Posted on 12/03/2012 5:43:07 PM PST by SoFloFreeper
'This is the truth I tell you: of all things freedom’s most fine. Never submit to live, my son, in the bonds of slavery entwined.’ William Wallace...
On 11th September Wallace and Murray achieved a stunning victory at the Battle of Stirling Bridge. The English left with 5,000 dead on the field, including their despised treasurer, Hugh Cressingham, whose flayed skin was taken as a trophy of victory and to make a belt for Wallace’s sword. The Scots suffered one significant casualty, Andrew Murray, who was badly wounded and died two months later.
'Commander of the Army of the Kingdom of Scotland’ - the outlaw Wallace was now knighted and made Guardian of Scotland in Balliol’s name at the forest kirk, at either Selkirk or Carluke.
It was a remarkable achievement for a mere knight to hold power over the nobles of Scotland. In a medieval world obsessed with hierarchy, Wallace’s extraordinary military success catapulted him to the top of the social ladder. He now guided Scottish policy. Letters were dispatched to Europe proclaiming Scotland’s renewed independence and he managed to obtain from the Papacy the appointment of the patriotic Bishop Lamberton to the vacant Bishopric of St Andrews.
(Excerpt) Read more at bbc.co.uk ...
Though it is a Hollywoodized tale of the legend, it has had some fairly inspiring moments--teachable ones for those of us who are in the unenviable position of the poor Scots in this story.
One of the notable moments for me is when William Wallace is walking out over the bickering of his people. He says:
"We have beaten the English. But they'll come back, because you won't stand together!"
Freedom was important to Wallace...it should be important to us, too.
Scots always had a bad habit of fighting among themselves.
Kinda like conservatives.
Kinda like conservatives.
And today we willingly surrender our freedom for some free government cheese, obamacare and obamaphones...
I sailed with a Scot in the Bark Endeavour. Her comment: Mel Gibson as William Wallace? That’s a joke! That puny little sh!t couldn’t even lift Wallaces sword.
When I was growing up, our local library had a huge and nice collection of Scottish armor and weapons. It had been collected by a guy named Bruce who was at one time the American Ambassador to Scotland. I have no idea when they started or stopped having one.
Anyway the armor was for fairly small people so Wallace at 6’4” must have been a giant among them. Those old swords were huge. I can remember thinking just how difficult they would have been to wield.
Things didn’t end so well for William Wallace, all the romanticism notwithstanding.
I need to watch that movie again. I love all of Gibson’s movies.
Bannockburn
To me, it is a true irony of history that, an American Movie, directed and starred by a transplanted Aussie, has done more to bring the smoldering Scottish Independence movement to the fore than almost anything else. William Wallace has to be laughing mightily while Eddie Longshanks must be muttering in his ale!
He died fighting for freedom and country. We are going down with a whimper
I am reminded of him a lot, especially when you see people like John Roberts, Mitt Romney and John McCain wimping out at the crucial moments. Wallace seems to have experienced a lot of that.
Very well said, SoFlo.
“Freedom was important to Wallace...it should be important to us, too.”
Very well said, SoFlo.
“Freedom was important to Wallace...it should be important to us, too.”
He died flat on his back with his entrails ripped from his body. While there’s certainly nobility in his cause, there’s none in the manner of his death. And he did not live to see Scotland free.
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