Tàladh Chrìosda ('Christ's lullaby') is the popular name for theScottish GaelicChristmas carolTàladh ar Slànaigheir ('the Lullaby of our Saviour'). It is traditionally sung atMidnight Mass in theOuter Hebrides in Scotland. The 29 verses of the hymn date from the 19th century and are intended to represent alullaby for theChrist Child by theBlessed Virgin.
The same hymn was popularised throughout theAnglosphere during the early 20th century byMarjory Kennedy-Fraser as anart song with translated lyrics and the titleThe Christ-Child's Lullaby.
The song was written down from theoral tradition byAllan MacDonald (1859-1905), one of the most important figures in modernScottish Gaelic literature andCeltic studies, and appeared in his 1893 Catholichymnal in Gaelic. Americanethnomusicologist Amy Murray first heard the lullaby being sung from thechoir loft ofSt Michael's Roman Catholic Church uponEriskay. Deeply moved, she asked Father Allan afterwards whether it was another of his translations ofGregorian chant into Scottish Gaelic. MacDonald made a face and admitted that he had transcribed the music and lyrics after hearing the lullaby sung bytraditional singers inside aceilidh house and had included both in his hymnal. MacDonald admitted, however, to preferring the now lost way it had previously been sung and expressed a belief that its adaptation to choral performance atMass had harmed the lullaby significantly.[1]
The words are believed to have been written byRanald Rankin (c.1785-1863) (Scottish Gaelic:Maighstir Raonall, An t-Urramach Raonall Mac Raing), aRoman Catholic priest fromFort William, Scotland. Like other priests of his generation, Rankin grew up and studied for his vocation covertly, as both thePenal Laws and thereligious persecution of the illegalCatholic Church in Scotland were in place. He first attended the secretLismore Seminary before being sent to continue his studies inSpain at theRoyal Scots College inValladolid.[2]
After his ordination and return to Scotland, Rankin served between 1827 and 1838 among the Catholics ofBadenoch. Rankin was transferred to Moidart in 1838.[3]
AtFort William inMoidart, Rankin was documented by the succeeding parish priest, Hugh Chisholm, as having served the parish between 1838 and 25 July 1855. It is believed that the hymn was composed shortly before the latter date.
The hymn is believed to have been composed shortly before Rankin emigrated toAustralia and became a missionary atLittle River, Victoria. The hymn was originally titledTàladh ar Slànuighear ('the Lullaby of our Saviour') and sung to a tune calledCumha Mhic Àrois ('the Lament for Mac Àrois').
The lyric appears as item 10 in theUniversity of Glasgow Library'sBàrd na Ceapaich manuscript where it is entitledTaladh ar Slanuighir (Cuimhneachan do Chloinn Mhuideart) which can be translated as'Our Saviour's Lullaby (Memento to the Children of Moidart)'. The same manuscript again gives the title for the tune asCumha Mhic Arois ('Lament for Mac Àrois') and supplies the same information regarding the author of the lyric and, presumably, date of publication –An t-Urramach Raonall Mac Raing. An t-8mh Mios, 1855 (Ronald Rankin, August 1855).
Donald MacLean'sTypographia Scoto-Gadelica (1915) p329 documents the first publication of the hymn as follows.
RANKIN (Rev. RONALD, R.C), THE SAVIOUR'S LULLABY. 1855. "Taladh Ar Slanuighear. Air Fonn 'Cumha Mhic Arois'" and at the end "Cuimhneachan do Chloinn Mhuideart bho Raonall Mac-Raing. An T-8mh Mios. 1855."' 12mo. 4 pp. These copies were circulated among the Parishioners on the emigration of the Author to Australia.
"Mac Fir Àrois" (lit. "the son of the Man of Aros" fig. "Son of theLaird of Aros") – i.e. theTanist of Aros on theIsle of Mull in Scotland – is traditionally held to have drowned inLoch Friosa in Mull.
The Rev.John Gregorson Campbell, states the following. "The heir of Aros, a young man of great personal activity, and, it is said, of dissolute manners, having an opinion of himself that there was no horse he could not ride, was taken by awater-horse into Loch Frisa, a small lake about a mile in length in the north-west of Mull and devoured. This occurred between his espousal and marriage, and the Lament composed by his intended bride is still and deservedly a popular song in Mull. There seems to be this much truth in the story, that the young man was dragged into Loch Frisa by a mare which he was attempting to subdue and drowned. It would appear from the song that his body was recovered."[4]
However, 'Mhic Àrois' appears to be a garbling of a term like 'mac Fir Àrasaig' (son of the Man of Arisaig). The medieval title 'Fear Àrasaig (Laird ofArisaig) belonged toClan Mackintosh. In p168 ofAn Gaidheal Vol II (1873), Donald C MacPherson wrote the words for what he titled 'Cumha Mhic a Arois. No Cumha Mhic-an-Tòisich.' ("The Lament for the Son of a-Arois. Or the Lament for Mackintosh".) The lyric he provides is a variant of the lyric forCumha Mhic an Tòisich but contains a line 'Dheagh mhic a Arois' (Good Son of a-Arois).
The tune ofTàladh ar Slànaigheir bears similarities to the group of songs related to the pipe lamentCumha Mhic an Tòisich (Mackintosh's Lament), which has another alternative title ofCumha Mhic Rìgh Aro (Lament for the Son of the King of Aro). However, these similarities are only in general melodic structure and poetic metre, but not in musical mode or scale. It is therefore possible that the tune used in theOuter Hebrides forTàladh ar Slànaigheir is a substitute related melody.
In an article tracing the sources of the Gaelic hymns inAllan MacDonald's 1893 Catholichymnal,John Lorne Campbell states the following concerning the melody ofTàladh ar Slànaigheir, which survived only in theOuter Hebrides, "The tune is said to be "Cumha Mhic Arois" in all these early printed sources, but the hymn is now sung to an air which appears to be derived from the chorus of an old waulking song."[5]
Thewaulking song melody was identified by Campbell's wife,AmericanethnomusicologistMargaret Fay Shaw, asAn cuala sibh mar dh'éirich dhòmhs.[6]
Recordings exist of two versions of the tune for this.
The variants of the tune ofTàladh ar Slànaigheir differ in mode from each other in a similar fashion to variants of the songChaidh mo Dhunnchadh dhan Bheinn (my Duncan went to the hill). In the case of both songs, the major third of the scale is weakened in one melodic variant and strengthened in another.
The following text is the version published by theChief ofClan Chisholm, Colin Chisholm (1806–1896), in theTransactions of the Gaelic Society of Inverness Vol XV (1888–89), pp239–242.
p239
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p241
p242
| Literal English translation[edit]p 239
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p 242
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