Transcript

Bhí mise anseo (in arm Fheilimidh Óig 'ig Aoidh). Tógadh in airde mé, buaileadh fá lár mé, (Mag Aoidh mé i mo dhéidh mé, Seán Óg ó inné mé).

Bhí trí caoirigh corránghlasa agam, mo thrí gabhair corránbhreaca, mo ghearrán beag (créata) agus a (ghealphúdar). Tháinig Liam Buí Mhac an tSacáin an rógaire agus ghoid sé uaim iad. Nuair a ba deise duid é, sin nuair ab fhaide uaid é, le goid, le bruín agus le síorghadaíocht. Tá mé ar an tsaol le seacht... Bhí sé ar an tsaol le seacht (leithbhlianacha fichead roimh a ghar-athair). D'imigh mé liom a chuartú Liam go dtáinig neoin bheag agus deireadh an lae orm. Casadh isteach ag trí buachaillí na mbó mé, trí tua cúlramhar, béaltana agus iad ag baint crainn cheabáiste.

"Nach breá na crainn cheabáiste iad sin?" a duirt mé féin.

"Ní crainn cheabáiste iad seo," arsa siadsan, "ach (miolar bairneach) a chuir an Rí Mór na Glóire 'ugainn le sé ár mbeathadh, ár gcothú agus má fhanann tú go maidin gheobhaidh tú féin do chuid acu."

Ba bhuí bocht liom iarraidh orm nó bhí an t-ocras orm. Ar maidin lá harna mhárach d'éirigh mé, shiúil liom go dtáinig neoin bheag agus deireadh an lae orm. Casadh isteach ag trí buachaillí na mbó mé, trí tua cúlramhar, trí spádaí béalramhar agus cúltana agus iad ag baint mileátais[1].

"Nach breá na mileátais iad sin?" arsa mé féin.

"Ní mileátais iad seo," ar siadsan, "ach ceirtlíneacha[2] an fhómhair a chuir an Rí Mór na Glóire 'ugainn le sé ár mbeathadh, ár gcothú, agus má fhanann tú go maidin gheobhaidh tú féin do chuid acu."

Ba bhuí bocht liom iarraidh orm nó bhí an t-ocras orm. Ach ar maidin lá harna mhárach d'éirigh mé, shiúil liom go dtí ' dtáinig mé go dtí bruach na farraige. Rinn mé long mhór de mo chasóg, cába de mo hata agus seol de mo bhata gur thóg mé liom an long mhór luchtmhar sin ag éisteacht le rattle phéistí móra agus le lúbar na heascann go rabh mé sa teach ab fhaide siar in Éirinn, toigh Mháire Ní Óráin. Bhí seanteach soipeach sopach ansin. An deor a ba cheart tuitim ag an doras ann bhí sí ag tuitim thuas i lár an toighe. Bhi seanstaighre briste bearnach ann. Amhancaim suas. Tchím an chailleach mhaol odhar ag teacht amach thuas, achan fhiacail aici (a dhéanamh) pionna brollaigh daoithe, agus céard eile a bhí aici, a fheara, níl mé ag goil a inse daoibh. Bhí an Béarla an t-am sin agam, faraor rud nach bhfuil anois.

"Fwhat you do there?" arsa an chailleach liom féin.

"Fwhat you do there?" arsa mé féin leis an chailligh. "Bhí mé tamall sa Spáinn ag foghlaim Béarla agus (ramaireadh)[3] ortsa, a chailligh."

Níl i bhfad go bhfaca mé Liam ag cur a chloiginn amach thuas ar a cúl. Bheir mé ar Liam. Tharraing mé anuas é. Bhuail mé ceathair nó cúig dhe dhoirn air go plucánta placánta isteach in lagán an toill air. Fuaigh mé siar i (gcróán) a bhí thiar i gcúl an toighe. Thug mé liom mo chuid caoirigh agus gabhar 'na[4] bhaile.

Bhuel, an gcuala sibh ariamh gur mharbh mé an slua beag, slua mór, slua meánach, an sean-nduine[5] is a chailleach, reithe bhun an fhásaigh, tarbh dubh an ghleanna, cat an cháir, agus pisín beag na luatha. Dúirt pisín na luatha liom, "Nach b'é sin mo mhuintir go huile. Beidh daor ort. Och, och."

Translation

I was here in (...). I was taken up, I was hit to the ground, (...).

I had three (...) sheep, my three (...) goats, my little (...) gelding and its (...). Liam Buí Mac an tSacáin the rogue came and stole them from me. When he was nearest to you, that's when he was furthest from you, thieving, fighting and constantly robbing. I am alive for seven... He was alive for seven years(?) (...) before (...). I went off looking for Liam until night fell upon me. I came upon three cowherds, [with] three thick-backed narrow-mouthed axes and they were cutting cabbages.

"Aren't they fine cabbages?" I said.

"These are not cabbages," they said, "but (...) of limpets(?) which God the great and glorious sent us with a blessing to feed us, and if you wait until morning you will get some of them yourself."

I was more than glad they asked me, for I was hungry. The following morning I got up and walked until night fell upon me. I came across three cowherds, [with] three thick-backed axes and three thick-mouthed and narrow-backed spades and they were harvesting potatoes.

"Aren't they fine potatoes?" I said.

"These are not potatoes," they said, "but autumn cabbages(?) which God the great and glorious sent us with a blessing to feed us, and if you wait until morning you will get your share of them."

I was more than glad they asked me, for I was hungry. The following day I got up and walked on until I came to the edge of the sea. I made a big ship of my coat, a cape of my hat and a sail of my stick, and I took that big well-laden ship and listened to the grunting(?) of whales and the twisting eels until I was in the westernmost house in Ireland, the house of Máire Ní Óráin. There was an old thatched house there. The rainwater which should fall at the door fell in the middle of the house. There was an old broken-down stairs in it. I looked up. I saw a bald dark hag coming out above, with every one of her teeth serving(?) as breastpins for her, and I am not even going to describe the rest of her. I spoke English at that time, something I cannot do now, alas.

"Fwhat you do there?" said the hag to me.

"Fwhat you do there?" said I to the hag. "I was a while in Spain learning English, and bad cess (?) to you, hag."

It wasn't long till I saw Liam sticking his head out above behind her. I caught Liam. I pulled him down. I hit him with four or five good punches in his backside. I went back into a shed(?) behind the house. I brought my sheep and goats home.

Well, did you ever hear that I killed the small crowd, a big crowd, a middling crowd, the old man and his hag, the ram of the back of beyond, the black bull of the glen, the cat of the grimace, and the little fireside kitten. The fireside kitten said to me, "Isn't that my whole family. You will pay dearly. Och! och!"

Footnotes

Commentary

This story appears to belong to an international folktale type that is known as the Tall Tale. These were told for entertainment purposes, and are deliberately outlandish in detail. The fact that cabbages are called barnacles, and potatoes are called cabbage hearts in the story suggest that the current example may be related to an international folklore motif, X1506 The extraordinary names. See Stith Thompson, Motif-index of folk literature (rev. and enlarged ed., 6 vols, Bloomington, Ind., 1955-8). This motif occurs in a tall tale titled ATU 1940 The extraordinary names, where objects are given unusual monikers. See Hans Jorg Uther, The types of international folktales: a classification and bibliography (3 vols, Helsinki, 2004). It is mainly found along the western coast of Ireland, with one example from Wexford. See Seán Ó Súilleabháin and Rieder Th. Christiansen, The types of the Irish folktale (Helsinki, 1968).

Of further significance in the story is the presence of Máire Ní Óráin, who lives in the most westerly house in Ireland. She is possibly to be associated with the character of Mór, a folkloric survival of mythology surrounding a land goddess of pre-Christian Ireland. Figures such as the Mór-Ríoghan and Mór Mumhan are avatars of this goddess, who in the case of the latter was said to inhabit a house in the far western parish of Dún Chaoin (Dunquin), county Kerry. The character of Máire Ní Óráin may potentially be such a figure. See Dáithí Ó hÓgáin, Myth, legend and romance (New York, 1991), 305-10.