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- t See Rev. Allan Sinclairs paper in Celtic Magazine.
- * Rev. A. MacLean Sinclairs collected poems of "Iain Lom."
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* .Eneas MacDonell, 9th of Glengarry was raised to the Scottish Peerage in 1660 by the title of Lord MacDonell and Aros. In his famous poem to the owl the poet compares the owl to himself in his dialogue with her. He breaks out in praise of " Creag-Guanach," and talks of how fleeting is this world and life. He praises the deer, and addresses his favourite white hound with affection, and ends with some words of reproach to old age for taking away his strength. IAIN LOM (john macdonald). The next Cian bard was John MacDonald— '1 Iain Lom "—the celebrated Lochaber bard and politician, who lived in the reigns of Charles I. and II., and died at an advanced age about 1709 or 1710. He was commonly called " Iain Lom," or Hare John, on account of his never having had any bair upon his face, or from his acuteness and severity when occasion demanded freedom of speech. He was born in the Braes of Lochaber about 1624, and was a great great-grandson of John Ailein, fourth MacDonald of Keppoch. He was also sometimes called " Iain Manntach," on account of an impediment in his speech. The Rev. A. MacLean Sinclair, of Pnnce Edward Island, who published an excellent collection of his poems and songs in 1895, says that he was present at the battle of " Stron-a-chlachain," near Loch Tay, in 1640, where his father and Angus MacDonald—Aonghas MacRaonuill Oig—of Keppoch were killed. This Aonghas MacRaonuill Oig was mortally wounded at the battle of Stron-a-chlachain, and was taken by his men to a bothy in Coire-a-Choramaig, where, unfortunately, he was discoveied by the enemy and killed, hence the Lochaber song " Coire-a-Choramai"," from the death having taken place there. He muse have been then at least sixteen years of age, probably more, so in all likelihood he was born as early as 1620. Being a man of superior talents and possessing a large amount of general information he was intimately acquainted with all the political plans and movements of his day, and like the rest of his countrymen in the Braes of Lochaber he was a Roman Catholic, a keen Jacobite, and a very influential member of his party, while his earnestness and determination caused him to be feared and respected by those who knew him. Gifted with poetic powers of a very high order, and extraordinary power of invective, ne composed a number of very valuable poems, songs, and elegies, which were taken down from oral recitation long after the poet's death. The first thing that brought him into notice, beyond the confines of Lochaber, was the active part he took in punishing the murderers of the lawful heir of Keppoch and his brother. This massacre was perpetrated by the cousins of the youths about 1663. " Iain Lom " perceiving that the minds of the people were alienated from the lawful heir in his absence, he and his younger brother having been sent abroad for their education during their minority, and the affairs being entrusted to their cousins, who took advantage of the opportunity in establishing themselves by the power and authority they exercised in administering his affairs, and, in fact, suspecting what was likely to happen, did all in his power to prevent it and stood single-handed in defence of the right. Failing in his attempts to awaken the people to a sense of their duty, ne applied to the most potent neighbour, the Chief of Glengarry, but the latter declined to interfere in the affairs of a celebrated branch of the Cian Dughaill, and there was no other who could have aided him with any prospect of success. In this dilemma, and still determined that the murderers should be punished, and being disappointed with the action of Glengarry, he invoked the muse and began praising Sir Donald Gorm Og of Sleat and his son, Sir James, confident that the cause he espoused was honourable, and trusting to his own powers of persuasion, his overtures were favourably received by Sir James MacDonald, and measures were concerted for punishing the murderers, which met with Sir James's approval, showing the judgment and sagacity of the faithful clansman. A person was sent to North Uist with a message to Archibald MacDonald, "An Ciaran Mapach," brother of Sir James MacDonald, and a poet as well as a soldier, requesting him to bring a company of chosen men to the mainland, where he would meet with the Lochaber bard, who was to be his guide and instructor in future proceedings. In order to understand the state of affairs at this juncture, I may mention that "Alexander MacDonald of Keppoch—Alasdair nan cleas— had three sons, Raonull Og, Domhnull Glas, and Alasdair Buidhe. He was succeeded by his son Raonnll Og, who was succeeded by his son Angus. Angus who was killed at Stron-a-Chlachain in 1640, was succeeded by Domhnull Glas, second son of Alasdair nan cleas. Donald Glas married a daughter of Forester of Kilbaggie, in Clackmannanshire, by whom he had two sons, Alexander and Ronald. Alexander—Alasdair Mòr -succeeded his father. Alasdair Buidhe, third son of Alexander nan Cleas, had acted as tutor of Keppoch for a number of years. He was an ambitious, selfish man, and resolved to get rid of his two nephews, Alexander and Ronald, by 'assassination, in order to secure the chieftainship of the MacDonalds of Keppoch for himself. He bad five sons—Allan, Archibald, Alexander, Donald, and Ronald. Allan and Donald, assisted by Alasdair Ruadh Mac Dhughaill of Inarlaire (Inverlair), and his six sons, went stealthily to Keppoch House, and murdered Alasdair Mòr and his brother Ronald, who was only a young boy at the time. This horrible massacre was committed in September, 1663. ' Iain Lom's' poem on the occasion—" Mort na Ceapaich"—extends to 184 lines, and is a beautiful poem ; it shows the author at his best. He stands before us as a tender-hearted and faithful friend, a preacher of truth and righteousness, and a man of firm faith in a just God." The "Sìol Dughaill" from which Alasdair Ruadh, the instigator of the Keppoch murders was descended, were MacDonalds who came from Moidart to Lochaber, about 1547. Alasdair Ruadh was the principal man among them in Alasdair Buidhe's time, and lived as already mentioned at Inverlair. So well had the poet and his coadjutors laid their plans, chief of whom was the " Ciaran Mapach," that the assassins were surprised in their beds in September, 1665, and had summary justice inflicted upon them— seven in all—Alasdair Ruadh and his six sons. By dawn next day, so goes the traditional story, at Keppoch, their heads were laid at the feet of Lord MacDonell* at Invergarry Castle, by "An Ciaran Mapach," "IainLom," andtheSleatorUist men. On their way to Invergarry the heads were washed in a spring or well, since called " Tobar nan Ceann "—the well of the heads—and over which a chieftain representative of Lord MacDonell erected a monument with a long inscription upon it in Gaelic. Many is the time the writer nas ridden past this "Tobar nan Ceann," at all hours of the day and night and viewed it, and the old tree at Invergarry on which one of the Glengarry's used to hang some of his subjects with intense interest and wonder. From Invergarry John Lom and his men proceeded to Inverness by direction of Lord MacDonell, and an incident occurred on the way which shows the stern and satirical character of our poet. The man who carried the creel with the heads on arrival at the Inn of Cluanmore in Glenurquhart, threw it carelessly down, whereupon there was a rattling of the heads. John exclaimed on hearing it—" Ud ! ud ! nach còrd sibh ! nach còrd sibh ! 'sgur cloinn chàirdean sibh!" ("What! what! wont you agree ; wont you agree, and you being so near a kin."t) Soon after the above event the poet and Glengarry were reconciled. The chief well knew the influence which the poet exercised in the country, and had the prudence not to despise one so skilled in diplomacy. No one of his rank could command greater respect and deference. He seems to have been born for the age in which he lived, and the influence which lie possessed and swayed amongst all classes was very remarkable. He entered heart and soul into whatever cause he espoused, and was in consequence both feared and respected. It is alleged of nim that he was no soldier, yet he managed to set people against each other. Men of influence throughout the country knew this as well as the chieftains at a distance, and dreaded his influence accordingly. So great was his power as an indispensable agent to his friends that he received a yearly pension from Charles II., who made him his Gaelic poet laureate. He was the means of bringing together the armies of Montrose and Argyll at the battle of Inverlochy, which was fought on Sunday, 2nd February, 1645, where so many of the heads of the families of the Cinn Campbell were slain. The Campbells on hearing of the intention of their enemies to make a second raid on their country, marched north to prevent that course being taken. " Iain Lom" was aware of what was taking place, and hastened or sent a message to the army of Montrose at Fort Augustus with the intelligence that the Campbells were in Lochaber, numbering 3000 strong, under the Marquis of Argyll, who was burning and laying waste the country. Montrose marched back with all possible speed, and arrived at Glen Nevis on the evening of February Ist, 1645, and the battle was fought next day. In the meantime, Argyll, after committing his army to the charge of Ms cousin, Campbell of Auchinbreck, abandoned his men, by going during the night on board a boat in the loch, excusing himself by alleging his incapacity to enter the field of battle, in consequence of a contusion he had received by a fall. Montrose's army consisted of the Irishmen who came over to Scotland with Alasdair Mac-Cholla, the MacDonalds, the Stewarts and Robertsons of Athole the Farquharsons, Camerons, and others. Montrose won a signal victory. He lost only 8 men, Lord Ogilvie, a Captain Brian, and 6 privates. t See Rev. Allan Sinclair's paper in Celtic Magazine. January, 1880. Argyll lost 14 barons of his own cian, and 1500 common soldiers. Our poet having acted as guide to Alasdair Mac-Cholla in search of the Campbells, and not finding them at first, he began to suspect his guide, and declared that if he deceived him he would hang him on the first tree he met, "unless," answered the poet, "you find all the Campbells before this time to-morrow, you may do so." Before the battle commenced, Mac-Cholla said, " Make ready, John, you shall march along with me to the fight." The poet, who was a bit of a coward, was at his wit's end, but the thought immediately struck him that " discretion was the better part of valour," and replied, " If I go along with you to-day and fall in battle, who will sing thy praises to-morrow ? Go thou, Alasdair, and exert thyself as usual, and I shall sing thy feats, and celebrate thy prowess in martial strains." " You are all riglit, John," replied the other, and left him in a place of safety where he could witness the engagement. The poet accordingly had a full view of the contest from the top of Inverlochy Castle, which he has immortalised in his beautiful song—" Blàr Inbhir Lòchaidh "— * Rev. A. MacLean Sinclair's collected poems of "Iain Lom." Chorus—Hi rim, ho ro, ho ro leatha, Hi rim, ho ro, ho ro leatha, Hi rim, ho ro, ho ro leatha. Chaidh an latha le Clann Dòmhnuill. Ist Verse— 'N cuala sibh an turas ainmeil, 'Thug Alastair mac Cholla dh-'Albainn ; Rinneadh leis pronnadh is marbhadh, 'S leagadh leis coileach Strath-Bhalgaidh. Hi rim, ho, etc. Gth Verse— Dhirich mi moch maduin cheòraich, Gu braigh' caisteal Inbhir-Lòchaidh ; Chunnaic mi 'n t-arm a' dol an òrdugh, 'S bha buaidh a' bhlàir le Clann-Dòmhnuill. Hi rim, ho, etc. We are indebted to Mrs MacDonell, Keppoch, for having preserved a good set of this splendid song. The natives of the Braes of Lochaber still repeat these heroic verses to which the writer has often listened with great interest. The beauty of the language, and the boldness of expression, have seldom been equalled, and, perhaps, never surpassed. The poet's hatred of the Campbells was unbounded, and his satire against them on all occasions was most bitter. So keenly did Argyll feel this, and the influence and ridicule of such a bard, that he offered a considerable reward for his head. So confident was MacDonald of his own influence and the sacred character of a bard, that he repaired to Inveraray and delivered himself np to the Marquis demanding his reward, Argyll received him courteously, and took him through the castle treating him with the respect due to so influential a gnest. MacKenziein his beauties of Gaelic poetry, relates the following anecdote in connection with his visit to Inveraray Castle. On entering a room hung round with the heads of blackcock, his Grace asked John—" Am fac thu riamh Iain an uiread sin de choilich dhubha an aon àite?" "Chunnaic," ars Iain, "Càite?" "An Inbhir-Lòchaidh," "A! Iain, Iain, cha sguir thu gu bràch de chagnadh nan Caim-beulach ?" " 'Se's duilich leam," ars Iain, " nach urradh mi g'an slugadh," i.e., " Have you ever seen, John, so many blackcock together?" "Yes," replied John, "Where?" asked his Grace, "At Inverlochy," returned the poet, alluding to the slaughter of the Campbells on that memorable day. " Ah ! John, John," added his Grace, "will you never cease gnawing at the Campbells." " I am sorry," replied John, "that I could not swallow them. He composed upwards of 40 poems, songs, and elegies, and was really one of our first great poets. Many of his pieces are marked by great tenderness of feeling and religious sentiment, and others are full of satire. Of all his poems "Blàr Inbhir-Lòchaidh "—the battle of Inverlochy—is perhaps the most popular, one reason being that the air is a very taking one, and the words are graphic, and another reason, especially among the MacDonalds is, because the Campbells got slain in great numbers at the battle. His lament for Angus MacDonald of Keppoch " Cumha Aonghuis Mhic Raonuill Oig" is a very fine composition. It consists of 10 verses of 3 lines in each verse, and contains some very tender passages. It is strange that there is no lament for his own father, " Domhnull Mac Iain mhic Dhomhnuill mhic Iain Ailein," who was killed at the same time. In connection with his " Oran do Dhomhnall Gorm òg of Sleat," it may be mentioned that Donald MacDonald, 6th of Sleat, married Mary, daughter of Hector Mòr MacLean of Duart, by whom he had three sons, Donald, Archibald, and Alexander. He died in 1585. Donald, 7th of Sleat, Domhnall Gorm Mòr, died without issue in 1616. Archibald married Margaret, daughter of Angus MacDonald of Isla, by whom he had Donald. Donald (Domhnall Gorm Og), succeeded his uncle in Sleat. He was created a baronet in 1625 and died in 1643.* His " Cumha Mhontrois," elegy on the death of Montrose, extends to 56 lines. James Graham, Marquis of Montrose, was the only son of John, fourth earl of Montrose, and Margaret Ruthven, dauchter of the Earl of Gowne. He succeeded his father as Earl of Montrose in 1626. He married in November, 1629, Magdalene Carnegie, daughter of the Earl of Southesk, by whom henad three sons, and was hanged m Edinburgh 27th May, 1650. He had been arrested by Neil MacLeod, lith of Assynt, at Carbiesdale, in Ross-sliire, on April 27th, 1650, who received a, gum of money and 400 bolls of meal as a reward for his services. This Neil MacLeod afterwards lost his estate and died without issue in 1691. Served him right. "Tilleadh an Dara Righ Tearlach,"—the return of King Charles II.—extends to 60 lines, and is a fine composition. Charles II. returned to Britain in 1660, entered London on 29th May, was crowned in Westminster Abbey, April 23rd, 1661, and the Marquis of Argyll was executed in Edinburgh, 27th May, 1661. His elegy on the murdered Keppochs—" Cumha Do Mhac Mhic—Raonaill, na Ceapaich, agus a Bhràthair a chaidh a mhort's a' Bhliadna 1663," consists of 70 lines. One would have expected a longer song for his coadjutor, " An Ciaran Mapach," it consists of 11 verses only, of 4 lines in each verse. The third line in the Ist stanza— " Glòir do Dhia's do dh-Iarla Shifort," refers to his having been under the Earl of Sea-forth's protection. It seems that after the Keppoch murders the poet was persecuted and had to fly for his life to Ross-shire, where he got a place from Seaforth in Glensheal, where he and his family might reside until the murderers could be apprehended, as Seaforth, at the poet's request, had petitioned Government lor carrying that point into effect. The Government finding it impossible to bring the murderers to justice in a legal way, sent a " commission of fire and sword " to Sir James MacDonald of Sleat, signed by the Duke of Hamilton, Marquis of Montrose, the Earl of Eglinton, and other six of the Privy Council, hence the relations that existed between the poet and Sir James. Among his other poems are "Rannan Eadar Domhnull Gruamach agus Iain Lom," " Iorram," or boat song, for Sir James Mòr MacDonald, of 78 lines, an elegy on the same of 39 lines, and a long song of 128 lines to Angus MacDonald of Glengarry, who was forfeited by Cromwell in 1651. His estate was given to the Marquis of Argyll, who gave it to Sir Ewen Cameron of Lochiel, who gave it to the original owner. Glengarry claimed the chiefship of the whole of the Cian Donald. This led to a dispute with Sir James MacDonald of Sleat. There is also an " Oran " (song) and " Marbhrann " (elegy) to Lord MacDonell ofGlengarry, who died in 1682. One to MacDonald of Sleat of 17 verses. This was Sir Donald MacDonald who married in 1662, Mary, daughter of Robert Douglas, third Earl of Morton. The poet does not speak of him as the chief of the MacDonalds, but as captain of the cian. There is also a very long and eulogistic song to the M arquis of Athole, consisting of 21 verses, of 8 lines in each verse, extending to 168 lines. In his " Cumha do Ghilleasbuig na Ceapaich," Maclean Sinclair is of opinion that the 13th, 14th, 15th, and 16th verses may or may not belong to the poem. The 13th verse refers to Raonull Og, and the 14th verse to his son, Angus. The 15th may refer to Donald Glas and his murdered sons, while the 16th may refer to Alasdair Buidhe, who was drowned in the Spean river. His song on the union between England and Scotland, which took place in 1707, and was exceedingly unpopular in Scotland, extends to 112 lines, and his elegy on the death of Sir Donald MacDonald, tenth of Sleat, who died February 5th, 1695, extends to 96 lines. There is also a doubtful elegy of 96 lines entitled " Marbhrann do dh-Alasdair Dubh Ghlinne-Garaidh. This Alasdair Dubh of Glengarry died in 1724. If John Lom was living at that time he would have been 100 years of age, which is improbable. It is more likely that he died about 1710 as already stated, even then he would have been 86 at least, or 90 if he were bom as early as 1620. There were other very good poems by our voluminous author, but it would occupy too much space to notice them all. Our poet lived a stormy life full of danger, and political and domestic trouble, and died at a good old age, full of years, and honour, and fame, and was buried at Tom-Aingil in the Braes of Lochaber, where his grave used to be pointed out to the curious. Another bard, Alex. MacDonald of Glencoe, composed an elegy to him when standing on his gravet beginning thus— Download 4.23 Mb. Share with your friends:
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