Margaret ni'n Gilleasbuig Aonghais a' Chlachair
Port Hood, Inverness County
When she was young; games children played
Geamaichean a cluicheadh clan agus ceòl:
S - Agus cia meud a bha 'san teaghlach agaibhse dur a bha sibh 'g éiridh suas?
M - O bha ochdnar ann. Tha té, nighean bheag a bh' aca, bha iad a' fuireach 'sna States. Dh' eug i 's tha i tiodhlaicht' an sin agus bha ceathrar bhràithrean 'is bha piuthar agam. 'Is a h-uile duine dhiubh marbh ach mise 's mo phiuthar, Catherine, an Halifax.
S - Seadh A bheil ise nas sine no nas òige?
M - Tha i nas òig'
S - Tha i nas òige.
M - Té a muigh ? Bhiodh i a thilgeil orm, " Tha mise nas òige na thu!"
S - Seadh. Agus, an e Gàidhlig an cànain a bha 'ga bruidhinn ann am broinn an taighe?
M - 'S e.
S - Robh Gàidhlig... Robh Beurla agaibh dur a chaidh sibh ann dhan an taigh sgoil'?
S - Cha robh.
M - Cha robh guth.
S - Bha i “tough”. Agus 'nuair, an uair sin thòisich feadhainn air tighinn a staigh dha 'n àit', bhiodh 'ad caran dèanamh magadh air a' Ghàidhlig 'nuair bhiodhmaid 'ga bruidhinn. Chan eil fhios carson a bha sin.
M - Aineolas.
S - Tha mi cinnteach.
M - Yeah. Aineolas.
S - Agus sin as coireach gu robh, gun do sguir poil' a’ bruidhinn na Gàidhlig. Bhiodh feadhainn a' deanamh magadh orra, 's...
S - Yah. Ach chum 'ad, chum 'ad air adhairt air a' Ghàidhlig às an, aig an taigh co dhiù.
M - O chum.
S - Agus an robh Gàidhlig aig a h-uile gin dhe na sgoilearan 'san taigh sgoil'?
M - Uill, a' mhór... dh' fhaoidte gum biodh a ceithir no còig dhiubh ann a bhruidhneadh Beurla. 'S chan eil fhios 'am ciamar a bha 'ad sinn a' faighinn air adhairt.
S - 'N robh iad an aghaidh na Gàidhlig as an taigh sgoil'? Uill, cha robh 'ad... cha robh móran càil aca, ma dh'fhaodhte nach robh Gàidhlig aig a' bhannsgoilear no am maighstear-sgoil. Cha tuigeadh iad dol bha dol air adhairt. Agus b' fheàrr leotha gun duine a bhith bruidhinn Gàidhlig.
S - B' fheàrr. B' fheàrr. Agus bha sibh a' bruidhinn na Gàidhlig mach, air an taobh 'mach air an taigh sgoil'.
M - Bha.
S - Dur a rachadh sibh a mach.
M - Bha.
S - Bheil cuimhn' agaibh, Margaret, robh riamh aca geamanan àraid? A chluich geamanan, 's a chluich a' chlann.
M - O, fight.
S - Fight.
M - Bhiodh pìle de fhight ann. Ach bhiodh taoim againn. Sgiobag.
S - Dé a th' ann an sgiobag?
M - Tag.
S - Seadh, Sgiobag. Ciamar a bha siud ag obraicheadh?
M - O bha sin math, nan toireadh tu agus dh' fhalbhadh tu mur a bhiodh 'ad a bheir... feuch nach beireadh 'ad ort. Agus nam beireadh 'ad ort 's tap ort dhut, uill, bha 'adsan air thoiseach.
S - Nam beireadh 'ad putadh. Dìreach. A robh facal agaibh air a shon sin?
M - Uill, cha chreid mi gu robh.
S - Tha e ort no rud mar sin?
M - Uell, tha fhios... car mar sin. Gum biodh fhios ac' gu robh ?______? biorach ort. Agus a h-uile duine a riamh a' cluich tag. Cha robh sian eile ann.
S - Robh a' choille goirid do làimh? Robh a' choille faisg air làimh a' sin?
M - O cha bhiodh i fada air falbh?
S - An robh 'ad a' dol a staigh dhan a' choillidh?
M - O bhiodh.
S - Ach cha deach duine riamh air chall...
M - Uill, cha chuala mise co dhiù.
S - Cha chuala. Agus dur a thigeadh an sneachda as a' Gheamhradh, am biodh 'ad a' dol a mach 'son cluich?
M - Bhiodh. Bha iad 'dol a mach. Sneachda suas gu na glùinean.
S - Seadh. Cha robh bacadh sam bith ann
M - Och cha robh. Cha robh, fhad 's nach tuiteadh 'ad air an deigh-sa
S - 'M bhiodh 'ad a' tilgeil peilearan sneachd' air a chéile?
M - Bhiodh. Gu dearabh fhéin. Chunna sinn gu leòr air a' sin.
S - Fhuair. Fhuair. Feumaidh 's gu robh cuideigin a' caoineadh an dràsda 's a rithist.
M - Gheibheadh 'ad sùil dhubh.
S - Niste, cuideachd, robh, am biodh 'ad a' gabhail òran?
M - O uill, 's e òrain a chaidh a ghabhail.
S - Seadh. Bha iad measail air na h-òrain?
M - O bha 'ad math cuideachd. 'Nuair a chluinneas mis' 'ad a' gabhail òran an diugh, bithidh mi 'gam...cha toil leam a bhith ag eisteachd idir. An dòigh a tha air na h-òrain, an diugh. Fios agad, pàirt dhiubh tuille 's luath, agus pàirt eile dhiubh 's e ... tha 'ad cho slow, 's cha mhór nach bi 'ad réidh gu bràth air, agus cha chreid mise gur a h-e sin an dòigh a bha còir aca na h-òrain a ghabhail.
S - Chan eil swing ceart aca.
M - Chan eil. Agus neo-thrang guth math aca.
S - Sin e. Sin e. Yeah. Tha 'ad a' gabhail òran, cuid dhiubh, dìreach car mar a bhios 'ad a' cluich ceòl.
M - Agus bithidh iad, pàirt dhiubh, bithidh iad ag radhainn, "gabh mi fear seo òrain", chan eil aon loidhne 's chan eil 'ad dol a sin a ghabhail, bha 'ad... cosgaidh an loidhn' sin mu dheireadh mus bidh an t-òran seachad. Cha chreid gur e sin dòigh an òrain. Bha an fhear shios laimhe Charlie Joe MacLean, an cuala tu riamh e?
S - Cha chuala.
M - O bha e 'na òranaich' math. Agus bha pìle eile ann cuideachd.
S - 'N ann á Coalmines 's a bha e fhéin?
M - 'S ann.
S - Seadh. Am biodh, as an àm a bha sin, am biodh sibh-p-fhéin a' gabhail òran?
M - Bha mis' a' feuchainn ris ach, o chan eil cuimhn' agam air aon gin dhiubh an diugh. Dh'fhalbh mi an taigh. Cha robh 'ad a' gabhail móran òrain far am bithinn agus sguir na h-òrain. Thòisich ceòl. Tha e tuilleadh 's dona gun do sguir iad. Puirt á beul. Sin na tha 'ad a' dèanamh. Dèanamh muirtair air.
S - Dìreach. Dìreach. Yeah.
M - Tha puirt á beul, tha 'ad glé mhath cuideachd. Bha leathad de cheòl eil' ann 's cha robh 'ad a' cuir móran suim ann.
S - Chan eil Chan eil. Seadh. Agus dur a chaidh sibh ann gu Siùdaig, cha robh na h-òrain ac' a' sin.
M - O tha òrain ann ach cha robh mise 'gan cluinntinn. Fhios agad, bhiodh tu tuille 'is busy... le cloinn 's bha stòir beag againn. Dh'fheumaidh tu...cha robh ùin' idir againn ri amusements
Games children played and music:
J: And how many were in your family when you were growing up?
M: Oh, there were eight. There is one, their little girl, she was living in the States. She died and is buried there and there were four brothers and I had a sister. And every one of them is dead but myself and my sister Catherine in Halifax.
J: Yeah. Is she older or younger than you?
M: She is younger.
J: She is younger.
M: The one out. She'll be teasing me saying, "I'm younger that you!"
J: Yeah. And was Gaelic the language you were speaking in the home?
M: Yes.
J: Did you have Gaelic....Did you have English when you went to the school house?
M: No.
J: Not a word.
M: It was tough. And then people started coming into the area, they would be sort of making fun of the Gaelic when we were speaking it. I don't know why that was.
J: Ignorance.
M: I suppose.
J: Yeah, ingnorance.
M: And that's the reason that a pile of people stopped speaking Gaelic. People would be making fun of them.
J: But they, they kept on with the Gaelic at the house anyway.
M: Oh yes.
J: And did every one of the children have Gaelic at school?
M: Well, maybe four or five of them would speak English. And I don't know how we were getting along. Do the best you can I guess.
J: Were they against Gaelic in the school?
M: Well, they didn't have much affection for it. Maybe the school-mistress or school-master didn't have Gaelic. They wouldn't understand what was going on. They would have preferred if people weren't speaking Gaelic.
J: They would have. They would have. And were you speaking Gaelic outside, outside of the school house?
M: Yes.
J: When you would go outside?
M: Yes.
J: Do you remember Margaret, did they ever have special games that would be played? Games the children would play.
M: Oh, fight.
J: Fight.
M: There was a pile of fights. And we would have a good time. Sgiobag.
J: What's sgiobag.
M: Tag.
J: Yeah, sgiobag. How did that work?
M: Oh that was good. If you gave...and you would take off and try not to let them catch you. And if they caught you and tapped you, well they were starting then.
J: If they give you a little push. Right. Did you have a word for that?
M: I don't believe we did.
J: He's on you or something like that.
M: Well, you know, something like that....And everybody was always playing tag. There was nothing else.
J: Were the woods close at hand? Was the forest close by there?
M: Oh, it wouldn't be far away.
J: Would they go in the forest?
M: Oh they would.
J: But no one was ever lost?
M: Well I never heard anyway.
J: No. And when the snow came in the winter, would they go out to play?
M: Yes. They were going out. Snow up to the knees.
J: Yeah. There was no restriction.
M: Och, no, no, as long as they didn't fall on the ice.
J: Would they be throwing snow balls at each other? M: They would be. Yes indeed. We got a lot of that.
J: You did. You did. Somebody must have been crying from time to time.
M: They would get a black eye.
J: Now, also, would they be singing songs?
M: Oh well, it was songs that were sung.
J: Yeah. They were fond of songs?
M: Oh, they were good too. When I hear them singing today, I'll just be...I don't like to listen at all. The style of the songs, the manner. You know, part of them is too fast and the other part of them is... they are so slow, and they will almost never be finished. And I don't believe that is the proper way for the songs to be sung.
J: They don't have the right swing.
M: No. And certainly they have good voices.
J: That's it. That's it. Yeah. They sing songs, some of them, just like they play the music.
M: And they will be, some of them, they will be saying, I'll sing this one song (???), and there isn't but one line, and they aren't going to sing that through. That last line will be spread out to the end of the song. I don't believe that's the song's way. This man down near here, Charlie Joe MacLean, did you ever hear him spoken of?
J: No.
M: Oh, he was a good singer. And there were many others as well.
J: Was he himself from the Coalmines?
M: Yes.
J: Yeah. Would, in those days, would you yourself sing a song?
M: I was trying to but, I don't remember a single one of them today. I left the house. And they weren't singing many songs where I was and the songs ended. It is too bad that they stopped. Mouth music. That's what they do. And they are murdering them.
J: Exactly, exactly. Yeah.
M: The mouth music is very good too. There was another variety of music they weren't putting much stock in.
J: No, no. Yeah. And when you went to Judique, they didn't have the songs there?
M: Oh, there are songs but I wasn't hearing them. I was, you know, you would be too busy with children and our little store there. You had to be there, and we didn't have time for amusements.
Transcribed by Angus MacLeod, translated by Shamus Y. MacDonald.
