Scots Gaelic Song (an Eala bhan-The White Swan)

[flurpleparrot]

is that buckfast on the table? lol jakes =]

jk

[Wishuey]

As I recall, the bottle on the right was 12 year old Glenfarclas. Maybe the other one?

[Wishuey]

I see you`re from Dunoon; had a fine time there a few years back at the Highland Games

[flurpleparrot]

kl, still didnt answer my question tho =p

[Wishuey]

Ah, but I did. See the first answer....

[flurpleparrot]

ahhhhhh ok. didnt see it

[BillyHamilton]

You can keep your tv and playstations, I'd rather be sat in a room with a full hand listening to someone sing the old Gaelic tunes. Lovely.

[Wishuey]

Thanks. It was an unforgettable evening; only wish we`d been able to record the entire song and that the lighting had been better.

[pipersdaughter1]

this song was written for my grandmother formarly margaret mac leod of north uist

[Wishuey]

It is a beautiful song and I am sure you are justifiably proud of its provenance.

Have you heard Capercaillie`s version?

[Sheamusj]

Lovely!

Thank you for Canada!!

[Wishuey]

My pleasure; wish we could have rounded up Mary Jane for a repeat performance but she wasn`t about when we were last in Plockton.

[polarisreseau]

Celts are descended from the Gaelic, a descendant of Kurgan Indo Afghanistan, now they are Scottish, Basque, Irish, Dutch, Saxon, Frisian, Danish, West Norway, french, Spanish, Belgian, Austrian, Swiss, North -Italian, North Caucasus (Russia )...... Group I cro-magnon European former is represented by the old Norse and Germanic, he was ousted by the gaelic of their land to the north, the people were very primitive and late.

[polarisreseau]

c'est du celtique pas du gaélique car le gaélique sont des langues pré indo-européenne et le celtique est une langue indo-européenne!

Seul le basque est une langue gaélique et PIE il existe en Europe deux autres langue PIE, le finlandais et le hongrois qui sont comme le basque des langue de type ouralien mais pas gaélique. Mais il est probable que le celtique est un substrat de IE et de PIE

[Wishuey]

My French is all but non-existent but I think I get the idea in that all the Celtic/Gaelic languages, including Basque, may descend from PIE tongues.

It is a fascinating subject, some knowledge of which serves to tie us all together.

[Mekhaman]

Actually Gaelic (Scots and Irish) IS an indo-european language, from the Celtic family (Goidelic branch). Basque and Finnish, however, are NOT indo-european languages, the first a language isolate and the former a member of the Finno-ugric languages.

[Wishuey]

Clearly, I need to study the subject more thoroughly....

[Mekhaman]

Don't worry it is confusing even to experts ;-)

[polarisreseau]

in reality things are very complex

the people R and O, are the indo-Afghan stump (German Basque-gaélic Slavonic UK spain .......... R1) and (Pakistan, north indigo only, Afghan.... R2) and (huns, Siberian... O)

Vikings, french German, italics, Croatian, Iranian.... I ou indo aryan) and (Finnish N) and (Jew J, Lebaneses,sumer, Italians,berber, Bulgarians, Algerian, Turkish.... E ,semit)

Here are breeds 10 000 years before

[polarisreseau]

the evolution of the Neolithic is going to jostle everything because of new techniques, unknown words appear with domestication and agriculture, and the alone the languages survive the people of which have techniques, it is the triumph of the language Iranian indo but Phoenician and Basque seem not much affected

[Uladach]

maith thú a Mhaire

[dowhatucan]

beautiful song. 'the white swan'- a song of hope.what the world needs riight now.u hav a luvly voice.

[Scoob505]

Gaelic was brought to Scotland by colonists from Ireland towards the end of the Roman Empire in Britain. By 500 A.D. these Gaels had established their Kingdom of Dàl Riada, centered on what is now Argyll in southwest Scotland; in Gaelic, Earra Ghàidheal, "the coastland of the Gael." To Roman writers they were Scotti Scotia at this time denoted Ireland although these names cannot be traced with certainty to an origin in Gaelic itself. But from these Latin forms came the name Scotland.

[polarisreseau]

you should not interpret Celtic civilization as physical plague, but since a technological revolution, there has probably never been there Celtic breed, it is a mythology, and plague was that of words, of ideas of techniques and of the writing

[sailorsdoxy]

love your voice! and what a pretty son

[bb3ca201]

Lovely -- rinn sibh e gu brèagha...tapadh leibh gu leòr.

[lewis1936]

Gwan yersel hen.

[yazmac]

Iv'e actually just phoned my gran and she really likes this version. Is it possible to get a full recording? I'd be more than happy to pay if it is.

[yazmac]

Yeah, she has Cappercaillie (Karen Matheson), Donnie Munro and Marri Mc Kinnis thanks, she's particularly looking for versions by: Alistair Cardona, Tom Slosh and Ian Mc key.

[yazmac]

Very nice version of a beautiful song. Im actually looking for various recordings of this song for my gran as the songs about her mother - Maggie Mc Leod. So if anyone can be of any help i'd be very greatful.

[Wishuey]

Cappercaillie has a version, along with a translation, on one of their CDs.

[yvonnemurray]

I wish Mairi-Sine had sung this to us at Cross School! Happy memories of her guitar and voice in that classroom beside the canteen! Superb. :)

[Wishuey]

I`ll bet you know Louizalass....

[yvonnemurray]

Hmm, not sure if I do! I'm not from Plockton unfortunately :-D

[Louizalass]

Honestly! What you Plocktonians get up to after a few drams!

[Wishuey]

Why do I suspect you`re a Plocktonian?....

[reelintina]

Lovely, so haunting...

[skaindu]

Please continue this arguement in gaelic

[LLOYDMOLEMAN]

this is beautiful. it reminds me of gatherings we have

[Wishuey]

It sure is. We`ll be back in Plockton next June; hope to get together with Catherine, Andy and Mary Jane and record some more.

[Dheak]

I love Scots-Gaelic. I am of Scottish/Irish heritage myself. I've never had the pleasure of traveling to the old countries but would love to whenever I have the means.

[veggieville]

Moran taing airson a beautiful renditioning of a beautiful song. I learned the pipe setting last year and went on Youtube to see if there was a recording of the song. I particularly like the piano accompaniment and how it complements there lovely voice. It would be nice to hear it all.

[jonty717]

As a welshman I do laugh when I hear Scottish nationlists playing the 'Freedom' Card. They had a independent law system and a independent edcuation system for years, yet scots still let the Gaelic language get washed down the Toilet. 57,000 speakers out of 5 million people. So Sad.

[bekahdonald]

How dare you.If at University you did indeed study the language then you should know something about language loss and the many and complex contributing factors. Scots gaels have had to endure many attempts at cultural supression, and just as it seems a new confidence is emerging it seems people can't get enough of putting the people and its language down. I think you should look to what it is that irks you instead of looking to be so dismissive of others.

[bekahdonald]

I am glad its the death that irks you. Where do you stand on revival? Is it just a waste of time? Should the schools, College, departments shut down? Is Gaidhlig not just evolving into something else?I am not trying to be cheeky I am genuinely interested in what you think.

[macshealbhaich]

I wonder how much of your own history you know, how children were persecuted for speaking Welsh just as they were for Gaelic. Be thankful that you had an active Welsh Language movement decades before there was one in Scotland for the Gaelic. Your revival started in the 1920s. Before that it was just like you describe for Scotland. You shouldn't be too smug - it is only 28 percent of Wales that can make some attempt to speak in the Hen Iaith. We will catch you up.

[drunkenpiper88]

aye, wonderful stuff. It doesnt get any better than a good Gaidhlaig song.

[aodh78]

It is 'an Eala bhan' its a first world war song, written by a bard from North Uist who was sitting in the trenches thinking of his Peggy, and his home.

[Wishuey]

Thanks, aodh78 and 86imi, for the information. It`s a beautiful song, all the more so now I know a bit of the story behind it.

[86iml]

I think this song is caleld "An Eala Bhan" - The white Swan.

[msnguy16]

ciamar a tha sibh?

[Meredith1301]

Tha gu math, tapadh leibh. Ciamar a tha thu fhein?

[lampost1]

Math gu dearbh. Tha sinn ag iarraidh barrachd

[Wishuey]

Come on now...If you`ve read the other comments you know I don`t "have the Gaelic". How about a translation? My little phrase book does it English to Gaelic so I`m helpless...

Thanks,

Pete

[lampost1]

Very good. We would like to hear some more.

[Wishuey]

We`ll be headed back to Plockton in `08 and will do our best to get the Wills and Mary Jane together. Sorry it can`t be sooner.

[Rowan1992]

Och, tha i laghadh! 'S toil leam ceol gáidhlaig! My mum is a silver pendant winner for singing - I will try post some videos of her singing if u want :)

[Wishuey]

Please do! I`d love to hear it. Also, except for the "Och" and the "gaidhlaig" how about a translation? If I weren`t approaching my eighth decade I`d love to learn the language but, well, you know....

[Rowan1992]

Och isn't really a gaelic word :P It basically means "Oh it is lovely! I like gaelic music!" lol I am not very fluent in gaelic either, but I'm still learning!

[Wishuey]

I`m familiar with "Och" and "Gaidhlaig". It was the stuff in the middle I needed help with. I should have spotted "ceol" as "music" as I (sort of...) play the pipes and know that "ceol beag" ("little music") is everything but piobraireachd/pibroch.

Gaelic is a wonderful but difficult language, for me in any case. Little by little....

Cheers,

Wis

[jexplink]

Thank you from John in County Kildare. My Irish is weak at best, and I'm afraid my Gaidhlig is even weaker. Apologies for my "Caint as Bearla" :-)

[jexplink]

Go raibh maith agat. :-) John, Condae Cill Dara.

[Wishuey]

I`m afraid about the only Gaelic I have is "Slainte Mhath". How about a translation? Chan eil Gaidhlig agam. Faidh sibh cuideigin le Beurla?

Tapadh leibh,

Wis

[tradfolkie]

More please.