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[4]

Ro-ràdh

Tha mothachadh air a bhith aig daoine do dh’uisge - no bùrn - bho chionn fhad’ an t-saoghail. Cha bhiodh beatha idir ann mur a bitheadh uisge; tha e na stuth a tha aig cridhe gach nì a tha beò.

Mar sin, chan eil e na iongnadh gu bheil daoine air a bhith a’ faicinn uisge mar nì cumhachdach, agus mar nì ris am feumadh ceangal làidir a bhith aca. Anns an dòigh seo, bha suim aig daoine ga thoirt do gach ionad anns an robh uisge - mar loch is abhainn is tobar/fuaran. ’S e àiteachan brèagha a th’ annta sin, mar as tric, ach tha mothachadh air a bhith aig daoine gur e àiteachean sònraichte a th’ annta cuideachd, agus ann an seagh bha daoine gam faicinn mar àiteachan a bha beò - beò le an spiorad fhèin nan cois, mar a bha an cois iomadh nì eile anns an t-saoghal aca.

Thàinig daoine, mar sin, gu bhith a’ creidsinn gu robh neart is cuideachadh an cois thobraichean, agus gum faigheadh iad slàinte no fiosrachadh no treòireachadh bhuapa. Ach mus faigheadh iad sin bha aig daoine ri dèiligeadh ri na tobraichean ann an dòighean sònraichte, agus bha aca ri cleachdaidhean a

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[5] leantainn gu faiceallach. Mura dèanadh iad sin, cha robh spiorad beò na tobrach comasach air càil a dhèanamh dhaibh.

Sgrìobh Banks (1937): “Wells, springs, streams and pools have been accredited with healing powers, wherever man has had ailments to cure, and Scotland with its numerous mountains and glens was famed more than many other lands for healing waters. Long before the Christian era, springs endowed with magical virtue were regarded as bringers of health from the heart of the earth. ” (125).

Tha e air leth duilich dhuinne an-duigh sinn fhìn a chur a-steach do na suidheachaidhean sin, agus tuigse a dhèanamh air mar a bha daoine a’ coimhead air an t-saoghal agus mar a bha e ag obair. Chan eil daoine an-diugh a’ faicinn cumhachd beòthail anns na nithean a tha mun cuairt orra mar a bha daoine roimhe seo. Ri linn sin, chan eil tobraichean no àiteachan sònraichte mar sin a’ ciallachadh dad dhaibh, ’s tha iad a’ dol an dìmeas ’s an dìochuimhne.

Ach bha uair ’s cha b’ ann mar sin a bha. Bha na ceudan air cheudan de thobraichean air feadh na dùthcha - thathar a’ cuimseachadh gu robh cò-dhiù sia ceud tobar slàinte an Alba air fad - agus daoine mothachail orra ’s a’ toirt àite dhaibh. Bha gu leòr

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[6] dhiubh air an ainmeachadh air naoimh eadar-dhealaichte mar Chalum Cille, an Naomh Anndra, an Naomh Rònan is mòran eile. An cois na Crìosdachd cuideachd bha mòran theampaill bheaga air feadh an àite agus uaireannan bha tobraichean an cois nan teampall sin. Tha seo a’ sealltainn mar a bha daoine a’ faicinn nan tobraichean mar ionadan spioradail a bha a’ dol làmh ri làimh le na teampaill. Bha na tobraichean nam pàirt faicsinneach dhen dòigh anns an robh daoine a’ dèanamh ciall dhen t-saoghal anns an robh iad beò, agus an neart spioradail a bha ga riaghladh.

Mar phàirt dhen chreideimh sin a bh’ aca, bha mòran de bheul-aithris a’ cuartachadh beatha làitheil nan daoine. ’S e beul-aithris a bha a’ giùlan an fheallsanachd aca. Agus, mar a bhiodh dùil, bha àite aig uisge is tobraichean am broinn na beul-aithris sin, agus mòran sgeulachdan air an ceangal ri cuid dhe na tobraichean.

Sgrìobh diofar dhaoine cunntas air an iomadh cleachdadh a bha ceangailte ri tobraichean agus an creideas a bha aig daoine annta. Sgrìobh Arthur Mitchell (1880): “The adoration of wells may be encountered in Scotland from John O’ Groats to the Mull of Galloway. I have seen a dozen wells in

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[7] Scotland that have not ceased to be worshipped. Nowadays, the visitors are are comparatively few, and those who go are generally in earnest. The object is usually the restoration to health of some poor little child. Indeed the cure of sick children is a special virtue of many of these wells. ”Agus sgrìobh J F Campbell ann am Popular Tales of the West Highlands (1892): “Holy healing wells are common all over the Highlands; and people still leave offerings of pins and nails and bits of rag, though few would confess it. There is a well in Islay where I myself have, after drinking, deposited copper caps amongst a hoard of pins and buttons and similar gear placed in chinks in the rocks and trees at the edge of the ‘Witches’ Well’. ” (2, 145).

Bha tobraichean rim faighinn bho cheann gu ceann dhe na h-Eileanan an Iar, ’s iad tric le ainmeannan sònraichte orra, agus fiosrachadh is cleachdaidhean nan cois. Ged a tha an t-eòlas sin air crìonadh tro na bliadhnaichean, tha fhathast lorg air cuid mhath dheth, agus ’s e sin a tha an leabhran seo a’ feuchainn ri thoirt còmhla. Chan eil an aon suim dhe na tobraichean ’s a bha; tha sealladh dhaoine air nithean mar sin gu mòr air atharrachadh. Chan ann anns an aon dòigh a tha daoine an-diugh a’ faicinn an

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[8] t-saoghail, ’s ri linn sin chan eil an aon eòlas anns na bailtean mu àiteachan no mu thobraichean. Ach tha tobraichean fhathast anns na h-Eileanan air Iar le sgeulachdan mun deidhinn a tha nan eiseimpleir air creideamh a bha cumanta mu thobraichean air feadh na dùthcha.

Mar eiseimpleir, bha ri ràdh gun gabhadh spiorad na tobrach oilbheum nan deigheadh tàire a dhèanamh air. Dh’fhaodadh an tobar gluasad no dh’fhaodadh i dùnadh. A rèir beul-aithris, ghluaiseadh Tobar Thòmais anns na Geàrrannan nan dèanadh bò buachair ro fhaisg dhith, agus theich spiorad Tobar Thiobartain ri linn duine a thighinn thuice gus leigheas fhaighinn do dh’each a bha le sùil cham. Tha cunntas air leth aig Màrtainn air tobar à Colosaigh a theich a dh’Ile: “A mile on the southwest side of the cave Uah Vearnag is the celebrated well called Toubir-in-Knahar, which, in the ancient language, is as much as to say the well has sailed from one place to another; for it is a received tradition of the vulgar inhabitants of this isle, and the opposite isle of Colonsay, that this well was first in Colonsay, until an imputent woman happened to wash her hands in it, and that immediately after, the well being thus abused, came in an instant to Islay, where it is like

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[9] to continue, and is ever since esteemed a catholicon for diseases by the natives and adjacent islanders, and the great resort to it is commonly every quarter-day. It is common with sick people to make a vow to come to the well, and after drinking it they make a tour sunways round it, and then leave an offering of some small token, such as a pin, needle, farthing, or the like, on the stone cover which is above the well. But if the patient is now like to recover they send of the water to be drunk by the sick person. There is a little chapel beside the well, to which such as had found the benefit of the water, came back and returned thanks to God for their recovery. ” (274).

Anns an aon dòigh, chan fhaodadh cù òl a tè dhe na tobraichean an Uamh Uladal, no thiormaicheadh i. Bha ri ràdh gu robh comas fàidheadaireachd aig cuid de thobraichean: an tè as ainmeile anns an dòigh sin anns na h-Eileanan an Iar ’s e Tobar Anndrais ann a Siadar, a shealladh an robh euslainteach a’ dol a thighinn troimhe no nach robh. Cuideachd, bha tobraichean ann aig am biodh daoine a’ seulachadh gaol no ag iarraidh gun deigheadh cùisean leotha: bha Tobar Chaluim Chille an Tangasdal air a cleachdadh anns an dòigh seo.

Bha cunntasan annasach eile air an toirt air cuid

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[10] dhe na tobraichean: tè nach nigheadh anart, is tè nach gabhadh an t-uisge aice a ghoil. Bha cuid dhiubh air an ainmeachadh mar ‘tobar nam buadh’ agus tha dhà dhiubh sin anns na h-Eileanan an Iar - aon an Caisteal Chiosmul agus tè a tha air leth ainmeil, ann a Hiort. Bha na Gaidheil ag ainmeachadh uisge a bha blasta leis an fhacal ‘fìon’, agus tha aon ‘tobar creag an fhìon’ anns na h-Eileanan an iar, an Uibhist a Deas.

Bha àite mòr aig feadhainn dhe na tobraichean co-cheangailte ri tinneas inntinn no daoine a bhith às an rian. Air tìr-mòr na h-Albainn, tha iomradh gu h-àraidh air dà thobair gum biodhte a’ toirt dhaoine bochd mar sin. B’ iad sin Tobar Mhaolruibhe air Eilean Mhaolruibhe agus uisge aig St Fillans. Tha cunntas tràth againn bho Pennant (1774) air Tobar Mhaolruibhe: “The curiosity of the place is the well of the saint; of power unspeakable in cases of lunacy. ” (330). Gach neach le tinneas inntinn a thigeadh chun na tobrach seo, bha e ag òl às an tobar is bha buinn airgid gan steigeadh ann an craoibh ri taobh na tobrach, agus bha ris an duine a shlaodadh mu chuairt an eilein ceangailte às dèidh eathar. Sgrìobh Arthur Mitchell (1880), is e air tadhal aice: “One of the things which the Presbytery of Dingwall (in mid-17th Century) deplored and sought to suppress was the

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[11] adoration of wells. Now, in certain aspects, this adoration of wells continues largely to our day. Even the very well on Innis Maree, which the Dingwall Presbytery had prominently in view at their meeting on the 5th of September 1656, still receives adoration. When I visited it some fifteen years ago, I found numerous offerings fastened to the tree which stands beside it. ” (149).

Tha an tobar an-diugh tioram ach tha daoine fhathast a’ steigeadh bhonn ann an stoc nan craobh mun cuairt oirre. Le St Fillans, is ann gu h-àraidh aon uair sa bhliadhna a bhiodh daoine le tinneas inntinn air an toirt thuice, a shireadh leighis.

Tha uisge Tobar Chùisdein anns an Rubha a’ tuiteam dhan chladach agus tha beul-aithris (agus Màrtainn Màrtainn) ag innse gu robh daoine a’ faighinn faochadh bho an tinneas inntinn nan seasadh iad greis fo shruth na tobrach. Bhiodh daoine a’ tighinn astar fada a lorg cobhair. Ach an cunntas as fheàrr a th’ againn mar seo, ’s ann air Tobar an Teampaill/Tobar Rònain agus Teampall Mholuaidh ann an Eòropaidh. Tha beul-aithris am measg muinntir Nis air a bhith làidir ann a bhith dèanamh inneas air na chleachd a bhith a’ dol, mun teampall ’s mun tobar seo. Thrus Màrtainn Màrtainn a sheanchas fhèin air

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[12] na bha seo. Bha an t-euslainteach air a thoirt chun an àite seo ’s bha aige ri òl ’s ri bhith air a bhaisteadh le bùrn na tobrach, ’s bha aige ri dhol deiseil mun Teampall ’s an oidhche chur seachad ceangailte ri taobh na h-altair, agus dheigheadh na b’ fheàrr dha nan deigheadh aige air cadal. Tha mòran sheanchasan eile co-cheangailte ris an àite seo: ann an seann shaoghal Nis bha an t-ionad seo na phrìomh shoillse a thaobh diamhaireachd an t-saoghail sin anns an robh daoine beò.

Bha daoine cuideachd a’ coimhead ri bùrn thobraichean gus leigheas a dhèanamh air daoine leis an tinneas thuiteamach. Ach bha mìr annasach eile an cois an leighis seo: b’ e seo claban ceann duine. Bhiodhte a’ dol dhan chladh anns an dorch, agus a’ cladhach an-àirde claban cinn, ’s ga thoirt dhachaigh. Bha uisge ga thoirt à tobar slàinte agus bha an t-euslainteach ag òl balgam dheth às a’ chlaban. Bha ris a’ chlaban a thilleadh an oidhche sin fhèin. Bha e anns an eadar-ràdh gur e claban chuideigin a bha air cur às dha fhèin a bu ro-èifeachdaich. Bha sgeulachd air a’ chruth seo air a h-innse am bailtean mar Borgh Leòdhais. Sgrìobh Anne Ross (1976): “The skull of a suicide, often filled with water from a holy well, was a known and much-believed-in cure for epilepsy, but

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[13] it was held in reserve as a final measure, when all other, less dramatic remedies had failed. In Lewis, the skull of an ancestor would be dug up from a special place in the graveyard, after sunset and before sunrise, and water placed in it from a sacred well; this was then taken to the patient and he or she had to drink it, the whole ritual, from beginning to end, being performed in silence. ” (80-81).

Thug an t-Urr. Uilleam MacMhathain an cunntas seo do Anne Ross (1962) co-cheangailte ri clabain is tobraichean: “A similar tradition was still current in comparatively recent years in the island of Lewis. An elder of the United Free Church in Ness had an epileptic daughter. He eventually decided to try to cure her of epilepsy in a traditional manner. Between sunset and sunrise and without speaking to a living thing, he walked five miles to the family burial-ground at Teampall Chrò Naoimh at North (sic) Galson. There he dug up the grave and removed the skull from it. He came back home with the skull, awakened the epileptic girl and made her drink from the skull. He then walked back to Teampall Chrò Naoimh to re-bury the skull. My informant did not know the name of the well from which the water was taken, but it is likely to have been a healing well and its name

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[14] should still be ascertainable. ” (36-37). Chan eil sinn fhathast uile-chinnteach gu dè an tobar a bh’ ann.

Bha na Gaidheil a’ creidsinn gu robh cumhachd air leth an cois ceann mhic an duine. Ann an seagh, bha iad ag adhradh don cheann, ’s bha e tric a’ nochdadh anns an ealan aca. Chan eil e na annas, mar sin, gu robh iad dhen bheachd gu neartaicheadh ceann an cumhachd a bha aig tobraichean; ’s mar sin bhiodhte a’ cur cinn dhaoine ann an tobraichean. Bha an cleachdadh seo a’ dol fada fada air ais ann an eachdraidh nan Ceilteach mar chinneadh. Tha Anne Ross (1976) ga chur: “It was a powerful and ancient Celtic belief, of which there are many examples, that by placing a human head in a venerated well, the powers of the water - whatever they were, healing in general, effecting specific cures, imparting fertility, and so on - were markedly increased by the magic powers with which the human head was accredited in the Celtic world down the centuries. ” (81).

’S ann à Barraigh a tha an aon eiseimpleir a th’ againn anns na h-Eileanan an Iar de ‘thobar nan ceann’, agus is tric a rinn Nan NicFhionghain à Bhatarsaigh luaidh oirre. Tha e na mhìorbhail gu bheil an seann chreideamh Ceilteach seo fhathast ri lorg anns na h-Eileanan an Iar sìos chun an latha

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[15] an-diugh.Tha eiseimpleirean de ‘thobar nan ceann’ air feadh na dùthcha.

’S ann à Barraigh cuideachd a thàinig an sgeul mhìorbhaileach mu choilleagan a bhith a’ tighinn à uisge tobrach, agus tha mòran air a sgrìobhadh air a’ chuspair seo. Chan eil lorg air a seo a’ nochdadh ach mu thobraichean Bharraigh a-mhàin, ach gur ann am Muile a bha cunntas Boece stèidhichte: tha coltas air an sgeul seo gun thog aon sgrìobhaiche bho sgrìobhaiche eile i.

Tha co-dhiù dà eiseimpleir anns na h-Eileanan an iar de dh’uisge nan speur ann an leac chloiche no ‘tobar nan cupan’ – ’s iad sin Tobar nan Cupan an Aird a’ Mhorain agus Tobar na Reulaig. Bha slagan no cupan anns na leacan, agus an t-uisge a ghlacadh iad air a chleachdadh an iomadh àite gus leigheas shùilean agus mar leigheas don ghriùlaich agus do leamhnagain. Ged a bha e cumanta gu leòr an àiteachan an Alba uisge nan speur a ghlacadh ’s a chleachdadh anns an dòigh seo, cha lorgar mòran fiosrachaidh air an seo anns na h-Eileanan an Iar an-diugh.

Ach a’ mhòr-chuid dhe na tobraichean, ’s ann ri euslainte no dèideadh a bha an cumhachd aca air a cheangal. Chan eil crìoch air na bha de thobraichean dèididh bho cheann gu ceann dhe na h-Eileanan an Iar

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[16] aig aon àm, agus tha cuid mhath air lorg fhathast. Chan eil fhios an e fuachd an uisge a bha a’ dèanamh beagan bòdhradh air cràdh an dèididh, no an robh socrachadh air choreigin an cois an turais chun na tobrach. Gus bith dè; bha creideas aig daoine gu robh uisge nan tobraichean seo èifeachdach fa chomhair cràidh am beòil. Bha cleachdaidhean cinnteach air tighinn sìos thuca mun dòigh anns am bu chòir dhaibh a dhol gu gach tobair; glè thric ’s ann tràth anns a’ mhadainn a bhiodh sin, mus biodh iad air grèim ithe, agus chan fheumadh iad aon fhacal a ràdh ri duine eile, air an t-slighe chun na tobrach no air an rathad air ais. Bha an cleachdaidhean fhèin an cois cuid dhe na tobraichean sin a thaobh cia mheud balgam a bheirte aiste: mar eiseimpleir, Tobar an Dèididh anns a’ Chnoc Ard an Nis, far an robh thu ag òl seachd balgaman, ’s a’ cur a’ chiad sia a-mach air lic agus a’ slugadh an t-seachdaimh làn-do-bheòil.

Cuideachd, bhathar ri tadhal aig gu leòr dhe na tobraichean airson leigheas dha iomadh seòrsa goirteas is tinneas, bho stamag ghoirt gu trioblaid sùilean no tinneas an t-siucair. Agus cha bu bheag na bha de chreideas aig seann daoine a bha a’ fàs fann ’s a’ call an treòir, ’s iad a’ miannachadh air leabaidh

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[17] ospadail, agus tric air leabaidh am bàis, gum faigheadh iad balgam fuar de dh’uisge tobar slàinte air choreigin a b’ aithne dhaibh nan òige. ’S dotairean aig amannan a’ comhairleachadh dhaibh a leithid sin a ghabhail. A-rithist, chan eil fhios an e buaidh a bha an cois an smuain, air neo gu robh mèinnearaichean mar iarann no pronnastan anns an uisge a bha a’ neartachadh nan creutairean lag seo. Chan eil mòran rudan as fheàrr le gu leòr a dhol le an sealghan na ‘deoch dhen bhùrn fhuar’. Bùrn a bha ‘fuar air latha teth samhraidh agus blàth air latha fuar geamhraidh’, ’s e a’ tighinn à cridhe na talmhainn.

Mar bu tric, bha daoine air ionnsachadh gum bu chòir dhaibh rudeigin fhàgail aig an tobar ma bha iad idir a’ dol na h-innimh. ’S e an gnìomh a h-uile càil: cha robh luach na dh’fhàgadh iad a’ tighinn a-steach dhan ghnothaich.

Tha cò-dhiu dà mhìneachadh air carson a bhathas a’ fàgail rudan an cois nan tobraichean. Dh’fhaodadh gur e tiodhlac a bh’ ann do spiorad na tobrach; a’ toirt taing airson an leighis a thug an spiorad seachad tron uisge. Gu robh agad ri samhla pàighidh a dhèanamh mus buineadh cumhachd na tobrach riut. Ach tha cuid a’ creidsinn gur ann a bha an

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[18] t-euslainteach a’ fàgail mìr dheth fhèin às a dhèidh, mar shamhla air a’ phian no an euslainte a bha e a’ fàgail air a chùl. Tha e coltach gum biodh an dà adhbhar toinnte na chèile, co-dhiù aig amannan.

Aon nì a bha fìor, ’s e gum faodadh duine rud sam bith fhàgail ri cliathaich na tobrach mar thabhartas. Saoilidh sinne nach eil rian no ciall aig na rudan beaga bochd a bha daoine a’ fàgail; aig amannan, clachan beaga no geugan fraoich a thogadh iad air an t-slighe chun na tobrach. An-diugh ’s iad pìosan aodaich is tric a chì sinn, crochte air preas faisg air cuid de thobraichean. Sin, no buinn-airgid, mar a chì thu aig tobraichean far a bheil daoine ag innse gu dè bu mhiann leotha. Tha tobar an teis-meadhan na h-oilthigh as eòlaich air a bheil mi fhìn: aig àm nan deuchainnean tha mòran bhuinn air a grunnd!

Le na tobraichean, tha sinn a’ faicinn iarmad de chleachdaidhean a bha uair cumanta air feadh na tìre. Bha an t-uisge air fhaicinn mar nì a bha beò agus cumhachdach, agus bha iarraidh aig daoine thuige, ged a bha cuideachd eagal aca roimhe. An t-eòlas a bha aca, ’s e eòlas air mar a gheibheadh iad slàinte is fallaineachd tron chumhachd a bha an cois uisge is tobraichean. Ged a tha fiosrachadh dhaoine air

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[19] atharrachadh na ghnè bho na làithean sin, tha fhathast mìrean air sgeula dhen t-seann eòlas, agus tha cuid dhe na tobraichean fhathast air lorg, ’s iad a’ togail fianais air àm agus dòigh-smaoinich nach eil an-diugh glè fhurasta faighinn a-steach air.