Cluas ri Claisneachd

Work began on the DASG Audio Archive in 2015 with the aim of making all audio recordings held in Celtic and Gaelic in the School of Humanities at the University of Glasgow available freely online. DASG is the Digital Archive of Scottish Gaelic, an online repository of digitised texts, lexical resources and fieldwork recordings for Scottish Gaelic. The recordings held by Celtic and Gaelic came from a number of sources but most were made during the collection process for the Historical Dictionary of Scottish Gaelic project during the 1970s and 80s. These cassettes and reel-to-reel tapes were then digitised in 2011 and make up our Cluas ri Claisneachd archive.

The majority of the recordings were collected by AJ Smith in 1972 in Canada and Angus Martin between 1974 and 1978 from places such as Tarbert, Loch Fyne, Gigha and Islay. The collection also holds cassettes made by CIN MacLeod, Sister Beaton, DM MacQuarie, Duncan MacLaren, Tony Dillworth and Nancy Dorian. Some of the tapes remain anonymous and so our hope is that the public will help us identify these once they are made available online. Cluas ri Claisneachd contains 140 hours worth of audio files, with 10 hours being made available at present.

Our audio files will be published freely online with a full, downloadable transcription, a detailed contents menu and subtitles. They contain a mixture of English, Gaelic and Scots and a wide variety of dialects and accents. This amount of work takes some time to complete and so, only 8 of our 147 audio files are being published at the time of the launch. Then the hard work will continue to transcribe, archive and upload the rest of the files. Efforts have been made to keep the website as easy to use as possible and any feedback would be appreciated as the archive grows and develops.

In addition to publishing the audio recordings that are already held in Celtic and Gaelic, the aim of the archive is also to publish and make freely available other collections which may not have had a platform to be heard by the public. We were delighted when Tracy Chipman contacted us and asked if we would publish her recordings, which she made during her work on The Hebridean Folklore Project. These files make up the Mòthan Archive and will be transcribed in due course, but for now, we have made them all available online un-transcribed as Tracy did not wish for them to be kept from the public any longer.

The Mòthan Archive

(Written by Tracy Chipman)

This collection of recordings was a fieldwork project that began as The Hebridean Folklore Project and was founded in 1996 in Eugene Oregon, U.S. by Tracy Chipman. Thanks to the support of dozens of good folks who believed in its mission as a cultural organization “to help keep Scots Gaelic folklore alive and accessible” both in America and Scotland. The Project focused on connecting with the tradition bearers from Scotland’s Outer Hebridean islands. A ‘Mòthan’ is the Gaelic word for a common butterwort, and was the name of a newsletter Tracy circulated about the contents of these recordings previously.

Field research began in 1996 and continued until 2004. During those years, Tracy travelled to the Outer Hebrides from the U.S. for varying lengths of time usually three to five months. In all season and all weather, she walked, hitched, ferried and bussed over the land, arriving to a warm fire to visit with good folk, elders and tradition bearers. They enjoyed hours of conversation about their homeland, their lives growing up on these islands, Gaelic language and the stories that swam both thick and tenuous through the years and generations.

On Barra, South Uist, Benbecula and North Uist, Harris and on Scalpay she was welcomed. Cups and cups of scalding hot, strong tea, homebaking (she put on at least a stone!) and sometimes she sipped a wee nip of the water of life, uisge-beatha. Sometimes, when the time was right, she recorded their stories, poems and songs in Gaelic, and if they were willing, in English as well. At the time Tracy was learning Gaelic and could actually understand much more than she thought. Sometimes a young person would join her in her visit. Sometimes Tracy told a story that she had heard in Barra to someone in North Uist. And so it went.

By 2004 thirty-four people had taken the time to sit with Tracy, offering a story to this Project. Some stories are personal narratives from their own family history, like the story of an extraordinary collie named Fly told by Hugh Matheson of Baleshare. Some are centuries old folklore, like the story of the Beasties Causeway told by Donnie MacRury of Carnish. Many of these story carriers and tellers have since passed on, and many of these stories have only lived in the telling, meaning they have not been written down.

The heartiest of thanks to so many from Oregon, Washington, Wisconsin, Iowa, Scotland and beyond. Also big thanks to master sound engineer, Tim Britton for his hard work and support in the digitisation.

Tracy is particularly delighted to be able to send these recordings back Scotland and the DASG archive and it is also her intention to find the living family members of those who gave stories for this project and make their recordings available to them at no cost.

All recordings are still owned by Tracy Chipman… but the stories themselves are as free as the wind to tell and share!

The Cluas ri Claisneachd and Mòthan audio archives will be launched on the 27^th of August 2018 at a special event held at the University of Glasgow.

Cluas ri Claisneachd

Thòisich obair air tasglann fuaim DASG ann an 2015, is bha e na amas dha gum biodh a h-uile clàradh fuaim ann an Roinn na Ceiltis is na Gàidhlig aig Oilthigh Ghlaschu ri fhaotainn air loidhne saor an-asgaidh. ’S e Dachaigh Airson Stòras na Gàidhlig a th’ ann an DASG, tasgadh air-loidhne airson sgrìobhainnean didseatach, goireasan leicseachail agus tasglannan fuaim airson Gàidhlig na h-Alba. Thàinig na clàraidhean a bha aig an Roinn bho iomadh tùs, ach chaidh a’ mhòr-chuid dhiubh a dhèanamh nuair a bhathar a’ cruinneachadh stuthan airson pròiseact air an robh Faclair Eachdraidheil na Gàidhlig (The Historical Dictionary of Scottish Gaelic) anns na seachdadan ’s na h-ochdadan. Chaidh na cèiseagan is na ridhleachan a chur ann an cruth didseatach ann an 2011, agus ’s iad seo a tha rin lorg anns an tasglann Cluas ri Claisneachd.

Chaidh a’ mhòr-chuid de na clàraidhean a chruinneachadh le Aonghas Iain Mac a’ Ghobhainn ann an 1972 ann an Canada, agus le Aonghas Màrtainn eadar 1974 agus 1978 ann an àitichean a leithid an Tairbeart, Loch Fìne, Giogha agus Ìle. Tha cuideachd clàraidhean ri fhaotainn bho CIN MacLeòid, A’ Bhean-chràbhaidh Pheutanach, DM MacGuaire, Donnchadh MacLabhrainn, Tony Dillworth agus Nancy Dorian. Tha cuid de na cèiseagan gun urra aig an ìre seo, ach tha sinn an dòchas gun tèid aig a’ mhòr-shluaigh air ar cuideachadh gus ainm a chur riutha nuair a thèid an cur air-loidhne. Tha barrachd is ceud is ceathrad uairean de chlàraidhean ri fhaotainn ann an Cluas ri Claisneachd, ged nach eil ach deich uairean ri fhaotainn an-dràsta fhèin.

Thèid aig a’ phoball air na clàraidhean fhaotainn saor an-asgaidh, cuide ri tàr-sgrìobhaidhean slàn a thèid a luchdachadh a-nuas, fiosrachadh mionaideach air gach cuspair a tha anns a’ chlàr, agus fo-thiotalan. Tha measgachadh de Bheurla, Gàidhlig agus Albais ri chluinntinn anns na clàraidhean, le farsaingeachd de dhual-chainntean agus blasan-cainnt. Tha obair mhòr an lùib a’ phròiseict a tha seo, is leis a sin cha tèid ach 8 a-mach à 147 de na clàraidhean fuaim a tha againn fhoillseachadh aig an tachartas a tha gu bhith againn. Cumaidh an obair a’ dol an uairsin gus tàr-sgrìobhaidhean a dhèanamh agus na clàraidhean a thasglannadh gus am bi iad deiseil airson a dhol air loidhne. Tha sinn airson ’s gum bi an làrach-lìn cho soirbh ri chleachdadh ’s a ghabhas, agus tha fàilte air beachdan air an làrach mar as motha a dh’fhàsas an tasglann.

A thuilleadh air na clàraidhean fuaim a tha aig an Roinn fhèin, tha an tasglann ag amas air cruinneachaidhean eile fhoillseachadh nach deach a chluinntinn leis a’ mhòr-shluaigh mu thràth. Bha sinn air ar dòigh glan nuair a dh’iarr Tracy Chipman oirnn na clàraidhean aicese fhoillseachadh, a chaidh a dhèanamh fhad ’s a bha i ag obair air Pròiseact Beul-aithris Innse Ghall. ’S iad seo a nì suas Tasglann Mòthain. Thèid tàr-sgrìobhaidhean a dhèanamh orra san àm ri teachd, ach aig an ìre seo, thèid am faotainn air loidhne gun tàr-sgrìobhaidhean, leis nach robh Tracy airson ’s gum biodh iad air an cumail bhon phoball nas fhaide na dh’fheumadh.

Tasglann Mòthain

(Sgrìobhte le Tracy Chipman)

B’ e pròiseact obair-shiubhail a bha anns na clàraidhean seo, a thòisich mar Phròiseact Beul-aithris Innse Ghall le Tracy Chipman ann an 1996 ann an Eugene, Oregon sna Stàitean Aonaichte. Thàinig e gu bith le taic bho iomadh neach a bha a’ creidsinn ann an amas a’ phròiseict, ’s a bha airson “beul-aithris Ghàidhlig na h-Alba a ghlèidheadh agus a thaisbeanadh” ann an Aimeireagaidh agus ann an Alba. Bha e na amas don phròiseact a bhith a’coinneachadh agus ag ionnsachadh bho sheanchaidhean nan Eileanan an Iar ann an Alba. ’S e dìthean a th’ anns a’ Mhòthan, agus b’ e ‘Am Mòthan’ a bh’ air cuairt-litir a bhiodh Tracy a’ foillseachadh le fiosrachadh bho na clàraidhean seo bho chionn bhliadhnaichean.

Thòisich a rannsachadh ann an 1996 agus chùm e a’ dol gu ruige 2004. Eadar na bliadhnaichean sin, shiubhail Tracy do na h-Eileanan an Iar bho na Stàitean Aonaichte iomadh turas airson greiseig, mar is trice fad trì gu còig mìosan. Rè gach ràith, choisich i, dh’fhalbh i air òrdaig, sheòl i agus ghabh i busaichean air feadh nan eilean, is teine blàth a’ feitheamh oirre aig gach cèilidh le deagh chompanaich, seann daoine is seanchaidhean. Chuir iad seachad uairean a’ còmhradh mun dachaighean, mar a chaidh an àrach air na h-eileanan seo, mun Ghàidhlig agus dh’inns iad sgeulachdan a shnàmh eadar ghinealaichean.

Ann am Barraigh, Uibhist a Deas, Beinn na Faoghla agus Uibhist a Tuath, Na Hearadh agus Scalpaigh, chaidh fàilte chridheil a chur oirre. Bha tì làidir, sgaldach ann ann am pailteas, fuine (chuir i oirre co-dhiù clach de chuideam!) agus uaireannan ghabhadh i balgam beag de dh’uisge-beatha. Nam biodh e freagarrach, chlàradh i an cuid sgeulachdan, dàin is òrain ann an Gàidhlig agus, nam biodh iad deònach, anns a’ Bheurla cuideachd. Aig an àm, bha Tracy ag ionnsachadh na Gàidhlig, is thuigeadh i barrachd dhi na bha i an dùil. Uaireannan bhiodh òigear eile air chèilidh còmhla rithe. Uaireannan dh’innseadh Tracy sgeulachd a chuala i ann am Barraigh do chuideigin ann an Uibhist a Tuath. Agus b’ ann mar sin a chùm e air.

Ro 2004 bha trithead ’s a ceathrar air ùine a chur seachad còmhla ri Tracy gus rudeigin a thabhainn don phròiseact aice. ’S ann a tha cuid de na sgeulachdan ag innse mu an teaghlaichean fhèin, a leithid sgeulachd mu chù air an robh ‘Fly’ a dh’inns Ùisdean MacMhathain anns a’ Bhaile Shear. Tha cuid de na sgeulachdan eile ceudan de bhliadhnaichean a dh’aois, a leithid an sgeulachd a dh’inns Donaidh MacRuairidh ann an Càirinis mu Bhiast Chlachan Langanais. Tha mòran de na seanchaidhean seo air caochladh a-nis, agus cha deach mòran de na sgeulachdan seo a chur ann an clò – chan eil ann ach na clàraidhean.

Mìle taing do iomadh neach à Oregon, Washington, Wisconsin, Iowa, Alba agus nas fhaide thall. Taing mhòr cuideachd do Tim Britton, sàr-innleadair-fuaim, a dh’obraich gu cruaidh ann a bhith a’ cur na clàraidhean ann an cruth didseatach.

Tha Tracy gu h-àraid toilichte gun tèid aice air na clàraidhean a thoirt air ais a dh’Alba agus do thasglann DASG, agus tha e cuideachd na amas dhi teaghlaichean nan seanchaidhean seo a thug seachad an sgeulachdan don phròiseact a’ lorg gus am bi na clàraidhean rim faotainn dhaibhsan saor an-asgaidh.

’S ann le Tracy Chipman a tha na clàraidhean fhathast… ach tha na sgeulachdan fhèin cho saor ris a’ ghaoith airson an innse agus an sgaoileadh!

Thèid Cluas ri Claisneachd agus Tasglann Mòthain a chur air bhog air an 27mh Lùnastal 2018 aig tachartas sònraichte a ghabhas àite aig Oilthigh Ghlaschu.