Our National Poet

First of all, I'm a Burns fan. Last week, I unfriended someone on Facebook because he slagged off celebrants of Burns Suppers for 'mocking' the Gaelic language and culture by wearing kilts. Myself, I don't care if folk turn up at a Burns Supper in their birthday suit as long they give a good recitation of the works of Burns. Mind you, I think Burns could have made a great poem out the birthday suits!

I was astonished last week to hear a question on the TV quiz Pointless about 'famous Scots'. First, I was amazed the question should appear at all but then I was delighted to see so many names appear (14) - among them, of course, Robert Burns. One thing bothered me, though: our national poet was referred to throughout as "Robbie Burns.' Well, truth be told: I was also annoyed that his world famous song was referred to as Old Lang Zyne but, hey, we're getting used to that, aren't we? It merely shows the speaker's ignorance of the Scots language. We know not everyone is as lucky as we are.

But I wonder: was Burns referred to as Robbie in his lifetime, by family and neighbours, by his posh friends in Edinburgh? Is Robbie just an English version of Rabbie? Was Burns really called Rabbie when he was doon hame? An attempt at the anglicisation of his name would make me laugh for one: Burns's best poems are in Scots; his least memorable in English, although I suspect some of his songs have stuck in people's minds because they are in English.

So come on, my Ayrshire (and beyond) friends: where did the name 'Robbie' Burns originate? And should we be trying to give him his proper name as a mark of respect?