Iain Mac Fhearchair Facts for Kids

Iain Mac Fhearchair, also known as John MacCodrum (born 1693, died 1779), was a famous Scottish Gaelic poet and storyteller. He lived his whole life on the island of North Uist in Scotland. Later in his life, Iain became the official poet for the Chief of Clan MacDonald of Sleat.

The Life of Iain Mac Fhearchair
Death and Burial
Legacy
Links

The Life of Iain Mac Fhearchair

Early Years and Home

Iain Mac Fhearchair was born near a place called Cladh Chomhgain on North Uist. This was an old graveyard with the ruins of a small chapel. He grew up on a nearby farm called Aird an Runair.

Iain never learned to read or write English. In his time, there wasn't much education available for people in the Scottish Highlands and Islands, especially not in their own Gaelic language.

The Seal Legend

The people of Hoghagearaidh, where Iain lived, used to pay a special fee to their chief. This fee, called "The Seal Dues," gave them the right to hunt seals on a nearby rock called Causamul. This rock is still a major breeding spot for Atlantic seals today.

However, Iain's family, the MacCodrums, never hunted seals. A legend says that one of their ancestors stole the skin of a selkie (a mythical creature that can change from a seal to a human). He forced her to marry him. But one of their children later returned the seal skin to their mother. She put it on, left her human family, and went back to the sea. Because of this, the MacCodrums were called Clann righ fo gheasan in Gaelic, meaning "King's children under a spell." They believed seals were their relatives and never harmed them.

A Time of Change

In 1745, a big event called the Jacobite Uprising of 1745 happened. Prince Charles Edward Stuart (Bonnie Prince Charlie) tried to take back the throne. The Chief of Clan MacDonald of Sleat had promised to help the Prince, but he didn't. This was because the French soldiers the Prince had promised didn't arrive.

Even though the clan stayed neutral, the Scottish government punished the Highlands after the Prince's defeat at the Battle of Culloden in 1746. They tried to stop people from wearing traditional Highland clothes, speaking Gaelic, and practicing their culture. Iain MacCodrum wrote a poem called Oran an Aghaidh an Eididh Ghallda ("A Song Against the Lowland Garb"), which showed he was against these changes.

A Humorous Meeting

In 1760, a man named James Macpherson visited North Uist. He was collecting old stories from the Fenian Cycle (ancient Irish and Scottish legends). When Macpherson met Iain, he tried to ask him, "Do you know anything of the Fianna?" (the heroes of the Fenian Cycle). But because Macpherson's Gaelic wasn't perfect, he actually asked, "Do the Fianna owe you anything?"

Iain quickly replied, "No, and if they did it would be useless to ask for it now." This story shows how clever Iain was and how Macpherson's Gaelic wasn't quite right.

A Storyteller's Role

Iain MacCodrum was also a seanchaidh, which means he was a traditional storyteller and historian. Sir James MacDonald of Sleat wrote a letter in 1763 about Iain. He said that Iain could recite long poems for hours, which seemed to be the same as the ones Macpherson was translating. This shows how important Iain was in keeping old stories alive.

Friendships and Poems

One of Iain's close friends was another famous Gaelic poet, Alasdair mac Mhaighstir Alasdair. Iain's poems show that he was influenced by his friend's style. Interestingly, Alasdair mac Mhaighstir Alasdair included two of Iain's poems, Òran air Sean aois ("A Song on Old Age") and Comh-radh, Mar go b' ann eider caraid agus namhaid an Uisgebheatha ("A Dialogue between a Friend and a Foe of Whisky"), in his own poetry collection in 1751.

Iain also wrote poems criticizing the Scottish clan chiefs and landlords. After the Battle of Culloden, many people were forced to leave their homes in what became known as the Highland Clearances. Iain wrote about these sad events and also about everyday topics like old age and whiskey.

One of his most popular songs is about Aonghus MacDhòmhnaill, a landlord who treated his tenants harshly. This song, called Òran Fir Ghriminis ("A Song on the Tacksman of Griminish"), was written when many people from North Uist and Skye were moving to North Carolina in America. The song is also very popular in Nova Scotia, Canada, where it's known as Òran Aimereaga ("The Song of America").

Death and Burial

John MacCodrum is buried in Kilmuir cemetery, near where he was born. He chose a plain stone for his grave, hoping people would ask who lay under such an "ugly lump of rock" and remember him. Sadly, his original stone is now lost.

Later, a tall stone monument (an obelisk) was put up in his memory. It says, "In memory of John MacCodrum - The Uist Bard - Born at Aird an Runair 1710 - died 1796." However, these dates are incorrect. Records show that Iain actually died in 1779, making his birth year 1693. He lived to be 86 years old.

Another famous Gaelic poet from North Uist, Dòmhnall Ruadh Chorùna, was also buried in the same cemetery after he died in 1967.

Legacy

Iain MacCodrum was very popular as a poet and a witty person during his lifetime. He wrote many poems, including funny satires, sad elegies, patriotic verses, and teaching songs. Since he couldn't write, and no one wrote down all his poems as he recited them, many of them have been lost. The ones that survived have changed a bit over time.

One of Iain's most famous songs is Smeòrach Chlann Dòmhnaill ("The Mavis of Clan Donald"). In this song, he praises the island where he was born. The Scottish singer Julie Fowlis, who is also from North Uist, recorded this song on her 2014 album Gach sgeul - Every story.

Because of the Highland Clearances and people choosing to move away, there are no longer any MacCodrum family members living on North Uist. The last MacCodrum to leave the island was Donald, who moved to Cape Breton, Nova Scotia, Canada, in the 1820s. His great-grandfather was Iain MacCodrum's first cousin.

Iain Mac Fhearchair facts for kids

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