Another example of how TamO'Shanter has been illustrated.

Another example of how TamO'Shanter has been illustrated.

Tam O’Shanter has been the inspiration for many artists. These old prints are the original illustrations to the poem by John Faed


 
John Faed (1820- 1902)
First published in 1892 Title:
Tam O'Shanter and the Witches
Illustration to the poem of Robert Burns

One of Burns' best-loved tales is the story of a farmer from Maidens who, against  his wife's good advice, gets into trouble as a result of his fondness for drink and an eye for the lasses. The poem is a favourite feature of Burns Suppers across the world and many Scottish pubs will give a free dram or two to anyone who can give a good recitation, start to finish, a good recital means in a good rendering of the old dialect.  

The story, which was inspired by the local tales Burns heard as a boy, is set in Ayr and Alloway, and reaches its scary but comic climax at the old Brig O'Doon. Burns based the poems  characters on his own friends and characters he knew from the local taverns. In her memoir of Burns, his wife, Jean Armour, recalls watching him laughing as he walked along the banks of the River Nith, gesturing wildly and composing the poem out loud. 

Perhaps more than any other of his poems, Tam O'Shanter captures the spirit of poetry that was first awakened in the young Robert Burns, sitting around the fire in Burns Cottage and listening to the ghost stories of old Betty Davidson.
 
The late medieval Brig O’Doon was chosen by Burns for the climax of his tale, Tam O’Shanter. It spans the beautiful river Doon, the auld brig (old bridge) gives visitors a chance to walk on the very spot where Tam’s mare, Meg, made her last heroic leap for freedom - leaving her tail still in the clutches of Nan, the “Cutty Sark” witch.