GF208i01_209i01 DÒMHNALL GORM (LE RO-RÀDH) Beulaiche: Eòs Ailean mac Ruairidh Chaluim Ghobha | Joe Allan MacLean Bha fear ann ris an canadh iad Dòmhnall Gorm Mac mhic Ailein bho chionn àireamh mhór de bhliadhnaichean agus air choltas gun robh e 'muigh ann an Louisbourg. Agus ge b 'e gu dé na daoine bha còmh' ris—chaidil iad a-muigh agus fhuair iad marbh anns a' mhadainn triùir aca agus iad air droch dhìol a dheanamh orra cuideachd; agus 's e na daoine bh' aig Dòmhnall Gorm a bha seo, a bha còmh' ris, agus 's e na Frangaich a bha 'ad a' blàmadh 'son na daoine bha còmh' ri Dòmhnall Gorm a mharbhadh. Ach thuirt Dòmhnall Gorm, "By God," thuirt esan, "mu 'n téid a' ghrian na tòm taice," ars esan, "pàighidh iad air n-ais air a shon siud." Agus tha t-seansa gun do dh'aithnich na Frangaich gu dé bha dol a thachairt agus chuir iad chain cross anns a'—eadar dà chreig a bha 'muigh anns an t-seanal aig Louisbourg. Agus chunna' mi fhìn an té sin agus chì duine sam bith i—tha i fhathast ann, 'air a ghearr iad 'na dà leth i. Agus dh'fhalbh Dòmhnall Gorm a-null a Shasainn agus thàinig e agus long-chogaidh aige agus uidheam air cur air toiseach na luing-chogaidh a ghearradh an chain. 'S ghearr e i 's fhuair e 'staigh agus start e air slaughtradh na Frangach –tha mi tuigsinn gu robh poile math dhiubh ann an uair sin. Agus nuair a rinn e ullamh na bha 'muigh an sin dhiubh, start e suas rathad St.Peter's—cha robh ann an uair ud ach Frangaich ann uile gu léir. Ghearr iad rathad troimh 'n choillidh 's suas East Bay ann an sin agus bha Innseanach aige agus e na philot aige –pilot nuair a rachadh e—[ghearradh / chlearadh?] e rathad. Agus chuir Dòmhnall Gorm air dòigh fear dhe na saighdearan a' rud a chanadh e ris an Innseanach, gur ann—gun canadh e seo—gun canadh an t-Innseanach seo ri muinntir St.Peter's nuair a ruigeadh e; gu falbhadh e 's—biodh e latha no dhà air toiseach 's gun innseadh e dhaibh gun robh Dòmhnall Gorm 's an réiseamaid a' tighinn agus iad a bhith deiseil. Thuirt a'…thuirt an t-Innseanach …dh'innis e dha 'n Innseanach an rud a bha—a dheanadh e. "Tha mi dìreach," ars' an t-Innseanach, "deiseil—tha mi falbh," thuirt esan. "Innsidh mi dhaibh ann an St.Peter's gu bheil Dòmhnall Gorm a' tighinn," ars' esan. Agus cò dhiù, dh'fhalbh am fear a bha seo agus dh'innis e do Dhòmhnall Gorm gun robh an t-Innseanach deiseil nuair a thigeadh e St. Peter's airson innse gun robh Dòmhnall Gorm 's an rèiseamaid a' tighinn airson an slaughtradh's am marbhadh. Dh'fhalbh Dòmhnall Gorm 's chaith e 'n ceann far an Innseanaich ann an sin féin. Ràinig iad shuas ann an St.Peter's agus bha iad 'gam marbhadh ann an sin agus bha abhainn ann 's chuir iad cover tioram—anns na naidheachdan—chuir iad cover tioram de chuirp cross air an abhainn agus Dòmhnall Gorm air an ceann agus e 'g éigheach dhaibh, "Pushaibh iad, pushaibh iad," gus na lion iad an abhainn le na cuirp aca. Agus bha cailleach bheag ann an sin agus bha triùir de ghillean beag' aic' agus –banntrach a bh' innte—thàinig e staigh dha 'n taigh aice 's ghrias i ris aon fhear dhiubh fhàgail, cha robh e ach [?] agus mharbh e 'n dithist eile agus cha do bhean e na chaillich –cha do mharbh e is' idir. Agus ghabh a' chailleach cho tough an gnothach 's nuair a fhuair i air dòigh, start i air deanamh ceathramhan òrain dha; "A Dhòmhnaill Ghuirm, ma rinn thu m' eucoir Bha mi dhut mar thé do chach; [Séist:] A h-iùraibh o, chan eil mi slàn Thug òrainn o, chan iongnadh e A h-iuraibh o, chan eil mi slàn. (An) àm a thug thu bhuam an triùir 'S tha 'n athair anns an ùir a' tàmh. Nam fàgadh tu agam Eachann Cha bhithinn ag acain chàich." Thàinig e 'mach ás a sin, Dòmhnall Gorm, agus chaidh e gu taigh eile bh' ann agus thuirt e ris—fear dhe na saighdearan—a dhol a-staigh dhe 'n taigh ud fiach an robh duine 'staigh. Chaidh an saighdear a-staigh 's chan fhac' e sian ach pàisde beag a bh' ann an creathaill no ann am bocs an àiteagain agus a h-uile trip a dh'fhalbh e dol a chur na bàigeileid ann—theann am pàisde air gàireachdainn nuair a chitheadh e soills' na bàigeileid. Cha b'urrainn dha dhol a' chòir a' phàisde bh' ann cò dhiù 'is thill e mach. "Chan fhaca mise sian," ars esan," ach aona kid beag," ars' esan, " agus e ann an creathaill ann an siud, " ars' esan, "agus cha b' urrainn mi mharbhadh," ars esan, "leis," ars esan, " nuair a chitheadh e bhàigeileid a' dol goirid dha, thogadh e làmhan 's theannadh e air gàireachdainn." "Ghabhainn," ars esan, "glè bheag 'is a bhàigeileid a dhràibheadh unnad fhèin," ris an t-saighdear. Ghabh e fhéin a-staigh 's thug e mach an kid air barr na bàigeileid 's chaith e siud e. Ach cà' robh saighdear nuair nach do mharbh e fhéin [...nuair…?]. Dh'fhalbh iad an uair sin—stad a h-uile rud a bh' ann aig…an uair sin. Chunnaic iad culaidh-uamhais de rud a' tighinn 'ga iarraidh—air an adhar a thàinig e 's dh'fhalbh Dòmhnall Gorm 's chan eil fhios aca fhathast dé dh'éirich dha. Chuir e teine ris an eaglais a bh' ann an St. Peter's agus chuir e fios air an t-sagart e thighinn a-mach—bha sagart a' deanamh na aifhrinn anns an àm. Thuirt an sagart nach b' urrainn esan a dhol a-mach gus am biodh an aifhrionn ullamh; chuir e teine ris an eaglais agus leum triùir shaighdearan a-mach—triùir dhe na Frangaich a-mach agus dhrive na saighdeirean aig Dòmhnall Gorm na bàigeileidean unnta aig doras na h-eaglais. Agus nuair a chaidh an eaglais na teine—bha 'san naidheachd—gun robh sagart 'na sheasamh aig an altair ach nach robh e beò idir—cha robh ann ach fréim dheth—dh'fhan e mar a bha e aig an altair. Cha chuala mi'n corr. Translation: Donald Gorm There was a man called Donald Gorm, grandson of Allan (Clanranald) many years ago and it seems he was out in Louisbourg. And whatever people were with him—they slept in the open, and in the morning they found three of them dead and also badly battered; and they were Donald Gorm's people who were with him and they blamed the French for the deaths of Donald Gorm's men. And Donald Gorm said, "By God," before the sun sets in its resting place, they will pay for this." And it seems that the French realized what was about to happen and they put a chain across in the—between two rocks which were out in the channel at Louisbourg. And I myself saw that one and anyone can see it—it is still there since they cut it in half. And Donald Gorm went over to England and returned with a warship with equipment on the warship's bow to cut the chain. And he severed it and gained entry and began slaughtering the French—I understand there were many of them there at that time. And when he had dispatched all those out there, he headed out St.Peter's way—at that time, it was completely French. They cut a path through the woods up by East Bay there and he had an Indian as a pilot, a pilot when he went—to clear/ blaze a trail. And Donald Gorm arranged with a soldier what he should say to the Indian—that—he would say this—what the Indian should say to the people of St.Peter's on his arrival; that he would go—he would be a day or two ahead and that he would tell them that Donald Gorm and his regiment were coming and for them to be ready. He said—the Indian said—he told the Indian what was—what he should do. "I am now ready," said the Indian, "I am off to tell them in St.Peter's that Donald Gorm is on his way," said he. Anyhow, this fellow went and told Donald Gorm that the Indian was prepared, once he arrived in St.Peter's, to tell that Donald Gorm and his regiment were coming to slaughter and kill them. Donald Gorm went and chopped the Indian's head off right there. They arrived up in St.Peter's and they were killing them there and there was a river and they made a dry cover—according to the accounts—they put a dry cover of bodies across the river with Donald Gorm in the lead urging them, "Drive them, drive them!" until the river filled up with bodies. And there was a little old lady there who had three little boys—she was a widow—he came into her house and she entreated him to leave her one of them-he was only [?]—and he killed the other two but he did not touch the woman-he did not kill her at all. And the old lady took this so badly that she began to compose verses of a song for him: Oh, Donald Gorm, if you have wronged me I was like any other to you. [Chorus]: A h-iùraibh o, I am unwell Thug orainn o, 'tis little wonder A h-iuraibh o, I am unwell. When you took all three from me With their father mould'ring in the grave. If only you had left Hector with me I would not mourn the others. He came away from there, Donald Gorm, and went to another house there and said to—one of the soldiers—to enter that house to see if there was anyone inside. The soldier entered and saw nothing but a little child in a cradle or a box someplace and each time he went to run him through with his bayonet, the child would laugh when he saw the glistening of the bayonet. He could not go near that child anyhow and he went back outside. "I saw nothing," he said, save one little kid in a cradle in there and I could not kill him because, when he'd see the bayonet coming close, he would raise his arms and begin to laugh." "I would think little of driving the bayonet into yourself!" In he went himself and brought out the kid on the tip of his bayonet and tossed him right there. But where was that soldier when he did not murder him then […?]. Off they went then—and everything ceased then—and they saw a fearful apparition coming for him—it came by air and Donald Gorm left and to this day, they do not know what happened to him. He burnt the church in St.Peter's and sent a message to the priest to come out—the priest was saying mass at the time. The priest said he could not go out till the mass was finished; he set fire to the church and three soldiers leapt out-three of the French—and Donald Gorm's soldiers drove their bayonets into them at the church door. And when the church burnt—it was said—that the priest was (still) standing at the altar even though he was not alive—just his skeleton—he remained as he was at the altar. That is all I heard.