Robert Burns by Alexander Naysmith
There’s no denying that Robert Burns is a complex historical figure. His poems are recited the world over and his famous ‘Auld Lang Syne’ is sung (albeit badly) on every continent – at New Year, and at the untidy end of weddings, reunions and other celebrations. Yet the man was vilified by the British nation’s press during his lifetime, and he died dispirited and largely alone. What’s the real truth about Robert Burns?
A womaniser? Burns undeniably liked the ladies. His marriage to wife Jean Armour, with whom he had three children, was a troubled one at best, and blighted by the poet’s wandering eye. In total, Burns fathered at least 12 (known) children with four different women during his short 37-year lifetime. His youngest child, Maxwell, was born on the day of his funeral. Contemporary critics blamed Burns’s death on ‘intemperance’ and even gleefully alleged syphilis as the cause, but there’s no real evidence of this. What records do exist claim that Burns’s death was caused by complications arising from his existing rheumatic heart disease. Ahead of his time, it seems that Burns was even one of the early victims of what we now call ‘trolls’ – those people who seem bent on publicly criticising others and muddying their names.
Statue to Jean Armour, long-suffering wife of Burns
The first celebrity activist? In past decades we’ve become familiar with images of people like Bob Geldof, Sting, Sigourney Weaver and countless other A-listers harnessing their celebrity status to highlight a political issue. But this is no new concept, and it could be said that Robert Burns was an early pioneer of the phenomenon. Burns publicly sympathised with the French Revolution; a dangerous stance to take at that time, and the revolution’s themes permeate his poetry. Burns was also outspoken against the barbarism of slavery, even writing ‘The Slave’s Lament’ in 1792, though, admittedly, not amongst his best works. American president Abraham Lincoln had a lifelong admiration for the poet’s work, and many claim that the poet’s verse helped inspire Lincoln to win the American civil war and abolish slavery.
An international star? While Burns embodies the very essence of Scottishness, and all the complexities which that brings, Burns has also captured the global imagination: he is celebrated everywhere. The Soviet Union was the first country in the world to honour Burns with a commemorative stamp, marking the 160th anniversary of his death in 1956, and (excepting Queen Victoria and Christopher Columbus) Burns has more statues dedicated to him around the world than any other secular figure. He was the first ever person to appear on a commemorative bottle of Coca-Cola, and his ‘Auld Lang Syne’ is recognised by the Guinness Book of World Records as being one of the top three most popular songs in the English language.
Haggis neeps and tatties, traditional fare on Burns Night
He brought us Burns Night: By the happy event of a winter birthday, Burns has given us an excuse to lift our spirits in January, Scotland’s coldest month, in convivial celebration of his life. Haggis, speeches, whisky, dancing and a healthy smattering of bawdy jokes will drive away even the most persistent of January blues on the evening of the 25th – so whether you’re an admirer of Burns or not, we can thank him for that! Happy Burns Night!
Picture Credits:
- Alexander Nasmyth [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons
- Jean Armour Statue, Dumfries: By Rosser1954 (Own work) [CC BY-SA 3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons
- Haggis, neeps, tatties and tartan © User:Colin / Wikimedia Commons, via Wikimedia Commons