| Reference Number | 282 |
| Title | An Oidhche mus do Sheòl Sinn |
| Author | Caimbeul, Aonghas Pàdraig |
| Editor | N/A |
| Date Of Edition | 2003 |
| Date Of Language | Early 21st c. |
| Date Of Language Ed | 2000- |
| DateMacro | Early 21st c. |
| Date Of Language Notes | |
| Publisher | Clàr |
| Place Published | Inverness |
| Volume | N/A |
| Location | |
| Geographical Origins | South Boisdale, South Uist |
| Geographical Origins Ed | South Uist |
| GeoMacro | Benbecula, S Uist and Barra |
| GeoX | -7.3785834 |
| GeoY | 57.1293216 |
| Geographical Origins Notes | |
| Register | Literature, Prose |
| Register Ed | Literature, Prose |
| Genre | Literature |
| Medium | Prose |
| Rating | B (TBC) A important novelist and poet from South Uist. A historical novel set in South Uist as well as foreign places such as England and Spain. One of a very few Gaelic novels that may be described as epic. Reflects the decline of Gaelic language throughout the twentieth century. Contains religious, particularly Catholic, imagery and terminology. |
| Alternative Author Name | Angus Peter Campbell |
| Manuscript Or Edition | Ed. |
| Size And Condition | 20.2cm x 14cm |
| Short Title | An Oidhche mus do Sheòl Sinn |
| Reference Details | NLS: QP1.205.5109L |
| Number Of Pages | xiii, 384 |
| Gaelic Text By | N/A |
| Illustrator | N/A |
| Social Context | An Oidhche mus do Sheòl Sinn is epic in scale and ambition, taking its title from a traditional song and following the life of a young boy, Eòin Dòmhnallach, from South Uist, through adolescence and maturity as a priest, and his later rejection of his religious calling. The novel is best described as a saga that follows the lives of various members of a large South Uist family from the outbreak of the First World War until the early twenty-first century. One of the novel’s themes is to reflect the social changes affecting island life, dealing with the decline of Gaelic as a community language. Another theme which looms large is the changing influence of Roman Catholicism and the effect that religion had and still has upon islanders. What may be described as his magnum opus, Campbell’s novel is remarkable in a number of ways – in its extensive detail, its depth of language and the way in which it manages to incorporate a richness of perspective and philosophy, with an international outlook. Angus Peter Campbell (Aonghas Pàdraig Caimbeul, Aonghas Phàdruig mac Eòghainn Mhòir Aonghais Nìll Aonghais Iain Mhòir) was born 29 April 1954 in South Boisdale, South Uist, son of Ewan Campbell from Ludag (Eòghainn Mòr Aonghais Nìll Aonghais Iain Mhòir) and his wife Christina MacDonald from Garrynamonie (Ciorstaidh Eòghainn Mhòir ’ic Dhòmhnaill ’ic Aonghais ’ic Alasdair). Angus Peter was brought up in Garrynamonie. After leaving primary school there he attended Oban High School, where he came under the influence of Iain Crichton Smith, after which Angus Peter graduated with a degree in History and Politics from the University of Edinburgh. During this time he came under the literary influence of a visiting tutor from UCLA, Richard Ashcroft, a fervent Marxist, and also of Sorley Maclean, who was Writer in Residence. On graduating from university, Angus Peter became a journalist and joined the West Highland Free Press, then moved to BBC radio and then to Grampian Television, again as a Gaelic-speaking reporter. In the late 1980s he became a well-known Christian activist, turning his back on the media world to live and work in the housing estates of Muirhouse and Pilton in Edinburgh. He returned to the Highlands when he took up his role as Writer in Residence at Sabhal Mòr Ostaig, Isle of Skye, where he lectured in Gaelic and the media. He is married to Lyndsay Howieson, an artist, and they have a family of four daughters, Shona, Màiri, Steaphanaidh and Brìghde. Through the 1980s Angus Peter’s poetry appeared periodically in Gairm. His first published collection, The Greatest Gift (1992), in English, met with critical success, after which appeared in the same year Cairteal gu Meadhan-Latha, a novel for teenagers, followed by another collection One Road (1994), including several Gaelic poems. To date Angus Peter has four collections of poetry: Aibisidh, published by Polygon in 2011, which won the Scottish Poetry Book of the Year Award in 2012, and his novels in Gaelic continue to win critical acclaim. Angus Peter was awarded the Bardic Crown for Gaelic Poetry in 2001, and a Creative Scotland Award in 2002. In 2007 he starred in the Gaelic feature film Seachd: The Inaccessible Pinnacle. In 2016 Angus Peter was awarded the year-long Gavin Wallace Fellowship, inaugurated by Creative Scotland in 2013, and hosted by the National Library of Scotland. His English-language novel, Memory and Straw, and a poetry collection, Stèisean, were published by Luath Press in 2017. |
| Contents | After a short biography (p. i), follows the title page (p. iii) and then an anonymous Gaelic song from which the novel takes its title (p. v) and a dedication (p. vi) which is followed by the contents (pp. vii-viii). There follows an introduction by Fr Colin MacInnes (pp. 9-14) and then acknowledgements (pp. 15-17) and then a map of South Uist (pp. 19-20). The main text then appears which is divided into 21 chapters. This is followed by some brief notes (pp. 379-83) and the text ends with a quote from the Bible (p. 384). |
| Sources | In his notes (pp. 379-83), which appear after the main bulk of the text, Campbell states that many books and manuscripts have influenced the novel, and amongst these are Carmina Gadelica, collated and edited by Alexander Carmichael et al. (see Text 59), Uibhist a Deas by Donald John MacDonald (see Text 311), Gaelic Words and Expression from South Uist and Eriskay by Fr Allan McDonald and Folksongs and Folklore from South Uist by Margaret Fay Shaw (see Text 49). More detail may be found in Acc.12472, National Library of Scotland, which includes notes, research, vocabulary and correspondence pertaining to the typescripts of An Oidhche mus do Sheòl Sinn. |
| Language | The novel is written in a fluid, idiomatic style. At times the language is dense and complex and there is a clear influence of a traditional story-telling register, as, for example, the runs on pp. 31-32, and ‘Cha robh cleas a dhèanadh sgiotaiche no sgoitiche le dìsnean ghillean-fheall, no le organ nam manach, no le oilean nan damhach, nach dèanadh an gaisgeach: cleasa clise, cleasa fise, cleasa frise, cleasa gise, cleasa doibhe doilleira, cleasa cleiteam cleasach, anns a’ chomh-thràth, le iarrann is sgàthan is each’. As the novel progresses the language becomes deliberately more simplified, a reflection perhaps of the decline of Gaelic during last century. An example of religious influence in the text may be given as follows: ‘Cùm nu daingeann, a Thighearna. Daingeann, tèarainte, sàbhailte, cinunteach?. Cuir do shrian-sa na mo làmh dheis, ’s do chuip-sa na mo làmh chlì. Sàbhail mi on ?bhreaitheanas a th’ainigair an duine bhochd ud, a leig do chuip air falbh ’s a thilg do shrian ris a’ ghaoith, Dèan diofraichte mi, a Thighearna Dhia na Glòire.” Is sheas e suas, àrd, dìreach, a’ coimhead thuige agus bhuaithe: tuath suas dha na h-eileanan eirigeach ris an canadh iad Na Hearadh is Leodhas; an ear gu strìopachas tìr-mòr na h-Alba; an air gu farsaingeachd is neoidheachd na Haf; agus deas gu blàth agus carathannas na Spàinn; far am biodh e fhèin an ceann cola-deug.’ (p. 112). Other religious, mainly Catholic, terminology appears on p. 86, and pp. 88-89. Apostrophes are not retained for possessive determiner, e.g., na phòcaid (p. 22), nan deann (p. 22). Preference is given to t rather than d in spellings such as, pàiste (p. 26), èist (p. 27), Blasta (p. 130), dràsta (p. 131), pòsta (p. 135), furasta (p. 143). Fairly frequent use of elision, a dialect feature of South Uist, e.g., chual’ (p. 22), còmh (p. 47). Copula is realised as follows: gur e (p. 22). Preference is given to d over t when indicating possession, e.g., d’ ainmeachadh (p. 27). Some inconsistency in spelling some words such as là as well as latha (p. 29), dh’fhaighnich (p. 49) as well as dh’fhaighneachd (p. 52). Fairly frequent contraction of agus to s (p. 45). Occasional appearance of an English word sometimes in italics, e.g., Renaissance (p. 25), raft (p. 28). Loan-words, e.g., siuga (p. 34), drungair (p. 50), siogarait (p. 64), streitsearan (p. 66), creasot (p. 70), pasaids (p. 72), tiocaid (p. 74), acòirdian (p. 80), Teleigream (p. 100), stiùbh (p. 119), motor-baidhsagal (p. 130), radacail (p. 131), basdard (p. 131), bugairean (p. 131), cluids (p. 131), slaidhd (p. 133), criogaid (p. 136), poilteataics (p. 159), prèiridhean (p. 179), teileagraf (p. 199), bhodca (p. 219), sòbarra (p. 219), suirdsearaidh (p. 233), miseanaraidh (p. 264), drungair (p. 264), rugbaidh (p. 285), coilear (p. 293), taidh (p. 293), cofaidh (p. 311), fasisteach (p. 311), rèidio (p. 313), tram (p. 329), tiops (p. 337), siogarait (p. 339), acadamaidh (p. 351), didsiteach (p. 374). The text also contains examples of South Uist Gaelic dialect, e.g., èist leam (p. 27), colach (p. 28), far ’eil (p. 29), ann a shin (p. 29), thuirt Mgr Eàirdish leis (p. 35), às deoghaidh (p. 37), Haf (p. 47), dàrnacha (p. 167), cruitear (p. 291). Occasional use of the second plural imperative, e.g., Trobhadaibh (p. 54), Cumaibh (p. 59), Seasaibh (p. 116), Thugainnibh (p. 118), Stadaibh (p. 238), falbhaibh (p. 366). Fairly frequent quotes, usually hymns in Latin as well as the occasional snippet of songs in English. Occasional quotes in Latin (p. 43) and in Russian (p. 151) and Spanish (p. 152). There is a large number of rare and unusual words and phrases: beall (p. 39), feadarraich (p. 40), milfhiarach (p. 44), gnòsadaich (p. 45), gnùsgalaich (p. 45), ròsaid (p. 47), luirmeach (p. 49), mionagadanan (p. 49), casa-cainbe (p. 49), fionnd (p. 49), blàinteagan (p. 49), spàrr-ealaig (p. 50), siorram-suain (p. 50), craoibeach (p. 52), bith-gràbhaidh (p,. 52), fàin an latha (p. 53), bruchlag (p. 53), Mo chaoin-chailin (p. 54), gàdair (p 54), guag (p. 54), a’ ciùcharan (p. 54), a’ torraghan (p. 54), uibe (p. 54), fìth-fàth (p. 54), seabhdail (p. 55), àrag (p. 56), caolach-aifrinn (p. 61), dìsread (p. 62), coinfidir (p. 62), puilseach (p. 63), gunaideach (p. 63), giùdach (p. 63), iaraig (p. 63), fraigeannach (p. 63), coilleagadh (p. 66), uilim (p. 67), infhir (p. 70), ciofagan (p. 83), sgleabag (p. 95), pùdarach (p. 95), freangach (p. 95), giobarlagan (p. 95), streafonach (p. 97), cinneamhain (p. 107), reafain (p. 112), drollanta (p. 113), gàrcanaich (p. 113), druighleagain (p. 113), gugadaich (p. 113), gacadaich (p. 113), giodraich (p. 115), sgathartaich (p. 116), linnsigeadh (p. 118), boch-fhuinn (p. 119), blàth-fhleasg (p. 130), dùganach (p. 131), bitearra (p. 135), ceata-cam (p. 136), arbhalagan (p. 136), tatanach (p. 137), monaiseach (p. 141), imisgeach (p. 144), a’ tomhadh (p. 150), ainniseachadh (p. 151), foilteanan (p. 153), cuaileanan (p. 153), turtar (p. 153), ciamhair (p. 153), strùpladh (p. 154), aoigheachd a’ bhràigh-ghill (p. 161), frag diofair (p. 173), muathal (p. 174), sgiothal (p. 197), durrghan (p. 206), a’ siosadh (p. 215), a’ sobhadh (p. 222), soireannta (p. 227), tarbhadair (p. 232), bobhstair (p. 234), cniod (p. 234), leann-tàthadh (p. 234), sracanta (p. 276), srùlanach (p. 276), striutanach (p. 276), sgiodarach (p. 277); sgràideach (p. 277), sgreagach (p. 277), meaban (p. 285), taitealach (p. 312), straoidheasachd (p. 315), burraghlasach (p. 331), grìbeach (p. 338), strùidheasachd (p. 350), tarman-tuirim (p. 355), leum-liuchdadair (p. 376), Stararaich! (p. 377). Other spellings of note are, for example, dhan (p. 22), tro (p. 22), dhan a’ mhuir (p. 24), a Bhatacan (p. 25), dhan a’ chogadh (p. 27), dhen (p. 29), bitheadh (p. 32), dara (p. 36). There appear a few typographical errors, e.g., smeìd (p. 95), Eoìn (p. 155), dhoigh (p. 162), fhein (p. 174), gruithim [?] (p. 214), tìll (p. 235), rathaidean-tearradh (p. 309). The language reflects the Gaelic dialect of South Uist, as in the genitive case: muin na làraidh (p. 130), camhanaich na maidneadh (p. 203), bonnaich-maidneadh (p. 266). |
| Orthography | The spelling conforms generally to the orthography of early twenty-first century. Acute and grave accents are retained. Accents appear on capital letters. |
| Edition | First edition. |
| Other Sources | |
| Further Reading | Black, Ronald I. M. (ed.), An Tuil: Anthology of 20th Century Scottish Gaelic Verse (Edinburgh, 2002: Birlinn), 672-77, 812-14. Watson, Moray, An Introduction to Gaelic Fiction (Edinburgh, 2011: Edinburgh University Press). |
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