Dates to remember in January 2024 – 4  

1787 Portrait of Robert Burns by Alexander Nasmyth (1758-1840)

Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

Robert Burns, often fondly known as Rabbie Burns, is the national poet and treasure of Scotland. He was born on 25th January, 1759 and is honoured for his verse, much of which was written in a Scottish dialect that was accessible to English readers.

He wrote Auld Lang Syne, which is sung at midnight on New Year’s Eve (Scottish Hogmanay) across the world. Another of his romantic poems has been beautifully set to the music of an older tune, ‘Major Graham’.

O my Luve’s like a red, red rose,

That’s newly sprung in June;
O my Luve’s like the melodie
That’s sweetly play’d in tune.

As fair art thou, my bonnie lass,
So deep in luve am I;
And I will luve thee still, my Dear,
Till a’ the seas gang dry.

Till a’ the seas gang dry, my Dear,
And the rocks melt wi’ the sun:
I will luve thee still, my dear,
While the sands o’ life shall run.

And fare thee weel, my only Luve!
And fare thee weel, a while!
And I will come again, my Luve,
Tho’ it were ten thousand mile!

Burns also collected Scottish folk songs. He died, aged 37, on 21st July 1796, on the day his son Maxwell was born.  Rabbie Burns had 12 children, of whom five survived to adulthood. There are currently more than 900 living descendants of Burns.

He is fêted across the world and became ‘the people’s poet’ of Russia. The first commemorative stamp honouring Burns was issued in Russia in 1956. The UK has three times issued commemorative stamps, in 1966, 1996 and 2009. In 1996 the Isle of Man issued a set of four crown coins with themes including Auld Lang Syne.

A crater on Mercury has been named after Burns. His reputation is far-reaching!

Every year, on the anniversary of his birth, proud Scots across the world gather to celebrate their favourite son with food and whisky and maybe a little dancing and verse recital. The evening starts with the Selkirk Grace:

Some hae meat and canna eat,

And some wad eat that want it.

But we hae meat and we can eat

Sae let the Lord be thankit.

The centrepiece of the feast is the haggis, ‘Great Chieftain o’ the Puddin-race’. In essence this is an over-sized sausage made with a sheep’s ‘pluck’ – heart, liver and lungs, lamb ‘trimmings’, onions, oatmeal, pepper, salt, mace, nutmeg, and coriander encased in sheep’s stomach or similar. It is served with neeps and tatties (turnips and potatoes) and piped to the table with bagpipes. Then the haggis is ‘addressed’ by a senior member of the company who ends the eight verses of the recitation by stabbing the haggis with a sharp knife.

There are various recipes for haggis but all are spicy and filling. At the end of the meal toasts are made and replied to. There is a special toast to ‘the immortal memory’ of the poet', often with some reference to his life and works. The evening ends with the singing of Auld Lang Syne.

 Slàinte mhath! (Good health)

 January 25th also sees the Welsh celebration of Dydd Santes Dwynwen. This is the Welsh version of St Valentine’s Day and remembers St Dwynwen’s romantic tribulations which led to her becoming a nun. She was a princess, in the 5th century, the loveliest of the king’s 24 daughters. She met and fell in love with the son of a neighbouring king, but her father refused his suit, saying he had already made an arrangement for his daughter. Prince Maelon left the palace in a rage, angry with Dwynwen. She fled to the forest where she cried herself to sleep. When she woke a spirit appeared to her and told her that Maelon had been turned to ice and would not trouble her again. The spirit then granted her three wishes.  Dwynwen’s wishes were that Maelon should be thawed, true love should always conquer all and that she would never fall in love again.

 All three wishes were granted and Dwynwen became a nun, founding a convent on an island off the coast of Anglesey. A well near the convent was named after her and became a place of pilgrimage  after her death. Legend had it that a fish in the well could foretell the future. If the water bubbled when a couple drew near, that meant good fortune for them.

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