The Immortal Memory
It is customary to remember Robert Burns on 25 January – his birthday – and all of this week there have been a number of Burns suppers in Edinburgh.
Burns is commemorated in a stained glass window in St Giles’ Cathedral. He was was born on the 25th of January 1759, in Alloway, Ayrshire, and is widely regarded as Scotland’s national poet.
In St Giles’ there is an explanation of the window: “Burns is perhaps best remembered as a humanitarian poet who wrote against oppression and injustice. His lyrics condemn man’s inhumanity to man and call for the brotherhood of mankind. It’s believed Burns took inspiration from the egalitarian ideas of the French Revolution, as well as figures closer to home such as the Scottish political reformer, Thomas Muir
“His egalitarian anthem A man’s a man for a’ that was famously sung at the opening ceremony of the new Scottish Parliament in 1999. The window in St. Giles was crafted in 1982 to commemorate Burns in a prominent position above the West door of the Cathedral. The Icelandic artist Leifur Breidfjord was selected to develop or a design. The first sketches were made during the 1982 Easter Sunday service in St Giles’. The artist envisioned a window with linking chains, symbolising the Brotherhood of Man, a prevalent theme through Burns’ poetry.
“The finished window is split into three sections depicting the principal themes of the poet’s work love of nature, love of humanity and love itself embodied by the emblem of the rose. The poet himself is the lower central figure in the window, below which is a copy of the poet’s signature in clear glass.”
Made Scotland
Alexandra Borthwick set up the web based business Made Scotland exactly a year ago today and is celebrating the anniversary with some good Scottish produce. Click on the image below to find out more.
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Planning ahead
Looking ahead Valentine’s Day is just around the corner, so have a look at what is on at the Scotsman Picturehouse to entertain you and your beloved.
https://scotsmanpicturehouse.co.uk
Scottish Historic Buildings Trust
SHBT run events – and their next is at Riddle’s Court on the High Street on 21 February 2024.
Founding Editor of The Edinburgh Reporter.
Edinburgh-born multimedia journalist and iPhoneographer.
