Robert Burns (Robbie)

Description

A tall, stoop-shouldered man with bushy brown hair and large deep, dark eyes. Relativly athletic and very handsome (once described as excessivly good looking). Used to suffer bouts of Rheumatic fever (but since there is no disease on riverworld...:)

Biography

Robert Burns was born in Ayrshire, Scotland on 1/25/1759 the oldest of 7 children. His parents were William Burness and Agnes Burness (maiden name Broun). He recieved a basic education (alot in those days). He learned Reading, Writing and arithmatic, however he could read and remember and was able, with those basic tools to educate himself to a great extent. By nine he was reading (and understanding) Shakespear, age 10 addison and so on (this is alot for a poor Scotish Farmboy). He was educated in French & Latin. Enough French to translate "Fenelons Telemaque" & "enough Latin to misquote Virgil". He was an extremely intellegent youth who was constantly reading and also constantly in love. He was always finding a new "love of his life" and wooing them with poetry and general charm. His first love (and the subject of his first love poem was a woman called Mary Campell. His First and only wife was Jean Armour, she also mothered 9 of his 15 children. The other 6 were born in circumstances other than "Lawful Wedlock". 5/22/1785 was the birth of his first child by an Elizabeth Paton, married to Jean Armour 9/1785. His first book was published in 1786. He had various children through out the years and various poetry collections published. He was a huge success, he traveled all over and Nobles, writers and other people of importance would come to see him, invite him to high society parties & so on. His Song "Scots Whae Hae" (Scots Who Have) was banned in Scotland for fear of it causing a rebellion (Scots whae hae wi' Wallace bled Scots Wham Bruce ha' often led,... you've seen brave heart, so you know why such a song about William Wallace, by Robert Burns (to very big Scots could possibly cause rebellious feelings to surface).His poem "Tam O' Shanter" was reviewed and called "The best days work done in Scotland since Bannockburn". He was widely celebrated through out the whole of Brittan (especially Scotland) and the world. He became somewhat wealthy but made bad investments and eventually lost it. He wrote a birthday Ode To George Washington so any of the American forefathers would know who he is, (Burns would often take the side of those rebeling against oppression, especially against English oppression After a life spent writing and immense amount of work he decided to resume farming as that proffession was cansidered to be more stable, he bought bad land & thus lost much of his money. He continued to write and publish, but most of his profits went in to paying of debts cause by his money-pit farm. He drank excessivly (as did most Scots, his just caught up with him early) and one night passed out in the snow and had an onset of his reoccurring Rheumatic fever (he had had this since childhood) but in his weakened state it took its toll. He wasted away in Dumfries, at deaths doorstep. He wrote some of his most intense poetry about death and dying and the fear there of. On 7/21/1796 he died in Dumfries, Scotland. To give an impression of the extent of Burns' fame,at his funeral over 10,000 people came and he was buried with military hino (I mean Honors), all of Scotland mourned. Every place he lived is now a monument and numerous other monuments were erected as well. Scots of his time and after would look up to him as a mixture of Mark Twain and George Washington (and possibly even a sort of Rock Star). He was a devout Christian, although he did question the Church. He was not fooled by people ij that or any other sense. He wanted to make the world a better place, he believed in equality in all forms. He was a good man who despised oppressors and loved the oppressed (he once bought and sent cannons to the French rebels during the French revolution). He loved women, whiskey and life in general. He saw everything as good and bad, extremely emotional (though not fluffy headed). He felt for all creation and respected those who deserved it ( and disrespected those who didn't .

Skills

Languages: English, Scots English (a dialect), French (good), Latin (fair) and Gaelic.
He could dance (he went to dancing school, He was a 1700s farmer and therefore could do basic tool making and repair, some smithing, hunting (musket) fishing ( he lived in the country). He could swim. He is very literate and can do math as well. He had knowledge of earth history from 1796 on. Music, Scottish folklore and solk songs, carousing, Christian (presbertyrian) Theology.Generally a keen observer. He could make and repair structures (as a farmer he built and repaired barns, farmhouses and the like). He owned a sword, a highlands broadsword to be exact, but nothing is written on wether he could use it or not (probably he was familiar with it) He was a bit of a ladies man.

Personality Questions

Would your character prefer a game of chess or a game of football?
Probably chess, but he would play and enjoy football because thats what the folks play.
If your character found a wallet in the street, would they return it?
He would most definitly return it (his Christian & personal moral duty)He might even put some money in if the person whos wallet it is was poor.
Would your character be more likely to be the life of the party or to quietly observe the goings-on?
Life of the party, he would be drunk, spouting off verse, and get with some woman. Then he would write verses about what happened as if he had been quietly observing.
Would your character be found on the top of a pyramid of people or on the bottom?
He would be born at the bottom, he would then rise to the top but always go down and live with thise at the bottom. almost as if one took one of the top bricks and put it down at the bottom. Burns would fiercly deny being part of the top and would activly (and openly) criticize those at the top (if they misused their position).
Pretending to be your character, rank the following statements in order of truth. Leave out statements that are false about your character.
I notice my surroundings
I love to read
Other people listen to what I say