»On the Burry Man

The quasi-mythical Burry Man of Edinburgh needs to answer Nature's call.

South Queensferry hosts the strange annual procession of the Burry Man during the Ferry Fair. This unique pagan-like cultural event is over three hundred years old, but its true origins are unknown. The name "Burry Man" is arguably a corruption of "Burgh Man", since the town was formerly a royal burgh. A local man is covered from head-to-toe in burrs - the hooked fruits from the Burdock plant - which adhere to undergarments covering his entire body, leaving only the shoes, hands and two eyeholes exposed. On top of this layer he wears a sash, flowers and a floral hat and he grasps two staves. His ability to bend his arms or sit down is very restricted during the long day and his progress is a slow walk with frequent pauses. Two attendants in ordinary clothes assist him throughout the ordeal, helping him hold the staves, guiding his route, and fortifying him with whisky sipped through a straw, whilst enthusiastic children go from door-to-door collecting money on his behalf. The key landmarks on the tour are the Provost's office and each pub in the village.

I wonder if "Burry Man" is an eggcorn, from "Burgh Man", or an eponym from the ceremonical character's covering of burrs. Either way, the idea of walking about all day with one's arms outstretched, drinking whiskey through a straw, is far from tantalizing.
And now for something completely different: trivia about Gloucester cheese rolling. Pass the scrumpy.