Colmcille - Naomh nan Cruithneach?

Chan urrainn dhuinn an t-seachdain seo a' leigeil seachad gun aithris a thoirt air Colmcille, an naomh sònraichte a chaochail 400 bliadhna air ais bhon bhliadhna seo ann an Eilean Idhe. Ged a thàinig daoine roimhe agus daoine as a dhèidh 's ann aige as motha a tha an cliù gun d' thug e an soisgeul Crìosdail don chladach seo, 's e sin do dh' Alba.

Cha robh Alba ann an uair sin ge tà oir cha robh ann ach Dàl Riada, dùthaich caran òg far an robh na h-Eireannaich, no na Scuit mar a bh' orra an uair sin (às an d' thàinig an t-ainm Scot), air ùr tighinn a-steach agus Tìr nan Cruithneach a bha sgapte air feadh an cuid as motha de tir air a chuireas sinn Alba an diugh.

Agus ged a tha Colmcille ainmeil an diugh air son na rinn e gus an soisgeul Criosdail a thoirt don duthaich seo, bha e a cheart cho ainmeil na latha fhein air son a' phoileataics anns an robh e an sas. Gu dearbh, tha e gu math coltach gur e an tuigse a bh' aige mar fhear phoileataics a dh' fhag cho ainmeil agus cho soirbheachail mar mhanach e. Oir fhuair e cead dha fhein agus do a mhanaich an soisgeul a sgaoileadh agus eaglaisean is abaidean a thogail air feadh Alba as deidh cead fhaighinn bhon righ - 's e sin Righ nan Cruithneach, Bruide. Cha robh duileaghdasan cho mor aige le Righ Dhail Riada oir bha esan na scot agus bha Colmcille cairdeil ris. Bha Colmcille na phrionnsa air sgath 's gu robh e fhein de shliochd Niall Naoi -Ghiallach. Ach cha robh e cairdeil ri Bruide. Cha do bhruidhinn iad an aon canan agus le sin agus leis an astar a bha eatorra chan e rud suarach a rinn e fiu 's bruidhinn ris.

Ach a dh' aindeoin cho ainmeil 's a bha Colmcille mar shiubhlaiche cha d' thainig e riamh don t-Siorrachd Rois. Fhad's a tha fios againn 's e Inbhirnis an t-aite as fhaide tuath air a chuairtean. Rinn e torr siubhal air feadh Dal Riada ge ta agus chi thu sin leis na h-ainmean aite far a bheil a ainm fhathast ri chluintinn far an robh e fhein no a mhanaich.. Ach 's e naoimh eile Moluag a bha fuireach air Lios Mor aig am Cholmcille Agus Mael Rubha a bha fuireach sa Chomraich san t-seachdamh linn. a dh' fhag an ainmsan sa sgire seo.

Ach tha imcheist fhathast ann agus se seo e. An e an obair a rinn Colmcille le Bruide, Righ na Cruithneach a' fagail an taobh tuath fosgailte do Mholuag agus Mael Rubha gus na h-uiread de dh' eaglaisean a chur air bonn? Cha bhi a fhios againn gu brath.

'S tha rud eile a' tighinn a-steach orm; mur a robh Colmcille air bruidhinn le Bruide agus ag obair mar dhrochaid eadar esan agus Conal Righ Dhail Riada am bitheamaid uile gu tuath air Inbhirnis 'nar Cruithnich an diugh? Smaoinich!

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Columba - the Saint of the Picts?

We can't let this week go by without commenting on Columba, the notable Saint who died 400 years ago this year in the Isle of Iona. Although men came before him as well as after it is he who is most renowned for having brought the Christian Gospel to these shores - i.e. to Scotland.

Scotland didn't exist of course for it consisted then of Dalriada, a somewhat new country where the Irish, or Scots as they were called then ( from where we get our name), had newly arrived, and the Land of the Picts which covered most of what we now call Scotland today.

And although Columba is well known today for the work he did bringing the Christian Gospel to this country, he was just as well known in his own time for the politics in which he was involved. Indeed it is almost certain that it was his skill as a politician that accounted for his success as a monk. For he obtained permission from the King for himself and his monks to spread the Gospel throughout the land and to build churches and monasteries - that is the King of the Picts, Brude. He didn't have so much trouble with the King of Dalriada for he was a Scot and Columba himself was related to him. Columba was in fact a prince in his own right by way of his descent from Niall of the Nine Hostages. However he wasn't related to Brude. They didn't even speak the same language and when you remember that and the distance that lay between them, it was no small thing he did even to manage to talk to him.

However despite all his journeying Columba never seems to have come to Ross-shire. As far as I am aware Inverness is the furthest north he came on his travels. Hoiwever he did travel a lot around Dalriada (roughly equivalent to modern day Argyll) and you can see from place names where his name can still be heard where he himself or his monks were. But it is mainly two other Saints - Moluag who lived on Lismore at the same time as Columba and Mael Rubha who lived at Applecross in the 7th century that have left their names further north.

But there is one puzzle that remains and it is this. Was it the work that Columba did with Brude King of the Picts that left the way so open to Moluag and Mael Rubha to set up so many churches? We shall never know for sure.

Another thought has occurred to me. If Columba had not spoken to Brude as a bridge as it were between Brude and Conal King of Dal Riada would all of us living north of Inverness still be Picts today?? Imagine!

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