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.
