#beul-aithris

Supernatural Safeguarding: Hidden Objects in the Post-Medieval Home

What do a child’s shoe, a cod-liver oil bottle, and a desiccated cat have in common? They’re all objects that have been discovered in unusual locations within buildings. In fact, a vast variety of objects have been found (from pantaloons to chickens), often dating to the 18th and 19th centuries, under floorboards, hearthstones, and thresholds; within walls; above doors and ceilings; up chimney breasts; in thatching; and buried in the garden. People usually find them today when they’re undertaking renovations on their homes, and they’re in such odd places that most of them can’t have wound up there accidentally; they must have been deliberately secreted away by past occupants many years ago.

Tha àite teann ar Inbhirnis ris an abair ‘ad anns a’ Bheurla “Kessock Ferry” mar a theireadh sibh “Aiseag Cheasag” agus bha duine ‘gabhail a’ cheum sios air a’chladach agus chunnaic e coltas boirionnach ‘na cadal. Agus fhuair e greim oirre, agus du dè  bh’ann ach a’ Mhaighdean-mhara? Agus thug e dhith an cochull, agus dar a bheir ‘ad dhith an cochull, mar a tha ‘chùis air innse, chan eil i na’s fhearr na neach eile ‘sa’ mhuir. ‘S thug e dhachaidh i  agus phòs ‘ad agus chuir e ‘n cochull (fad--)—a’ falach ann an àite diomhaireach ann am bothan, a mach.

Agus ba i daonnan ag iarraidh a’ chochull agus an cochull cha robh e’ toirt dith. Na’ faigheadh i ‘n cochull dheanadh i air a’ mhuir air ais agus ‘s math a bha fios aig’ air sin.

Ach dh’fhàs an gill’ aice ‘n airde – na chnapach mór làidir, agus air dha bhi mach mu’n bhothan gu dé thanaig i air an nathad ach gu’n d’fhuair e ‘n t-slige. Agus thug e ‘n t-slige bha ‘seo a staigh ‘s dar a thug e ‘n t-slige ‘staigh dháithnich is’ dé bh’ann agus chuir i oirre ‘n t-slige bha seo agus rinn i air a’ mhuir.

“Agus mar a bha mi daonnan ag ràdhtainn, na’ faighainn an cochull, cha bhidh an t-àit seo gun iasg, ged a bhiodh e gann an àiteacha eile’s duine sam bith a reachadh a dh’iasgach ann gheibh e iasg uair sam bith ann.”

Agus i’ faotainn a’ chochuill, tharruin i agus thuirt i:

“Cumaidh mi mo bhriathran.”

Agus go’s an latha  ‘n diugh aig Kesseck Ferry gheobh thu ‘m pailteas de dh’iasg ann ged bhiodh e gann an àiteachan eile.

Chan e seanfhacal a th' ann an seo, ach foirmle bheul-aithris a thathar a' cleachdadh aig deireadh sgeulachdan, coltach ri "And they live happily ever after" anns a' Bheurla.