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Buaidh do thurais

Leigheasan aig Baile

'S ann leis na mìltean dhe na Gàidheil a tha còmhnaidh ann an coimhearsnachdan Gàidhlig air feadh Alba Nuaidh a bhios an dùthchas beò air a chumail suas agus air a thoirt seachad bho ghlùin gu glùn.

Ged a tha an dùthchas seo ri chluinnteil 's ri fhaicinn ann an ceàrnaidhean Gàidhealach na h-Albann Nuaidh chun a’ là an diugh, tha e suidhichte gu domhainn ann an eachdraidh na Roinn Eòrpa. Tràth 's an naoidheamh linn deug, thànaig a' sluagh anall à taobh siar na h-Albann (neo an t-Seann Dùthaich, mar a their iad) gus beatha ùr a dheanadh dhaibh p-fhéin. Bochd 's gu robh iad ris an t-saoghal, thug iad leo’ dìleab gun choimeas ann am beul-aithris, cho math ri sgilean is buadhannan eile.

Bha 's tha a' stòras beòil seo cho farsaing ri beatha laitheil gach duine, a’ gabhail astaigh òran do gach seòrsa; sgeulachdan fada, naidheachdan goirid is eachdraidhean ionadail; sheanfhaclan is ghnàthasan cainnte; ghiseagan is mhanaidhean 's buidseachd; ceòl na pìobadh 's na fìdhleadh; danns, agus móran eile.

(Bho thùs agus fhathast, 's e bhith beò 's an dùthchas as moth' a bheir tlachd is toileachas do Ghàidheil an taobh seo, 's tha buaidh na beul-aithris air an taobh shòisealta dheth aig teis meadhan am beatha, gu h-àraid anns na coimhearsnachdan. Anns gach sgìre, le bhith tighinn cruinn gu tric anns na taighean céilidh, bidh na ceangailichean daingeann 'gan cumail suas, agus beatha fhosgailte a’ sìor ùrachadh 's am bi gach neach a' gabhail pàirt, eadar sean is òg.

'S e saoghal neo-fhoirmeil a th' ann, a bhith a’ gabhail, a’ togail 's ag innse òran, sgeulachd is ceòl, 's tha an t-òran 's a' cuideachd mun cuairt riamh air a bhith 'nan dhuais fhéin. Tha na sgilean seo air an cumail suas ann am ficheadan do choimhearsnachdan ionadail, taing do bhàigh is càirdeas fosgarra nan taighean céilidh a bha cho bitheanta anuas chun a' là an diugh. Mar a thuirt an sgeulaiche fhéin mu àm òige, ‘Bha iad aonaichte nam feòil 's nan spiorad’.

Gun teagamh tha an aonachd sin ri fhaighinn taobh astaigh an dualchais fhéin. Chan eil saoghal na beul-aithris Ghàidhlig ri sgaradh 'na chaoban mar a dheante ann an oilthighean an t-saoghail mhóir; tha gach pàirt dhe dlùth-fhuaighte ris a’ chòrr. 'S an taigh chéilidh 's minic a chualas naidheachd an cois òrain a dheanadh soilleir dha 'n luchd éisdeachd cuid dhe na ceathramhan, 's gheobhte òrain a fhreagradh do cheòl mór air a’ phìob.

Bha feadhainn ann a fhuair cliù air thàilleabh an cuid sgilean - Raghnall Mór MacIllFhaolain agus Màiri Alasdair Raghnaill a thaobh fhìdhleireachd; Calum Thormaid Chaluim 's Lachlann Dhòmhnaill Nìll a thaobh òran; Eòs Nìll Bhig a thaobh sgeulachd – ach thathas ag amharc orra an còmhnaidh mar phàirt dhe 'n t-sluagh.

Tha cuid mhór dhe na h-àiteachan air an nòs àraid a chumail nan dualchas beò, dìreach mar a ghléidh iad an dualchainntean 's a' Ghàidhlig. Aig a’ cheart àm, thro na ginealaichean agus fairis air dà cheud bliadhna gheobhar blas ùr, sònraichte, nàdarra air na h-ealain seo, còmhla ri òrain is puirt ùra a rinneadh 's an dùthaich seo 's a bheil beòthalachd is loinn.)

Neach-aithris: Seumas Watson

Throughout Nova Scotia the living folklore of the Gaelic communities has been maintained by the thousands of Gaels living there, and passed on over generations.

This heritage, which may be seen and heard in the Gaelic areas of the province to this day, is deeply rooted in the cultural history of Western Europe. Early in the 19th century Gaels immigrated from the West Coast of Scotland (or the Old Country, as many here call it) in order to establish a new life for themselves. Poor as they were in worldly goods, they did bring with them a folklore legacy without parallel, along with many other skills and assets.

This verbal and musical heritage has been as wide as the daily life of the communities, and includes songs of all kinds; long tales, short anecdotes and legends; proverbs and expressions; supernatural belief, forerunners and witch lore; pipe and fiddle music; dance, and much more.

From the very beginning, living within their tradition has been what provides the most pleasure for Gaels in the region, and the effects of the folk tradition reach to the very center of their lives, particularly within the rural communities. In every region, as people gather in the ceilidh houses, important social bonds are maintained and an open and accessible community life is constantly renewed in which everyone, young and old, participates.

The singing, reciting, and learning of songs, tales and music is an informal process, and song together with the social occasion have always been considered to be sufficient reward in themselves. These skills are retained in scores of the rural settlements, thanks to the generous goodwill of the céilidh houses that has been so widespread down to our time. As one storyteller said concerning his youth, ‘They were united in spirit and united in the flesh’.

Certainly, that sense of unity can be found within the oral tradition itself. Gaelic folklore cannot be divided into units as would be the practice in mainstream universities; every part of it is intimately related to every other part. In the céilidh houses, you would often hear a story accompanying a song, making clear to the audience the story behind the verses, and there is a repertoire of songs corresponding to the big tunes on the bagpipe.

Some individuals acquired a vast reputation for their performance skills – Big Ranald MacLellan and Mary MacDonald for their fiddle playing; Malcolm Angus MacLeod, and Lauchie MacLellan for singing; Joe Neil MacNeil as a storyteller – but their talents have always been regarded as belonging to the people.

Many of the communities have conserved their unique performance styles, just as they have maintained their separate dialects of Gaelic. At the same time over the generations in the two centuries since the time of settlement, a new and distinctive quality has emerged in verbal and musical performances, together with lively songs and tunes composed in the province.

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Tinneas a' Rìgh in Siorramachdan Antaiginis is Phiogto: Leigheasan aig Baile

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