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Cad a imeartha roimh an Cogadh Cluana Tarbh?

Foghlaim go deanaí faoi an focal "fidchell," (nó, "ficheall" as caighdeán= "feasa choill"). B'fhéidir, sular tagtha Uigingeach, d'imir fír Eireann an cluiche Ceilteach leis bord agus fír leis marcalálaim pointí. Go cinnte, bhí Éireannach ársa acusan féin cluiche difrúil ar aghaidh "chess" Eorpanach. Sílim go raibh shrioch "chess" ina dhiadh na Normanach.

Mar sin féin, tagann "chess" go dtí go luath? Is iontach liom. Tá focal amháin as Gaeilge faoi beirt cluiche seo leis clár imeartha leis fír. Is cluiche anallód é "fidchell." Agus, tá cluiche anois, atá "chess" Eorpanach. Is Indiach ó bhunús, nó Sineach ar dtus. Measaim go raibh a tugtha Uigingigh uaidh bealach hAn Rúis ó tír na hAraibe.

Ár ndoigh, sin í an fhadhb. Tá focal amháin leis dhá ciall. Gheobhaidh tú nuair ag léamh scéal An Mheánaois a aistríodh ón nGaeilge an leagan cainte céann. Tuigimid go raibh cluichí éagsúlaí fadó. Ach, choimeáin cluiche nua an focal atá úsáid leis na sean-cluiche.

Scríobh Seathrún Céitinn stair sheanchas Éireann Gaelach riamh faighte sé bás 1650. D'inis sé againn, ina "Forus Feasa na hÉirinn," faoi Maolmórdha, rí Laighean. Bhí sé ar cuaird lá i gcúirt Bhriain Bóramha (a bhí 'na rí ar Cúige Mumhan agus árd-rí ar Éirinn on mbliain 1002 amach). I rith an tráthnóna i gCeann Coradh ina gClár í 1013, thug mac le Bhriain, Murrough, masla dhó, Maolmórdha. D'imir cluiche sin Murrough agus Conaing, mac le Donn Chuan-- nó dúirt eile-- aba Ghleann Dhá Loch a imeartha ar aghaidh Murrough!

Bheul, do ghlac Maolmórdha fearg agus d'imthighe sé leis abhaile ar intinn cogadh a chur a Bhriain. Bhí na Lochlannaigh, leis fír ó Shasana, ó Albain, ón Ioruaidh, ón tSualainn, ón bhFrainnc, ó Oileán Mhanainn, ó Insidh Gall agus Orc, agus ó áiteannaí eile, go cuan Áta Cliath i n-earrac na bliana 1014. Bhí na sluagh Mhaolmórdha agus Laighnigh a neartuigh sin. Tháinig siad go Cluain Tarbh ar aghaidh Briain Bóramha agus Maoilsheachlainn II (a bhí 'na Árd-Rí riamh a bhris Brian sa bhlian 999).

Léanim ina teacs scoile ó 1933 le Micheál Ó Siochfhradha: "Ní rhó shaor a chuadar as an gcath." Bhí an lá leis na Gaedhil, ach fuair sé bás Brian. Chaill Lochlannaigh agus Laighean. Ceapaim go raibh "fidchell" nó "chess" a imeartha riamh na cogadh sin. Is dócha go sean-cluiche. Is é is dóichí go cluiche nua ag tosaithe ag dulta go dtí Éirinn an am seo.

Tá comartha go buanseasmhachtha, go deimhin. Bhí coimhlint ghéar sa dhá cluiche, idir "fidchell" agus "chess," idir Lochlannaigh agus Éireannach. Foghlaimeoidh go leor fúthu nuair rachaidh mé ar an Leabharlann Huntington inniu go congarach.

What was played before the Battle of Clontarf?

I am studying lately about the word "fidchell,"(or, in Standard [Irish], "ficheall"= "wisdom of wood"). Perhaps, prior to the coming of the Vikings, the men of Ireland played a Celtic game with a board and with men with pegs. Surely, the ancient Irish themselves had a different game as opposed to European "chess." I think that "chess" arrived after the Normans.

All the same, did "chess" come over earlier? I wonder. There's a single word in Irish concerning this pair of games with a playing board and men. From "days of yore," the game's "fidchell." And, there's the game now, which is European "chess." It's originally Indian, or Chinese at the start. I reckon that Vikings took it by way of Russia from the land of the Arabians.

Of course, that's the crux. There's only one word with two senses. You will find when reading a story from the Middle Ages translated from the Irish the same turn of speech. We understand that there were various games long ago. But the new game kept the word which was used for the old game.

Geoffrey Keating wrote a narrative history of Gaelic Ireland before death took him in 1650. He told us, in "The Principles of Knowledge in Ireland," about Maol Mórdha, Leinster's king. He visited one day the court of Brian Ború (who was the king of Munster and high-king of Ireland from the year 1002 on). It happened one evening in Kincora in Clare in 1013, Brian's son, Murrough, gave offense to him, Maol Mórdha. Murrough and Conaing, Donn Cuan's son were playing that game-- or others say-- Glendalough's abbot while playing against Murrough!

Well, Maol Mórdha grew angry and he went off home and prepared to give battle against Brian. The Norsemen (="Lakemen"), with men from England, Scotland, Norway, Sweden, France, the Isle of Man, and the Shetland and Orkney Islands, and other places, went to Dublin harbor in the spring of the year 1014. The hosts of Maol Mórdha and Leinster gathered. They came to Clontarf against Brian Ború and Malachy II (who was high-king before he was defeated by Brian in the year 999).

I read in a school-text from 1933 by Micheal Ó Siochfhrada: "It was no cheap victory [gained from the day's battle]." It was a day for the Gael, but Brian died. The Norsemen and Leinster lost. I ponder whether "fidchell" or "chess" may have been played before that battle. It's likely that it was an old game. It's quite probable that the new game started coming into Ireland at this time.

It's an enduring symbol, indeed. It was a well-contested match between two games, between "fidchell" and "chess," between Northmen and Irishmen. I'll learn more about this today when I go to the Huntington Library nearby.

Griangraf/ Photo: Féic go leor/Look for more: Fichillín Oileáin Lheodais/"Isle of Lewis Chessmen"