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Burns

Burnsiana

Tam O'Shanter (1)

Period:
19th Century
Description:

A large lithographic engraving of a scene from a Robert Burns poem

 

Burns wrote the poem, "Tam O'Shanter" as a "witch story" to accompany the illustration of Alloway Kirk which was to be published by his friend, Captain Francis Grose in his "Antiquities of Scotland". It is both comic and epic, telling the story of Tam's encounter with a coven of witches on his ride home from a night's drinking at the inn.

 

In the scene illustrated, Tam has left the comfort of the inn and taken the road home. He happens upon the coven of witches dancing in the ruins of the old church at Alloway. One is wearing only a "cutty sark", or short under garment, and Tam, overcome, cries out the famous line, "Weel Done Cutty Sark!".

 

So begins a chase in which his horse, Maggie loses her tail. It is by gaining the bridge and crossing over water that he manages to escape his supernatural pursuers.

Materials/Media:
paper
Dimensions:
length: 420 mm, width: 730 mm
Source:
Dumfries Museum & Camera Obscura
Accession number:
DUMFM:0198.435
Digital Number:
DMBN295n
Creation Date:
c 1875
Copyright:
Dumfries & Galloway Council