Warning – Adults Only!
The “Merry Muses of Caledonia” contains material of an adult nature.
Please leave this section of our website if you are likely to be offended by such material.
Many devotees of Robert Burns would prefer the “Merry Muses of Caledonia” to be forgotten, ignored, or just to disappear as they find the content offensive. Yet, were we at Let it Blaw to ignore this side of the Bard’s work, we would surely be overlooking a significant aspect of his life.
It’s thought that Robert Burns was quite open about his interest in the more bawdy side of verse and song so it will not be hidden away in a dark corner of this website where nobody can find it. However, to ensure that young eyes, and those who might be offended, cannot stumble across the content of this page, we have taken steps to ensure that only Members of the Balerno Burns Club can gain access.
The “Merry Muses of Caledonia” was first published in 1799, shortly after Burns’ death and its thought only two original copies remain in existence. All material was either written by Burns, or gathered by him on his travels. Many of the Bard’s best known works, “Green Grow the Rashes O” for example, stem from a bawdy original version that features in the “Merry Muses of Caledonia“.
The “Merry Muses of Caledonia” was so outrageous in it’s day, it was completely ignored for over a hundred years following Burns’ death, its existence only receiving public recognition in the UK in 1965. This probably says much about attitudes prior to then yet, as previously stated, many today still ignore their presence for the same reasons.
Members of the Balerno Burns Club wishing to access The Merry Muses of Caledonia
should email Alex Hood, the Club Webmaster, at alex.hood@letitblaw.org for instructions.