Alba, a' Ghàidhlig agus na Gaidhil – tro shùil nan Ròmanach

Published on Friday 13 November 2009 18:56

NOCHD Antony Kamm, The Last Frontier: The Roman Invasions of Scotland (Neil Wilson, £14.99) an toiseach ann an 2004. Seo an dara leagan, le mapaichean ùra.

Ged nach eil Kamm idir a' cleachdadh nam facal "sinne" agus "iadsan", sin an duilgheadas do-labhairt mu chuspair mar seo. Tha am fiosrachadh sgrobhte air fad agus tr chairteal den aircelas a' tighinn bho thaobh nan Rmanach, agus se na Rmanaich gun teagamh a bha an urra ris an agenda: a' toirt ionnsaighean, a' merrsadh, a' togail nam ballachan.

Mar sin tha sinn buailteach an sgeulachd fhaicinn tro na silean acasan. Aig a' cheann thall, tha fios againn c iad. Ach c sinne?

Tha Kamm 'na chlassicist a tha a' danamh a dhchill. Aig an toiseach, cho math ri caibideal mu na Rmanaich tha fear aige mu na Ceiltich. "The Celts operated an equal opportunities' society to an extent unknown elsewhere in the ancient world." Mun Ghidhlig tha e 'g rdh gun robh i air a bruidhinn san 16mh ceud le mu chairteal de shluagh Alba (bhiodh "crr agus leth" nas coltaiche 'na mo bheachd-sa, ach co aig' tha fhios?) ach gu bheil i nist aig nas lugha na 60,000. "Gaelic has, however, now been given legal status as an official language, and is being revivified, with a national board, new (state-subsidised) literature, and regular radio and television programmes."

Tha plathadh ann den leabhar a bu toil le Kamm a sgrobhadh ge-t, oir is iad an d chaibideal mu dheireadh "Pict and Scot" agus "Towards a Nation". Eadar an d cheann, an rud as motha a tha a dhth se tuilleadh air iteachan agus air ainmean nan treubh, leithid a' cheangail fhollaisich eadar Lochmaben agus na Maponi air a bheil e a' cur a chorraig.

Tha stoidhle ghrinn shoilleir shibhlach aig Kamm 's tha an leabhar furasta a leughadh ach car daor. Chan e esan as coireach gu bheil e togail tuilleadh cheistean na tha e freagairt, leithid: "The Attacotti, whom St Jerome (c. 342-420) claims to have observed in Gaul eating human flesh with every enjoyment, have been associated with the Western Isles."

Ouch!