1 00:00:01,840 --> 00:00:08,680 Speaker 1: Welcome to Brainstuff, a production of iHeartRadio, Hey Brainstuff. Lorn Vogelbaum. Here. 2 00:00:10,200 --> 00:00:14,040 Speaker 1: Every January twenty fifth, Proud Scots from Edinburgh to Shanghai 3 00:00:14,200 --> 00:00:17,640 Speaker 1: celebrate the life and literary genius of the eighteenth century 4 00:00:17,680 --> 00:00:21,920 Speaker 1: Scottish poet Robert Burns through a beloved tradition called Burns Night, 5 00:00:23,120 --> 00:00:27,280 Speaker 1: ranging from formal ceremonies with tilted bagpipers to small gatherings 6 00:00:27,320 --> 00:00:30,479 Speaker 1: of old friends. A good Burns Night often has three 7 00:00:30,480 --> 00:00:33,960 Speaker 1: things in common, a bottle of good Scotch whiskey, readings 8 00:00:33,960 --> 00:00:37,159 Speaker 1: of classic Burns poems and songs, and a fat and 9 00:00:37,240 --> 00:00:43,440 Speaker 1: juicy haggis. It's hard to overstate the heroic status of 10 00:00:43,440 --> 00:00:48,519 Speaker 1: Burns in Scottish cultural psyche. Born on January twenty fifth 11 00:00:48,520 --> 00:00:51,600 Speaker 1: of seventeen fifty nine, and not only was Burns the 12 00:00:51,640 --> 00:00:54,560 Speaker 1: author of some five hundred and fifty songs and poems, 13 00:00:54,960 --> 00:00:58,000 Speaker 1: including Odd Lang Sign, the second most sung song in 14 00:00:58,000 --> 00:01:01,320 Speaker 1: the world after Happy Birthday, and favorites like My Love 15 00:01:01,360 --> 00:01:03,960 Speaker 1: Is Like a Red Red Rose. He was also a 16 00:01:04,000 --> 00:01:07,400 Speaker 1: man of the people, a lifelong farmer known as the 17 00:01:07,520 --> 00:01:12,360 Speaker 1: heaven Top Plowman or the Plowman poet. Burns poems are 18 00:01:12,400 --> 00:01:15,200 Speaker 1: some of the first taught in Scottish primary schools, and 19 00:01:15,480 --> 00:01:19,280 Speaker 1: his dashing portrait is plastered on posters nationwide like Jay 20 00:01:19,319 --> 00:01:24,080 Speaker 1: Guavera or John F. Kennedy. Before the article this episode 21 00:01:24,160 --> 00:01:26,880 Speaker 1: is based on, has Stuff Works spoke with Alistair Braidwood, 22 00:01:27,080 --> 00:01:29,960 Speaker 1: creator and host of the scott Swahey Podcast, a show 23 00:01:30,000 --> 00:01:33,720 Speaker 1: about Scottish culture. He said, the fact that we can 24 00:01:33,760 --> 00:01:37,120 Speaker 1: project different aspects of a national identity onto this figure 25 00:01:37,319 --> 00:01:40,760 Speaker 1: has allowed him to endure. You could say Scotland is 26 00:01:40,800 --> 00:01:44,679 Speaker 1: a hard drinking country and Burns did that, or Scotland 27 00:01:44,760 --> 00:01:48,440 Speaker 1: is a socially liberal country and he was that. There's 28 00:01:48,440 --> 00:01:51,279 Speaker 1: something about him, the man and his poetry that people 29 00:01:51,360 --> 00:01:56,760 Speaker 1: can tap into. Burns is celebrated all year in Scotland, 30 00:01:57,000 --> 00:02:00,880 Speaker 1: but a special veneration is reserved for his birthday. It 31 00:02:01,000 --> 00:02:03,760 Speaker 1: started just a few years after Burn's untimely death at 32 00:02:03,880 --> 00:02:06,960 Speaker 1: just thirty seven years of age from rheumatic fever, when 33 00:02:07,000 --> 00:02:09,919 Speaker 1: his close friends gathered for a memorial supper in his honor. 34 00:02:10,919 --> 00:02:14,960 Speaker 1: From there, the traditions spread across Scotland and eventually the world. 35 00:02:15,280 --> 00:02:18,280 Speaker 1: Wherever you find a scot on January twenty fifth, you'll 36 00:02:18,320 --> 00:02:21,640 Speaker 1: likely find a Burns Night a Formal suppers are held 37 00:02:21,680 --> 00:02:25,240 Speaker 1: at these some two hundred and fifty official Burns clubs worldwide, 38 00:02:25,600 --> 00:02:30,880 Speaker 1: and various restaurants and private individuals host suppers too. The 39 00:02:30,919 --> 00:02:33,960 Speaker 1: main attraction of Burns Night is the Burns Supper, and 40 00:02:34,200 --> 00:02:38,639 Speaker 1: the star of the supper is undeniably the haggis. Haggis 41 00:02:38,680 --> 00:02:41,520 Speaker 1: is a type of sausage made of awfal meats, often 42 00:02:41,520 --> 00:02:44,400 Speaker 1: including the heart, liver, and lung of sheep and sometimes 43 00:02:44,440 --> 00:02:47,640 Speaker 1: other animals, that are simmered and minced up, then combined 44 00:02:47,680 --> 00:02:50,400 Speaker 1: with onion about an equal portion of oats to meats 45 00:02:50,680 --> 00:02:55,960 Speaker 1: and beef suet, then seasoned with things like salt, pepper, coriander, ginger, nutmeg, 46 00:02:56,080 --> 00:02:59,520 Speaker 1: allspice and bay, and finally stuffed in either a sheep's 47 00:02:59,520 --> 00:03:03,240 Speaker 1: stomach or a sausage casing and boiled until semi firm. 48 00:03:03,680 --> 00:03:07,079 Speaker 1: It's often a large dish cut tableside with the crumbly 49 00:03:07,120 --> 00:03:12,080 Speaker 1: interior dished out family style. A burn supper begins with 50 00:03:12,160 --> 00:03:14,640 Speaker 1: opening remarks by the host and the recitation of the 51 00:03:14,680 --> 00:03:18,960 Speaker 1: Selkirk Grace, traditional thanks of the Scot's language. It's associated 52 00:03:18,960 --> 00:03:20,880 Speaker 1: with Burns because he's said to have translated it to 53 00:03:20,919 --> 00:03:22,839 Speaker 1: English on the spot. At a dinner for the Earl 54 00:03:22,880 --> 00:03:26,600 Speaker 1: of Selkirk. It goes as some have meat and cannot eat. 55 00:03:26,800 --> 00:03:29,200 Speaker 1: Some cannot eat that want it. But we have meat 56 00:03:29,240 --> 00:03:32,000 Speaker 1: and we can eat, so let the Lord be thanked. 57 00:03:33,440 --> 00:03:36,280 Speaker 1: After that, the haggis is brought out with great fanfare, 58 00:03:36,640 --> 00:03:40,880 Speaker 1: sometimes accompanied by a parade of bagpipes, which brings us 59 00:03:40,920 --> 00:03:43,920 Speaker 1: to everyone's favorite part of the night. The recitation of 60 00:03:44,080 --> 00:03:47,840 Speaker 1: Addressed to a haggis written in the Scots language. Like 61 00:03:47,880 --> 00:03:50,960 Speaker 1: many of Burns's works, this poem is a humorous hymn 62 00:03:51,040 --> 00:03:53,880 Speaker 1: to the iconic dish and which Burns scoffs at the 63 00:03:53,960 --> 00:03:57,280 Speaker 1: high cuisine of the French and praises the rustic strength 64 00:03:57,280 --> 00:04:01,120 Speaker 1: of haggis fed men. Rely does sound best in its 65 00:04:01,120 --> 00:04:03,880 Speaker 1: original Scots, but since I don't speak that, but here's 66 00:04:03,880 --> 00:04:07,840 Speaker 1: the opening in translation, good luck to you and your honest, 67 00:04:07,880 --> 00:04:13,240 Speaker 1: plump face, great chieftain of the sausage race. The poem 68 00:04:13,320 --> 00:04:16,520 Speaker 1: is meant to be recited with gusto, completely dramatic, and 69 00:04:16,560 --> 00:04:21,279 Speaker 1: sometimes body hand gestures. For a non body example. There's 70 00:04:21,320 --> 00:04:24,400 Speaker 1: a part where Burns describes cutting open the haggis again 71 00:04:24,480 --> 00:04:27,680 Speaker 1: in English, his knife see the serving man wipe then 72 00:04:27,720 --> 00:04:30,520 Speaker 1: cut you up with effort's slight, making a trench in 73 00:04:30,560 --> 00:04:33,919 Speaker 1: your entrails bright just like a ditch. And then what 74 00:04:34,000 --> 00:04:40,200 Speaker 1: a glorious sight, warm, steaming rich. Upon these words, the 75 00:04:40,200 --> 00:04:43,480 Speaker 1: orator slits open the haggis from top to bottom, revealing 76 00:04:43,520 --> 00:04:49,200 Speaker 1: its piping hot spiced sausage. Inerts. Braidwood said, it's just 77 00:04:49,279 --> 00:04:52,400 Speaker 1: a great fun poem. Apart from everything else, I've seen 78 00:04:52,440 --> 00:04:54,320 Speaker 1: people really give it their all when they're doing the 79 00:04:54,360 --> 00:04:56,640 Speaker 1: address to a haggis, and you've got the cutting open 80 00:04:56,640 --> 00:04:58,920 Speaker 1: of the haggis right there in the poem. It almost 81 00:04:58,920 --> 00:05:03,080 Speaker 1: tells you how to enjoy a good Burns night. And 82 00:05:03,279 --> 00:05:07,800 Speaker 1: that's not the only speech. Burne's famously appreciated women. He 83 00:05:08,040 --> 00:05:11,440 Speaker 1: fathered twelve children, only nine with his wife, and the 84 00:05:11,480 --> 00:05:14,400 Speaker 1: Toast to the Lassies is a chance for one intrepid 85 00:05:14,480 --> 00:05:17,160 Speaker 1: guest to use some snippets of Burn's verse to praise 86 00:05:17,320 --> 00:05:20,840 Speaker 1: and poke fun at the ladies and attendants. They have 87 00:05:20,880 --> 00:05:23,040 Speaker 1: to be careful, though, because it's the women who get 88 00:05:23,040 --> 00:05:26,080 Speaker 1: the last laugh with their bespoke reply to the Toast 89 00:05:26,080 --> 00:05:29,320 Speaker 1: to the Lassies. This is usually written and delivered by 90 00:05:29,400 --> 00:05:33,359 Speaker 1: one of those ladies in attendants, but it's all in 91 00:05:33,400 --> 00:05:36,719 Speaker 1: good fun. The evening ends with everyone holding hands and 92 00:05:36,760 --> 00:05:39,839 Speaker 1: singing old Lang sign. You can check out our whole 93 00:05:39,839 --> 00:05:42,720 Speaker 1: episode about that song from December thirty first of twenty twenty. 94 00:05:43,160 --> 00:05:46,800 Speaker 1: But basically, this is an old Scots language song that 95 00:05:46,839 --> 00:05:49,880 Speaker 1: burns sat down as a poem about old friends meeting 96 00:05:49,920 --> 00:05:52,640 Speaker 1: up over drinks and reminiscing about the good old days, 97 00:05:53,400 --> 00:05:56,520 Speaker 1: a fitting cap on an evening of celebrating this man 98 00:05:56,560 --> 00:06:03,640 Speaker 1: of the people. Today's episode is based on the article 99 00:06:03,800 --> 00:06:06,760 Speaker 1: get out the Haggis It's Burns Night on HowStuffWorks dot com, 100 00:06:06,800 --> 00:06:10,039 Speaker 1: written by Dave Ruse. Brainstuff is production of iHeartRadio in 101 00:06:10,080 --> 00:06:13,040 Speaker 1: partnership with howstifforks dot com and is produced by Tyler Klang. 102 00:06:13,600 --> 00:06:16,640 Speaker 1: For more podcasts my heart Radio, visit the iHeartRadio app, 103 00:06:16,760 --> 00:06:19,599 Speaker 1: Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.