As Halloween approaches, the supernatural notion of witches abroad beneath a full moon while the clock strikes midnight comes to mind. There is no finer depiction of witches than in Tam O’Shanter, the epic narrative poem composed by Robert Burns as a cautionary tale for errant husbands who spend too much time in the ale house.
The Robert Burns Statue in Embankment Gardens
A striking statue of Scotland’s most famous poet sits in London’s Embankment Gardens, nestled between the Thames and Charing Cross. The statue might be considered an early example of crowd funding, as its costs were covered by what was known as a shilling subscription, with the Prince of Wales donating the first shilling.
The statue was unveiled by Lord Rosebery in July 1884. Its sculptor, John Steell, had built his reputation on creating sculptures of historical figures and was Queen Victoria’s official sculptor in Scotland. His other subjects include the Duke of Wellington, Florence Nightingale, and Saint Andrew.
📚Have a read: Ten Things To Know About Florence Nightingale
The Burns statue in Embankment Gardens is one of four cast by Steell, all seated in slightly different poses. The others are located in Dundee (Scotland), Dunedin (New Zealand), and New York’s Central Park. Another Steell work, that of Burns’ fellow Scottish writer Sir Walter Scott, also graces Central Park.
In 1885, Lord Rosebery followed the Embankment unveiling with a bust of Robert Burns by Steell in Westminster Abbey’s Poets’ Corner.
Robert Burns: The Bard of Scotland and of Halloween
Born in Alloway on 25 January 1759, Burns is celebrated as the Scottish Bard each year on his birthday with the traditional Burns Supper of haggis and neeps. But he could also be considered the Bard of Halloween.
As a former farmer, Burns often drew inspiration from the folk tales and superstition of Scotland’s rural population. His 1785 poem Halloween explores these traditions with a cast of rural folk attempting to recreate the traditional spells of previous generations. The poem suggests that Halloween is a night “when witches, devils, and other mischief-making beings are all abroad on their baneful midnight errands”.
Burns frequently used a technique of addressing subjects directly. In To a Mouse (1785) and To a Haggis (1786), he speaks to animals and objects. In To the De’il (1786), he addresses the Devil himself, calling him out by his many names: Auld Hornie, Satan, Nick, or Clootie. Meanwhile, in Address to Beelzebub (also 1786), he parodies the Highland Clearances by imagining them directed by the Prince of Devils, Satan’s second-in-command.
Tam O’Shanter: Burns’ Supernatural Masterpiece
Burns’ most celebrated supernatural work is the 228-line narrative epic Tam O’Shanter, published in 1791.
Set in Ayrshire, the tale begins with Tam ignoring the pleadings of his wife not to spend too much time in the alehouse. As the moon rises on All Hallows’ Eve, he sets off with his grey mare to make his drunken way home.
Approaching the ruins of an old kirk, he sees firelight flickering and hears the haunted skirl of bagpipes. Drawing closer, he witnesses the Devil presiding over a witches’ black mass as they cavort semi-naked around a Satanic altar, strewn with gruesome items.
When the witches realise they are being spied upon, they chase poor Tam and his horse across the moonlit countryside. Tam narrowly escapes by galloping across the bridge spanning the River Doon. Unable to cross running water, the grand witch, Cutty Sark (named after her immodestly short vest), grabs the horse’s tail and tears it off.
In celebration of the poem, the original owner of the 19th-century tea clipper Cutty Sark—now on display in Greenwich—named his ship after the character. Its masthead depicts Cutty Sark triumphantly clutching the tail of Tam O’Shanter’s ill-fated horse.
Inscriptions and Legacy
Back in Embankment Gardens, the inscription on the Burns statue echoes his own words:
“The poetic genius of my country found me at the plough – and threw her inspiring mantle over me. She bade me sing the loves, the joys, the rural scenes and rural pleasures of my native soil in my native tongue: I tuned my wild, artless notes as she inspired.”
A Taste of Scotland in London
If you would like to sample haggis, the Scottish national dish closely associated with Robert Burns, Deeney’s—a Scottish coffee shop chain with three branches in East London—serves haggis breakfasts and haggis toasties, with vegetarian options available.
Visit Deeney’s here
Step Into the Shadows of History
Robert Burns’ poetry captures both the beauty of rural Scotland and the terror of Halloween superstition. His statue in Embankment Gardens stands as a lasting tribute to his genius and enduring influence.
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