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The Sword of William Wallace
By Björn Hellqvist, Senior SFMO Staff Writer
With the movie "Braveheart", the story of Sir William Wallace became known all over the world. It also sparked an interest in Scottish weaponry. In the movie, the sword wielded by Wallace (Mel Gibson) was a two-handed affair, which looked more like something from 15th century continental Europe than something typically Scottish c. 1300. Countless copies of the movie sword have been sold, but interestingly enough, relatively few people are aware of the existence of another sword attributed to the real William Wallace. This sword is on display in the National Wallace Monument in Stirling, Scotland. I had the chance to take a closer look at it during a visit to the Monument while in Scotland this summer.
Sir William Wallace
Wallace is one of Scotland's national heroes, ranking together with his contemporary Robert the Bruce as the most influential Scotsman of the Middle Ages. Despite the creative liberties taken by Gibson and script-writer Randall Wallace in the film, Braveheart tells of the events in a more or less accurate manner, but I would like to give a brief history of Sir William Wallace for those of you who haven't seen the movie. Born around 1272 as the second son of a minor Scottish knight, he was destined to join the clergy, but his father's death in combat in 1291 changed that. Meanwhile, Scotland had a successional crisis - the Scottish king had died in 1286 and there was no clear successor. To avoid a civil war, King Edward I of England was asked to mediate between the claimants ot the throne, but he had his own agenda and had in effect occupied Scotland by the end of 1292.
After killing an English soldier in a fight in 1291, Wallace began a life as an outlaw. When the English sheriff of Lanark killed Wallace's wife in 1297, he mounted a raid on the sheriff's residence and killed him together with many soldiers. This triggered a revolt against English rule, provoking a reaction from King Edward. He sent an army under the joint command of John de Warenne, the Earl of Surrey and his Treasurer Hugh de Cressingham to Scotland. The army was met at Stirling Bridge by an inferior Scottish force on September 11, 1297. Due to a tactical blunder, ruthlessly exploited by the Scots, the English army was soundly beaten (tip for would-be commanders: never let your force cross a narrow bridge in the face of the foe - they are bound to attack when just half your force has crossed). The Scots harried English garrisons all over Scotland and Wallace led an army on a rampage through northern England.
Wallace was made Guardian of Scotland in recognition of his accomplishments, also receiving a knighthood. Edward wasn't easily beaten and in 1298, he led another army into Scotland, this time beating the Scots in the Battle of Falkirk. Wallace narrowly escaped capture and went to France and Rome, trying to raise support for the Scottish cause but with little success. He returned to Scotland in 1302 and began a guerilla war on the English. Wallace was betrayed and captured in 1305 and taken to London. He was tried and convicted for treason (among other charges) and executed by brutal means. His head was put on a spike on Westminster Bridge and his quartered body sent to Newcastle, Berwick, Perth and Stirling to be displayed as a warning. King Edward I died in 1307 on his way to yet another campaign against the Scots. He was succeeded by his son, the inept Edward II, who was defeated at Bannockburn in 1314. William Wallace was dead, but the fire he had kindled burned for many years.
The Sword of William Wallace
"Fit for archangel to wield, Yet light in his terrible hand" (Sir Walter Scott)
Little is known as to what William Wallace looked like. Chronicles and legends describe him as being of typically heroic height and build. He is said to have been 6' 6" tall, this taken as proof that the big sword associated with him could only have been wielded by an equally big man. The sword is 167.6 cm (66") long, but that in itself is no proof - the average man was about 5' 7" and had no problems wielding larger swords. The sword might have been longer, as there are reports that it has been repaired twice. The blade is 132 cm (52"), being 57 mm (2.25") at the base. The total weight is 2.72 kg (6 lbs.). My first impression of the sword was that I had seen many that were more attractive, but given its provenance, it was rather impressive nonetheless. The pommel is a bulbous, onion-shaped piece of gilded iron, while the grip is wrapped with dark brown leather, having the padded look encountered in processional swords. The quillons are made of gilt iron and fairly complex, with down-turned ends and supplemented with ring-guards. While the hilt isn't the original, neither in style nor in age, it is believed that at least the blade once belonged to Wallace's sword. The blade itself is rather crude and is assumed to be of local make, as most quality swords were fitted with blades imported from the Continent. It is slowly tapering, the edges being almost parallel until just before the spatulate point. The blade has no fuller and sports a lenticular cross-section. The general proportions are about the same as for contemporary "war swords", but the blade doesn't fit with Oakeshott's typology, as the lack of a fuller isn't something normally encountered in blades from c. 1300 AD. This can mean that the blade really is of local make, the low quality explaining why it has been repaired in two places. There is no conclusive proof that Wallace actually owned the sword to which the blade was fitted, but one other circumstance makes it possible that so is the case. The fact that the sword was kept in the same place for hundreds of years, with a mention that it once belonged to Wallace as early as 1505, can be seen as proof that it just might have been used by him. I suppose we'll never know for sure.
The Adventures of the Sword
Legend has it that after the capture of Wallace, the sword was taken to Dunbarton Castle and kept there for almost 600 years. In 1505, it is recorded that the sword was sent on the orders of King James IV for refurbishment. The orders were to provide "binding of Wallas sword with cords of silk", and mounting "a new hilt and plomet" and also with a "new scabbard and a new belt". This was probably done in order to turn it into a more presentable shape fitting its purported provenance. In 1825, it was sent to the Royal Armouries in the Tower of London for repairs. It was examined by Dr. (later Sir) Samuel Meyrick, who, unaware of the changes made in 1505, thought that the style of the hilt wasn't in accordance with the reported age. As a result, the hilt was removed and substituted with a 15th (?) century hilt. In 1888, it was transferred from Dunbarton Castle to the Wallace Monument with much pomp and ceremony. Some time later, it was re-mounted with a copy of the 1505 hilt. It is said to have been stolen twice, once by suffragettes (women's right to vote activists) and once by someone who had it stashed away in a chimney in Glasgow (!).
The Replica
There are just two known replicas of this particular sword. One is made by Castle Arms in Edinburgh, Scotland. Judging by the picture on their website and my recollection of the original, it is an accurate reproduction. URL: http://www.castlearmsedinburgh.freeserve.co.uk
The other is made by Iain MacAllen, whose father made a copy of the sword some 30 years ago (on display in the Wallace Monument). MacAllen has obtained the exclusive rights to reproduce the sword, and it is available from Albion Armorers for $750. It is a very accurate reproduction, as MacAllen is one of the few who has been allowed to handle the original.
Visiting the Wallace Monument
The National Wallace Monument is situated on the top of a steep, wooded hill on the northern outskirts of Stirling. There's a bus service to the foot of the hill as well as a tour bus service. At the visitors' car park, there's a shop and ticket booth (entrance £3.25 for adults). If you don't want to walk the winding road to the top of the hill, there's a mini-bus service available for an extra fee. The Monument offers a splendid view of the countryside. The massive tower was built in Neo-Gothic style and completed in 1869. On the ground floor there are a café and a shop. Unfortunately, there are no postcards or books on the sword, but there are letter-openers shaped like it. Be aware that there are 246 steps to the top and no lift… On the first floor, there's an exhibition with the story of Wallace as well as a dramatized audio-visual display of his trial in London. The Wallace sword is in a glass case in a corner. A sign on the wall next to the display case provides visitors with the basic facts about the sword. The chamber is rather dimly lit, making photography of the sword a difficult task. On the next floor is a memorial hall celebrating famous Scots, and on the third floor is a guide to the views seen from the top. If you visit Stirling, make sure to walk the field of the Battle of Stirling (now a park by the northern end of the Old Bridge) and also visit the Bannockburn Heritage Center at the south end of the town, close to the site of the 1314 battle.
Sources and Bibliography
- Rogers, Charles: The Book of Wallace, 1889 (webbed on
http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Pointe/1300/clanhis4.html)
- Rothero, Christopher: The Scottish and Welsh Wars 1250-1400, Osprey Publishing, London 1984
- "Wallace", special theme issue of "The Big Issue", The Big Issue in Scotland, Edinburgh 1997
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