The origins of haggis are somewhat mysterious, but the dish certainly dates back well before Robert Burns' era.  Going back thousands of years, when the hunters returned with their kill, some of the meat could be salted or preserved, but some would need to be eaten straight away.  The fresh, edible offals would be chopped and mixed with cereal and herbs and cooked over the fire in the ready-made container, the stomach.  Hey presto - the first haggis!

Scandinavian Cousins

Similar dishes have developed in different countries, but the name 'haggis' is probably Scandinavian in origin - the Swedish 'hugga' and the Icelandic 'hoggva', mean to cut or chop.  The connections between Scotland and Scandinavia between the 9th and 15th centuries were especially strong, and it seems likely that haggis could have become established in Scotland during this period.