Mediaeval times

N

92

93

Regarding the chiefship of the MacDonells of Keppoch, the cian always reserved to themselves the right to have a say in the matter, as witness the case of Iain Aluin, who was deposed, irrespec­tive of the question of succession in the male, or female line. The Brae Lochaber people regarded the late Angus MacDonell XXII, who was doubly related to the hero of Culloden, as head of the house of Keppoch, and representative of the chiefs, and being in possession (though not as a

_E

roprietor) he was the man whom the cian would ave followed in an emergency. And they were equally emphatic regarding his son Donald, for when he first left home to seek his fortune in a foreign land, the whole of the Braes men went to see him off at five o'clock in the morning, and men of iron frame were shedding tears over the severance of the last link that bound them to the house of Keppoch, a chieftainship that existed for more than five hundred years, and when he visit­ed them for the last time all the people turned out again to receive him, gave him a grand ball, and had bonfires on the hills to welcome him, which they would not have done if they had not considered him " Ceann an taighe." The late chief of Chisholm, and the Macintosh, chief of Cian Chattan, claim through the female line.
ADDITIONAL MATTER REGARDING THE KEPPOCH AND SOME OTHER LOCHABER BARDS.

SILIS NI' MHIC RAONUILL.


* Variously spelt Baldornie or Beldornie, The Rev. Mr John Michie of Dinnet and Mr J. Davidson, Aber­deen, two excellent authorities, say that Baldornie Castle is in Banffshire, and Kildrummie in Aberdeen­shire,

This is the proper place to mention that there has been some confusion with regard to Silis, Cicely, or Juliet MacDonell of Keppoch. On consulting the Keppoch family, I was informed by Miss Josephine MacDonell that she was undoubtedly, according to the family MSS. and tradition, a daughter of Gilleasbuig na Ceapaich, and one of nine daughters, all handsome and highly educated for the time in which they lived, and had all been married to landed proprietors ; Juliet was not married to a Fraser but to Gordon of Baldornie and Kildrummie in Banffshire and Aberdeenshire, and was known as Ban Tighearna Bhaldornie,* ancestress of the Gordons of Wardons who still keep up the relationship with the MacDonells of Keppoch. She suggests that there might have been another Juliet from

Lochaber, a Cameron or a MacDonald, who married Fraser. of Moràgach Mhic Shimidh. If she had been married to a Fraser it must have been a first marriage, of which there is no trace in the family MSS. or tradition. We are bound, therefore, to conclude that the account given of her in MacKenzie's " Beauties of Gaelic Poetry " is incorrect. At the same time it would be interesting to know what evidence MacKenzie had for concluding that she was married to a Fraser.

It was to her husband, Gordon of Baldornie and Kildrummie, that she composed her lament, and on account of whose death she nearly died of grief. It was also about this time that she fell into a trance of some six or seven weeks' duration, some say longer. Her husband is said to have fought at Killiecrankie and Sheriffmuir. The Keppoch family believe that some songs were attributed to her that she never composed. They hold that her tone was a high one from the beginning. Another of her songs is " Oran do Dh' Fheachd Mhorair Mar, 's a' bhliadhna, 1715," in which she sends her compliments to MacDonald of Sleat, and his brothers, James and William, Alastair liath—Alastair dubh of Glengarry— Ailean o'n Chuain—Allan MacDonald of Moy-dart—An Coileach -the Duke of Gordon—the Frasers, Lovat, Donnachadh, Duncan MacPherson of Cluny, MacKenzie, MacLeod of MacLeod, MacKinnon of Strath, Chisholm, and Keppoch, &c, a very fine song of 90 lines with six lines in each verse.

She also composed a song of 8 verses to Alexander MacDonell of Glengarry. It is said that she was living in 1724, the year that Alasdair Dubh of Glengarry died, and that she also survived Lachun Mac Tearlach Oig, who died in 1734.

The following hymn by Silis, composed after she came ont of the trance, was taken down by Miss Josephine MacDonell from Archibald Mac-Arthur, Fort Augustus, in September, 1899.

Dith do bheath', a Mhoire Mhaighdean,

'S gile do mhac na 'ghrian,

Rugadh e Mac an aois 'athar,

Oighre fhlathanais g' ar dìon ;

'S iosal an ceum 'thug ar Slànaidhear

'Rinn tearnadh a Pàrras gu talamh,

Gun aon àite dha falamh.

'S aoibhinn an sealladh a fhuair i

'Nuair a thàinig e as a colainn, 'Ga shuanadh ann anartan bàn. Ar Slànair thàinig gu ar fuasgladh; Cha d'iarr Mac Righ na h-uaisle Cusan, no cluasag/'na leubaidh, Ach gu'n a thuit dha mhàthair Cur 'n a " mhangair" e 'na chadal.

Cha d' iarr Banrigh na h-ùmhlachd Uir ach 'na ùrnais 'na seòmar, Cha mhò dh' iarr i mnathan-glnn, Ach Righ nan dùil a bhi g'a còmhnadh, 'Shoillsich rionnag 'san adhar, Rinn e rathad do na trì righean, Thàinig iad 'na ionsuidh Le gaoil, gràdh, 's lo faoilte fìrinn.

Chruinneadh na buachaillean bochd

'Ghabhail fradharc oirre 'san tim sin,

A' cur nàisneachd 'san lag's an làidir,

'S gu bhi cho dàn air an Righ sin ;

'Nuair ghlac Herod 'an àrdan

Air an Slànair thighinn gu talamh,

Cha d' fhàg e mac a bh' aig màthair

Gun a chur gu 'bhàs le 'an-iochd.

Thairs iad e suas anns an teampull

Mar bhitheadh gnàth le chloinn Israel,

Bha e air 'aithnichinn gu'ni b'e ar Slànair

Le Ana agus naomh Shimeon ;

Rinn iad t' àrach, agus t' altrum,

'N àite athair agus màthair,

Theich iad leat do'n Eiphit

Bho Herod 'bh' air do thòir.

'N àm 'bhi tilleadh dhachaidh

'S a bhi caitheamh na slighe

'Nuair a sheall iad mu'n cuairt daibh

Tra dh'ionndraich bhuap' am Messiah,

'S iad a bha brònach duilich

Tra nach b' fhurasda dhaibh 'fhaotainn,

Miad's a rinn iad 'ga thuireadh

Cha robh an gnothach ach faoin leo.

Ach àm dhol deiseal an teampull

Chualas còin gu beathail

Measg nan doctairean teagasg,

'S bu deas a thigeadh a labhairt;

Sin tra thubhairt a mhàthair,

" Ciamar a thàineadh dhuit tighinn ?

'S tursach a rinn thu ar fàgail

Na trì latha 'bha sinn 'g ad shireadh."

A mhàthair, na biodh oirbh mulad Ged a dh' fhuirich mi 'san teampull; Seirbhis m' athar anns na flaitheas, 'S fheudar feitheamh anns gach àm dhi, 'S ioma fuachd agus acras Siubhal is seachran tiam haidh A tha agamsa ri fhulang fhathast Mu'n tèid mo ghnothach gu finid.

Thèid fhathasd mo bhaisteadh,

'S fulangaidh mi traisg anns an fhàsach,

Fulangaidh g'am naimhdean 'gam bhualadh

Ann am buaireadh's am pàisan;

Fulangaidh mi breth agus binn

'S mo dhìteadh le fianuis bhrèige,

Seallaidh mi gu h-umhal iosal

Ged a phian iad mi 'san eucoir.

Rinn e anns a' ghàradh ùrnaigh

'Chuir gu dlùth air fallus fala,

Dh' fhuilig e rithisd a sgiùrsadh

'S an crùn a char air gu daingean,

Chuir iad e bho Philate gu Herod.

Ag innseadh gach sgeul mar a b'àill leo,

'S tra nach d' fhuair iad mar bu mhath leo,

Chuir iad deise do dh' anart bàn air.

Thilg iad smngaid 'na aodann,

'S bhuail iad e anns gach taobh le'n dòrnaibh,

'S ghiùlain e an Crois air a ghuaillean

Suas gu cnoc Chal vary;

Dh' fhuilig e sleagh chuir 'na thaobh

Tàirnean 'na làimh's 'na chasan,

'S ghlac e an cup's an robh an t-shearbhag

Beagan mu'n d' fhàg an anail e.

Thug e mathanas dha naimhdean

'S liubhair e do'n Ard-Righ 'anam,

Thug iad sin bhar a Crois e

'S liubhair a chorn g'a mhàthair ;

Chaidh a nigheadh s a chàradh

Mar bu ghpàth le 'thìreadh;

Tha dòrainn bàis air dol seachad

Dìth do bheatha, a Mhoire Mhaighdean.

There are other versions of the same hymn. The version given in the Rev. Allan MacDonald's collection, " Laoidhean Spioradail," consists of fourteen stanzas.

The following fragments are from another poem of Silis, after losing her husband and daughter.

A' cheud disathuirne a bha dhiubh Chuir mi Ann anns an ùir, 'N a dhisathuirne 'na dheigh Thug mi liubhairt do Mhac Dhè 'Us m' fhear-an-taighe bhuam. Thug mi liubhart ga mo ghaoil Measg nan aingeal's nan naomh Far an gabhadh iad caomh riut Ann am flaitheanas.

'S tric a shuidhe thu aig mo cheann G' am faicinns' leth bheò, Thu nach cunntadh stòras a Chlòthadh rium, etc.

KEPPOCH SONGS.

" Moladh do Fhear na Ceapaich's do'n phìob," by Iain MacAilein, is a song of 64 lines, the first stanza of which is—

'Ghillcasbuig, mo bheannachd ri m' bheò

Dh'fhear aithris do ghnìomh,

Bhrigh os ceann na chual thu de cheòl,

Thug thu'n t-urram do'n phìob ;

Cha chuala luchd-teud sgainneil do bheòil,

'S tu 'bu ro-mhath g'an dìol;

Ach e ;u'm b' fheàrr leat ealaidh a bhrosnachadh

slòigh Na sochair gach sith.