Happy "Gaelic Awareness Month"!
The Gaelic symbol—a salmon in the shape of the letter “G”:
• the salmon for the gift of knowledge in the Gaelic traditions
of Nova Scotia, Scotland, Ireland, and the Isle of Man
• the “G” for the Gaelic language
• the ripples for the manifestations of the language through
song, story, music, dance, and custom and belief
system
That salmon is important to the Gaels goes way back to the
legend of Fionn McCool and the Salmon of Knowledge. As a
young man, Fionn was sent to study under the wise man
Finegas who lived by the river. Now Finegas had been watching
for the Salmon of Knowledge for seven years, but after Fionn
joined him as a disciple, the salmon was soon caught. Finegas
gave it to Fionn to cook, warning him to eat none of it. As Fionn
turned the fish on the fire, he burned his thumb and quickly put
his thumb in his mouth to soothe the pain.
When Finegas saw Fionn coming with the cooked fish, he knew
that something had happened, for Fionn had a special look
about him. Finegas questioned him and learned about the
burned thumb. He realized that it was Fionn who was destined
to eat of the Salmon of Knowledge, not himself.
Then he said to the lad who stood by obediently, "Take the
salmon and eat it, Fionn, son of Cumhal, for to you the
prophecy is come.” Fionn ate the salmon and became the
wisest and bravest of men, with the gift of seeing into the past
and into the future.
--bradan ann a cruth na litreach “G”:
• am bradan, airson tiodhlac an fhiosa ann a’ dualchas Gàidhlig
na h-Albann Nuaidhe, na h-Albann, na h-Éireann, agus Eilean
Mhanainn;
• an litir “G”, airson na Gàidhlig fhéin;
• na cuartagan, airson taisbeanadh na cànain ann an òran,
sgeulachd, ceòl, dannsa, agus ann a’ cleachdaidhean is
creideamh.
Tha suim nan Gàidheal anns a’ bhradan a’ dol air ais gu
fionnsgeul Fhionn MhicCumhail agus Bradan an Fhiosa. Nuair a
bha e ’na ghill’ òg, chuireadh Fionn a dh’ ionnsachadh còmhla
ri Finegas, fear glic a bha a’ fuireachd ri taobh na h-aibhne. Anis,
bha Finegas air a bhith a’ cumail sùil air Bradan an Fhiosa
fad seachd bliadhna, ach ás déidh do Fhionn tighinn mar fhearleanmhainn
dhà,
chaidh am bradan a ghlacadh ann an ùine
chaidh am bradan a ghlacadh ann an ùine
ghoirid. Thug Finegas am bradan do Fhionn gus a bhruich, a’
toirt rabhadh dha gun phioc dheth ’ithe. Nuair a bha Fionn ’ga
thionndadh air an teine, loisg e ’òrdag agus gu luath chuir e
’òrdag ’na bheul gus a’ phian a lasachadh. Nuair a chunnaic
Finegas Fionn a’ tighinn leis a’ bhradan air a bhruich,
dh’aithnich e gu robh rudaigin air tachairt, oir bha fiamh àraid
air Fionn. Nuair a cheasnaich Finegas e, dh’ionnsaich e mar a
loisg Fionn ’òrdag. Thuig e gu robh e an dàn do Fhionn am
bradan ’ithe, ’s nach robh e an dàn dhà-san. Mar sin, thuirt e
ris a’ ghille, a bha ’na sheasamh ri ’thaobh gu h-iriseal, “Thoir
leat am bradan agus ith e, Fhionn MhicCumhail, oir ’s ann ortsa
a tha an fhàisneachd air nochdadh.” Dh’ith Fionn am bradan
agus bho ’n uair sin, bha e ’na dhuin’ a bu ghlice ’s a bu
thréine, le buadh faicinn dhan àm a dh’ aom ’s dhan àm ri
teachd.
Office of Gaelic Affairs. Crown copyright ©
2007-2011, Province of Nova Scotia, all rights
reserved.
