We read a little about the taigh‑cèilidh (the ceilidh house) in A1 Cuspair 1.
In addition to singing, playing instruments and dancing, people would be ag aithris sgeulachdan (telling stories) at the taigh‑cèilidh.
This would keep the old stories going and reinforcing the Gaelic skills of those who were present.
Some of the traditional stories that we still have in beul‑aithris (folklore) are very old.
We hear different words which mean sgeulachd (story) in Gaelic:
sgeulachd (f)
story
naidheachd (f)
news, story
sgeul (m)
story
sgeòil (gen)
story
seanchas (m)
lore, saga, anecdote
stòiridh (f)
story
uirsgeul (m)
tale, novel
Many of the stories use nice expressions at the beginning and end of the story, just like sgeulachdan traidiseanta, (fairytales) in English.
Latha a bha seo …
One day …[past tense]
Uair dhan robh saoghal …
Once upon a time …
O chionn fhada an t-saoghail …
Long long ago …
Fada ro linn do sheanar …
Long before your grandad’s time …
Nuair a bha an saoghal òg …
When the world was young …
A bheil cuimhne agad fhèin air sgeulachdan traidiseanta?
Do you remember fairy tales?
Am biodh daoine ag innse, no a’ leughadh, sgeulachdan mar seo dhut nad òige?
Did people tell or read stories like this to you when you were young [in your youth]?
Cò mu dheidhinn a bha na sgeulachdan agus dè bhiodh a’ tachairt annta?
What were the stories about, and what would be happening in them?
Am biodh creutairean annasach annta?
Would there be strange creatures in them?