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Boireannach a chaidh a-steach do shìthean agus nach fhaighea...

Date 20 December 1959
Track ID 37055
Part 1

Track Information

Original Track ID

SA1960.21.A5

Original Tape ID

SA1960.021

Summary

A woman who went into a fairy knoll couldn't get out until she used up a chest of flour.

A woman left her small children at home while she went out to see to the cattle. Night fell and on her way home she came across a fairy knoll. She was invited in. The next day she was having difficulties leaving. To leave the knoll, she had to bake bread until all the flour in the chest had been used. Although she baked and baked, the flour still remained. One of the old fairies told her what to do. She escaped, but when she arrived home some of the children had become fathers, and maybe grandfathers, but she was still the same age.

Recording Location

County - Inverness-shire

Parish - South Uist

Island - South Uist

Item Location

County - Inverness-shire

Parish - South Uist

Island - South Uist

Language

Gaelic

Genre

Story

Collection

SoSS

Transcription

Calum Iain MacIllEathain (CM): ...seo a Dhòmhnaill a charaid.

Dòmhnall MacDhòmhnaill (DM): Uill, bha uaireigin ann a sheo, a Chaluim, 's tha mi cinnteach gun robh e co-cheangailte ri iomadach àite cuideachd, bha e air a chantail gun robh a leithid a rud agus sìthichean ann. Ach ma tha iad ann chun an latha an-diugh, chan fhiosrach dhòmhsa. Cha chreid mi gun cluinn mi duine a tha gam faicinn no gam faireachdainn. Ach co-dhiù, chuala mi gun robh a leithid seo a bhoireannach ann. Dh'fhalbh i agus dh'fhàg i clann bheag a-staigh, agus chaidh i a shealltainn às dèidh a' chruidh.

Uill, thàinig an duine seo oirre, agus thachair i a' tighinn rathad an t-sìthein e. 'S e sìthean far am biodh na sìthichean a' fuireach. Agus thàinig i an rathad aige agus fhuair i, seadh, fiathachadh a dhol a-staigh, an lùib an fheadhainn a bha a-staigh, agus seadh, bha an oidhche dorcha 's bha e doirbh dhi tilleadh air ais. Agus niste, an làrna-mhàireach cha robh e furasta dhi faighinn a-mach, a rèir mar a bha an naidheachd air a h-innse, ach thuirt iad rithe gum faigheadh i air falbh nuair a dh'fhuineadh i - dhèanadh i aran - a dh'fhuineadh i na bha de mhine anns a' chistidh mhòir a bh' ann an oisean an t-sìthein. Agus nuair a bhiodh sin deiseil aice, gum faigheadh i a-mach.

Uill, theann am boireannach bochd, tha e coltach, theann i air fuine, ach thuirteadh rithe nuair a theann i nach robh math dhi gearradh dhen fhallaid... an fhallaid a chur air ais dhan chistidh, ach gum feumadh i a chumail ann an àite dha fhèin.

Uill, bha am boireannach a' fuine 's a' fuine, a h-uile latha. 'S latha mar a bha a' dol seachad 's i a' sìor fhuine cha robh a' chiste a' dol dad na bu lugha. Bha a' chiste, an aon uiread mhine innte nuair a theannadh i a-rithist agus a bh' innte nuair a dh'fhàg i bhuaipe mu dheireadh i.

Ach an latha a bh' ann a sheo, cha robh a-staigh ach i fhèin agus fear dhe na seann sìthichean, tha mi cinnteach fear cho sean 's nach dèanadh feum a-muigh. Bha e a-staigh. Agus thuirt e rithe:

"Tha mi cinnteach," ars esan, "a bhean, gu bheil e a' cur mòran iongnadh ort," ars esan, "nach eil a' chiste a' dol an lughad?"

"Ò tha," ars ise.

"Uill, uair sam bith tuilleadh a bhios tu a' fuine, cuiridh tu," ars esan, "an fhallaid air ais dhan chistidh, am measg a' chòrr dhen mhin."

Seo mar a bha. Theann am boireannach air fuine, cumail a' dol, 's i a' tilleadh na fallaid air ais dhan chistidh an lùib na mine. Theann a' mhin a' dol sìos. Ach an latha a bh' ann a sheo, bha a' chiste gu bhith falamh. Theirig na bh' innte a mhin.

Thuirt i an uair sin ris an fheadhainn a bha a' gabhail, seadh, mar gum biodh ceannard air an t-sìthean:

"Tha," ars i siud, "ceann m' aimsir," ars ise, "thairis. Theirig a' mhin," ars ise.

"An do theirig?" ars am fear seo.

"Theirig."

"Ò gu dearbh," ars esan, "chan ann gun fhios a bhith oirre. Sheall e ma-thà, thachair sin," ars esan. "Ach ma thàinig ceann do thìm-sa," ars esan, "thàinig crìoch do bheatha-sa," ris 's e a' tionndadh ris a' bhodach. "Fhuair am boireannach a-mach bhuat."

Ach a rèir choltais, chuala mi gum faodadh gun do chuireadh crìoch air an fhear a thug comhairle dhi. Agus nuair a thill i dhachaigh, a rèir choltais, bha a' chlann bheag a dh'fhàg i a-staigh an oidhche a dh'fhalbh i às dèidh a' chruidh, bha a' chlann bheag a dh'fhàg i a-staigh nan athraichean, agus 's dòcha feadhainn aca nan seanairean, 's cha robh i fhèin dad na bu shine na bha i an oidhche a dh'fhàg i an taigh.

Bheil sibh a-nist a' creidsinn sin? Siud mar a chuala mise a-nist e, a Chaluim.

CM: Tha sin iongantach gu leòr a Dhòmhnaill. Tha i sin math a-niste.

Source Type

Reel to reel

Audio Quality

Good