The Canongate Burns. Robert Burns

mist a fit, an’ in the pool missed a foot

      Out-owre the lugs she plumpet -over, ears, plummeted

      Wi’ a plunge that night.

      235 In order, on the clean hearth-stane, -stone

The Luggies14 three are ranged; dishes

      And ev’ry time great care is taen taken

      To see them duly changed:

      Auld uncle John, wha wedlock’s joys, old, who

240 Sin Mar’s-year15 did desire, since

      Because he gat the toom dish thrice, got, empty

      He heav’d them on the fire

      In wrath that night.

      Wi’ merry sangs, an’ friendly cracks, songs, conversation

      245 I wat they did na weary; know, not

      And unco tales, an’ funnie jokes, wondrous

      Their sports were cheap an’ cheary:

Till butter’d Sow’ns,16 wi’ fragrant lunt, sour oat pudding, steam

      Set a’ their gabs a-steerin; tongues, wagging

      250 Syne, wi’ a social glass o’ strunt, whisky

      They parted aff careerin off/away

      Fu’ blythe that night.

      

      Mackay’s edition omits the poet’s detailed notes to this work. They serve to assist the general reader in understanding the superstitious rural beliefs associated with Halloween. Due to the broad Scots language of the poem and its description of various superstitious rituals associated with peasant belief, much of the poem is unintelligible without the poet’s notes as in the Kilmarnock edition. Kinsley (no. 73) gives the notes but without indicating that they are Burns’s. The prose explanations of Burns reveal another example of his extraordinary talent for turning prose into poetry within the body of Halloween.

1 Cassilis Downans – Certain little, romantic, rocky, green hills, in the neighbourhood of the ancient seat of the Earls of Cassilis. R.B.

2 A noted cavern near Colean [Culzean] House, called the Cove of Colean; which, as well as Cassilis Downans, is famed, in country story, for being a favourite haunt of the fairies. R.B.

3 The famous family of that name, the ancestors of ROBERT, the great Deliverer of his country, were Earls of Carrick. R. B.

4 The first ceremony of Halloween, is, pulling each a Stock, or plant of kail. They must go out, hand in hand, with eyes shut, and pull the first they meet with: its being big or little, straight or crooked, is prophetic of the size and shape of the grand object of all their Spells – the husband or wife. If any yird, or earth, stick to the root, that is tocher, or fortune; and the taste of the custoc, that is, the heart of the stem, is indicative of the natural temper and disposition. Lastly, the stems, or to give them their ordinary appellation, the runts, are placed somewhere above the head of the door; and the Christian names of the people whom chance brings into the house, are, according to the priority of placing the runts, the names in question. R.B.

5 They go to the barnyard, and pull each, at three several times, a stalk of oats. If the third stalk wants the ‘top-pickle’, that is, the grain at the top of the stalk, the party in question will come to the marriage bed anything but a Maid. R.B.

6 When the corn is in a doubtful state, by being too green or wet, the stack- builder, by means of old timber, &c., makes a large apartment in his stack, with an opening in the side which is fairest exposed to the wind: this he calls a ‘Fause-house’. R.B.

7 Burning the nuts is a favourite charm. They name the lad and lass to each particular nut, as they lay them in the fire, and acccordingly as they burn quietly together, or start from beside one another, the course and issue of the Courtship will be. R.B.

8 Whoever would, with success, try this spell must strictly observe these directions: Steal out all alone, to the kiln, and, darkling, throw into the pot a clew of blue yarn; wind it in a new clew off the old one; and, towards the latter end, something will hold the thread: demand Wha hauds?, i.e. Who holds? And answer will be returned from the kiln-pot, by naming the Christian and Sirname of your future Spouse. R.B.

9 Take a candle and go alone to a looking glass; eat an apple before it, and some traditions say, you should comb your hair all the time; the face of your conjugal companion, to be, will be seen in the glass, as if peeping over your shoulder. R.B.

10 Steal out unperceived and sow a handful of hemp-seed, harrowing it with anything you can conveniently draw after you. Repeat, now and then – ‘Hemp-seed I saw [sow] thee, hemp-seed I saw thee; and him (or her) that is to be my true love, come after me and pou thee’. Look over your left shoulder, and you will see the appearance of the person invoked, in the attitude of pulling hemp. Some traditions say, ‘Come after me, and shaw thee’, that is, show thyself; in which case, it simply appears. Others omit the harrowing, and say, ‘Come after me, and harrow thee.’ R.B.

11 This charm must likewise be performed unperceived and alone. You go to the barn, and open both doors, taking them off the hinges if possible; for there is danger that the being that is about to appear may shut the doors, and do you some mischief. Then take that instrument used in winnowing the corn, which in our country-dialect we call a ‘wecht’, and go through all the attitudes of letting down corn against the wind. Repeat it three times, and the third time, an apparition will pass through the barn, in at the windy door, and out at the other, having both the figure in question, and the appearance or retinue, marking the employment or station in life. R.B.

12 Take an opportunity of going, unnoticed, to a ‘bear-stack’ [stack of bere or bigg, a kind of barley] and fathom it three times round. The last fathom of the last time, you will catch in your arms the appearance of your future conjugal yolk-fellow. R.B.

13 You go out, one or more, for this is a social spell, to a south-running spring, or rivulet, where ‘three Lairds’ lands’ meet, and dip your left shirt- sleeve. Go to bed in sight of a fire, and hang your wet sleeve before it to dry. Ly awake, and sometime near midnight, an apparition, having the exact figure of the grand object in question, will come and turn the sleeve, as if to dry the other side of it. R.B.

14 Take three dishes, put clean water in one, foul water in another, leave the third empty; blindfold a person and lead him to the hearth where the dishes are ranged; he (or she) dips the left hand: if by chance in the clean water, the future husband (or wife) will come to the