Word Celebrity Blog

William Wallace


When I was a young boy, I was fortunate for years, to be able to spend the summer months with my maternal grandparents.  My grandmother came to America from Scotland with her family in 1892, when she was nine years old.   I listened her singing the songs of Scotland as she went about her household chores. I enjoyed hearing her sing the Gaelic songs and tell the stories about Robert Burns, Robert Bruce, and William Wallace. One day, when I asked her what language she was singing in. She looked down at me, and with great sincerity said "That is Gaelic. You had better learn it,  for that is the language they speak in Heaven."   I never did learn to speak Gaelic, but I did learn about Scotland and William Wallace.

I later discovered that most of the world knew about Robert Burns, and many scholars knew about Robert Bruce, but there were very few people outside of Scotland who knew of William Wallace.

In 1939, I was probably one of the few American boys who knew anything about one of Scotland's greatest heroes, William Wallace.  This was approximately 54 years before the rest of America and most of the world knew of William Wallace. That changed quickly in 1995, when the  corrupted Hollywood blockbuster film of "Braveheart" burst upon the movie screens. 




















"Braveheart" was directed by Mel Gibson, who also had the staring role in it as William Wallace,  The story  was written by the American screenwriter Randall Wallace,  who only became aware of his famous namesake while he was visiting Edinburgh Castle and spotted a statue of the heroic figure called "Wallace."

The movie  won Five Oscars and grossed more than $200 million on its way to being the 13th highest earning film, worldwide, in 1995.  Braveheart had its European premiere at the MacRobert Arts Center in Stirling and was followed by a reception at Stirling Castle.

There is no doubt that "Braveheart" does not keep to the known facts of William Wallace's life or the campaigns that he led.  The people that were connected with the film were perfectly aware of the inconsistencies between the known facts and the story that they were attempting to tell.  Mel Gibson was  quoted as saying:  "We adhered to history where we could but hyped it up where the legend let us". 

There are many historical inaccuracies in the film,  It is doubtful that any film could have been  made that was based completely on the truth, since there is little to no agreement about what is the truth about William Wallace and his life, except for a few details.  A major case on point: William Wallace was never referred to as Braveheart - the term was used in connection with Robert The Bruce.

There also were some other histories written many hundreds of years ago that have also survived and have references to William Wallace. -  Andrew of Wyntoun (1350-1424), the Prior of Lochleven,  wrote the "Original Chronicle" and John of Fordun (unknown -1385) and Walter Bower (1385-1440),  who was Abbot of Inchcolm in the Firth of  Forth, jointly wrote the "Scotichronicon" which was written much nearer to William Wallace's lifetime than those writtin by "Blind Harry"  And, of course, there is the story of William Wallace as told by My Grandmother, Isabelle (Peden) Boyle.
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 A lot of time had passed since William Wallace's death, We cannot know for certain how much of the truth was available to them.








































Since the time of his death, William Wallace has obtained an iconic status far beyond his  native land of Scotland. He is the protagonist of the 15th century epic poem "The Acts and Deeds of Sir William Wallace, Knight of Elderslie", by "Blind Harry". The poem is about 90% fictional. It describes William Wallace as adopting the disguises of a monk, an old woman, and a potter while he was a fugitive; and travelling to France to enlist support for the Scottish cause and while he was there, he defeated two French champions and slew a lion.


The Story Of William Wallace

I will attempt to present what is known about William Wallace and point out what is just myth.  With any history which spans a time that spans more than 7 centuries, there will never be huge amounts of recorded evidence and William Wallace's story is no different.  William Wallace was not of noble or royal birth, therefore there is even less evidence available.  Even where some evidence does exist it can be interpreted differently, or its accuracy can disputed.

The reputation of William Wallace can be found in many of the later medieval chronicles.  For most Scots, William Wallace was a fine example of unbending commitment to Scotland’s independence,   He died a martyr to that cause.

For centuries after its first publication,  Blind Harry’s 15th century epic poem, "The Wallace", was the second most popular book in Scotland,  following just after the Bible.


Sources of Information




















William Wallace is also the subject of literary works by Sir Walter Scott and Jane Porter. The world's  best known depiction of William Wallace time period is in the Academy Award winning epic movie film "Braveheart".  The writer Randall Wallace has acknowledged that Blind Harry's poem was a major source of inspiration for the film.  The movie "Braveheart" is also mostly fiction.

After William Wallace's death in London,  it is believed that John Blair wrote his memoirs which stated the facts of their life together.  John Blair apparently met William Wallace at school in Dundee. John Blair knew William Wallace personally and was his chaplain.  Although his book has been lost to history, "Blind Harry" makes mention of it in his work, so a copy must have been available for him to read. There is some speculation that there could be a version hidden in the Papal archives in the Vatican, since it was written by John Blair to be submitted to Pope Boniface.


















The historic records about William Wallace are scarce and mostly incorrect.  Most of the English writers were prejudiced to not record his heroic deeds, since William Wallace was their mortal enemy. The majority of the details available come from the church records and a non-English "Blind Harry", plus a few others.

There are many drawings and painted portraits of William Wallace, but none of them were done at the time he was living.  Because of this, we do not know how he looked except for the general and vague descriptions.






















William Wallace was a tall, well proportioned large man.  There are many quotations describing him as "a giant of a man". Estimates of William Wallace's height varied from 6 foot 2 inches to 6 foot 10 inches.

No document which resembles a birth certificate of William Wallace exists,  therefore,  it is probably best to refer to Elderslie as being "evidently" the birthplace of William Wallace, since the majority of the evidence points to that.

In 1270, William Wallace was born in a medieval fortification, whose foundations are now below the monument to William Wallace, in Elderslie. There is very little known about his youth . What is found about his early life, is from a wandering minstrel called "Blind Harry", who told many tales of the deeds of William Wallace. These were writtin in the 15th Century, 200 years after the death of William Wallace.

How reliable Blind Harry's stories are is anyone's guess,  but,  it is very likely that there was a good deal of Harry's romantic imagination involved in the writing the stories.  "Blind Harry" claims that William Wallace was already a powerful individual by his late teenage years and had killed many Englishmen who had crossed him.



























King Edward-I of England was the foremost soldier-king of his day . He spent most of his years of his reign fighting the French, He was trying to regain the provinces that had been lost by his father and grandfather.  The traditional mistrust between the Scots and the English began long before the Norman Conquest.  There had been intermittent wars and constant raiding across the border by both countries.  Edward-I, had tried diplomacy, even going to the extreme of betrothing his heir to the granddaughter of King Alexander III of Scotland (who had no male heir),  in the hope that he could secure his vulnerable northern border.  After King Alexander's death, the young Scots queen was on her way from her native Norway when she became ill and suddenly died.  This suddenly ended King Edward's hope of any dynasty that comprised the two thrones.

When in 1292, it looked like Scotland was about to have a civil war to decide who would be king , the Scottish nobles asked for the help of King Edward the First of England (Longshanks) to help solve the dispute as to who should be the next King of Scotland.King Edward-I was a powerful neighbor and significant jurist. The nobles in Scotland believed that he could hardly be ignored.  Before the process could begin, Kind Edward-I insisted, despite his previous promise to the contrary, that all of the contenders to the throne must recognise him as the Lord Paramount of Scotland.  After some initial resistance, all of the contenders, including the two leaders, John Balliol and Robert The Bruce, accepted this precondition.


























In early November 1292, at a  feudal court  that was held in the castle at Berwick Upon Tweed,  a judgement was given in favour of John Balliol. It was determined that he had the strongest claim under law.   A formal announcement of the judgement was given by King Edward-I of England, on November 17.

King Edward-I proceeded to reverse the rulings of the Scottish Lords and even summoned King John Balliol to stand before the English court as a common felon.  John Balliol was a weak king and not the strong leader Scotland desperately needed in those troubled times. Because of that, he came to be known as "Toom Tabard", or "Empty Coat".  John Balliol supporters, including William Fraser, Bishop of St. Andrews and John Comyn, Earl of Buchan made appeals to King Edward-I to keep the promise he had made in the Treaty of Birgham and elsewhere, to respect the customs and laws of Scotland.  King Edward-I repudiated the Treaty of Birgham, saying that he was no longer bound by it.





















John Balliol renounced his homage in March 1296 King Edward the First of England had become more and more annoyed that John Balliol, King of Scots was not supplying him with soldiers for his continental wars. King Edward-I took his army to Berwick Upon Tweed.  To teach the Scots a lesson,  he sacked the then Scottish border town.  The English slaughtered almost all of King Edward's opponents who resided there, even if they fled to their homes. In April, the Scots were defeated at the Battle of Dunbar in East Lothian and by July, King Edward-I had forced John Balliol to abdicate his throne at Stracathro near Montrose.


























Edward confiscated the "Scottish Coronation Stone", also known as the "Stone of Destiny"


King Edward-I then instructed his officers to receive formal homage from some 1,800 of the Scottish nobles (most of the rest of them being prisoners of war at that time).  King Edward had previously removed the Scottish Coronation Stone, from Scone Palace,  and had taken it to Westminster Abbey.


























The men whom he appointed to govern the Scots ruled unwisely and nearly all of the people of Scotland were discontented.  All at once, an army of young Scots was raised.  It was led by William Wallace, a young man who had been studying religion and who had almost a giant size stature.

The Scots fought back at the English army as it was besieging the castle at Dunbar, but, they were cut to ribbons by superior English forces. One of the Scottish nobles Andrew de Moray (Murray) was captured and imprisoned at Chester.

Most of the people in Scotland were extremely angry and the waves of revolt were rippling through the whole country.



















The first time we hear of William Wallace,  as a matter of record in Scottish history,  and one of the first indisputable facts that is known about William Wallace,  was when he Killed William Heselrig,  the English Sheriff of Lanark in 1297.  "Blind Harry" tells us that this was in retaliation for the murder of his sweetheart Marion by William Heselrig.  There are some reports that suggest that Marion, who had been murdered by William Haselrig, was already William Wallace's wife.

From that moment, William Wallace was to become a magnet for disaffected young men. His army attacked many English held fortifications. About the same time, Andrew de Moray also escaped from Chester and raised his standard at Avoch in the Black Isle.

 William Wallace was soon to achieve some more minor victories at Loudoun Hill, Ayr, and also fighting alongside Sir William Douglas at Scone, defeating the English justice William Ormesby.

However, William Wallace had another brother in arms and fellow rebel, a long forgotten Scottish hero and a man who was much more successful than William Wallace - the highlander Andrew Murray or Moray. A seperate rebellion was begun by the battle hardened and experienced Andrew Murray and he soon had successfully taken Aberdeen, Glasgow, Perth, Scone, Dundee and in fact all the lands north of the Firth of Forth.

Castle by castle, stronghold by stronghold, Andrew Murray and his army of Highlanders essentially kicked the English out of the whole of the northern half of Scotland. This must have greatly impressed William Wallace and they agreed to combine their forces and prepare for battle against the English at Stirling.

William Wallace must have known he could never win a battle against the greatly superior English army in a face to face conflict on open ground. The key to winning battles in these circumstances is knowing how to use the land and other natural features to one's advantage.

By 1297, there were not one, but several rebellions by the Scots, that were in full swing.  Robert Wishart, the Bishop of Glasgow,  James Stewart,  Sir William Douglas,  Robert The Bruce,  William Wallace and Andrew Murray all led uprisings. The Bishop and his friends were able to accomplish little, but, William Wallace and Andrew Murray were more successful. They managed to stay in arms,  taking the war to the English who were now advancing on Stirling.

Against them came the English commander,  the Earl of Warenne, and probably the most hated man in Scotland, Hugh de Cressingham - the king's Lord High Treasurer and the man who was responsible for extracting English taxes in Scotland and financing the English wars against Scotland.


The Battle Of Stirling Bridge

Hugh de Cressingham  was a pompous, greedy man. He was known as the "son of death" and was loathed by the Scots. His accountant like behavior demanded the cheapest possible military strategy. Regardless of its stupidity, the strategy was to cost the English the battle.





















William Wallace, operating in the Southern parts of Scotland, eventually joined forces with Moray at Dundee. Once they heard of the English army being sent to attack them they realized that the English would have to cross the Stirling Bridge on their way north and so they moved their army to the nearby Abbey Craig.

At the time of the battle the wooden bridge at Stirling was not only a critical crossing point but also only wide enough for three or perhaps four horsemen abreast. On September 11, 1297, the Earl of Surrey, in command of the English forces, had turned up at Stirling with 10,000 infantry soldiers and just over 3000 cavalry. In an open charge there was little that would stop these heavily armed horsemen.






















William Wallace's forces won the Battle of Stirling Bridge. Although vastly outnumbered, the Scottish forces led by William Wallace and Andrew Murray (Moray} routed the English army. John de Warenne, 7th Earl of Surrey's professional army of 3,000 cavalry and 8,000 to 10,000 infantry met disaster as they crossed over to the north side of the river. The English cavalry began to cross the bridge and the Scottish army, led by William Wallace and Murray, waited until about half of them had crossed the bridge. The Scottish army then thrust forward with huge vigour, killing many of the cavalry that had already crossed and causing a "horse traffic jam" on the bridge, with some cavalry stopping and others still trying to get onto the bridge from the English side. The sheer amount of horsemen on the bridge caused it to collapse and a large number of English cavalrymen drowned in the river below.


















The Battle of Stirling Bridge by Brian Palmer


There are some who claim that the bridge was rigged to collapse by the action of a man hidden beneath the bridge, but there is no evidence to indicate that to be true.  In the writings of "Blind Harry", he claims the collapse was planned with Scottish soldiers hidden down in the river. However this is almost certainly not true and exactly the kind of enhancement that "Blind Harry" would have no doubt enjoyed adding to his tale.

After the battle, William Crawford led 400 Scottish cavalrymen to complete the battle action by running the English out of Scotland.


















The Battle Of Stirling Monument


A contemporary Yorkshire Chronicler named Walter de Guisborough ignored William Wallace's role in the battle and concentrates instead on the heroic deeds of a certain Marmaduke de Tweng, who captured the bridge single-handed, if we are to believe his fellow Yorkshireman.






































William Wallace, Lord protector of Scotland.


After the battle,  William Wallace was knighted and pronounced Guardian Of Scotland.  To demonstrate how sketchy official records are from that time,  it is not known who knighted him.  It is very probable that it was Robert The Bruce.  Andrew Murray was mortally wounded in the battle.  He died later in the year believed to have been from wounds he received in the battle.














William Wallace and his men attacked and looted Hexham Abbey.


Late in the year, William Wallace invaded England and the Scots attacked many northern towns including Hexham and Brampton. An attempt on Carlisle Castle failed as they did not have the necessary siege equipment. As the harsh winter weather set in, the Scottish army retreated back across the border. They took with them large amounts of booty and livestock.

The type of engagement used by William Wallace was contrary to the common views on chivalous warfare where strength of arms and knightly combat was proclaimed instead of the use of tactical engagements and strategic use of existing terrain. The Battle of Stirling Bridge further embittered the relations between the two warring nations. But, it also caused England and King Edward-I to adopt a new type of warfare.







































King Edward-I was campaigning against the French in Flanders when he learned of the defeat of his northern army at the Battle of Stirling Bridge. After concluding a truce with Philip the Fair, he returned to England in March 1298 and immediately began organising an army for his second invasion of Scotland. As a preliminary step he moved the center of government to York, where it was to remain for the next six years. A council of war was held in the city in April to finalize the details of the invasion. The Scots magnates were all summoned to attend, and when none appeared they were all declared to be traitors.

King Edward then ordered his army to assemble at Roxburgh on June 25, 1298. The force that he gathered was impressive: over 2,000 horses and 12,000 infantry, including a huge force of Welshmen armed with the longbow.

William Wallace sent a letter to Alexander Scrymgeour, the official standard bearer of Scotland, to prepare for battle.



















The Scots army, again made up chiefly of spearmen as it was at Stirling, was again arranged in four great armoured "hedgehogs" known as schiltrons. The long spears pointed outwards at various heights gave these formations a formidable and impenetrable appearance. The gaps between the schiltrons were filled with archers and to the rear there was a small troop of men-at-arms, provided by the Comyns and other magnates.

On Tuesday, July 22, the English cavalry, which were divided into four battalions, finally caught sight of the Scot forces. The left of the English forces was commanded by the Earls of Norfolk, Hereford and Lincoln. The right was under the command of Anthony Bek, Bishop of Durham, and King Edward commanded the center, a little distance to the rear of the vanguard.  The English cavalry charged again and again but William Wallace's spearmen held fast.

Surprisingly, the Scot's calvary that was to support William Wallace's men, left the field of battle. Some have said it in fear of the English Calvary and others said it was  because these noblemen disliked William Wallace's lowborn status.  I have a tendency to believe the latter. The Lord Comyns, with all his cavalrymen had goaded William Wallace into this fight, At the critical moment, when an attack by his cavalry would have surely broken the English lines, Lord Comyns ordered his calvary to withdraw from the field of battle. His actions left William Wallace's archers and pikemen very vulnerable.

The Scots bowmen were commanded by Sir John Stewart of Bonkill, the younger brother of the High Steward of Scotland, stood their ground and were quickly destroyed by the English forces. But the schiltrons held firm, absorbing the shock of the fearce impact. The English knights made little impact on the multitude of long spears which threatened horses and men with impalement. A large number of English riders were killed under their horses. King Edward arrived at the front in time to witness the distruction of his cavalry. He managed to quickly restore discipline. He ordered his knights to withdraw. King Edward then prepared to employ the tactics that the Earl of Warwick had used to defeat the Welsh spearmen at the Battle of Maes Moydog.

Fierce fighting began to take place between the Scottish spearmen and the English infantrymen. The Scots inflicted greater punishment then they recieved. Despite the Scot success, the isolated schiltrons were locked into a static defensive position.






















King Edward's archers were brought into place and went to work with their deadly longbows. Their hail of arrows was supplemented by crossbow and slingshot. That day, the longbow-men killed thousands of Scotsmen. The schiltrons were an easy target, they had no defence and nowhere to hide. Unable to retreat or attack, the battle was lost for the Scots almost as soon as the first arrows began to fall.  This time, the English cavalry waited, observing King Edward's command, until the Scots ranks were thin enough to allow them to successfully finish the job. Amongst the many Scots that were killed, was Macduff,  the son of the Earl of Fife.

The survivors, which included William Wallace, escaped as best they could.  Most of them fled into the nearby forest of Torwood, where where it was very dangerous for their English pursuers to safely follow.  The battle was ultimately won by the English army.


























In testimony to how fiercely the schiltrons had fought until their final rout, historian Stuart Reid said, "Wallace's army may have been scattered rather than destroyed".  Michael Prestwich wrote that the English army lost "approaching 2,000" men.  For England, the Battle of Falkirk was a costly victory that also indicated the possibility of some future defeat.

William Wallace had lost some of his most loyal supporters, including Sir John Stewart of Bonkill and second in command Sir John de Graham. Although William Wallace's credibility had been weakened and his military reputation damaged, Scotland was still not conquered, thanks to William Wallace's scorched earth tactics.

King Edward's army, which had been weakened by hunger and disease, was in no position to carry on with a prolonged campaign. He ordered a retreat to Carlisle, where he hoped to hold the army together for a fresh campaign, but many of his soldiers deserted.  King Edward  tried to prevent further desertions by holding out the prospect of gaining some of the Scots lands to those who would remain. This only led to even more dissention. King Edward finally dismissed the greater part of his army. He remained on the border, with his army until the end of the year.  He then returned to the south, being fully convinced that the disloyalty of his Barons had robbed him of the fruits of success at the Battle of Falkirk.

























Portrait of Sir William Wallace.


William Wallace escaped with his life.  By September 1298, William Wallace had decided to resign as Guardian of Scotland in favour of Robert the Bruce, Earl of Carrick and future king,  and John Comyn of Badenoch, King John Balliol's brother-in-law.

At the end of the war, William Wallace asked Angus McDean of Fort MacTavish to watch over the town of Falkirk and prevent it from future English attacks.  It is believed that he wasn't seen after being given that order.  The township of Falkirk has always remained safe from attack until this very day.























Sketch of William Wallace.


William Wallace left with William Crawford in late 1298 on a mission to the court of King Philip IV of France to plead for assistance in the Scottish struggle for independence.  A surviving letter from the French King Philip IV,  dated November 7, 1300, to his envoys in Rome,  demanded that they should help Sir William Wallace.

Robert Bruce became reconciled with King Edward-I, in 1302,  but, William Wallace spurned any moves that were made towards peace.

In 1303, Squire Guthrie was sent to France to ask William Wallace and his men to return to Scotland. William Wallace returned to Scotland later that year, under the cover of darkness, to find that Scotland was firmly under control of the English.



















William Wallace in battle.


He then resumed his earlier guerilla warfare attacking the English garrisons. He had some narrow escapes at Happrew near Peebles and Black Earnside near Lidores.

They returned  to rest on the farm of William Crawford, near Elcho Wood. English authorities heard rumours of William Wallace's return to the area, and they attempted to capture them at the farm. They began chasing the fleeing men, but once again William Wallace's band of men escaped, after they had been surrounded.

In 1304, John Comyn also came to terms with the English government. William Wallace was excluded from these terms by the English King Edward-I, who offered a large reward to anyone who killed or captured him.


























William Wallace painting.


William Wallace was captured at Robroyston just outside Glasgow. He had been on a secret mission to meet with Robert Wishart, the Bishop of Glasgow and well known Scottish nationalist. William Wallace had been betrayed by Sir John Stewart of Menteith. William Wallace was asleep in a barn on August 3, 1305, with another companion called Kerlie, when they were surprised. During a brief struggle, Kerlie was killed and the captured William Wallace was taken as a prisoner to Dumbarton Castle and then on the long trip south to London.




















William Wallace on his Way to Westminster Hall.


It took three weeks to reach London. He was paraded through towns and villages in England, while en route  to London.

He was kept in a house in Fenchurch Street in London since the crowds around the Tower of London were too great to safely make his entrance there. 

















The following day, William Wallace was tried at a hastily arranged court in Westminster Hall (which is now part of the present day Houses of Parliament).





















Trial of William Wallace.


He was condemned as a traitor and was sentenced to be hung drawn and quartered.  William Wallace was given no time or right of reply,  but he shouted out that he could never be a traitor since he was a Scot and did not recognize England as his sovereign nation.













Following the trial, on August 23, 1305, in Smithfield. London, England, William Wallace was taken outside from the hall, stripped naked and dragged through the city at the heels of a horse for 5 miles  to the Elms at Smithfield.

He was then tortured and hung and his entrails pulled out inch by inch, drawn and quartered, strangled by hanging, but released while he was still alive, eviscerated and his bowels burnt before him, castrated, beheaded, then cut into four parts. His preserved head (dipped in tar) was placed on a pike atop London Bridge. It was later joined by the heads of the brothers, John and Simon Fraser. His limbs were displayed, separately, in Newcastle upon Tyne, Berwick-upon-Tweed, Stirling, and Aberdeen.

William Wallace was 35 years old.

King Edward-I thought that he was making an example by William Wallace's horrible death, it would put fear into the Scots, but, instead it made a martyr and national hero who inspired Scotsmen for generations to come.


























For the English writers, William Wallace was an outlaw, a murderer, the perpetrator of atrocities and a traitor.

"William Wallace, a runaway from righteousness, a robber, a committer of sacrilege, an arsonist and a murderer, more cruel than Herod and more debauched in his insanity than Nero." - Matthew of Westminster, The Flores Historiarum.

These things that have been said about William Wallace may be true or they may not be true. No one knows for sure. If they were true, does that make him any worse than his opponent, the English King Edward-I?





















Whatever the people of other countries may think or say about William Wallace, there is a truth that nobody can deny: William Wallace was a loyal and fierce Scottish patriot, not driven by greed, nor  by money or lands. He was driven to the point of death, for the love of his own country and was determed to make sure that the people of Scotland never had to be subjected to the rule of another country. He gave himself for their FREEDOM.

It is for THIS REASON that William Wallace is the great inspirational figure in the history of Scotland and the hearts of the Scottish people. Even to those people who now live in America.


























*****



The Scottish Claymore Sword
("Claidheamh-mor" meaning "great sword" in Gaelic)

This type of sword was said to have been used by William Wallace. The Claymore was an awesome weapon on the battlefield. The amazing reach (as much as 60 inches of overall length for standard claymores) made it extremely difficult for opponents to close with the weilder. The long ricasso allowed the bearer to switch to a more close-quarters style of combat should an opponent make it inside his distance. 

The claymore was first reportedly used in the 13th century, and was used as recently as the 18th century. The twisted hilt claymore was the most recent of the claymores (c. 1500) and features the downward-angled crosses that end in small honeycomb patterns. The twisted wooden hilt was a better way to grip the sword (and the fact that it looks so damn cool probably had something to do with its broad acceptance among highlanders).

Legend has it that a claymore was hurled into the field of battle, toward an opposing army before combat, to signify that the Scottish troops were ready to fight. There is no real evidence tha this is true.


























Although William Wallace did use a large sword similar to a claymore, his was a bit different from the blades we normally think of when we hear the term claymore. The actual sword used by William Wallace, on display in Stirling, Scotland, has no leather-wrapped ricassa and has a blade that angles to a more acute point. It is entirely possible that Henry Wallace used a standard Claymore sword during his years of battle, but the sword that is regarded as his primary weapon is not the claymore.

The claymore was one of three popular weapons used by Highlanders (the other two being the Scottish Dirk and the Highland halberd (an axe on the end of a long pole, often referred to as a pole-arm).

The Wallace Sword, which supposedly belonged to William Wallace, although some of its parts are at least 160 years later in origin, was held for many years in Loudoun Castle and is now in the Wallace Monument near Stirling.

*****

The Brave Heart 
Of Robert The Bruce


























Robert The Bruce, like William Wallace, was a fierce and sometimes brutal warrior.  And like William Wallace, Robert The Bruce’s enemy was the powerful King Edward-I (“Longshanks”) of England.   Robert The Bruce became king of Scotland only a few months after William Wallace was executed by King Edward-I,  in 1305.  For the new Scottish king, the fight for Scottish independence would last for nine long years.   King Edward-I  arrested and imprisoned Robert The Bruce’s wife, daughter, and sisters.  His brother Nigel was also captured and was executed in the same manner as the English King had done to William Wallace. 

King Edward-I died in 1307, and he left the throne to his son, Edward II.   Unfortunately for the Scottish forces,  Edward II wasn’t quite as incompetent as they had believed him to be.  Their fight for freedom lasted until 1314.























There is a story that is told about Robert The Bruce  - After Robert The Bruce was defeated for the sixth time by the King of England, he fled and hid in a cave.  He lay there,  ready to give up all hope,  when his eye caught a spider.  It was hanging by a long silvery thread from one of the wooden beams above his head, and trying to swing itself to another beam. It tried again and again, failing each of the six times.

Robert The Bruce thought, “I too have failed six times in my fight for Scotland. But if this spider succeeds the next time, I will try once more to regain my kingdom.”

The spider swung again – and on its seventh attempt, it succeeded.

Robert The Bruce, without his despair, went on to battle the English and eventually, won at the Battle of Bannockburn.



































In the spring of 1314,  Edward Bruce,  brother of King Robert The Bruce, laid siege to the English held Stirling Castle.  Unable to make any significant progress,  Edward Bruce struck a deal with the castle's commander,  Sir Philip Moubray, that if the castle was not relieved by Midsummer Day (June 24) it would be surrendered to the Scots. By the terms of the deal a large English force was required to arrive within three miles of the castle by the specified date.  This arrangement displeased both Robert The Bruce, who wished to avoid pitched battles, and King Edward II who viewed the potential loss of the castle as a blow to his prestige.



























King Edward II.


Seeing an opportunity to regain the Scottish lands lost since his father's death in 1307, King Edward II prepared to march north that summer. Assembling a force numbering around 20,000 men, the army included seasoned veterans of the Scottish campaigns, such as the Earl of Pembroke, Henry de Beaumont, and Robert Clifford. Departing Berwick upon Tweed on June 17, it moved north through Edinburgh and arrived south of Stirling on the 23rd. Being aware of Edward II's intentions, Robert The Bruce was able to assemble 6,000 to 7,000 skilled troops as well as 500 cavalry, under Sir Robert Keith, and approximately 2,000 "small folk."



























Portrait of Robert The Bruce



Robert The Bruce kills Sir Henry de Bohun, at the Battle of Bannockburn.


As the English army approached, Sir Henry de Bohun, nephew of the Earl of Hereford, spotted Robert The Bruce riding in front of his troops and charged.  The Scottish king, unarmored and armed with only a battle axe, turned and met Henry de Bohun's charge.  Evading Henry de Bohun's lance,  Robert The Bruce cleaved Henry de Bohun's head in two with his axe.



















Chastised by his commanders for taking such a risk, Robert The Bruce simply complained that he had broken his axe. The incident helped inspire the Scots and they, with aid of the pits, drove off the Earls of Gloucester and Hereford's attack. To the north, a small English force led by Henry de Beaumont and Robert Clifford was also beaten off by the Scottish division of the Earl of Moray.
 
In both cases, the English cavalry was defeated by the solid wall of Scottish spears. Unable to move up the road, King Edward's army moved to the right, crossing the Bannock Burn, and camped for the night on the Carse.





















At dawn on the 24th, with King Edward's army surrounded on three sides by the Bannock Burn, Robert The Bruce turned to the offensive. Advancing in four divisions, led by Edward Bruce, James Douglas, the Earl of Moray,  and the king,  the Scottish army moved towards the English.  As they drew near, they paused and knelt in prayer.  Seeing this, King Edward II reportedly exclaimed, "Ha! they kneel for mercy!"  To which an aid replied, "Yea sire, they kneel for mercy,  but not from you.  These men will conqueror or die."

























As the Scots resumed their advance, the English rushed to form up, which proved difficult in confined space between the waters. Almost immediately, the Earl of Gloucester charged forward with his men. Colliding with the spears of Edward The Bruce's division, the Earl of Gloucester was killed and his charge broken. The Scottish army then reached the English, engaging them along the entire front. Trapped and pressed between the Scots and the waters, the English soldiers were unable to assume their battle formations and soon their army became a disorganized mass.

















As the English lines began to waver,  the call went up "On them, on them! They fail!"  Surging with renewed strength, the Scots pressed home the attack.  They were aided by the arrival of the "small folk" (those lacking training or weapons) who had been held in reserve.  Their arrival, coupled with King Edward II fleeing the field,  led to the English army's collapse and a rout ensued.














The Battle of Bannockburn became the greatest victory in the history of Scotland. While full recognition of Scottish independence was still several years off, King Robert The Bruce had driven the English from Scotland and secured his position as king. While exact numbers of Scottish casualties are not known, they are believed to have been light. English losses are not known with precision, but may have ranged from 4,000-11,000 men. Following the battle, King Edward II raced south and finally found safety at Dunbar Castle. He never again returned to Scotland.

King Robert I ruled Scotland until his death in 1329.  He made a dying wish to a longtime companion Sir James Douglas, who had been a supporter of William Wallace and the knight in charge of the army’s left-wing at the battle of Bannockburn. Robert The Bruce asked that his heart be removed and carried in the Crusades “against the enemies of the name of Christ.”  The heart was placed in a small metal casket and carried by Sir James Douglas, a legend in his own right, to Granada, in Spain.


























While he was carrying the small chest, Sir James Douglas was ambushed as he attempted to help a fellow warrior. When he was about to be die, the courageous knight held out the small metal casket and said, “Onward brave heart, Douglas shall follow thee or die.”  He died shortly afterwards. 

The original "Brave Heart" was recovered and returned out of respect, but it was  to be lost again, ages.  Then in 1920, a group of archaeologists discovered the lost relic which they promptly reburied, but again they failed failed to mark where.  The location slipped into obscurity once again.  Finally in 1996, some construction workers once more came across the tiny metal chest.  Archaeologists in Edinburgh, confirmed the artifact. The tiny chest was finally given an appropriate burial at Melrose Abbey in 1998!   The Brave Heart of Robert the Bruce had finally reached the resting place of his last request.
















Pushing forward, the Scots soon began to gain ground, with the English dead and wounded being trampled. Driving home their assault with cries of "Press on! Press on! the Scots' attack forced many in the English rear to flee back across the Bannock Burn. Finally, the English were able to deploy their archers to attack the Scottish left. Seeing this new threat, Robert The Bruce ordered Sir Robert Keith to attack them with his light cavalry. Riding forward, Robert Keith's men struck the archers, driving them from the field.





























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