Òraid Shomhairle 2024 | Sorley MacLean Annual Lecture 2024 | Sabhal Mòr Ostaig
Na Maoir agus na Bàillidhean ann an Litreachas agus Beul-aithris na Gàidhlig
An t-Ollamh Dòmhnall Meek
Am measg nan sgeulachdan ’s nan òran a tha againn ann am beul-aithris agus litreachas na Gàidhlig, tha cuid a tha a’ buntainn gu dlùth ris na maoir agus na bàillidhean a bha a’ cumail smachd air na h-oighreachdan Gàidhealach. Tha ceangal aca gu sònraichte ris an aimhreit a bha eadar na h-oifigearan sin agus na croitearan is na coitearan anns an naoidheamh linn deug.
Mar as trice, chan e ‘eachdraidh’ a tha anns na sgeulachdan no na h-òrain sin idir, no co-dhiù ‘eachdraidh’ anns an t-seagh gum faod sinn earbsa a chur às a h-uile rud a tha iad ag innse dhuinn mu thachartasan an àma. Chan e cuimhneachadh ‘fìor’ den t-seòrsa sin a tha fa-near dhaibh no do na daoine a chruthaich iad. Ach, air an làimh eile, tha deagh thomhas de ‘dh’fhìrinn’ fharsaing annta, ma ghabhas sinn iad mar fhianais air mar a bha daoine a’ faireachdainn aig an àm san deachaidh an cruthachadh, agus air a’ mhiann a bha aca a bhith a’ toirt buaidh air na ‘nàimhdean’ a bha gan sàrachadh.
Anns an òraid seo, tha An t-Ollamh Dòmhnall Meek a’ toirt dhuinn dealbh farsaing air deifir sheòrsachan sgeulachdan is òran, à deifir àiteannan eadar Cataibh is Muile, agus a’ mìneachadh adhbhar is ‘saiceòlas’ gach gnè.
_____
Factors and Bailiffs in Gaelic Literature and Folklore
Professor Donald Meek
Among the stories and songs in Gaelic folklore and literature, some relate closely to the factors and the bailiffs that controlled Highland estates. They are particularly connected to the contention between these officers and the crofters and cotters in the nineteenth century.
It’s not usually ‘history’ that is found in these stories and songs, at least ‘history’ in the sense that we can we can rely on everything that they tell us about events of the time. They, or the people who created them, were not concerned with that kind of factual commemoration. But on the other hand, they contain a good measure of broader ‘truth’, if we take them as evidence of the way that people were feeling at the time they were composed, and of their desire to conquer the ‘enemies’ who were harassing them.
In this lecture, Professor Donald Meek explores different varieties of story and song, composed in a range of locations from Sutherland to Mull, and evaluate the content and ‘psychology’ of each genre.