| Reference Number | 302 |
| Title | Sgialachdan á Albainn Nuaidh |
| Author | N/A (Edited work) |
| Editor | MacLeòid, Calum Iain Nicholson |
| Date Of Edition | 1969 |
| Date Of Language | mid 20c |
| Date Of Language Ed | 1950-1999 |
| DateMacro | Mid 20th c. |
| Date Of Language Notes | |
| Publisher | Gairm |
| Place Published | Glasgow |
| Volume | N/A |
| Location | National, academic, and local libraries |
| Geographical Origins | Nova Scotia, Canada |
| Geographical Origins Ed | Canada |
| GeoMacro | Canada |
| GeoX | -62.0151 |
| GeoY | 45.6219 |
| Geographical Origins Notes | |
| Register | Literature, Prose and Verse (Oral) |
| Register Ed | Literature, Prose and Verse |
| Genre | Literature |
| Medium | Prose & Verse |
| Rating | B (TBC)
Traditional narratives from Nova Scotia.
Contains local material, as well as material originating in the Scottish Highlands and Islands.
Contains dancing terminology.
Contains Gaelic coinages from a New World setting. |
| Alternative Author Name | Calum I. N. MacLeod |
| Manuscript Or Edition | Ed. |
| Size And Condition | 14cm x 21.3cm |
| Short Title | Sgialachdan á Albainn Nuaidh |
| Reference Details | NLS 1971.29 |
| Number Of Pages | ix, 141 |
| Gaelic Text By | N/A |
| Illustrator | N/A |
| Social Context | Calum Iain Nicholson MacLeod was born in 1913 in Dornie, Kintail, only child of John Nicholson Macleod and Annie Macleod. MacLeod was educated at Stratherrick, Knockbain and Inverness Royal Academy, then studied Gaelic at the University of Glasgow under the tutelage of Rev. Dr George Calder, before matriculating at the University of Edinburgh, where he undertook Celtic Studies under Professor William J. Watson, graduating MA in Celtic in 1939. He served in the Intelligence Corps of the British Army from 1940 to 1946, gaining the rank of major, and in 1942 married Iona MacDonald. In 1949 he along with his wife emigrated to Cape Breton when he took up his post as Gaelic Adviser for the Province of Nova Scotia, moving in 1958 to Antigonish to establish the Celtic Studies Department at St Francis Xavier University. He was highly regarded in Canada as a Gaelic scholar, and widely respected for his promotion of Gaelic language and culture. In addition to Sgialachdan á Albainn Nuaidh (1969) he collected poems in anthologies such as Gaelic Songs in Nova Scotia (with Helen Creighton, 1964) and Bàrdachd á Albainn Nuaidh (1970). He was a poet in his own right and his poems were published as An t-Eilthireach: Original Gaelic Poems and Melodies (1952), and his prose output as Sgial agus Eachdraidh (1977). Macleod died in 1977 and was interred in Glenbard Cemetry, Antigonish, Nova Scotia. |
| Contents | The author explains in the short preface that it was through the initiative and encouragement of Professor Derick Thomson that he began to collect stories from Nova Scotia with the prospect of seeing these never-before-published traditions in print for the first time.
The volume contains a short preface (pp. v-vi), index (vii), followed by the main text, divided into four sections (Eachdraidh nan Eilthireach, pp. 9-24; Sgialachdan nan Eilthireach (consisting of 28 sections), pp. 25-114; Sgialachdan á Albainn (consisting of 4 sections), pp. 115-36; Seanchasan Eibhinn (consisting of 4 sections), pp. 137-48) and a Bibliography, pp. 149-50.). Within each section a title is given by way of introduction, and the source of the item is given, indicating whether it is a transcription made by the author or from material extracted from manuscripts of either James Hugh MacNeil (Seumas Eòghainn) or Alexander D. MacLean. No indication is given by the author of any editorial practices or whether excerpted manuscript material was edited by him, or has been reproduced ad literatim.
A variety of subjects are focussed upon, such as when tea first came to Cape Breton (pp. 69-70), a changeling story (pp. 71-76), a strongman (pp. 41-42), fetches (pp. 78-79) and other supernatural tales, hunting (64-66), settler encounters (26-27), memorates and historical anecdotes about Angus MacAskill, the Cape Breton Giant (pp. 107-14). Items of particular interest include one which reads more like modern fiction and is a good example of a ‘tall-tale’ (pp. 102-06), one about seal-hunting in Heisgeir (pp. 115-24) and a good example of an international romance tale (pp. 94-101).
Note: The fairy-story entitled ‘A’ Bhean-Gluine ’s a’ Mhuile-mhag’ (pp. 90-93), situated in Cape Breton, is almost a word-for-word rendition of the same fairy-story entitled ‘Banrigh nan Sithichean an Riochd Muile-Mhag’ in Folk Lore and Fairy Tales (1910), pp. 270-79 (see Text 216). This may indicate that this version of the story entered the storyteller’s repertoire via print rather than from oral transmission. |
| Sources | |
| Language | The Gaelic used in the text is typical of a story-telling register, and the language is fluent and discursive, including many examples of idiomatic usage. There are examples of both Barra and South Uist dialect use.
Subjects mentioned in the text are varied but in the main are confined to emigration, settlement in the New World, house-building, agriculture, education, livestock, farming, diet, foodstuffs, music, social dancing, religion, hunting and humorous anecdotes. Of particular interest is the terminology used for dance-steps (pp. 19-20).
Many of the stories contain direct speech which gives them immediacy and thus an atmosphere of a typical house ceilidh is retained. Idiomatic usage, e.g., Dhealaich a anam o’n cholainn-chré (p. 23), Uill, sin agaibh fair mar a thachair (p. 32), cho aotrom luath ri earb (p. 39), Uair de na h-uairibh (p. 143).
An example of a common run: ‘Dheanadh iad creagan de’n bhogan agus bogan de’n chreagan; na clachan beaga dol an ìochdar ’s na clachan móra teachd an uachdar. An t-àite bu lugha rachadh iad fodha, rachadh iad fodha chun na glùine; ’s an t-àite bu mhotha rachadh iad foha, rachadh iad fodha chun an sgrùbain.’ (p. 42).
Examples of unusual or rare words are among the following: frolig (p. v), fraighibh (p. 13), fàlfuinn (p. 16), sgrìobain (p. 16), ìomhaigh-bodaich (p. 16), frisgnidh (p. 22), ’s a’ bhàdhun (p. 27), gun aga sam bith (p. 29), muinighinn (p. 31), ’s a’ mhogul-lìn (p. 33), nì motha (p. 34), rumastaireachd (p. 35), lìbhear-làimhe (p. 35), urapais (p. 38), tréil (p. 38), cagar-céin (p. 50), trapan (p. 64), rùchain (p. 68), aontrabhal (p. 72), boslach (p. 89), eachlach-ùrlair (p. 95), sìthshaimheach (p. 134), bìbhir (p. 140), trécil (p. 142), hùgan éilidh (p. 143), driodfhortan (p. 143).
Older spellings are apparent throughout the text, e.g., có-dhiùbh (p. 33), so (p. v), Có (p. v), gu leòir (p. 11), Chan ’eil (p. 11), chugad (p. 11), air son (p. 11), dhaibh p-fhéin (p. 30), matà (p. 33), sid (p. 39).
Unusual spellings appear throughout the text: Amairiga (p. 12), Loch Snìothasort (p. 14), Lùnasdail (p. 14), soirgheas (p. 28), bòdhach (p. 38), Austràilia (p. 53), aodion (p. 54), dìchioll (p. 123), bhòidheich (p. 130).
Copula is realised as ’s ann (p. vi).
Occasional use of passive voice, e.g., chluinneas (p. 12), chan fhacas (p. 16), faighte.
Preference is given to the ia diphthong rather than the eu dipthong e.g., diag (p. v), sgialachan (p. v), bial-aithris (p. vi), driachd (p. 22), ciadna (p. 45).
Usually u instead of a: eagnuidh (p. vi), farsuingeachd (p. 11), acfhuinn (p. 15), tarruing (p. 18).
Preference is given to d rather than t on a few occasions: dorusd (p. 29), sholusd (p. 29), dithisd (p. 46), annda (p. 72), A nisd (p. 91).
Spellings of interest may indicate the contributor’s Gaelic dialect, e.g., Nan d’rachadh (p. 15).
Rarely the epenthetic a vowel appears, e.g., seanachas (p. 144) rather than seanchas.
Very rarely an English calque is used, e.g., Dh’obraich esan gus an robh e’n dùil gu robh an costa sàbhailte (p. 144).
In general the use of the hyphen is inconsistent e.g., tromdhorran (p. 75), dubhbhron (p. 76), mórroinn (p. 84).
There appears not to be too many typographical errors and when and if they occur they do not affect the understanding of the text.
The text may reflect the contributor’s Gaelic, probably that of Barra and South Uist. |
| Orthography | The orthography is generally that of the mid-twentieth century; however, both the grave and the acute accent are retained. |
| Edition | First edition. |
| Other Sources | |
| Further Reading | Black, Ronald I. M. (ed.), An Tuil (Edinburgh, 2002: Birlinn), 771-72.
Creighton, Helen & MacLeod, Calum I. N. (eds.), Gaelic Songs in Nova Scotia (Canada, 1964: Ottawa Dept. of Secretary of State).
MacLeod, Calum I. N., An t-Eilthireach: Original Gaelic Poems and Melodies (Glace Bay, Nova Scotia, 1952: C.I.N. Macleod).
MacLeod, Calum I. N., Bàrdachd á Albainn Nuaidh (Glasgow, 1970: Gairm).
MacLeod, Calum I. N., Sgial is Eachdraidh (Glasgow, 1977: Gairm). |
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| NumWords | 41013 |
