The Waverley Gazette

The Haggis Mystery

The poem which we know as ’Address to a Haggis’ was written in 1786 - one of Burns's most famous and regularly performed poems.

Researching ‘AN OLD FARMER'S NEW YEAR'S MORNING SALUTATION’ we were distracted by a reference to the ‘Address to a Haggis’ which entitled it: ‘An Address To A Scotch Haggis on New Year’s Day’.

In 1806, it was part of a chapbook pamphlet published by Charles Randall, Stirling, with the title ‘An Address To A Scotch Haggis on New Year’s Day’, as a ‘filler’ supporting ‘The Auld Farmer’s Salutation To His Auld Mare Maggy’.

Burns didn’t call it ‘An Address To A Scotch Haggis on New Year’s Day’.

Where did that come from?

There are various stories linked to the writing of 'Address To A Haggis’.

• The first found, was contained in a caption relating to an engraving:

Archibald Prentice of Covington Mains, near Lanark, farmer, and friend of the Poet, known as "The Gudeman o' the Mains."

Mr. Prentice subscribed for 20 copies of the Edinburgh edition of the poems.

Burns, when on his way to Edinburgh in 1778, stayed overnight with Prentice. A sheet hoisted on a stack in the yard was the signal of the Poet's arrival, and all the neighbours assembled. To them, at supper time, the Poet recited the ‘Address to a Haggis’, composed for the occasion.

• Other accounts of the evening at Covington Mains make no mention of ‘Address to a Haggis’ but do however recount a telling of the ’Jolly Beggars’.

‘Robert Burns, in his itinerary to Edinburgh (per Mr Thomas Somerville LLD, nephew of Archibald Prentice) spent a night at the farmhouse of Mr Prentice, Covington Mains, near Carnwath. Archibald Prentice informed his brother farmers that Burns was expected at the Mains and a white sheet hoisted on a cornstack was to be a notice of his arrival and for all to assemble. Rev Briye Little, minister of the parish, Lang the schoolmaster and his brother the minister of Leadhills were present. Burns’s wonderful conversational powers drawn out by intelligent gentlemen and congenial friends carried all by storm. Songs and recitations, now grave, now gay, melted and cheered them by turns. In their excitement Burns said he would give the best yet after Mrs Prentice had left the room. She told him to go on – she would not leave the room that night. Burns then said, “Here is for the ‘Jolly Beggars’ (which was not published till after his death). Next morning accompanied by Prentice and the two Lang brothers, Burns breakfasted at Mr John Stoddart’s bank. On the way Mr Lang, of Leadhills asked Burns for a repetition of the ‘Jolly Beggars’. He replied ‘Na, na, Mr Lang, the inspiration is gone.’

• The Edinburgh Literary Journal, 1829 : “About 16 years ago, there resided at Mauchline, a Mr Robert Morrison, cabinet-maker. He was a great crony of Burns and it was in Mr Morrison's house that the poet usually spent the ‘mids o’ the day’ on Sunday. It was in this house that he wrote his celebrated ‘Address To A Haggis’ after partaking liberally of that dish, as prepared by Mrs Morrison.

• According to Robert Chambers, Hogg, the Ettrick Shepherd has, on the contrary, averred that the poem was written in the house of Mr Andrew Bruce of Castle Hill, Edinburgh after in like manner partaking of the dish, but declares that it was first published in the Scots Magazine for January 1787. It was indeed published then, but it was actually first published on Tuesday December 19^th 1786 when the poem appeared in The Caledonian Mercury with the heading :

FOR THE CALEDONIAN MERCURY

ADDRESS TO A HAGGICE.

BY R. BURNS

[NEVER BEFORE PUBLISHED]

But there’s a difference to the last verse that we are familiar with.

The Caledonian Mercury has, as the last verse :

Ye Pow’rs wha gie us a’ that’s gude,
Still bless auld Caledonia’s brood
Wi’ great John Barleycorn’s heart’s blude
In strowps or luggies;
And on our board that king o’ food,
A glorious Haggice!

The last verse – as we know today is :

Ye Pow’rs wha mak mankind your care,
And dish them out their bill o’ fare,
Auld Scotland wants nae skinking ware
That jaups in luggies;
But, if ye wish her gratefu’ prayer,
Gie her a Haggis!

• The Life & Works of Robert Burns, 1852, edited by Robert Chambers, features the original last verse as an impromptu Grace given by Burns :

EXTEMPORANEOUS GRACE ON A HAGGIS

It has been stated, that being present at a party where a haggis formed part of the entertainment, and being asked to say something appropriate on the occasion, Bums produced this stanza by way of grace; which being well received, he was induced to expand it into the poem entitled ‘To a Haggis’, retaining the verse in an altered form as a peroration. [The concluding part of a speech, typically intended to inspire enthusiasm in the audience.]

Robert Crawford’s The Bard, in which Crawford states “The best new poem Burns added (to the Edinburgh Edition) was ‘To a Haggis’. Perhaps composed in Mauchline for a ‘Haggis Club’ harvest supper in 1785 (as John Richmond claimed) the poem was certainly ready in time for 19 December’s Caledonian Mercury – a ‘taster’ for his second edition.

It seems unlikely that Burns composed a poem of 48 lines with 267 words ‘there and then’ at dinner on Castle Hill.

Perhaps it began at Mauchline, in Mr Morrison's house, and Robert Burns worked away at it and was perhaps able to perform it at Castle Hill – from memory.

Available from Waverley Books :

"Hansel Monday" - The first Monday after New Year, and Burns' Poem, 'An Old Farmer's New Year's Morning Salutation to his old Mare Maggie'

Happy New Year from Scotland! Gifts that are given at new year - 'the hansel'

We wish you and your family a very happy new year.

In this blog post we have taken a look at Robert Burns' poem that celebrated his horse, Maggie. In his poem Burns' celebrates his horse and the years of service Maggie has given him. He writes about giving Maggie a ripp of corn 'to hansel' in the new year.

Today people still 'first foot' a neighbour or family member or friend with a token gift of shortbread or coal. This tradition is centuries old but now symbolic of rural customs.

In various parts of Scotland, a sheaf of oats was a common first-footing present. On some occasions the sheaf of oats was the last sheaf of harvest. In other parts of Scotland, the last sheaf, with the grain, was mixed with the seeds for next year’s planting. Or it was fed to farm animals as a cure or charm, perhaps to ensure the animal’s fertility. It was the custom to give a token gift to mark the new year.

Burns' poem 'An Old Farmer's New Year's Morning Salutation to his old Mare Maggie' mentions the hansel, and confirms the custom of giving a hansel on new year's day, in Ayrshire in the eighteenth century.

Hansel – or Handsel - was a gift or token given at the beginning of the year or to mark an acquisition or the start of an enterprise, supposedly to bring good luck.

The first Monday after New Year was considered by many to be the first winter holiday of the year, and it was marked by the exhange of small gifts between family and friends, and from masters to servants. ('Hansel' is from an Old English word, and has roots also in Norse.)

“Whenever Burns has occasion,” says Hogg, our Ettrick Shepherd*, “to address or mention any subordinate being, however mean, even a mouse or a flower, then there is a gentle pathos in it that awakens the finest feelings of the heart.”

The Auld Farmer of Kyle has the spirit of knight-errant, and loves his mare according to the rules of chivalry; and well he might: she carried him safely home from markets, and triumphantly from wedding-brooses; she ploughed the stiffest land; faced the steepest brae, and, moreover, bore home his bonnie bride with a consciousness of the loveliness of the load.

Come and see us at SCOTLAND'S TRADE FAIR SPRING 2022 - 24th January - 26 January 2022

We are exhibiting at Scotland's Gift show which is called 'Scotland's Trade Fair Spring 2022'

It is at the SEC Glasgow, and we will be at stand D30.

The show takes place on Monday 24th January - Wednesday 26th January 2022.

Whisky In Your Pocket by Neil Wilson has been published in The Netherlands, translated by Hans Offringa

Neil Wilson's book "Whisky in Your Pocket" has been published in the Netherlands.

The translation into Dutch is by Hans Offinga. Hans Offringa has a long history with Neil Wilson's book.

WHISKY IN YOUR POCKET

Neil Wilson's book was first compiled by Wallace Milroy called 'The Malt Whisky Almanac'. That book was a guide for Scottish malt whisky, and was published in 1986. At that time Wallace Milroy with his brother Jack Milroy owned a small drinks shop at 3 Greek Street, in Soho, London.

Hans Offringa is the author of several books on whisky, and include De Smaak van Whisky. Hans met Wallace Milroy, and also Neil. Hans' interest in malt whisky led to not only a life long passion for malt, but also a career as a whisky writer and then publisher.