dual personalities

Tag: Robert Burns

January 24, 2022

Gin a body meet a body/Comin thro’ the rye

by chuckofish

It is cold and dreary and occasionally spitting here in flyover country, but what ho, the end of January is in sight. I caught up with my bible reading, on which I had fallen behind over the weekend, and am pursuing other indoor activities.

I will note that today is the birthday of Robert Burns (1759-96), and although we won’t be dining on a traditional Burns’ Supper (haggis, tatties and turnips), we will certainly lift a glass in his honor and maybe watch one of our favorite Scottish movies.

Do I hear Greyfriars Bobby (1961) calling me?

Coincidentally, I’ve also started re-reading the Lymond Chronicles, which are, of course, novels about Scottish history.

And here’s a prayer by John Knox, founder of the Presbyterian Church in Scotland:

The great bishop of our souls, Jesus our Lord,
so strengthen and assist your troubled hearts
with the mighty comfort of our Holy Spirit,
that neither earthly tyrants,
nor worldly torments,
may have power to drive you
from the hope and expectation of that kingdom,
which for the elect was prepared from the beginning,
by our heavenly Father,
to whom be all praise and honor,
now and ever.

–John Knox (1505-1572)

And now, back to my dusting…

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January 25, 2019

Scots Wha Hae

by chuckofish

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…

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…to Cheyenne, Wyoming…

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…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’.

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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…

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Whisky Galore! (1949)

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Greyfriars Bobby (1961)

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Local Hero (1983)

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Dear Frankie (2004)

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Tunes of Glory (1960)

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Chariots of Fire (1981)

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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!

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