Celebrating the Bard



Robert Burns

Right now, Scots and descendents of Scots around the world are donning their finest kilts, raising a glass and cutting into a steaming hot haggis in celebration of the 259^th birthday of Scotland’s favorite son, Robert Burns. (Or if you are Scottish…”favourite son Rabbie Burns”).

Why the celebration? 

Great question. Pull up a chair and a wee dram (that’s a glass of whiskey to you non-Celts) and prepare to be entertained and impressed.

Affectionately referred to as “Rabbie” by those who hold him in great esteem yet have never met him, Robert Burns (1759-1796) is one of the most beloved people of Scotland – in fact, he is so well loved by his countrymen and women that he was chosen as the Greatest Scot in a vote on Scottish television in 2009.  Not bad for a man who’s been dead for over 200 years.

Robert Burns was, first and foremost a Scot and a patriot. But what he’s best known for is his contribution as a bard. In the days of yore, a bard was a man who made his living as a poet. Yep, a bard was the guy you see in old pictures sitting at the feet of the King, waxing poetic on how great he is and how wonderful his legacy will be. But that wasn’t exactly how it played out for Rabbie.

In his short life Burns penned or had a part, in penning over 800 poems and songs. And should you think he had no impact on your life, think again. Chances are you’ve sung at least the first verse of Auld Lang Syne at the stroke of midnight on New Year's Eve. Burns penned the song that is sung by New Year’s revelers around the globe.  Auld Lang Syne is also listed in the Guinness Book of World Records as one of the three most popular songs in the English language, just in case you were wondering.

An Interesting Life

Every writer needs a muse - someone or something that inspires them to put pen to paper. In the case of Rabbie Burns, you don’t have to look too hard at his life to see where his inspiration came from. His reputation as a ladies man is well documented by his own hand. And the fact that he was loved by the ladies is probably one of the reasons he’s so admired by men today. 

Or so I’m told by men today.

But in this area he was also his own worst enemy, leaving a string of broken hearts, broken promises, and 12 children in his wake. In fact, his love life reads like a snarky romance novel: Falls in love on a farm, has an affair with a servant while embarking on a relationship with another gal. Both become pregnant at the same time, one with twins. He eventually marries the mother of the twins, but eventually falls in love with another gal he spotted while at a church service. From there he has a relationship with a separated woman, before moving on to her servant girl.

And those are just the ones we know about.

It could be argued that the problems in his love life could be laid at the doorstep of his childhood. He grew up in poverty and hardship, a manual laborer on a farm. And as all good stories go, he also met his first love down on the farm. And from that first love, came his first attempt at poetry, “O, Once I Lov’d A Bonnie Lass.”

There are anecdotes around his writing that have been passed down through the centuries that help us better understand the heart and spirit of Burns.

“There’s a story of him writing Tam O’ Shanter in one afternoon. He asked his brother Gilbert to work the farm and in one afternoon he wrote the best poem in history. Gilbert heard Robert laughing loudly as he sat at the banks of the river Nith. He put all he has learned in life into the story, liars, whores, warlocks, witches, ghosts and goblins, the devil...it is by far the greatest poem that was ever written.” - Dougie Smith, Falkirk

His writings also have inspired other writers. The novel, “The Catcher in the Rye” was based on the poem, “Comin’ Thro the rye,” and the title of “Of Mice and Men” was taken from Burns’ poem, “To a Mouse.”

Celebrating Burns at a Burns Supper

So, back to the celebrations I mentioned. “Burns Suppers” are held around the world and most all of them, from Edinburgh to Dunedin, Florida – follow the same basic format. For the sake of space I won't include everything that happens at a Burns Supper. But here are a few highlights - I think you will get the picture. 

Usually a Burns Supper starts with a general welcome and announcements, followed with 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.

(I failed to mention that Burns wrote in the language of the time: Auld Scot. Don't even try to understand it. I'm convinced this is the reason they serve Scotch at dinner...) 

Translated:

Some have food and cannot eat,

And some would eat that lack it,

But we have food and we can eat,

So let God be thanked.

After the grace comes the piping (as in bagpipes) and cutting of the haggis. And to me, this is the best time of the night. Because if you are lucky, you will have someone with a very thick Scottish brogue give Burns's famous, “Address to the Haggis.”  

Fair fa' your honest, sonsie face,

Great chieftain o' the puddin-race!

Aboon them a' ye tak your place,

Painch, tripe, or thairm:

Weel are ye wordy o' a grace

As lang's my arm.

(Needless to say there's more but in the interest of time, space and understanding, I suggest you google the Address to the Haggis. And you'll need a translator for sure.)

Then the haggis is cut open and served. It actually tastes better than it looks, really. Think ground beef with a bit of a liver flavor. Okay, it tastes better than it sounds as well. 

At the Burns Supper’s I’ve attended, there is then the “Salute to the Lassies,” given by a man. And then the response by the women, “Salute to the Laddies.” Both or these are typically tongue-in-cheek addresses, cynical and endearing all at the same time.

I'm forever fascinated by the rich depth of Scottish history and tradition.

Robert Burns is just one of the many Scottish contributions to world culture for which we should all be grateful. And I'm proud of those who are of Scottish descent who work hard to carry the stories and traditions forward so that coming generations never forget from whence they came.

Let them all be thankit.

Other Interesting Burns Facts

• There are more than 50 memorials dedicated to Robert Burns around the world. Excluding religious figures, only Queen Victoria and Christopher Columbus have more dedicated statues.
• Burns’ skull was bigger than the average man’s. After he died and was buried in St. Michael's Churchyard in Dumfries in 1796, Rabbie’s body was exhumed in 1815 to be placed in a new mausoleum in the town. While the body was above ground, a plaster cast was taken of his skull for study and measured. Forensic experts also recreated a 3D depiction of his face for a STV documentary.
•  Through his twelve children, Burns has over 600 living descendents today. 

It's Music to These Irish Ears.....

Cutthroat Shamrocks

I inherited my love of music from my mother and grandmother. My grandmother was an accomplished banjo player and was known county-wide for her talent. She would often take her 11 children (my mother included) to county fairs to sing and play.  

My earliest musical memories come from trips our family used to take on the weekends when I was a small girl. We would jump in the family station wagon, and along with aunts, uncles and numerous cousins, we would trek the 20 or so miles to a magical place called "Frontier Ranch." (I can hear my siblings groaning now ...)

Even though Frontier Ranch was nothing more than an old wooden stage in the middle of a huge field, the icon's of country music showed up for amazing outdoor jam sessions. We were entertained  by such greats as Marty Robbins, George Jones, Hank Williams Jr., and on and on....it was in the 60's, so it was easy to bump shoulders afterward with all of these amazing artists. 

During those concerts I was clueless that what I was experiencing was a genre called "country music."  And I had no idea that the singers and musicians in all those sequined outfits would become mega-stars in the industry. I just knew it was always a fun time and I never wanted to leave. The seeds of my love for music were planted in that old field. And now the roots are strong and deep.

But, in keeping with the theme of this blog, it's Celtic music that I want to highlight today. And hopefully you won't stop reading here because you've no clue or curiosity about Celtic music....trust me, this is a genre worth looking at and listening to. And it doesn't matter if your musical tastes run towards country or rock...there is Celtic music for just about every taste. Celtic music has many different faces.  

So "What is Celtic Music?" ....  I'm so glad you asked.

For the sake of this post, when I say "Celtic" I'm referring to music that is influenced by Celtic heritage, history, lore, etc. And geographically speaking, most readers will understand that we are talking about Ireland, Scotland and Wales, and the history and culture that exists there. Not that the music has to come out of those countries....in fact Enter The Haggis, one of my favorite groups, comes out of Canada, which is rich with Celtic influence.

My introduction to Celtic music happened quite by accident about 4 years ago, when my friend Kelli Barry introduced me to the Drop Kick Murphys. (Not to be confused with the Murphy's of Ohio, my relatives, who haven't drop-kicked anything or anyone lately that I'm aware of or want to know about).

The Drop Kick Murphys are somewhat of a hard-rock type of Celtic, so they aren't my favorite (sorry Kel). But from there my curiousity (and google) led me to the fun, lively music of Gaelic Storm and Enter The Haggis.  

Na Fianna, out of Ireland

When I visited Ireland last year, I had a chance meeting with one of my favorite Irish bands - Na Fianna - four young guys who we stumbled upon quite by accident in a very cool pub in Kilkenney. I bought their CD, brought it back and passed around to all my friends. I call this "happy" Celtic music. The energy this band puts off makes it impossible not to clap, tap a foot and sing along. 




Whiterose

Another authentic Celtic musical group I've come to really appreciate for their passion for Scottish history through song, is a duo called Whiterose. Dougie and Kevin visited our local pub from Scotland a year ago and it was through them and their music that I became curious about Scottish history. Which led to several blog posts, which led to friendships and an eventual trip to Scotland and Culloden Moor. Music is a wonderful teacher sometimes. 

If you are a fan of tribal drums and pipe music (as in bag pipes) then checkout Albannach, a highly energetic group of Scots who truly fit the phrase "beat of a different drummer." You absolutely cannot sit down when this group is on stage. And they aren't hard to look at either.

I'm barely scratching the surface with these groups, I know. Celtic music can also mean a very entertaining and talented Pipe and Drum Band, as in our own local City of Dunedin Pipe and Drum Band, who recently participated in the World Championships in Glascow, Scotland. They represented very well and came home with awards and honors. Well done, lads and lassies.

Now seriously....how many towns can say they have their very own Pipe and Drum Band?

Music is a universal language that speaks to our minds and our moods. I cannot think of anyone who doesn't enjoy music in some form or fashion. And diversity in musical tastes is healthy and keeps things interesting, don't ya think?

But for this Irish lass, Celtic music represents and illustrates my rich Irish heritage and the cantankerous and fun-loving people from which I sprang. Slainte!

The Lament of Culloden

As fields go, it's nondescript. Other than having an amazing view of snow capped mountains and Moray Firth, Culloden Moor is pretty stark and bleak. Grass grows and haphazard angles, kinda like a really bad haircut. The ground is thick with briars and chunky patches of uneven dirt. Not easy trodding this field.

We arrived en mass on a bus from Culloden House. We were a colorful lot...plaids and tartans of every color imaginable, kilts, hose, flashes, swords, dirks, bonnets, waist coats and stoles. Lighting from the coach we looked, I'm sure, like we belonged on a movie set. Yet when we stepped down from the bus the sight was like none I've ever seen. 

I felt just like I landed in a scene out of Rob Roy. 



I was escorted by my Scottish friends from the coach, where we slowly made our way past the modern day visitor center to the small pathways leading to the center of Culloden Moor for the Annual Commemoration of Culloden.  We were surrounded by hundreds of people carrying flags of various sorts. As I listened, it was pointed out to me who the groups were..Clan Fraser, Na Fir Dilias, Clan McCloud, Clan Cameron, and of course, A Circle of Gentlemen.  

Looking up I spotted flags rising high against the blue sky. The flags were either red or blue and scattered over the field- I was told later that the red flags represented the British position on the day of battle in 1746, and the blue flags represented the Scottish clans and their positions. I'm no military strategist but even I could see the challenge of the positions of the Scottish clans. 





 

The Well of the Dead

"Many people think Culloden was about the British and the Scots. It wasn't you know"...Alasdair spoke quietly as we walked, explaining to this sassanach what wasn't quite obvious, given the flags. "It was a civil war, it was also Scot against Scot." 

The accounts of the battle of Culloden are, like any battle, compelling and complex, and open to some interpretation as the years pass. Yes it was Scottish lowlanders against the Highlanders. Yes it was the British against the Jacobites. Yes it was Bonnie Prince Charlie against the Duke of Cumberland. It was all of that. But it was more. It was the last decisive, full scale battle fought on British soil and the last battle of the Jacobites. A little known fact by most sassanach's is that on that day the Jacobites were also joined by men from France, Ireland and yes, England. It was a battle of ideals and passions and beliefs...as all battles are. 

The actual battle lasted only an hour. The results of Culloden, though, produced waves and waves of consequenses that would surpass geography and culture and even time, as was evident on this day. As a result of this battle clans would be dismantled. Tartans outlawed. Families banned from their land. Families divided. And laments held over 200 years later. 

It is said we study history so as not to repeat it. So as not to make the same mistakes. All of the Scots standing on this field this day are too keenly aware of not just what is behind them here, but what is before them as well. The battle for independence from England has not stalled. It has just been moved from the soggy moor to the political halls. Scots will have a choice to vote whether to join the United States and Ireland as sovereign nations in the year 2014. So the battle continues.

Alasdair was right. It remains a civil war of sorts - it is still Scot against Scot. The people are still divided. My quite conversations later back at Culloden house is a testiment to that. Not all attendees to this celebratory day are in favor of full independence. They are still empassioned patriots and love their country, they are just not convinced it is the best thing for Scotland. 

Well, you have until 2014 to decide.

In the meantime, there is much to be learned from that sad, sorry day in April of 1746.  

I asked Alasdair to bring me back to Culloden moor the next day. It was a grey, cold day with only a few people scattered about. As we walked the paths of the moor we talked about that battle. 

"If I understand what happened, Culloden's tragedy and the loss of over 1,200 clansman that day and the subsequent deaths by "The Butcher" rests also at the feet of a very young Charles Stuart, who listened to bad advice to continue with the battle, even knowing the odds were against them."

"True"

"Explain to me, then, why Scotsmen today hold him in such high esteem when in actuality he failed them?" I thought it a fair question, and he didn't seem offended or surprised. 

"Well, he did take bad advice. Highlanders fight better in the hills"...Alasdair pointed to the surrounding hills..."he was advised by Lord George Murray to wait and take the battle to the hills. But he didn't listen to this, he instead listened to other advisors."

Our conversation continued - about the Prince, his eventual flight out of Scotland to France, military strategy and the passion for independence. I was the student that day - and was lucky enough to be standing on the battlefield with an empassioned Scottish patriot and scholar of history.


Prince Charles Edwart Stuart "Bonnie Prince Charlie"

  

One cannot stand on a battlefield and remain unchanged. I learned this when I stood at Gettysburg last summer. And though not a Scot, I felt it when I stood on Culloden Moor. I've a small slice of that cold air and bitter wind in my blood now. I've visions of faces and stones and fields. I've a soft spot for a young Prince and a love for the people of Scotland who continue the battle to this day. 

I'm back home now. But I can close my eyes and still see it. Yes, I really was at Culloden. I really stood on that sacred ground. And I've mud on my boots as proof.

Thus Culloden....

My journey to Culloden Muir started several years ago when I stumbled upon a series of books written by Diana Gabaldon called "The Outlander Series." I was fascinated by Jamie and Claire Frasier and lapped up  the historic accountings of their struggles to survive as Jacobites in Scotland. Actually, when I began reading this series I had absolutely no earthly idea what a Jacobite was.  The books are absolutely dripping with historic facts about Scottish and American history, and if you are paying attention and do a bit of exploring beyond the series, you become keenly aware of why North Carolina has the strong Scottish roots that it has.

If you've read any of my blog postings at all (especially the earlier ones where I explain my fascination with Celtic culture and my Celtic heritage) then you know that my journey of celtic discovery started as a child when I was curiously fascinated by my odd relatives. Through the years, with the help of my cousin Mike, we were able to finally able to find our several-times-removed grandfather John Murphy, who crossed to America from Ireland at the tender and stupid age of 26 long before the famine in 1807. Uncovering this young lad as the instigator of my life in America and my heritage was pivitol and sparked the curiosity for all things Celtic. 

Thus the Outlander Series, which taught me about Scottish history. Thus Culloden.

The Invitation....

It was about a year ago that I stumbled upon a group on Facebook called "The Circle of Gentlemen." I was  voyeuring through their photos when I happened to "like" (fb lingo) one of them. I was very shortly contacted by one of the Circle, who asked to "friend" me. (fb lingo for friends who aren't really real friends...sad really..but that's another post.) So Matthew Donnachie and I became friends and from there it snowballed. Scottish gentlemen and Jacobites started coming out of the woodwork - it was fun and entertaining and educational all at once. They are, after all, an educated, witty, charming and raucous lot. 



Matthew Donnachie

They are also passionate.

Their passion centers - as best I can tell - around two things. First, ensuring that Scottish history is never forgotten. Secondly, they are very passionate about the continued struggle to gain independence from England. I see both of these as the catalyst and motivational center of everything they do. 

One of those historic moments that should never be forgotten is the Battle of Culloden. This battle took place on Culloden Muir on April 16, 1746, between the army of the Hanoverian British government, led by the Duke of Cumberland, and the Scottish Jacobite forces of Charles Stuart, or as you may know him, Bonnie Prince Charlie. I encourage you to look this battle up - the bottom line result that is absolutely heartbreaking and tragic is that the thousands of Scottish clansmen who fought that day to restore Bonnie Prince Charlie to the throne, lost their lives in one of the bloodiest battles ever fought in Scotland. The fields of Culloden are commemorated to this day for this battle. And it is the Annual Lament of Culloden that I will be attending in just a few days time, at the invitation of The Circle of Gentlemen. 

I have a very tender heart where history is concerned. I can run over squirrels and barely look back (sorry)...but put me in the middle of an emotional historical moment and I'm a sap. Go figure. 

So standing on this sacred land is going to be moving, I just know it. Because as I stand there my thoughts will be of all of the men who fought so hard for something they wanted so badly and still to this day have not achieved.