Iain Dubh Bhaile a' Chròic

GF038i02 IAIN DUBH BHAILE CHRÒIC

Beulaiche: Dòmhnall Aonghais mac Fhionnlaigh 'ic Iain 'ic Iain 'ic Fhionnlaigh Mhóir | Dan Angus Beaton
Tar-Sgrìobhadh: Oighrig NicFhraing | Effie Rankin

Air fear a thàinig ás—air fear a bh' anns an t-Seann Dùthaich ris an abradh iad Iain Dubh Bhaile Chròic – Caiptean Dubh Bhaile Chròic. Sheansa na lathaichean gur e Caiptean cuimseach droll a bh' ann ann an dòigh. Agus bhiodh e call is a' cosnadh baiteal ach bha fìor mheas aig' air na baiteil uile a bhiodh e…bhiodh e fight…a chosnadh. Ach an rud a 's coireach fhios a bhith agams' air an naidheachd—thàinig i ás an t-Seann Dùthaich a-measg na cuid daoine, a chionn mo shìn-seanamhair—Catriona Dòmhnallach, nighean Aonghais Thulaich, nighean Aonghais, Caiptean Aonghas Tulach a bha pòsda aig mo shìn-seanair. Ride ise air muin éich còmh' ris uair dha 'n t-saoghal a chionn chaidh e choimhead air Caiptean Dubh…[Cha chreid mi…chaidh gnothaichean beagan ceàrr…]
Ach bha ise pòsda, nighean an Tulaich, bha i pòsda aig mo shìn-sheanair agus dar a bha i na h-inghinn òg a' dol dha 'n sgoil, thàinig Caiptean Dubh Bhaile Chròic dh' ionnsaigh an taigh-sgoile coimhead airson sgial air fhaighinn air ach càit' an robh Caiptean Dòmhnallach—Caiptean Tulach, airson fiosrachd fhaighinn uaithe ach ciamar a rachadh e mu dheidhinn cosnadh an ath bhaiteal bha dol a bhith aige ann an ùine gun a bhith ach glé ghoirid. Agus thuirt a' bhan-sgoilear ris gun robh nighean a' Chaiptein, Aonghais Tulach aic' anns an sgoil—bha i mu sheachd bliadhna dh' aois an uair sin—agus thuirt i ris gun leigeadh i dhachaidh tràth i ás an sgoil 's gu faodadh i rideadh còmh' ris air muin an éich chionn bha mu cheithir mìle aice ri dhol bho 'n taigh-sgoil dh' ionnsaidh far an robh iad a' fuireach agus shealladh i dha far an robh h-athair a' fuireach.
Sin mar a bh' ann, agus sin mar a thàinig an naidheachd a-nall as an t-Seann Dùthaich a-measg nan daoin' againne air Caiptean Dubh Bhaile Chròic a bha seo.
Caiptean Dubh seo, tha sheansa gun do reic e e fhéin ris an donas airson nach cailleadh e baiteal an còrr dhe shaoghal, cho fad 's a bhiodh e ann. An déidh dha sin a dheanamh, bha na baiteil uile dol leis glé mhath ach cò dhiù, dar a bha 'n Deamhan còmh' ris—bhiodh an Deamhan a' coinneachadh air mu uair 'san t-seachdain agus…a-muigh ann an iomadh àite—anns a' choille 's anns gach àite. Ach thug an Deamhan dha cù dubh is thuirt an donas ris; " Duine sam bith a bhios 'nad aghaidh ann(s) an dòigh sam bith, innsidh an cù dubh seo dhut e, a chionn thig e suas 's cuiridh e shròn air duine sam bith a bhios ag obair 'nad aghaidh—saighdear sam bith a bhios agad nach eil dìleas dhut, innsidh an cù seo dhut e." Agus sin a rinn e. Dh' fhàg e 'n cù dubh bha seo aige; dar a bhiodh e 'mach air fheadh na h-oidhche 's dar a thigeadh e staigh a-measg nan saighdeirean, saighdeirean sam bith air an rachadh an cù suas 'is a chuireadh e shròn air—bha saighdear sin 'sa mhionaid air a chur gu bàs. Sin na bh' air.
Ach bha arm mór aige a dh' aindeoin, agus dar a bhiodh e dol ann am baiteal, bha (e) dol a-mach a dh' fhaighinn fiosrachd bho 'n deamhain dìreach dé dheanadh e. Agus bha e leanachd na instructions dìreach mar a bha 'n donas 'gan toirt dha. Ach bha—reic e e fhèin, an ceann fichead bliadhna gum biodh e aig an deamhain dar a thigeadh an Deamhan 'ga iarraidh, gum faodadh e thoirt leis. Agus sin mar a bh' ann.
Uill, bha 'n gnothach a' dol leis uamhasach math fad h-ochd deug no naoi bliadhn' deug . Mu dheireadh thall, startaig e air studaigeadh gun robh 'n ùin' aige fàs glé ghoirid gus am biodh an donas a' tighinn 'ga shireadh. Agus fhuair e 'n t-arm còmhla is bhuild e cairteal (caisteal) mór thall ann an Albainn far an robh e. Rinn e 'm balla mu chòig troighean a thighead de chlach mhór air a mortaradh ri chéile—bha e mór gu leòr gu còig ceud de na saighdeirean a b' fhearr a bh' aige a chumail agus bha na dorsan air an deanadh trom, trom an dòigh 's nach gabhadh iad bristeadh. 'Is an oidhche bha 'n donas ri tighinn 'ga shireadh, fhuair e cruinn na saighdeirean aig' uile gu léir airson gabhail air an donas agus bha e fhéin—dh' fhuirich e gu h-àrd air lobhtaidh a' chairteil mhóir a bha seo. Ach cò dhiù, dar a thàinig an oidhche, bha na saighdeirean uile deiseil 's bha beagan de dh' òl 's de ghnothaichean a' dol air n-adhart. Agus—rud a 's coireach gu bheil an naidheachd againn cho math—fear dhe na saighdeirean a bha dìleas dha—se Dòmhnallach a bh' ann agus bha e tinn an oidhche seo 's cha d' fhuair e tighinn dh' ionnsaidh a' chairteil idir agus is ann bhuaithe-san a thàinig an naidheachd cho fior 's a tha i air a h-innse dhuinne. Bu chòir gum biodh fhios aige chionn 's e fear dhe na saighdeirean a bh' aige; agus tha na daoin' aige fuireach glé ghoirid dhuinn as an seo—far a bheil sinne ann an seo.
Ach cò dhiù, dar a thàinig an uair, aig aon uair deug a dh' oidhche, thàinig rappadh aig an dorust 's bha dithis dhe na saighdeirean aige 'muigh –Camshronach agus Peutanach, a-mach aig an dorust. Agus, dar a chunnaic iad an donas a' tighinn dh' ionnsaidh an doruist, ghabh iad an t-eagal agus theich iad. Ach, thig mi dh' ionnsaidh na naidheachd sin a rithist.
Agus an uair sin, dar a dh' fhaighneachd na geardairean aig an doras cò bha gnogadh aig an doras, " Mis'," thuirt esan, " an donas á ifhrinn a' tighinn a a dh' iarraidh Caiptean Dubh Bhaile Chròic." "Uill," thuirt iad ris, "chan eil thu tighinn a-staigh an seo—chan eil Deamhan no duine dol a thighinn a-staigh an seo a-nochd, dol a dh' fhaighinn Caiptean Dubh." Thuirt e riutha an dorust fhosgladh no gu fosgladh esan glé ealamh e. Agus thuirt iad ris ma bha e cho foghainneach 's gu rachadh aige air an dorust fhosgladh—e 'ga fhosgladh. Uill, chan eil fhios agamsa dé thachair, na aig duin' eile as déidh sin, ach an là 'r-na-mhàireach, theich an Camshronach agus am Peutanach agus an là'r-na-mhàireach, cha robh 'sa chairteal ach poile gainmheach is na bha na bhroinn uile marbh fo 'n ghainmhich a bha seo. Agus am Peutanach agus an Camshronach a theich, bha ri can' riutha an aire thoirt nach coimheadadh iad air n-ais ach bha 'n Camshronach a bha seo-bha e falbh còmh' ri nighean agus bha 'd engaged 'son a bhith pòsda. 'Is an oidhche thàinig an Deamhan is a rinn e poile gainmheach dhe 'n chairteal, thàinig stoirm shneachd uamhasach agus chaidh 'adsan le chéile, mharbh an Deamhan 'adsan cuideachd, am Peutanach agus an Camshronach. Ach thàinig spiorad a Chamshronaich dh' ionnsaidh na h-inghinn a bha e falbh còmh' rithe 's choinnich e oirre. Agus thuirt…dh' inns e dhith an naidheachd mar a thachair. Is thuirt e rithe, chan eil fhiosam dé bheir thu ris a'shawl a tha mu chuairt air a h-amhaich-a thoirt dhith agus a thomhas trì fichead 's a deich tripean bho chornair an taighe dh' ionnsaidh—a' dol an ear 's gu faigheadh iad an corp aige-san ann an sin. 'S e sin a rinn iad agus, an uair sin, deich thar fhichead a dh' fhaid na shawl a bh' air a h-amhaich bho far an robh esan gu faigheadh iad am Peutanach. Thomhais iad a-mach iad agus fhuair iad an dà chorp fo 'n t-sneachda mar a chaidh iomair air—a dh'inns e dhaibh.
[Ach fhiosam dìreach-tha drift agam] Ach cò dhiù, dar a thàinig gobhar—thàinig an Deamhan ann an riochd gobhar—dar a dh' fhaighneachd iad dheth cò bh' ann aig an doras—thuirt e riutha gur e esan gobhar ifhreann. Dar a thug iad sùil air, bha 'n dà shùil aige 'nan cnapan teine 'na cheann agus thuirt—shiud agad an riochd anns an tàinig e…'is theich, mar a dh' innis mi 'n toiseach—an Camshronach is am Peutanach a chaidh an corp aca fhaighinn fo 'n t-sneachda. Agus chan eil fhiosam a bheil móran fhios agam air a' chorr.

Translation:

BLACK JOHN OF BAILE CHRÒIC

[Dan Angus Beaton:]…about a man from…a man in the old country who was known as Black John of Baile Chròic--the Black Captain of Baile Chròic. It seems that that he was somewhat odd as a Captain in his day. And he would win and lose battles, but he dearly loved to win all the battles he fought. But the reason why I know about the story is that it came from the old Country with our people, because my great-grandmother—Catherine MacDonald, daughter of Angus Tulloch, Angus'daughter, Captain Angus Tulloch, was married to my great grandfather. She rode on horse-back with him once because he went to visit the Black Captain [I believe that things have gone somewhat astray]. But she was married, Tulloch's daughter, she was married to my great-grandfather and when she was a young girl going to school, the Black Captain of Baile Chròic came to the schoolhouse looking to find Captain MacDonald, Captain Tulloch, in order to get information from him as to how he should proceed in order to win the next battle which he was to engage in very shortly. And the teacher told him that she had Captain Angus Tulloch's daughter in the school and that she would let her go home early from school and that she could ride with him because she had about four miles to go from the school to where they lived—and she could show him where her father lived. That's what happened, and that's how the story of this Black Captain of Baile Chròic came from the Old Country with our people.
This Black Captain, it seems he sold himself to the devil so as not to lose any further battles as long as he lived, for the rest of his life. After that, he won all the battles decisively and anyhow, when the devil was with him, the devil used to meet with him, once a week and…out in many places—in the woods and everywhere. And the devil gave him a black dog and said to him; "Any man who is against you in any way, this dog will point him out to you, for he will come up and put his nose on any man who works against you—any of your soldiers who is not loyal to you, this dog will tell you." And he did that. He left this black dog with him; when he used to be out at night and then come in among the soldiers, any soldiers that the dog approached and put his nose on-that soldier was immediately put to death. That was all that was to it.
However, he had a great army and when he went into battle, he would go out and get exact instructions from the devil as to what he should do. And he followed the devil's instructions to the letter. But—he sold himself; after twenty years he would belong to the devil once he came for him, he could take him. And that is what happened.
Well, things were going very well for him for eighteen or nineteen years. At last, he began to consider that the time was getting very close for the devil to come for him. And he got his army together and built a huge castle in Scotland where he lived. He constructed the walls of large stones, mortared together, about five feet thick—it was big enough to hold five hundred of his best soldiers, and the doors were made extremely heavy so that they could not be broken. And on the night that the devil was to come for him, he gathered all his soldiers to overpower the devil, and he himself—he stayed on the upper floor of this great castle. Anyhow, at nightfall, all the soldiers were ready and there was a little drinking and such going on. And—the reason we have the story so well—one of his loyal soldiers was a MacDonald who was ill this night and did not get to the castle at all and it was from him that the story came as accurately as it is told to us. He should know, for he was one of his soldiers. And his people live very close to us here—where we are here. Anyhow, when the time came at eleven o'clock at night, a knocking came at the door and two of his soldiers were outside-a Cameron and a Beaton-out at the door. And when they saw the devil coming, they took fright and fled. But, I will return to that account later.
Then, when the guards at the door asked who was knocking at the door, "I am," said he, "the devil from hell coming for the Black Captain of Baile Chròic." "Well," said they, "you are not coming in here tonight, to get the Black Captain." He ordered them to open the door or that he himself would do so very quickly and they told him if he was powerful enough to open the door—then let him do so. Well, I do not know what happened, nor does any other man after that; but, the next day, Cameron and Beaton having run away, the next day, the castle was but a mere pile of sand and all within dead, under this sand.
And Cameron and Beaton who fled were warned to be careful not to look back, but this Cameron—he was going with a girl and they were engaged to be married. And the night the devil came and reduced the castle to a pile of sand, a dreadful snow storm came and they were both—the devil killed them also,Beaton and Cameron. But Cameron's spirit came to the girl with whom he was going and met with her. And he said—he told her what had happened. And he said to her, (I don't know what you call the shawl around her neck)—to take that off and measure it, seventy lengths, from the corner of the house to…eastwards, and that they would find his body there. This they did, and then, then, thirty lengths of her neck shawl from where he was, they would find Beaton. They measured that out and found both bodies under the snow as was told—as he told them. [But, I know exactly, I have the drift…]
Anyhow, when the goat came-the devil came in the shape of a goat—when they asked who it was at the door—he said he was the goat of hell. When they looked at him, both his eyes were as lumps of fire in his head and…said…that was the shape he came in—and, as I related previously, Beaton and Cameron fled, but their bodies were found under the snow. And I don't know if I know much more.