Politics, mortality and architecture

Earlier this week, one of the last great tradition bearers of Gaelic culture in Wester Ross died. Donnchadh 'Stalker' MacMhathain - Duncan Matheson - was many things. A thatcher, stonemason, craftsman and font of knowledge on the old way of life - including illicit whisky distilling. He was reputed to be an excellent poacher too. Stories on all of these subjects were often regaled in the idiomatic local Gaelic of Kintail to film crews, academics, Gaelic students and most importantly of all, local schoolkids such as the tale of local outlaw and illicit distiller Ailidh Mal.

A man of the soil certainly, but I doubt if he had time for the well-bred poshos of the Countryside Alliance, a group of people whose accents, if not politics, hark back to the lairds who drove our people from the land, replaced them with sheep and left their houses to fall into ruin.

Aye, death is natural. We all go the way of Duncan Stalker. But can natural death in old age be equated to institutionalised repression or official neglect that sees native indigenous languages beaten out of school-kids, local people unable to live in their own community and rich lairds dictating to local communities on matters that affect their lives and livelihoods?

Whatever conservatives and revisionists may say, people did not 'choose' to leave the Highlands during the clearances, unless escaping famine and forced 'relocation' constitutes freedom of choice. Equally, can it be argued that Gaelic simply 'died' when most native Gaels over the age of 50 are likely to have been punished or rebuked somewhere in their educational life for speaking their mother tongue?

Anyone can just go with the flow. Others don't. Some people form bands and produce challenging music. Some learn and use minority languages. Some bring up their children bilingual. Some people get involved with credit unions or charities. Some people learn their grandparents' language and design houses of the kind their grandparents may have lived in.

While searching for info on the late Duncan Stalker, I came across an interesting article written  by one of the architects involved in Skye-based company Dualchas. If you ever thought that architecture could not be revolutionary, read it:

On Skye we met homeless and dispossessed people who were living in conditions worse than what had probably been endured for over a hundred years.  An old shepherd who kept his clothes in a plastic bag to stop them getting damp in his dilapidated caravan.  He had been kicked out of his tied cottage when he retired from the estate where he had worked most of his life.  There was a young woman whose child was in care but who would not get her child back until she got decent accommodation.  She too lived in a caravan. In Skye there was a feeling of a community on the slide.  By contrast in Ireland the pubs were packed, the communities thriving.  But even then, back in the early 90s,  the beautiful landscape was being despoiled by inappropriate housing – alien to the landscape. However, at least Donegal had people. It was obvious that poorly designed kit houses was not the issue facing rural Scotland and Ireland as many architects seemed to think. It was the economy, the land, the people, the culture.  Politics.

The full article can be read here:

http://www.dualchas.com/Lecture.html

Donnchadh MacMhathain - clach air a chàrn

I'm not party political but...

...I would encourage people to vote for anyone but London. Admittedly, voting for a progressive party that does not have its political brain stuck in the corrupt Westminster sludge is easier in Scotland. If you are against sacrificing our troops in third-world countries for no obvious benefit to our lives here and against wasting money on weapons of mass destruction not to mention feeling a burning anger at politicians who line their pockets on our tax money....

You don't have to vote for a variety of xenophobic right-wing heidcases. No, the Empire is dead.

The SNP, unless someone can convince me here, is the most progressive mainstream political party in Scottish and UK politics. In the Scottish parliament, due to our fairer system of voting, you can also vote Green and still see your vote counted and represented. The Greens too have similar policies which would break up backward Britain and create an independent Scotland with progressive values similar to the Nordic nations. The Scottish Socialists too shared this vision and also had a significant representation in our parliament until they imploded due to having a leader with ego problems and jealous underlings who took the huff at the idea that he might have attended a swingers' club.

Unfortunately, voting Green for the Westminster parliament is probably a wasted vote if keeping out backward warmongering rightwing parties is your aim. The Lib Dems in England may be a good choice. But in Scotland, it is worth asking, 'what the hell do we need with a nuclear stockpile?' and 'wouldn't these £billions be better spent on schools, health and better public transport?'

Independence is common sense. Of course it 'works'. Does it mean that we'll all be rich? Probably not. But if other small nations can survive and thrive despite the boom and bust nature of international capitalism, and still provide excellent education to their kids and health services to all, then we can. I'm not voting for Salmond or his party. I'm voting for independence. I'm voting for no nukes, more community buy-outs, more Gaelic and bilingual education, a better NHS with no private interference, an end to people living in slums, cheaper public transport, more and cheaper renewable energy and most importantly, cheaper malt whisky.

Saor Alba is seas air ar casan fhèin.

Whiskies and their Gaelic pronounciations

Scotland is a country where most of the population cannot pronounce and/or explain the majority of her placenames. And it's not just in the 'Gaelic' Highlands - Gaelic names are found as far south as Berwickshire and even into Cumbria. Evidence of the extent of Gaelic speaking communities who named their habitat some 1000 years ago.

Whilst some names use archaic Gaelic and others have been Anglicised beyond easy comprehension, a knowledge of Gaelic is a valuable key to Scotland's core identity. Uisge-beatha is a good example. Many may mock Americans or Sasannaich for their perceived inability to pronounce 'ch' as in 'Lock Lomond' but many Scots are equally guilty of mangling their nation's topography. So, here's some thoughts on our Gaelic whisky names... in no particular order.

Allt a' Bhainne (owlt a bhan-ya) - the Burn of the Milk. The pronounciation of 'bainne' varies greatly according to the Gaelic dialect. In Skye, it is roughly 'benya', in mainland and 'standard' Gaelic it's 'banya' with a soft slenderised 'a' and in Lewis it's 'bonya'. Unless an expert in Srath Spè Gaelic can tell me otherwise, then it isn't 'vane'. A great name though. I've yet to drink from this particular allt.

Dailuaine (dal oo-ane-ya) - the green meadow. Many seem to have difficulty with the 'oo-ah'. 'Dail' itself is apparently a loan from auld Norse and common throughout Scotland.

 

Bruthach a' Chladaich (broo-aCH a CHlattiCH) - the brae of the shore. Pay attention, Laddie PR folk. There is no 'k' in your name! See above. As a native Gael from Port Weymss, just down the coast from Bruichladdich said when i queiried if the native Ilich had replaced 'ch' with 'k', "Amaideas!" (nonsense). The 'Brook Laddie' may wash with the English and American markets but let's face it, the Sasannaich and Yanks are to linguistic diversity and respect for indigenous cultures what Gary Glitter is to childcare.

Bun na h-Aibhne (boon na havfen-ye) - the mouth of the river. Usually seen in it's slightly incorrect rendering of Gaelic's notorious genitive case, 'Bun na h-Abhainn', you can see the correct grammar in it's Ileach neighbour 'Port na h-Aibhne' or Portnahaven. Take note. Meanwhile, for such blatant dereliction of our tongue's grammar, stand in the corner with a double dram of Ledaig.

Until the next time when i may tackle the likes of Auchentoshan, Bowmore and Edradour then you can check out the Scottish Place-name Society here, if you need guidance on the linguistic wealth that is Scotland's topography.