaxe and asked her husband which half hewould prefer, which quite put an end to thediscussion. While not the conventional wayof using the broad axe, the threat was effec-tive; the children were baptized in theCatholic faith. Rev. McGregor was active inPictou, and visited Prince Edward Islandand Cape Breton in 1818 and 1821, datingthe oral history story to that time period.!

Pauline MacLean is the Highland Village’s collections manager. Quoted verus: A’ ChoilleChruinn (Lumber Wood Song), Beyond theHebrides, page 196. Photos from William NotmanI80960 © McCord Museum and Highland VillageCollection.

I809

60 ©

McC

ord

Mus

eum


MAR A THÒISICH IAD AIR T AN IONADecember 1929, Vol.2 No. 5

Ged nach eilean a th'ann an Iona anCeap Breatunn, tha e air ainmeachadh air Ì,no Eilean Chaluim Chille. Thàinig iadsan ashuidhich ann á Barraidh; bhuineadh iaduile do 'n Eagalis Chaitligich agus b'ann doChloinn Néill a’ chuid mhór dhiubh. Thacòrr math s sia fichead bliadhna on thàiniga' cheud fheadhainn ann.

Beagan bhliadhnachan an déigh dhaibhtighinn, bha dà chàraid òg ri pòsadh:Ruairi Mór MacNéill ri Màiri Chaimbeul,agus Ailean MacFhionghuin ri PeigidhNicNéill, piuthar Ruairidh. Aig an àm sin,cha robh ach aon sagart an Ceap Breatunn,sagart Frangach a bha fuireach an Arichat:mar sin b'fheudar do luchd na bainnse adhol do 'n bhaile bheag sin, astar leth-cheud mìle air falbh, gu bhi air am pòsadh.Rinn iad sin, agus o 'n bha aig an t-sagart ridhol a thuath gu Cheticamp, thàinig e airais anns a' bhàta còmhla riuth',

Am feasgar a ràinig iad air an ais, rin-neadh a' bhainis agus dh'fhan an sagartanns a' chuideachd. An uair a bha i tighinnfaisg air meadhon oidhche, dh'fhaighniche dhiubh an robh tì aca. "Eudail 's aghraidh!" B'e sin rud nach fhaca duineriamh `s air nach cuala iad uiread 's iom-radh - uile ach aon bhean òg, NicLeòid áAntigonish a phòs Dòmhnull MacNéill a'bhliadhna roimhe sin. Chunnaic i sin tì airTìr-mòr. An uair a thàinig i dh'Iona cuide r'a fear, thug i punnd anall leatha.

Bha am pasgan anns an robh an tì aicegun fhuasgladh fad na bliadhna, agus b' ifhéin an té a bha toilichte gum b' ann marsin a bha e. Chaidh i 'ga iarraidh gun dàil,agus faodar a bhi cinnteach gu robh i gléphroiseil 'ga chàramh ann an làimh an t-sagairt. Chuir easn an tì an tarraing ann ampòit bheag an t-simileir faisg air a' ghrio-

saich, agus an uair a bha i mar bu leis, rinne a' cheud riarachadh air fhéin 's air an dàchàraid. An déigh sin, cha robh fear no téanns a' chòmhlan nach feumadh blasad airan deòch annasaich.

B' ann am mìos an Iuchair anns a' bhli-adhna 1813 a thachair seo. Is iomadhbalgaum blasda de 'n tì a chaidh òl an Iona,'s an Ceap Breatunn, o 'n oidhiche sin.

How Tea Became Fashionable in Iona

Although Iona, Cape Breton is not anisland, it is named after I, or St. Columba'sIsland. Those that settled in that area camefrom Barra. They were Catholics and themajority of them were MacNeils. More thanone hundred and twenty years has gone bysince arrival of the first immigrants.

A short while after their arrival, twoyoung couples were to be married; BigRory MacNeil to Mary Campbell and AllanMacKinnon to Peggy MacNeil - Rory's sis-ter. At the time, there was only one priest inall of Cape Breton, a French priest wholived in Arichat. Thus, it was necessary forthe betrothed to travel to that small village,fifty miles away, in order to be married.They did just that, and since the priest wasgoing north to Cheticamp, he returned withthem in the boat.

The wedding feast was held on theevening that the couples arrived home, andthe priest remained in their company.When it was growing near midnight, heasked the celebrants if they had tea."Goodness, gracious." That was a thing thatno one had ever seen, or heard mention of -except one young woman, a MacLeod fromAntigonish who had married DonaldMacNeil the year before. She had seen teaon the mainland and brought a pound of itwith her when she came to Iona with herhusband.

Her package of tea hadn’t been openedfor a year, and it was herself that waspleased it had remained so. She immediate-ly went to fetch it, and you may be sure that she very proud of herself when sheplaced it in the priest's hand. He set the teato steep in a small hearth pot near theembers. When it was ready to his satisfac-tion, he served the first portion to himselfand the two young couples. Following their example, it was necessary for every manand woman present to taste this novelrefreshment.

This episode occurred in the month ofJuly, 1813. Many is the tasty swallow of teathat have been drunk in Iona and CapeBreton since that night.!

Translated by Seumas Watson.

After the publication of MacTalla,Jonathan G, Mac- Kinnon (EoinAonghais Chaluim) went on toprovide small monthly Gaelic pub-lication titled Fear na Ceilidh.Digital copies of the papers can befound online at Nova Scotia

A r c h i v e s :http://gov.ns.ca/nsarm/virtual/newsppers/results.asp?nTitle=Fear+na+ceilidh

Fear na CeildihMAR A THÒISICH IAD AIR TÌ AN IONA

Dé as ùr? What’s New in Our Gift Shop

Seinn - Mary Jane Lamond & WendyMacIsaac’s New CD

19.95 Mar a b’ àbhaist `s a Ghleann - As It was in the Glen

Songs & Stories from Hugh F. MacKenzie & Rod C. MacNeil

29.95

Around the Year with the MalagawatchMice by Caroline Stelling

11.95


Gillean an Dròbhair

A h-uile dad `s nì ma`s fheudar dhomh innse Gillean an dròbhair, gillean an dròbhair 2XA h-uile dad `s nì ma`s fheudar dhomh innse

Gillean an dròbhair, gillean an dròbhair

`S iuchair na cisteadh am poca na briogais air Gillean an dròbhair, gillean an dròbhair

Iuchair na cisteadh am poca na briogais air Gillean an dròbhair, gillean an dròbhair

B’fheàrr leam fhìn gun tigeadh i suasGu faighinn mo dhìnnear, gu faighinn mo dhìnnear

B’fheàrr leam fhìn gun tigeadh i suasGu faighinn mo dhìnnear, gu faighinn mo dhìnnear!

The Drover’s Lads

I’ll tell all, if I must The drover’s lads, the drover’s lads

I’ll tell all, if I must The drover’s lads, the drover’s lads

The key to the chest is in his pant pocketThe drover’s lads, the drover’s lads

The key to the chest is in his pant pocketThe drover’s lads, the drover’s lads

I would prefer that she came upSo I would get my dinner, get my dinner

I would prefer that she came upSo I would get my dinner, get my dinner!

Notation for The Drover’s Lad can be found in The Skye Collection of theBest Reels & Shathspeys Vol. 6 1887, Paterson & Sons, Edinburgh,Scotland. This volume is part of the Joe MacLean Collection of Scottish andCape Breton Music housed at the Highland Village.

Transcription and translation: Seumas Watson

An Gàidheal Portmhor / Scotch MusicPORT CRUINN: GILLEAN AN DRÒBHAIRSeumas Watson & Pauline MacLean

A common jig attributed as a Highland composition, it seems to have appeared as a Northumbrian pipe tune before appearing in later collections. Noted in many tune books, with Irish equivalents titled as Munster Buttermilk and Behind the Haystack, many players have drawnon the Skye Collection for their setting. Gaelic words provided by the late Joe Neil MacNeil (Eòs Nìll Bhig).

*Gillean an Dròbhair is also titled as Bodachan an Dranndain.


OS: Uh, nuair a tha sibh a’ dol astaigh dhana’ Bhra d’Or Bheag, a’ cheud taigh air antaobh àrd dhan a’ rathad, mus téid thuastaigh mar a tha `rathad a’ sgoltadh, ann ashin. Sin mar a bha àd a‘ fuireach... àite risan canadh àd Millville.

SW: Carson a rinn e `n t-òran?

OS: Tha mi cinnteach dìreach gur ann airsongun do ghabh e leithid do thamailt a rinnam boireannach a chaill a Gàidhlig. Bha e gumath crosda rithe.

SW: A’ bheil fhios agaibh có bh’innte?

OS: Chan eil. Chan eil. Tha e colach gu robhe gu math eòlach oirre nuair a bha àd a’ fàssuas, ach bha i air pòsadh an uair sin. Agusnuair a thàinig i air ais, bha boireannach eil’innte.

SW: An ann a Boston a bha i `fuireach?

OS: `S ann.. An té a chaill a Gàidhlig...?

SW: Uh,huh.

OS: O, `s ann.

*Murchadh mac Iain. Rugadh IainMacDhiarmaid anns na Na Hearadh agus thog efearann ann a Còbh na Reag. Thànaig Iain guCòbh na Reag an 1835.) - SW

A Little on the Composer of “The Women Who Lost Her Gaelic”

Jim Watson: Did your grandfather make thesong?

Evelyn Smith: It wasn’t my grandfather, butrather my grandfather’s brother, MurdockMacDermid. He was a farmer and, I believe,he did a little carpentry as well. He had a bigfarm with cattle, sheep, chickens and horses.

JW: Where did he live?

ES: Uh, on your way into Little Bras d’Or,the first house on the upper side of the road- before the road forks off there. That’swhere they lived, in a place called Millville.

JW: Why did he make the song?

ES: I think that just because he was soannoyed with the woman who “lost herGaelic.” He was extremely cross at her.

JW: Do you know who she was?

Seinn fo Sgàil nan Geugan Uaine - Songs from the GreenwoodAN TÉ A CHAILL A GÀIDHLIG

Quoting song verse as a way of underlin-ing a certain point is a common

practice in the run of Gaelic conversation.Citations of the song title An Té a Chaill aGàidhlig (The Woman Who Lost Her Gaelic)remain heard occasionally to the present,usually in the case of social comment on one who seems to have replaced their Gaelicbackground with strident pretensions of refinement. An Té a Chaill a Gàidhlig is aCape Breton composition. The inspirationfor its making and some rare biographicalinformation on its composer was provided by the late Evelyn Smith (neeMacDermid) an Isle of Harris decendant, ofWreck Cove. As the story goes, the home-sick song maker encounters a youngwoman, a childhood friend from his ruraldistrict, on a city sidewalk and greets her inGaelic. She replies with the following verse:

Fhreagair ise gu moiteil, You’re a Scotchman I reckonI don’t know you’re Gaelic

Perhaps you’re from Cape Breton And I guess you’re a farmerYou’re too saucy for better So I will not shake hands

And I would rather at present Be going off, be going off

In addition to the woman’s Englishresponse, the song contains eleven Gaelicverses. Its air, as sung by the late MalcolmAngus MacLeod (Calum Thormaid AonghaisChaluim) of Birch Plains, Victoria Countycan be heard on Sruth nan Gàidheal,http://gaelstream.stfx.ca. A text for the song isprinted in Gaelic Songs of Nova Scotia,Helen Creighton and Calum MacLeod,pages 26 and 27. The melody is Mort GleannComhainn.

Beagan aithris a chaidh a chlàradh air ant-sean chas aig Oigrig Smiosach (OighrigShandaidh Choinnich Iain) mu `n Té A Chaill AGàidhlig

An Té a Chaill a Gàidhlig

Seumas Watson: An e ur seanair a rinn an t-òran?

Oighrig Smiosach: Chan e mo sheanair ach bràthair mo sheanair, *MurchadhMacDhiarmaid. `S e tuathanach a bh’ann,ach cha chreid mi nach do rinn esaoirsneachd cuideachd. Bha baile mór aigele crodh, `s caoraich, `s cearcan `s éich.”

SW: Cà robh am bàrd a’ fuireach `s an àm?

ES: No, no. It seems that he knew her verywell, while they were growing up, but shewas married then. When she returned (home), she had become another woman.

JW: Was she living in Boston?

ES:Yes...The Woman Who Lost Her Gaelic?

JW: Uh, huh.

ES: Yes, she was.!

Evelyn Smith gave her grand uncle’s patronymic as Murdock the son of John. John MacDermid was born in the Isle of Harris. He took up land holdings in Wreck Cove, Victoria County in 1835. © Collected, transcribed and translated by SeumasWatson.

Harris Records Go Online Northton Heritage Trust is happy toannounce that the second instalment of theirwww.hebridespeople.com database is now available. The first stage was the publicationof the emigrant database, and this has nowbeen followed with the database for familiesconnected with the Isle of Harris, Bernerayand St Kilda.

The site works on the principle of purchas-ing credits, which will be familiar to thosewho have used the Scotland’s people website.Entering a name will show all persons of thatname on the database, their date of birth and parish of birth, and by choosing theappropriate entry you can find access directlyto place of birth, parents (where known) dateand place of marriage and death, togetherwith a note of where that person appears inthe census records from 1841 to 1901.

www.seallam.com

By Seumas Watson

© El

lison

Rob

ertso

n

Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter @highlandvfor the latest news and events happening at the Village!


An Rubha Review PUIRT-À-BEUL: THE VOCAL DANCE MUSIC OF THE SCOTTISH GAELSEdited by William LambA book review by Seumas Watson

One’s first attention to the newest edi-tion of Skye native Keith NormanMacDonald’s Puirt-à-Beul is pulledstraightaway to an eye catching coverdesign illustrated with a mid-nineteenthcentury painting depicting an indoorsHighland setting. There, a kilted laddie,bonnet in hand, engages in a sword danceto mouth tunes, and the Jew’s harp, as atartan garbed company watches on. Theartist, Robert Ranald McIan (1803 – 1858),an interesting side note in himself, was anactor turned painter whose romantic por-trayals of Highland folk have remainedpopular in postcard racks whereverScottish souvenirs are sold. The McIanpainting chosen for Puirt-à-Beul is titledGilli Challum, (a tune still sung - andplayed - in Cape Breton as `Nam Amadan ABha Mi Riamh.)

Originally published with sol-fa nota-tion in 1901, Puirt-à-Beul is a collection ofmouth tunes gathered and arranged bySkye native Dr. Keith Norman MacDonald(1835 – 1913). MacDonald, described as anable fiddle player himself, has left his markon Gaelic culture as collector and editor ofThe Gesto Collection of Highland Music (1895)and The Skye Collection of Reels andStrathspeys (1887). Both collections remainin use to the present. Much less known,perhaps, is his MacDonald Bards fromMediaeval Times (1900). MacDonald alsoproduced a number of medical books andarticles during his career as an M.D. - postings that included time as a prison doc-tor in Burma. Located in Scotland latterly,he focused his interest on Highland musical expression.

For the student of Gaelic song andmusic, Puirt-à-Beul has informed dancesinging since its initial appearance in 1901.

With onlyone subse-quent print-ing in 1931,w e l l - w o r ncopies ofPuirt-à-Beulcan yet beseen on thebook shelvesof Gaelicsong learn-ers. The lat-est edition ofPuirt-à-Beulis a worthy

retrofit, containing valuable upgrades byway of editing and replacement of sol-fa with staff notation. There is no doubt that this printing will become a standard reference for the tradition’s maintenance, hopefully in more than re-contextualized presentations.

Puirt-à-Beul’s editor Dr. Will Lamb,School of Scottish Studies, has done aspanking job in rendering Keith NormanMacDonald’s original collection into its2012 issue. The latest edition is broughtwell beyond being a song primer, substan-tially expanded by its editing, musicalnotes and extensive commentary. Throughan annotated introduction, Lamb raisesadditional questions for a fuller under-standing of mouth tunes as Gaelic socialexpression and their anthropology. Puirt-à-Beul numbers an even two hundred pageswith 116 Gaelic mouth tunes and threeexamples of Faroese dance songs for com-parison. Along with a short biography ofDr. Keith Norman, improvements includeEnglish translations and well needed cor-rections to Gaelic spellings appearing in

former printings. A 1931 edition publisher’s note, includ-

ed with the 2012 text, remarks, “Dr.MacDonald collection of puirt-à-beul is thepremier if not the only such collection everprinted.” It is interesting to consider thatthe passing of 81years has not produced amore varied volume derived of other field-work. Experience in Cape Breton perhapstells us that hearing mouth songs requireda particular context such as a related dis-cussion of instrumental music, or a matterof humor. Other than their position outsidethe usual framework for convivial singing,the bawdy content of many mouth tunes,while sure to provoke a smile in certaincompany, is likely to meet with disap-proval from conservative quarters. Thereinlays, perhaps, a partial explanation for lim-ited representations of the genre appearingin print. The latest edition of Puirt-à-Beul,however, may open the door for projectscontaining more of oral transmission’scolor and verve.

As the case may be, Will Lamb hasgiven Keith Norman MacDonald’s Puirt-à-Beul an anchored platform for reintroduc-ing itself to singers and musicians. As well,he has raised for consideration the need forgreater exploration of associations puirt àbeul have in the antiquity of GaelicScotland’s dance traditions.

On the subject of singing for dance, anadage comes to mind often quoted by thelate Joe Kennedy of Deepdale, InvernessCounty, a Morar descendant and fiddlerraised in a family of musicians comingdown the generations: Na trì nìthean a `sàirde ann an ceòl: an guth, a’ chlarsach agus a’phìop (The three most elevated modes ofmusic (in order): the voice, the harp and thepipes).!

Highland Village Online Gaelic Resources

Check out our website!www.highlandvillage.ca

An Drochaid Eadarainnwww.androchaid.ca

Cainnt Mo Mhàtharwww.cainntmomhathar.com

Céilidh air Cheap Breatunnwww.capebretonceilidh.ca

An Rubha ReviewAIR BILEAN AN T-SLUAIGH SEALLACH AIR LEANTALACH BEUL-AITHRISGHÀIDHLIG UIBHISTA TUATH A book review by Seumas Watson


Mar gum bitheamaid an dùil ri neach-lagha a théid `s ruamhair, chan eilMaighread Challan a’ geilleachdainnbuileach do dh’fhiosrachadh sam bith guncheist a chur air a dhligheasach - urram aneòlaiche ann na às. Air cuspair buaidh sgoilna Beurla air a bhi cur às dha `n Gàidhligmar lìonradh conaltraidh `s a’ chumantas,tha i a’ sgrìobhadh, “Ged a bha mòran dhenluchd-teagaisg fileanta anns a’ Ghàidhlig,dh’fheumadh iad an clàr-foghlaim nàisean-ta a leantainn.” Tha toradh droch rùn anfhoghlaim ud air aithneachdh am measgiomadach cinnidh aig a bheil an dualchasfhéin `ga ghiùlain an cois mion-chànainchun an là an-diugh. A’ toirt tarraing air sgoiltean aig a robh clàr-teagaisgBreatanach anns na deicheadan ro `n CheudChogadh, tha Wade Davis, `na leabhar Intothe Silence, `ga mhìneachadh mar seo, “theirreal purpose was to infuse students with a certain ethos, a blind obedience to those of higherrank, a reflexive inclination to dominate inferi-ors, and, above all, the cultivated air of superior-ity so essential to the stability of the empire.”

Tha Air Bilean an t-Sluaigh `naeagarachadh ann an cóig caibideilean achuireas bunait daingean fo mhiann a’ leab-hair. Leanaidh iad air a chéile los gum bidhgach cuspair air a leasachadh aig anleughadair air cleith ga togail air co-theagsasòisealta anns a bheil fiosrachadh airdualchas, susbaint bheul-aithris agus cion-fàth a seargaidh. `S e `s co-dhùnadh anneach-rannsachaidh, gur ann a tha calldlùth-chomunn na coimhearsnachd cean-gailte gu ìre mhór ris an di-bhrosnachadh athànaig le crìonadh na Gàidhlig is sgathadhnan nòs caidreabhach a tha an eisimeil ri cànan.

`Ga tharraingàs ranns

achadh an tràch-dais air an deachinbhe MPhil aleigiel dhi anOilthaigh DhùnÉideann, tha anleabhar smaoin-teachail seo aigM a i g h r e a dChallan a’ toirtdhuinn léirsinn

air stàth `s smior beul-aithris GhàidheilUibhist a’ Chinn-a-Tuath - `nam beathalàitheil gu ruige suas ris a’ Chogadh Mhór fadheireadh. Ged `s ann air Uibhist à Tuathmar cheàrnaidh shònraichte, (`s i tìr adùthchais fhéin), a tha a’ bhan-ùghdar a’suidheachadh a h-aithris, aithnichear `natuairisgeul àrainneachd shòisealta mar a thaair bhi ann an roinn do cheàrnan eile far arobh beairteas dualchais air tighinn anuasbho ghlùin gu glùin. (Chan e GàidhealtachdEilean Cheap Breatainn a bu lugha dhiubhsiod). Chìthear cuideachd faileas aircaidreabhachd choimhearsnachd “Cheil-teach” `s na làithean a dh’aom nuair nachrobh innte móran bheachd, na deòin, airtaisbeanadh ealain a chur air n-adhart muchoinneamh luchd-éisdeachd a fhuair antiocaidean asteach aig an dorust. Eadargeur-shùil a thoirt air dol-sios an t-seannnòis am measg nan Tuathach, agus gar fios-rachadh air cho cudtromach `s a tha beul-aithris a thàthadh nan ginealach a chéilemar chomunn, tha Air Bilean an t-Sluaigh a’toirt deilbh air gu dé a thachras nuair abhios dualchas air chall agus nead nacuthaige `ga chur `na àite.

Tha Mairead Challan a’ dealbhachadhcaitheamh-beatha thìreil nan Tuathach marshaoghal air a bhogadh an eachdraidh,cineadas, cànan is dualchas ann an ionadiomallach far nach deach gnàths an t-slu-aigh a chasgadh aig cumhachdan cean-nasach bho `n taobh amuigh fad cheud guàm nan Cogaidhean Móra.

Bu mhinig a chualas gearain nach eil guleòr sgrìobhte mu shaoghal nan Gàidhealanns a’ chànan aca fhéin. Neo-ar-thaingnach bidh an leabhar seo `ga mheasadhluachmhor an iomadach àite agus ann ancaochladh sheagh fad nam bliadhnaicheanri tighinn - sàr obair dha rìreadh.

Synopsis

Margaret Callan’s Air Bilean an t-Sluaighis a Gaelic examination of North Uist’s oraltradition and its decline as a cornerstone forthe collective expression of life and identityin a long lived-in place. Drawn from her MPhil theses work at the University ofEdinburgh, she has built a lattice work ofcontextualized topics over five chapters,leading to salient conclusions on the chang-ing face of community cohesion in the wakeof pervasive language loss and the centralrole women have played in rural Gaelicsociety. A solicitor by profession, Margaretdoes not hesitate to raise questions on theassumptions of previous researchers in thefield. Highly informative, and written in an excellent, accessible register of Gaelic, thisoutstanding social analysis, from an insideperspective, of a Gàidhealtachd communitywill be a primary reference over manifoldinterests for years to come.!

Fois gu Siorraidh - DedicationThis issue of An Rubha is dedicated to the memory of three friends of the Highland Village and Gaelic Nova Scotia.

Sadie (n’in RuairidhIagain Ruairidh)MacIntyre (neeMacLean) Gaelicsinger, performer atExpo 86 and daugh-ter of MargaretMacLean, Boisdale,a major song con-tributor to the CapeBreton Gaelic folk-lore Collection.

John Ferguson wasa talented musicianwho charmed theaudiences with hisversion of TheWaters of Iona formany years whileperforming on theHighland VillageStage.

Raylene Rankin wasa well known mem-ber of the RankinFamily and was aformer board mem-ber of the HighlandVillage Society.


Board of Trustees (Elected June 2012) - Kathleen MacKenzie, Antigonish (President); Hector MacNeil, Sydney River (Vice President); Hugh MacKinnon, Benacadie (Secretary);Susan Cameron, Antigonish (Treasurer); Charlene Ellis, Little Narrows; Madeline Harvey, Estmere; Pam MacGillivray, Shunacadie; Hector MacNeil, Iona; Walter MacNeil,Sydney/Grand Narrows; Susan Stubbert-Samways, Iona; Hugh Webb, Antigonish; Paul Wukitsch, Shunacadie; and Daniel Chiasson, Baddeck (Legal Advisor).

Staff (2012 Season) - (Administration) Rodney Chaisson, Director; Janet MacNeil, Administrative Assistant; Max MacDonald, Coordinator of Marketing; and Sales(Interpretation) Seumas Watson, Manager; Colleen Beaton, Animator; Pauline Campbell, Animator; Marie Chehy, Animator; Catherine Gillis, Animator; Jamie Kennedy,Blacksmith; Mary Jane Lamond, Animator/Gaelic Tutor; Jamie MacIntyre, Animator; Hoss MacKenzie, Blacksmith; Aileen MacLean, Animator; Beth MacNeil, Animator; DebiMacNeil, Animator/Costume Coord.; Jean MacNeil, Animator; Kaye Anne MacNeil, Animator; Sandy MacNeil, Farm Hand; Sharon MacNeil, Animator; Colette Thomas,Animator; Vicki Quimby, Animator/Textile Consultant; Colin Watson, Animator; (Collections, Archives & Genealogy) Pauline MacLean, Manager & Katherine MacLeod,Assistant; (Visitor Centre Services/Gift Shop) Gerry MacNeil, Senior Visitor Centre Clerk, Sadie MacDonald, VC Clerk & Marlene MacDougall, VC Clerk; (Operations) JamesBryden, Manager; Tim MacNeil, Maintenance; David MacKenzie, Groundskeeper, Patricia Gaudley, Custodian & Curtis MacNeil, Maintenance Assistant; (Students) LauraMacNeil, Digital Collections; Matthew Moore, Animator; Caitlin Bennett, Animator; Caitlin Bauman, Design & Daniel MacDonald, Research.

Volunteer Programmers - Quentin MacDonald & Meaghan O’Handley, HV Day Producers & James O. St.Clair, Candlelight Tour Guide.

Comunn Clachan Gàidhealach na h-Albann Nuaidh/Nova Scotia Highland Village Society

Allan The Ridge MacDonald, are greatexamples of this, creating links betweennature and his perspective of it, accordingto the views of his own community.

The relationship between Nova ScotiaGaels and their environment is constantlychanging, particularly among the initialimmigrant communities. The great numberof unknown features and experiencesresulted in a rich story-telling tradition thatdiffered from Scotland in a variety of ways.The increase in naidheachd, or small stories,and seanchas over sgeulachdan, or the longermore formal tales common in Scotland,gave way to a number of personal experi-ence narratives describing how variousimmigrants came to understand their environment. Many of these further mor-phed into a rather strong collection of talesrelating to the supernatural. Completelyunknown experiences in the mind of theGaels came to be represented as ghosts andapparitions. This belief in the supernatural,supported by a long heritage no doubtrooted in the pagan traditions of thedruids, continues to be one of the manyways in which the seanchaidhean and bardsinterpret the world around them.

Many themes have been noted inregards to the Gaels’ relationship with theirenvironment. In his paper discussing thiswithin the Scottish song-making context,Michael Newton makes mention of four

such themes: S e mo bheachd gun do rinn an gnàthas seo leas-achadh agus lion-sgaradh tro litreachas anns naceumannan seo: 1) Ainmean-àite a’ nochdadh ann an litreachas. 2) Bàrd a’ labhairt ridùthaich mar gum b’ e duine a bha innte. 3)Còmhradh eadar bàrd agus dùthaich (guth nadùthcha ga riochdachadh) 4) Còmhradh eadarbuill na tire (gun ghuth mhic-an-duine ann)

(It is my opinion that this convention created developments as well as areas ofdivision throughout (Gaelic) literature inthe following ways: 1)Place-names appear-ing in literature 2) A bard speaking withnature as if it were a person. 3) Conver-sation between a bard and nature (the voiceof nature being present) 4) Conversationbetween elements of the land (without ahuman voice present))

Some of these themes can be easily iden-tified within the Nova Scotia Gaelic com-munity when one examines the song-mak-ing tradition. There are a number of songswritten by Nova Scotia Gaels whichinvolve conversations between the bardand various elements of nature, both plantsand animals, as well as those personifyingthe land. A good example of a song writtenstrictly from nature’s perspective is that ofÒran do Bheinn Chlann Dòmhnuill, writtenby Angus MacDonald of French Road,Cape Breton County. A number of thesethemes can also be seen to a lesser degreewithin the ancient Fenian tales and certain

The Nova Scotia Gael continued from page 15 accounts of the supernatural. It is by looking at themes in this way that itbecomes apparent how Gaelic song-mak-ers were seen to be mediums within theircommunity; bridging the gap between thedomesticated land of am baile and the unknown wilderness of am fàsachthrough their interpretations and under-standing of nature and its complexitieswhile still remaining loyal to the nuances ofthe language.

When discussing the concept of envi-ronment and landscape in relation to a specific community, there are many facetswhich need to be explored and considered.As is apparent with the Gaels of NovaScotia, language plays a large role in theinterpretation of and interaction with suchan environment. Their cultural heritageand strong oral literary tradition coupledwith a certain degree of immigrant conser-vatism, shows that - although highlyimportant and no doubt the stemmingpoint for many of the other cultural mani-festations – the physicality of the landscapeis only one piece in a multi-layered rela-tionship the Nova Scotia Gaelic communi-ty has developed with the world aroundit.!

Daniel MacDonald, while a student at CBU, heldthe Curatorial Assistant - Research postionthrough Young Canada Works. Illustration byJamie MacIntyre.

Summer Students: Laura MacNeil, Matthew Moore & Caitlin Bennett

Best wishes to Marlene MacDougall who worked this past summer in the Gift Shop.


Our PeopleACKNOWLEDGEMENTS & ACCOLADES

Tapadh Leibh-se Gu MórThe Nova Scotia Highland Village Societygratefully acknowledges the support ofmany individuals and organisations:

Project PartnersCabot Trail Motel, Castle Moffett, CelticColours, Celtic Heart of North AmericaCooperative, Destination Cape Breton,Eskasoni First Nation, Glenora Distillery,Highland Heights Inn, Musique Royale,Nova Scotia Office of Gaelic Affairs, SageVoices Society, St. FX University (Angus L.Macdonald Library), Sgoil Mhic Fhraing a’Chaolais/Rankin School of the Narrows,Silver Dart Lodge and Victoria County.

Farm Program Partners (2012)Dell Corbett, Grand Mira (“Mira Jean”Clydesdale horse); Doug & SusanMacDonald, Ottawa Brook (Highland cat-tle); and Trueman and Laurinda Matheson,St. Andrews (Soay sheep).

Donations*Andrew McGillivary, Moncton, NB.

Stòras na h-Òigridh/ Treasures of YouthDonations*Atlantic Broadcasters/CJFX Radio,Antigonish; Baddeck Building Supplies,Joseph Chobor, Clifton, NJ; John Farrell,Cobourg, ON; Jill’s Chocolates/Jill Franklin,Halifax; Helen MacDonald, Scott & KeenanMacKenzie, Victoria Mines; GeraldineMacLean, Baddeck; Natalie MacMaster,Troy; and George Seto, Halifax.

Artefacts & Archival Donations*Ian MacKeigan, Bernie Thornycroft, AnitaMacKinnon, James Douglas MacDonald,Seward MacLean.

Best Wishes-We extend best wishes to: Catherine Gillis,Highland Village animator; HectorMacNeil, Highland Village board member;

and Florence MacNeil, wife of HighlandVillage board member Walter MacNeil. Wewish them all speedy recoveries.

SymphathiesThe Cape Breton Island cultural communityexperienced significant loss over the pastseveral months with the passing of severalgreat musicians and tradition bearers: Peter Jack MacLean, Christmas Island; JoePeter MacLean, Boisdale; Raylene Rankin,Halifax; John Ferguson, Halifax; and Sadie MacIntyre, Boisdale. Also, AllisonBuchanan (brother to Janet MacNeil, ouradministrative assistant) Charlie MacNeil(uncle to staff member Patty Gaudley) andKathleen Campbell (sister-in-law to amina-tor Pauline Campbell). Our hearts go out toall their families for their loss.

*Donations received August 2012 to March 2013.

Join us and support the preservation and sharing of Nova Scotia’s Gaelic language and folk life traditions by becoming a member of the Nova ScotiaHighland Village Society. We are an incorporated non-profit Society and registered charity. We are made up of a membership which elects a Boardof Trustees (from their ranks) to govern the Society on their behalf.Members can attend meetings; elect the Board; sit on committees; receiveand approve annual reports including audited financial statements; receiveAn Rubha, our Gaelic Folklife Magazine; receive notices for events; and feela sense of pride in contributing to Nova Scotia’s Gaelic Culture.Membership is open to anyone.

General Memberships:

Individual: $15.00* per year. Family: $25.00* per year (one household).* Income tax receipts are issued for general memberships.

Membership Plus:Individual: $25.00* per year. Family: $40.00* per year (one household).*Membership Plus fees are not tax deductible and include 15% HST.

In addition to general membership privileges, Membership Plusmembers get:• Free admission to the Museum (excludes special events & programs)• 10% discount in the Highland Village Gift Shop

Help us preserve & share Nova Scotia’s Gaelic language and heritage by joining the

Nova Scotia Highland Village Society!

-_ Anim/Name: ______________________________________________________________________________________________________

Seòladh/Address: __________________________________________________________________________________________________

Cathair/Baile/City/Town: __________________________________________________________________________________________

Cód a’ Phuist/Postal/Zip Code: ________________________________ Dùthaich/Country: ___________________________________

Fón na Dachaidh/Home Phone: ________________________________ Fón Aite na h-Obrach/Work Phone: ____________________

Post-d/Email: _____________________________________________________________________________________________________

Regular Membership: General Family Membership Plus: Individual Family

Return to: Highland Village, 4119 Hwy. 223, Iona, NS B2C 1A3 | Fax: 902-725-2227|E: [email protected], Cànan, Nòs is Dualchas - History Language, Tradition and Heritage

Mem

bers

hip

- Bal

lrach

dA

n C

omun

n C

lach

an G

àidh

eala

ch

na h

-Alb

ann

Nua

idh

41257540

AN RUBHAThe Highland Village Gaelic Folklife Magazine

4119 Highway 223, Iona, Nova Scotia B2C 1A3, CanadaRathad 223, Sanndraigh,Alba Nuadh, B2C 1A3, Canada

The Nova Scotia Highland Village Society is pleased to present Stóras na h-Òigridh (Treasures of Youth)- a fund to ensure that cultural skills based on Gaelic traditions continue to flourish with our youth inNova Scotia. The purpose of this fund is to provide financial support and assistance to up-and-comingNova Scotia youth between the ages of five and twenty-one, who are keen to advance their skills in theGaelic tradition including: fiddle, pipes, piano, language, storytelling, song, and step dance.

We invite you to help us with this endeavour by participating in our “Complete the Tune” Campaign.We ask that you purchase one or more musical notes from “Michael Anthony MacLean’s Birthday” - amarch composed by Lucy MacNeil.

The Treasures of Youth fund concept was inspired by the enthusiasm of the late Michael AnthonyMacLean from Washabuck, Nova Scotia, a well-known fiddler who always had a keen interest in assist-ing youth to further their skills in playing traditional Cape Breton music, especially the fiddle. The fundhas been ignited by the sales of Michael Anthony MacLean’s “Good Boy M.A.!” CD.

A downloadable brochure with details and a pledge form is available on our website, www.treasureso-fyouth.ca. Donations may also be made online through CanadaHelps.org

www.treasuresofyouth.ca

Complete the Tune Campaign Ensuring that cultural skills based on Gaelic arts and

traditions continue to flourish with our youth in Nova Scotia.

Sixteeth Note $50

Dotted Eighth Note $100

Quartar Note $200

Eighth Note $500

Half Note $1000

Treble Clef $5000or

Surprise Us!

VV ool .. 1133 NNo. 22 - Highland Village Museum · AnRubha Vol. 13, No. 2 3 An Rubha All contents...

Documents

Transcript of VV ool .. 1133 NNo. 22 - Highland Village Museum · AnRubha Vol. 13, No. 2 3 An Rubha All contents...