Some funny and unusual facts about Robert Burns to share on Burns Night

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921E926D-2222-4DE5-A4FC-0A2FB7F00A5FRobert Burns lived a life full of contradictions: the rough farmer who was an excellent dancer, the passionate poet with a sharp wit, and the rebellious figure who expressed deep emotional sensitivity.
These fun and unusual facts show that burns was much more than just a poet—he was a true character!
His life was full of quirks and anecdotes that often get overshadowed by his literary legacy. Here are some unusual or funny things about Robert Burns to share with your customers on Burns night.

73C7D441-5189-41A5-A340-1DBFCC3946AE 4 5005 cHis love for ‘Haggis’

Burns had a lifelong fondness for haggis. He even wrote an ode to it: Address to a Haggis, which remains one of his most popular works!

He was a “Love ‘Em and Leave ‘Em” kind of guy

Burns was known for his numerous romantic entanglements. He fathered at least 12 children by different women, though he was never quite a model of fidelity.

He didn’t get much formal education

Burns was largely self-taught and had only a basic education in a local school. He learned a lot from reading books by candlelight, which probably fueled his desire to become a poet.

9DA67A5D-5E36-4CF2-8D41-4FCDE41ADACC 4 5005 cHe was an excellent dancer

Burns was known to be an accomplished country dancer. This comes as a surprise given his often rough and rugged image, but he could hold his own in a reel or ceilidh.

He wrote a poem for his own funeral

Burns penned the poem The Epitaph in anticipation of his own death. He wrote that he would be “a man who lived his life honestly, even if he had many flaws.”

He didn’t always love the English

Burns is revered in Scotland and he had a complicated relationship with the English. In fact, he often poked fun at them and their culture in his poems.

His first “hit” wasn’t a poem — it was a song

Burns’ first major public success was “The Cotter’s Saturday Night”, but his popular song “Auld Lang Syne” became more internationally known, especially around Hogmanay.

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He was a fan of “Country Philosophy”

 

Burns often spoke of the “wisdom” of the common folk, celebrating the simple lives of farmers and workers. This may have been partly due to his own upbringing on a farm.

His father was a “poor farmer”

While many people think of Burns as a man of means due to his literary success, his early life was marked by financial hardship. His father, William Burnes, was a farmer who struggled with poverty.

He could be a rebel

Burns wasn’t just a poet—he was politically active, and his work often contained subtle (or not-so-subtle) critiques of the British government. He even supported the French Revolution, though he was never actively involved.

F42E0AEB-6D0B-48B7-B6BC-313BC4F244BE 4 5005 cHe loved to drink

Burns was famously fond of whisky and often wrote about drinking in his poems. He even reportedly kept a bottle of whisky under his bed.

His writing wasn’t always “genteel”

Burns could be quite crude in his poetry when he wanted to be. He didn’t shy away from earthy, sometimes bawdy language, which was considered scandalous for the time.

He wore a wig for formal occasions

Despite his rustic image, Burns had to wear a wig when attending formal events in Edinburgh. The wig, a common fashion of the time, contrasted greatly with his simple farmer’s lifestyle.

66EC95CF-A250-4540-9409-E7BAD60D010A 4 5005 cHe was a “Romantic” in every sense

Burns wasn’t just interested in love; he was deeply affected by it. His many romantic liaisons often led to deep emotional turmoil, as seen in poems like Ae Fond Kiss.

He Had a sense of humour about himself

Burns didn’t take himself too seriously. In fact, many of his works poke fun at his own foibles, as in The Twa Dogs and The Jolly Beggars.

He was an early advocate for “Animal Rights”

F8932AAB-0D80-4CEF-9CF9-8D3ADA8BF32B 4 5005 cBurns had a love for animals, and his poem To a Mouse is considered one of the earliest examples of animal rights poetry.

He was once an “Excise Officer”

In an ironic twist, Burns worked as an excise officer, collecting taxes on goods like alcohol. Some say it was a job he took to avoid being a complete financial failure.

 

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Tags: Burns, Burns Night, Burns supper, Robert Burns