Friday 25 January 2019

St Pauls Day and Burns Night

St Paul in Ephesus

 Another Saint's Day with lots of weather lore attached. In the past they thought it could even affect political events.

If St.Pauls Day be fair and clear,
It doth betide a happy year;
But if by chance it then should rain,
It will make dear all kinds of grain;
And if the clouds make dark the sky,
Then neate* and fowls this year shall die;
If blustering winds do blow aloft,
Then wars shall trouble the realm full oft.

* Neate is an old word for cattle


Also                                          
St Paul fair with sunshine
Brings fertility to rye and wine



It's party night tonight up north of the border to celebrate the birthday of  Robert Burns and many other places too. Hope everyone enjoys their Haggis, neeps and wee drams of whisky. 

If I'm remembering right Robbie Burns poem Tam O' Shanter was one of the narrative poems that we did 40 + years ago for O levels. I didn't understand it then and still don't now!

It's a LONG poem! Here if you want to read it.


Back Tomorrow
Sue

12 comments:

  1. Unfortunately, because of our circumstances at the moment (dodgy oven and new baby) we cannot celebrate Burn's night tonight - shame as we and our friends usually have a great time. My DH is the only one of us that can understand the Burn's poems and Grace we read out - but then he is Scottish!
    Och the Nooo!!

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  2. I can never understand Burns, not that I've ever particularly tried to, mind you!
    Happy Burns Night to everyone who celebrates it!
    xx

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  3. Oh that brought back memories, I too learned sections of this for O level English! Which we did a year early

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  4. I would say that Tam O'Shanter is my absolute favourite of Rabbie's poems. It is so entertaining. Tam has been drinking with his cronies in Ayr. He starts for home on his horse, late in the evening, and eventually reaches the old Kirk which is a virtual ruin. He hears music and comes upon witches and warlocks and the devil himself with his undead followers, having a ceilidh in the ruined church. There is a young woman in a short dress dancing a jig and as she finishes Tam is so mesmerised he forgets himself and shouts out to her 'Weel done, Cutty Sark' (Cutty sark being a short dress). The next line is spine chilling: 'and in an instant all was dark'. The chase then begins, with Tam desperate to get across the river to shake them off. Happy Burns' Night eveyone:)

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  5. Every year I think we should go to the Robbie Burns night that the Legion puts on...and every year I forget to buy tickets.

    Oh well, I will lift a glass (wine not whiskey) in salute here at home.

    Loved Haggis when we were in Scotland for a visit must be the Scots blood from my grandfather.

    God bless.

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  6. Mum and I went to Scotland a couple of years ago and got to go to Dumfries to the Robert Burns House and the churchyard in Dumfries. It was an interesting experience.

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  7. We did a Burns Lunch after church last Sunday and everyone was very brave and at least sampled the haggis. I scraped it out in the kitchen afterwards and took home another serving for my dinner on Monday so I have had my fix for a wee bit!

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  8. Haggis? I have never been brave enough to try it.

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  9. In the US, weather has, in fact, impacted political events--or at least the future of some politicians. In the past, some larger cities have experienced paralyzing snowstorms (e.g. 20"+) where everything was shut down for many days due to the inability of city governments to clear the streets and get public transport up and running. And if the mayor happens to be on vacation in a warm and sunny place at the time...well, so much for his/her political future.

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  10. I quite like Burns Poetry. Done a fair few paintings inspired by his works. A mouse obviously and a poppy with petals falling. He was a good socialist altho a bit of a raver with the women. Like some today! Mentioning no names.

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  11. After reading your post, I had to do a little research about Burns Night, which I had never heard of. Also read about haggis, which I knew was something to stay away from, and now that I've read the details I can see why. Never new that Auld Lang Syne was Scotch in origin and some attribute it to Burns.

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