| Reference Number | 291 |
| Title | An Solaraiche: Gaelic essays. I. |
| Author | MacEanruig, Aonghas; Ros, An t-Urr. Niall; MacGilleSheathanaich, Niall; MacLeòid, Dòmhnall I. |
| Editor | N/A |
| Date Of Edition | 1918 |
| Date Of Language | early 20c |
| Date Of Language Ed | 1900-1949 |
| DateMacro | Early 20th c. |
| Date Of Language Notes | |
| Publisher | An Comunn Gàidhealach |
| Place Published | Glasgow |
| Volume | N/A |
| Location | National and academic libraries |
| Geographical Origins | Various |
| Geographical Origins Ed | Various |
| GeoMacro | Various |
| GeoX | |
| GeoY | |
| Geographical Origins Notes | |
| Register | Literature, Prose (Essays) |
| Register Ed | Prose |
| Genre | Information |
| Medium | Prose |
| Rating | B (TBC) Includes an important Gaelic essay of literary criticism concerning two major Gaelic poets: Duncan Bàn Macintyre and Alexander MacDonald. Other subjects include Joan of Arc, deer forests and Gaelic drama. A good example of high-register Gaelic prose from early twentieth century. |
| Alternative Author Name | Angus Henderson; the Rev. Neil Ross; Neill Shaw; Donald J. MacLeod |
| Manuscript Or Edition | Ed. |
| Size And Condition | 18.2cm x 12.3cm |
| Short Title | Solaraiche |
| Reference Details | NLS: Hall. 252.h |
| Number Of Pages | iv, 113 |
| Gaelic Text By | N/A |
| Illustrator | N/A |
| Social Context | An Solaraiche contains fours essays edited, or rather collated, by Angus Henderson, reprinted from other publications, selected presumably for their high quality, in which a brief overview of the life of Joan of Arc is offered; a piece comparing and contrasting the poetic output of two important Gaelic poets of the eighteenth century, namely Duncan Bàn Macintyre and Alexander MacDonald; an essay arguing for more production of Gaelic plays; and one which explores the habitats of deer and their environment, as well as hunting. Angus Henderson (Aonghas MacEanruig, 1866-1937) was a native of Ardnamurchan, Argyll and sometimes wrote under the pen-name A.M.E. He studied at the University of Glasgow and later became a Gaelic freelance journalist, concerned mainly with Gaelic culture and politics. He contributed many column inches to numerous periodicals, such as An Ròsarnach. He lived in Stirling for twenty years, and during those years became associated with Aeneas Mackay in the publication of The Highland Clearances (1914). His brother, the Rev. Duncan Henderson, held an assistantship to a Presbyterian charge prior to settling in America. Aonghas edited the short-lived Gaelic weekly newspaper Alba (1908-09). One of his last contributions was two essays about Dr MacLachlan of Rahoy in the Gaelic supplement of “Life and Work” (1937). Married but with no issue, Henderson died suddenly on 30 October 1937, at his home in St Vincent Crescent, Glasgow. The Rev. Neil Macleod Ross (Niall Ros, 1871-1943), M.A., B.D., C.B.E., D.D, D.Litt., was born on 24 September 1871, at Fasach, Glendale, Isle of Skye, to Kenneth Ross (Coinneach mac Nèill, 1842-1908), mason, from Glendale, and Margaret MacLeod (Mairead nighean Thormaid, 1846-1923) from Forse, his siblings being Alexander, Norman, Calum, Kate and Christina. Ross was a cousin of the poet Neil Macleod (1843-1913), of Clàrsach an Doire (1883) fame. After attending the local Glendale School, he then went to Aberdeen Grammar School and the High School of Glasgow, before entering the University of Edinburgh, where he took an M.A. (1904) and a B.D. (1908). He was licensed by the Presbytery of Edinburgh in 1908. He served as assistant at Holburn, Aberdeen, and at St. Andrew’s, Edinburgh. Ross was ordained at St James’s, Kirkcaldy, 13 March 1907 and served as a minister there (1907-11), and then Rosemount, Aberdeen (1911-13), Buccleuch, Edinburgh (1913-23) and finally Laggan, Badenoch (1923-43), during which time he served on Inverness County Council. He married Helen Annand Smithy (1885-1959), a native of Alyth, daughter of David Smith, with issue: Janet Morag (b. 1909), Kenneth David (who died in infancy), Neil, Norman Macleod and Roderick Sutherland. He became President of An Comunn Gaidhealach for four years, and edited An Gaidheal from 1923 to 1936. After a previous submission failed, he gained a D.Litt. from the University of Edinburgh for his thesis on ‘Heroic Poetry from the Book of the Dean of Lismore’, later published under the same title by the Scottish Gaelic Texts Society (1939). He was awarded the honorary degree of D.D. by the University of Glasgow in 1934, and made C.B.E. in 1933. Ross died in Deaconess Hospital, Edinburgh, on 17 December 1943, and was buried at Laggan Churchyard. Armageddon: A Fragment (1950) was published posthumously by his widow. Neil Shaw (Niall MacGilleSheathanaich, 1881-1961), although born in Duntroon, was raised in Jura and was a Gaelic orator, writer, bard and piper. Having been educated at Inverlussa, he followed a sea-faring career and travelled all around the world. At the outset of the First World War he volunteered his services, and enlisted in The Queen’s Own Cameron Highlanders and The Scottish Horse. He held the post of General Secretary and Organizer of An Comunn Gaidhealach from 1911 until 1953, and was President from 1954 until 1956. For his services to Gaelic he was awarded an O.B.E. in 1957, and he was also elected a Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland. Donald James MacLeod (Dòmhnall Seumas MacLeòid, 1879-1955), O.B.E., D.Litt, was born at Carishader, Uig, on the Isle of Lewis. After primary school in Uig, he attended the Nicolson Institute, Stornoway, of which he became dux in 1896. He then went on to study modern languages at the University of Aberdeen. For a short period he became headmaster at Staffin School, Isle of Skye, and joined the School Inspectorate in 1907. From 1938 to his retirement in 1945 he was HM Chief Inspector of Schools in the Highland Division. MacLeod was awarded a Rennes doctorate for his translation of Duncan Bàn Macintyre’s poems into French in 1929 and an O.B.E. for his services to Gaelic literature in 1933. Early in life he was a prize-winner in literary competitions at the National Mod. MacLeod prepared scripts for radio broadcasts and made a special study of phonetics on which he contributed a lecture to the The Gaelic Society of Inverness. He was an active member of that society, and was Honorary Secretary as well as Honorary Chieftain, and he contributed to their meetings on a regular basis. MacLeod edited a Gaelic and English edition of the New Testament for the National Bible Society of Scotland, and prepared a new edition of MacEachen’s Gaelic Dictionary. He also published, with a valuable introduction, an edition of Martin Martin’s Description of the Western Islands of Scotland (1934). He wrote a commendatory preface to Litrichean Alasdair Mhóir, by his life-long friend John N. Macleod. To the Celtic Congress and learned societies, MacLeod delivered erudite lectures on the history, language and literature of the Celts. He also published a small booklet of radio talks in English and Gaelic on folklore. MacLeod, aged seventy-six, passed away on 3 March 1955. |
| Contents | After the title page (p. i), there is a brief of description of where the essays were originally published (p. iii) and after the contents page (p. iv), the main bulk of the text appears, divided into four chapters as follows: ‘Jeanne D’Arc’ (pp. 1-40), which is further subdivided into 5 sections, giving a biographical overview of the life and death of the French heroine Joan of Arc; ‘Dan-Cluiche Cinneachail Gailig’ (p. 41-63) which argues that writing and producing Gaelic plays would be beneficial for Gaelic literature and identity; ‘Cuairt anns an Fhrith’(pp. 64-87) in which the habits of deer, their environment and hunting are explored is some detail; and ‘Bardachd Dhonnchaidh Bhain is Mhic Mhaighstir Alasdair air an Coimeas r’a Cheile’ (pp. 88-113) in which the two important Gaelic poets are compared and contrasted. |
| Sources | The essays were reprinted from the two periodicals An Ròsarnach and An Deo-Gréine: MacEanruig, Aonghas, ‘Jeanne D’Arc’, An Ròsarnach, vol. 1 (1917), pp. 34-67; MacGilleSheathanaich, Niall, ‘Cuairt anns an Fhrith’, An Ròsarnach, vol. 1 (1917), pp. 171-91; Ros, Maighstir Niall, ‘Dàn-Cluiche Cinneachail Gaidhlig, An Ròsarnach, vol. 1 (1917), pp. 76-94; MacLeòid, Dòmhnall I., ‘Bàrdachd Dhonnachaidh Bhàin is Mhic Mhaighstir Alasdair air an Coimeas ri’ Chéile’, An Deo-Gréine, leabh. V, earr. 8 (May, 1910), pp. 118-19; ‘Bàrdachd Dhonnachaidh Bhàin is Mhic Mhaighstir Alasdair air an Coimeas ri’ Chéile II’, An Deo-Gréine, leabh. V, earr. 9 (Darna Mìos an t-Samhraidh, 1910), pp. 135-36; ‘Bàrdachd Dhonnachaidh Bhàin is Mhic Mhaighstir Alasdair air an Coimeas ri’ Chéile III’, An Deo-Gréine, leabh. V, earr. 10 (Treas Mìos an t-Samhraidh, 1910), pp. 150-52; ‘Bàrdachd Dhonnachaidh Bhàin is Mhic Mhaighstir Alasdair air an Coimeas ri’ Chéile IV’, An Deo-Gréine, leabh. V, earr. 10 (Treas Mìos an t-Samhraidh, 1910), pp. 171-73. |
| Language | All the essays are written using a high-register Gaelic and represent some fine Gaelic prose writing which might be described nowadays as ‘purple passages’, such as Bha an drùchd a’ dearrsadh air gach sop is gagan mar shradagan drillseach daimein (p. 12). There occur a number of idiomatic phrases, such as uiseag no dhà a’ cur nam both dhiubh (p. 12), Bu dìomhan gach nì a b’urrainn Jeanne a ràdh (p. 14). Apostrophes are retained in the possessive determiner but are used somewhat lackadaisically, e.g., ’na chomain (p. iv), ’na caileig (p. 5), ’n a aonar (p. 42). Very infrequently epenthetic vowels are realised e.g.: anamoch (p. 18). Other spellings of note include de’n (p. iv), so (p. 1), air son (p. 1), chan ’eil (p. 1), i féin (p. 2), Chan uilear dhuinn (p. 2), An tràsd agus a rithisd (p. 3), tuillidh (p. 5). There appear a few loan-words, such as a shéisdeadh (p. 7), seanaileir (p. 16), ra-treud (p. 27), stàta (p. 41). Occasionally a French word makes an appearance, e.g., état majeur (p. 15). There appear rare words on occasion such as leann-tàth (p. 7), ùnaich (p. 9), màldaig (p. 9), sgallaiseach (p. 13), saidealtas (p. 17). |
| Orthography | The spelling conforms generally to the orthography of early twentieth century. Acute and grave accents are both retained. Accents do not appear on capital letters. |
| Edition | First edition. |
| Other Sources | |
| Further Reading | Anon., ‘Mr Angus Henderson: Death of Gaelic Journalist: Highland Lore Authority’, The Scotsman (3 November 1937), p. 15. Anon., ‘Tributes: Dr. D. J. Macleod’, An Gaidheal, leabh. L, àir 5 (An Ceitein, 1955), p. 42. MacLeod, Donald James, Donnchadh Bàn Mac an t-Saoir (Duncan Bàn MacIntyre 1724-1812): Poète Gaélique Écossais; Vie, Étude, Citations, Traductions (Inverness, c. 1930: Northern Counties Newspaper and Printing and Publishing Company Ltd.). MacLeod, Donald John, ‘Gaelic Prose’, Transactions of the Gaelic Society of Inverness, vol. 49, (1974-76), 198-230. Murchison, Thomas M., ‘Grand Old Man of Gaelic [Neil Shaw]’, The Perthshire Advertiser (21 June 1961), 9. Watson, Moray, An Introduction to Gaelic Fiction (Edinburgh, 2011: Edinburgh University Press). |
| Credits | |
| Link Label | Digital version created by National Library of Scotland |
| Link | http://digital.nls.uk/an-comunn-gaidhealach/pageturner.cfm?id=120754596 |
| Download File | 291.pdf |
| NumWords | 24520 |
