III.—A TRADITION OF MORAR.
Mac vic Ailein of Morar (Mòr-thìr) was out in a shealing with his men, on a summer morning, and saw a young woman following cows, with her petticoats gathered to keep them dry, as the dew was heavy on the ground (a còtaichean truiste, le truimead an driùchd, g’ an cumail tioram). He said, “Would not that be a handsome young woman if her two legs were not so slender (mur biodh caoilead a dà choise).” She answered in his hearing, “Often a slender-shanked cow has a large udder[31] (is minig a bha ùth mhòr aig bò chaol-chasach).” He asked her to be brought where he was; she was his own dairymaid. She went away to Ireland, and named her son Murdoch after his foster-father (oide), whom she afterwards married. He was known as Little Murdoch MacRonald (Murcha beag Mac Raonuill). As he grew older his mother would be telling him about a brother he had in Alban (an Albainn) who was a strong and powerful man, and the lad, being a good wrestler, thought he would like to go and see him, to try a bout of wrestling (car-gleachd) with him, to find which of them was the strongest man, and watched for an opportunity to get to Alban. As there was frequent communication then between Ireland and the Western Highlands he had not long to wait till he saw a boat in which it was likely he would be taken. He went to the harbour and on reaching the boat, without knowing that it belonged to his brother, asked the first person he met, who was Mac vic Ailein himself, if he would get ferried across to Scotland (dh’ iarr e ’n t-aiseag). Mac vic Ailein said that he would take him with them. When they went away the day became stormy (shéid an latha), and no one who went to steer but was lifted from the helm,[32] Mac vic Ailein being thrown aside as well as the others. When Murcha beag Mac Raonuill saw that the strongest man among them could not stand at the helm, he asked to be allowed to try it. “You would get that,” Mac vic Ailein said, “if you were like a man who was able to do it, but when it is beyond our strength (’nuair a dh’ fhairtlich i oirnn fhéin), you need not make the attempt.” “At any rate,” he said “I will give it a trial”: and it did not make him alter his position (cha do chuir i thar a bhuinn e) till they reached land. As he was the best seaman Mac vic Ailein would not part with him. He took him to his house and entertained him as a guest. They entered into conversation and began to give news to each other (chaidh iad gu seanachas agus gu naigheachdan) till little Murdoch told him he was his brother and that it was for the express purpose (a dh’ aon obair) of seeing him he had come from Ireland, and that he would not return till they tried a bout of wrestling, since Mac vic Ailein was so renowned for his prowess, and he would find out what strength he possessed before he left. The heroes rose and began to wrestle, but in a short time Mac vic Ailein was thrown (Dh’ éirich na suinn, ach ann an tiota bha Mac ’ic Ailein ’s a dhruim ri talamh). “I am pleased to have taken the trouble of coming from Ireland (toilichte as mo shaothair),” Murdoch said. Next day at dinner they had beef on the table, and little Murdoch said, “Let us try which of us can break the shank bone[33] (a’ chama-dhubh) with the hand closed.” “I am willing,” Mac vic Ailein said. “Well, try it, then,” Murdoch said. Mac vic Ailein tried as hard as his strength would permit, and it defied him (dh’ fhairtlich i air). Murdoch broke it at the first blow. Mac vic Ailein then said, “You will not return to Ireland any more; you will stay with me, and we will divide the estate between us.” Murdoch replied, “I am well to do as it is (glé mhath dheth mar thà), my mother and stepfather have sufficient worldly means (gu leòir de ’n t-saoghal), and I will not stay away from them though you were to give me the whole estate,” and wishing Mac vic Ailein enjoyment and prosperity, he bade him farewell and returned to Ireland, and friendly communication was kept up between them ever afterwards during their lives.
NOTES:
[31] In the oldest known version of the Exile of the Son of Usnech (preserved in the 12th century MS., the Book of Leinster) when Noisi sees Deirdre for the first time, he exclaims, ‘’Tis a fair heifer passing by me.’ She answers, ‘Where the bulls are there must needs be fine heifers.’ This is one of the passages relied upon by Prof. Zimmer in support of his contention that old Irish literature is so extremely ‘naturalistic’ in its treatment of sexual matters that we must needs suppose the Aryan Celts were polluted by a rude and more archaic population. I confess I see nothing in either the earlier or the present passage but the simplicity of a race living, 2000 years ago, as it still in part does, very close to nature, and accustomed to frank speaking about natural matters. The whole of this tradition is simply the fitting into a local frame of incidents which are commonplaces in the folk-tales.—A. N.