dual personalities

Today is the birthday of Robert Burns (January 25, 1759–July 21, 1796)–beloved Scottish poet and lyricist. There are memorials to Burns all over the world: Scotland, England, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, America…

…from Central Park…

…to Cheyenne, Wyoming…

…and even on the campus of my own flyover university where he was a favorite poet of many of the university trustees circa 1928. Artist Robert Aitken (1878–1949) completed the eight foot high bronze, which was ‘erected under the auspices of the Burns Club of St. Louis by admirers of Robert Burns and his genius’.

Speaking of which, in 2004 the Robert Burns World Federation had 400 clubs affiliated to it and these reflected a membership of approximately 60,000. Burns Clubs exist throughout the world “to encourage and cherish the memory of Robert Burns, to foster a love of his writings and generally to encourage an interest in the Scots Language and Literature.” (Wikipedia)

Well, even Bob Dylan has named Burns as his greatest inspiration. And I did not know that Michael Jackson’s good friend, David Gest, theorized that “the King of Pop’s influential Thriller video was inspired by Burns’ poem Tam O’ Shanter, which tells the story of a drunk who passes a graveyard and witnesses witches, zombies and demons dancing to the tunes of the devil on bagpipes.”

So tonight we’ll toast the great Scot, maybe even with a dram of Scotch. Of course, we’ll have to watch something appropriate…

Whisky Galore! (1949)

Greyfriars Bobby (1961)

Local Hero (1983)

Dear Frankie (2004)

Tunes of Glory (1960)

Chariots of Fire (1981)

I Know Where I’m Going (1945)

These are all great movies! And there are many more besides…This could be a weekend endeavor!

From Scenes like these, old SCOTIA’S grandeur springs,

That makes her lov’d at home, rever’d abroad:

Princes and lords are but the breath of kings,

‘An honest man’s the noble work of GOD.’

Have a great weekend!