Bravehearts and Blackhearts: Why Scotland creates Heroes.
Although every country has its own heroes from history, there are some who are particularly prone to creating these figures for themselves. As a Scot I can’t help but look to my own country in this respect. Whether it’s on banknotes or in storybooks, these people are everywhere in Scotland and they greatly influence people views of their country. But do these “Heroes” deserve the title? And if not, why are they regarded as symbols of nationhood?
William Wallace
William Wallace. The most famous of Scottish heroes. A low born freedom fighter who rose up against English tyranny to lead the people to victory at Stirling Bridge and sacrifice his life for Scotland’s freedom. Simple, right? Well, not quite. Born in 1270 as the second son of a minor lord, he was destined to walk the path of the church. However, a year after the English occupation of Scotland in 1296 he murdered the High Sherriff of Lanark, William Hezelrig, most likely over a prostitute. He became an outlaw, and fate propelled him to become the unexpected leader of an army of
disgruntled Scots peasants. The victory at the Battle of Stirling Bridge, which was most commonly attributed to Wallace, was actually the brain child of the forgotten Andrew Moray who had been the first to raise the standard of rebellion in Scotland. However he was wounded by a stray arrow in the battle and died two weeks later, leaving Wallace with the glory. He was knighted and appointed guardian of Scotland, making him sole leader of the people. This was short lived. When his leadership was put to the test at Falkirk, he was soundly defeated and Wallace was forced into hiding. After six years of hopping between the French King and the pope for refuge, he was eventually captured outside Glasgow and brutally executed. Whether Wallace was a hero or not is a matter of opinion. He was the only Scottish noble who had not submitted to the English at any time. He probably was never inspired by feelings of national pride or identity, as he killed many Scots as well as English in his rebellion. But he sacrificed everything he had in the end, and gave many Scots hope of victory.
Robert the Bruce
Robert Bruce, Earl of Carrick, had inherited a strong claim to the Scottish throne upon his father’s death. However this meant nothing now that King Edward I, “Longshanks”, of England controlled Scotland. After the defeat at the Battle of Falkirk, where the Bruce was mysteriously absent, he became joint leader of the rebellion with his nemesis John “the Red” Comyn, Lord of Badenoch, who also had a claim to the throne. They enjoyed little success and one
by one the Scottish nobles submitted to King Edward, including Robert Bruce. However, in secret he made plans to be crowned as King. But before he could do so he had to remove his main rival. In 1306 he murdered John Comyn in Greyfriars Church in Dumfries. Not the most heroic act. After being crowned king a month later, he could not garner the support of the whole realm because of this murder and was forced into hiding. He disappeared from history for a year, but he returned with a vengeance. With a few faithful followers he slowly retook castles occupies by the English. Fortunately, “Longshanks” died in 1307 and his son, Edward II was unwilling to fight leaving Bruce the opportunity to slaughter the Comyn opposition in
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