Celtic Junction Arts Review

Beannachtaí agus Mallachtaí na Gaeilge – Irish Blessings and Curses

Lavinia Finnerty

Beannachtaí agus Mallachtaí na Gaeilge

Tá Beannachtaí agus Mallachtaí le fáil go nadúrtha sa teanga Gaeilge más ag bualadh le duine don chéad uair nó go laethúil beannaíonn muid a chéile le beannacht cosúil le Dia duit agus Dia is Muire duit

Tá buíochas mór ag dul ar ndóigh do na Gaeil a chaomhnaigh ár dteanga agus a thug dúinn í. Tuigeann muid gur teanga ársa í an Ghaeilge a bhfuil na focail lán le brí. Tá sé ríshoiléir nach bhfuil muid ag brath ar chaint lom nó gann ach go bhfuil ualach beannachtaí agus mallachtaí san iothlainn againn.

Tá “well done” le cloisteáil go coitianta i saol an Bhéarla na laethannta seo, agus caithfidh mé admháil go mbodhraíonn an leagan nua-aimseartha Gaeilge muid scaití freisin, maith thú. An chéad uair eile a bheidh tú ag iarraidh duine a mholadh, fág an maith thú san íoslach agus in áit cuir an péire seo a leanas ar bharr do theanga.  

 Mo sheacht mbeannacht ort – Ní bheidh tú dá bheannú uair amháin ach ag cur do bheannacht seacht n-uaire. Tarraingíonn an focal seacht stair an teanga isteach i do bheannacht leis an gceangal atá ag an bhfocail le na finnscéalta agus na scéalta osnádúrtha.

Mo cheol thúTuigeann chuile dhuine againn go n-adraíonn ceoil agus dea-scéal croí duine a bith. Tugann an beannacht seo ómós do dhuine le cíbe rud atá déanta nó bainte amach acu sa chaoi is go bhfuil éacht iadsan ar nós ceoil don té atá ag beannú an gníomh.

Irish blessings and curses. Boy playing in yard.

Ó am go h-am tagann ráiteas nó dhó ar ais chugam agus cuireann siad síos bóthar na smaointe mé. Níl a fios agam go baileach an í an tréimhse ait ina bhfuil muid ag maireachtáil tríd faoi láthair a mhusclaíonn na smaointe seo ionam nó an rud a thagann ag duine le aois nó le gasúr. An lá cheana agus mé ag imirt peile sa gharraí le mo leaidín beag, thug mé faoi deara nach raibh uaidh ach an ceann is fearr a fháil orm. Chuir an meon sin ag gáire mé, níos deireanaí tháinig roinnt de na Mallachtaí ar ais chugam a d’airigh mé ar an bPáirc Peile sa bhaile roinnt bliannta ó shin. Ní chuimhin liom am i mo shaol nach raibh mo chloigeann is mo chroí tógtha ag an bPeil Gaelach, is iomaí lá a d’ardaigh sí mo chroí go rí na bhflaitheas agus chuir an bealch eile mé chom maith. Áit a bith a bhíonn coimhlint agus comórtas, is féidir filleadh ar iothlainn na bhfocail chun cur síos a dhéanamh air, fiú más mallacht atá i gceist.

Go hifreann leat! – Dá mbeadh duine ag cur isteach ort, d’fhéadfá a rá leo imeacht as do radharc. Seo bealach sonraíoch chun a leithéid a rá. D’fhéadfá a rá leo dul go hifreann, nó bealach eile chun é a rá ná.

Téigh i dtigh diabhail! – Ní dóigh liom go bhfuil aon difríocht idir teach an diabhail agus ifreann.   
                       
Go ndéanfaidh an diabhal cipín dod’ dhá chois – má fhaigheann duine an ceann is fearr ort agus má bhaineann siad úsáid as a gcosa chun é sin a dhéanamh, seans mhaith go mbeifeá ag súil go mbeadh cosa níos laige orthu ar nós cipíní.  
                                                                                                   
Go mbrise an diabhal do chnámha – arís má fhaigheann duine an lámh in uachtar ort in aon bhealach agus b’aoibhinn leat dá mbainfeadh briseadh cnámh leas as/aisti. Nó b’fhéidir go n-ardódh a leithéid de smaoineamh do chroí.   

Go dtachta an diabhal thú – dá mbeifeá in áit agus dá dtógfadh duine an briosca deireanach, chuile seans nach mbeifeá ar chomh intinn faoin gcinneadh a rinne siadsan agus bheifeá in ann é sin a chuir in iúil dóibh. 

Bheul tar éis an méid sin, ní bheadh aon chaill ar chúpla beannacht.                                                                                                             
Go mbeidh suaimhneas agat ag dul síos bóthar na smaointe –   Go mbeidh saol sona agat agus nuair a bheidh tú ag breathnú siar go mbeidh tú sona le do shaol.    

Comhairle na dea-mhná agat – mar is eol dúinn ar fad, níl aon chomhairle níos fearr nó comhairle dea- bhean. 

Go mbeirfidh muid beo ag an am seo arís – le cúnamh Dé, má éisteann tú leis an dea-chomhairle, beidh muid uilig beo ag an am seo arís. 

Déan do chuid fhéin de na Beannachtaí is Mallachtaí luaite taobh thuas, bíodh píosa spraoi agaibh leo!

Irish blessings and curses. Child, victory.

Irish Blessings and Curses

Blessings and Curses are a natural part of the Irish Language; even when we greet each other we do so by blessing each other ‘Dia duit’ and ‘Dia is Muire duit’

Much gratitude is deserved to the Irish who preserved and nurtured our language, who passed it along to us. We appreciate the Irish language is an ancient and expressive language. It is obvious we do not depend on bare scarce talk, instead we have an abundance of blessings and curses in what our ancestors harvested for us.  

The blessing “Well done” is all too common in English, we must also acknowledge we too are deafened by this modern version in Irish, “Maith thú”. The next time you wish to praise or commend someone for their efforts, please leave maith thú in the basement and use one of the following.                                          
Mo sheacht mbeannacht ort (My seven blessings on you / Bravo! Well done!) – You will not only offer one blessing but seven times that of your blessings and best wishes. The word seven connects your blessing with the Irish folklore and the supernatural tales from days gone by. 

Mo cheol thú (My music you / Bravo! Good for you) – Everyone understands music and good tidings raise the hearts of any person. This blessing offers respect to the person who achieved such goals and by doing so offers this blessing such actions created the delight of music.

Toddler with soccer ball in a puddle.

From time to time phrases come flooding back to me and sends me down memory lane. I am unsure whether this is the result of the strange times we are living in, age or motherhood that stirs these memories up in me. The other day whilst playing football with my little boy in the garden, I noticed his desire for gaining the upper hand. This mindset made me smile at the time, but later I felt the rush of memories and curses from the old Gaelic football pitch at home. I do not recall a time in my life when Gaelic football did not occupy my heart and mind, on many a day it brought me on a journey to unexpected highs and lows of equal accord. In any competition or contest one can use the vocabulary haggard to drum up the most suitable descriptions, even if they are a curse.

Go hifreann leat (to hell with you) – If someone upsets you, you may ask them to leave your view. This is a noticeable method to convey your message. Another way to tell them to go to hell would be Téigh i dtigh diabhail (go in the devil’s house) – I don’t suppose there is much difference between the devil’s house and hell.

Go ndéanfaidh an diabhal cipín dod’ dhá chois (May the devil make splinters of your two legs) – If someone succeeds over you in an event they used their legs, the competitive side of you might wish for those legs to weaken.

Go mbrise an diabhal do chnámha (May the devil break your bones) – Again if a competitor dominates over you, it may be your wish that a broken bone might help reduce their dominance. Or it is possible for such a thought to rise in your heart, not always in actions.

Go dtachta an diabhal thú (may the devil choke you) – If someone else takes the last cookie or treat, you may not agree with their decision, by using this saying you get their attention and get your point across.

Now it’s time for a few blessings.

Go mbeidh suaimhneas agat ag dul síos bóthar na smaointe (May you have peace as you go down memory lane) – May you have a happy life and when you look back may you be content with the life you’ve led. 

Comhairle na dea-mhná agat (May you have the advice of a good woman) – as we all know there is no better advice than that of a wise woman.

Go mbeirfidh muid beo ag an am seo arís (May we be alive at this time again) – May we live to see this day again, it can refer to a particular time of the year such as New Year, or a regular meet up. 

Personalize and make the Blessings and Curses above your own, have some fun with them!