Dualchas coitcheann Common heritage <strong>The</strong> meadow pipit (Anthus pratensis) is commonly known in Gaelic as the ‘cuckoo’s attendant’. Ruairidh MacIlleathain explores the relationship between two unlikely companions. 30 <strong>The</strong> <strong>Nature</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Scotland</strong>
Gocan na Cuthaig Tha abairt ann an Gàidhlig: Tha e coltach ris an t-snàthadag a’ leantainn na cuthaig. Tha i a’ bualadh air duine a bhios an-còmhnaidh a’ leantainn neach eile. ’S e an t-snàthadag (no snathag no riabhag-mhonaidh) eun beag riabhach, a tha cumanta air monaidhean na Gàidhealtachd, a bhios gu tric air fhaicinn, agus e a’ leantainn cuthaig. Air sgàth sin, ’s dòcha gur e an t-ainm air an eun seo as aithnichte a th’ ann do na Gàidheil gocan-cuthaig, a’ ciallachadh ‘gille-frithealaidh cuthaig’. Ann an Albais, bithear a’ bruidhinn air gowk and titling ‘cuthag agus gocan-cuthaig’, a’ ciallachadh dithis charaidean a tha an-còmhnaidh còmhla. Agus ann an Cuimris, tha traidisean car coltach, oir canar gwas y gôg ris an t-snàthadaig, a’ ciallachadh ‘gille-frithealaidh na cuthaig’. Tha an càirdeas ag èirigh bho dhol-a-mach na cuthaig, agus a’ chearc a’ fàgail a h-uighean ann an neadan eun eile. Ann am monaidhean na h-Alba, ’s e an gocan-cuthaig, a tha a’ neadachadh air an talamh, as motha a bhios a’ fulang san dòigh sin. Bidh na h-uighean aig cuthagan a tha ag amas air a’ ghocan, seach gnèithean eòin eile, a’ coimhead uabhasach coltach ri uighean a’ ghocain fhèin. Bidh na gocain a’ gur ugh na cuthaig, agus bidh an t-isean-cuthaig a’ cur nan uighean eile, no iseanan eile, a-mach às an nead. Gheibh e an uair sin biadh is cùram bho na gocain fhèin. Agus chan eil an fhoill a’ stad aige sin. Airson ùine às dèidh a bhreith, leanaidh na gocain a’ chuthag òg airson biadh a chumail rithe, ged a tha i a-nise mòran nas motha na iad fhèin. Bidh an gocan a’ feuchainn ri a nead a chumail am falach am measg fraoch, feur no raineach, agus e mothachail don chunnart an cois na cuthaig, ach bidh na cuthagan a’ coimhead gu dlùth air a ghluasadan, feuch an nead a lorg. Agus cha tomhais na gocain an t-isean-cuthaig anns an aon dòigh ri a mhàthair – bidh iad ga fhrithealadh gu dùrachdach. Eu-coltach ri nead a’ ghocain, chan fhaighear lorg air nead cuthaig ged a chumar sùilean fosgailte gu bràth, oir chan eil a leithid ann! Thathar ag aithneachadh sin anns an abairt: gheibh thu e nuair a gheibh thu nead na cuthaig, a’ ciallachadh nach fhaighear gu bràth e! <strong>The</strong> cuckoo’s attendant ’S e an t-snàthadag gu tric a bhios a’ frithealadh na cuthaig. <strong>The</strong> meadow pipit is a common ‘victim’ <strong>of</strong> the cuckoo. <strong>The</strong>re is a saying in Gaelic: Tha e coltach ris an t-snàthadag a’ leantainn na cuthaig ‘he’s like the meadow pipit following the cuckoo’, which refers to a person who is always found trailing around after somebody else. In addition to snàthadag, another common name for the meadow pipit is gocan-cuthaig [goch-kuhn KOOik] ‘cuckoo’s attendant’ because this small bird is <strong>of</strong>ten to be seen in the train <strong>of</strong> the much larger cuckoo. A similar expression in Scots is gowk and titling ‘cuckoo and pipit’, referring to a pair <strong>of</strong> inseparable friends. <strong>The</strong> relationship derives from the habit <strong>of</strong> the cuckoo laying its eggs in the nests <strong>of</strong> other species. In the upland parts <strong>of</strong> <strong>Scotland</strong>, the meadow pipit, a ground-nesting species, is the most common victim <strong>of</strong> this behaviour. <strong>The</strong> young cuckoo, once hatched, forces the pipit’s eggs or chicks out <strong>of</strong> the nest and becomes the sole recipient <strong>of</strong> the parent pipits’ care and attention. For some time after the cuckoo chick leaves the nest, the parent pipits will follow it, continuing to feed it even though it is now much larger than them. <strong>The</strong> meadow pipit tries to conceal its nest among dense vegetation but cuckoos watch the adult birds carefully to determine the location. On the other hand, the cuckoo’s nest is the best hidden <strong>of</strong> all, for it does not exist! This is reflected in the Gaelic expression: gheibh thu e nuair a gheibh thu nead na cuthaig, ‘you’ll get it when you find the cuckoo’s nest’ – i.e. never! www.snh.gov.uk 31
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