William Wallace's Funeral, 700 years late

MountainPro

Today marks the 700 year anniversary of the death of William Wallace. It was today in 1305 he was taken to London, dragged through the streets for 6 miles, hung, drawn and quartered.

Experts say that Scotland would be just another region of England today if Wallace did not rebel against the tyrant Edward Plantagenet, Hammer of the Scots, and his brutal armies.

Across from Westminster, the place of Wallace's execution, there is a church service to mark the sadness of the day.

It is good that i can write this an know that most people across the world will know who i was talking about although most picture him looking like a certain hollywood actor.

Wallace was, in contrast to Gibson, a giant of a man, able to weild the claymore (a massive two handed battle sword) with a single hand cutting his enemies in two with a single blow.

Anyway, i thought i would mention this as every Scot will be thinking how grateful they are to have had a saviour like him...

For 700 years he has been a symbol of Scotland's resistance to oppression and injustice and has been the foundations of many great nations today.

__________________
HARD
.

jhuskey

I've read a little about him and know a little more than the movie portrays.
He was undoubtedly one bad a**ed individual with great conviction.
I hope he found his peace long ago.

__________________
Sobriety is over rated!

jaguar75

I was always under the assumption that Braveheart very accurately portrayed this man and his resolve. I heard that many Scotts were very pleased with the movie...Did I hear wrong?

Regardless, Celebrating a day where one man inspired a nation is a cause for drinking...

__________________

"Perseverance is more prevailing than violence; and many things which cannot be overcome when they are together, yield themselves up when taken little by little" - Plutarch (46 AD - 120 AD)

DiabloScott

Whatever the inaccuracies of the movie, the emotional connection of a people struggling to free themselves of a brutal oppressor is what remains years after the movie was popular.

Unfortunately though, Scotland is still seen by many outsiders to be another region of England. England and UK are almost synonymous terms over here, at least in a political sense.

__________________


http://diabloscott.blogspot.com

stevebaby

How could they make a movie about Scotland's greatest hero and not find roles for some of Scotland's greatest actors? Where were Sean Connery,Billy Connolly,Robert Carlysle and Ewen McGregor ?
As a movie,Rob Roy is much better. At least they had a bloody Celt in the leading role.

MountainPro

Mel Gibson is a white Aussie so there is a 99% chance he is either of Irish or Scots extraction.

There could have been a lot worse people to play (and direct) the role. I think the lethal weapon films gave him a trashy reputation but he is a good actor.

Jaguar, its difficult so say if there are any discrepancies between the film and the actual events, but the intervention of Irish gallowglasses fighting the English on Scottish soil in some kind of 'kindred' pact is pure fantasy.

Irelands main enemy up until now were the Norse, not the English.

The depiction of Wallace's death apparently was very accurate however and the puhisnshment for treason was to be hanged until dead, disembowled and dismembered into 4 parts. In Wallace's case they decided to take all his body parts to the 4 corners of the kingdom, thats how afraid they were of this man in the age of witchcraft...

He was tried and convicted for treason. He wasnt English and Scotland wasnt officially part of England either...this is the injustice.

Some nationalists are calling for Blair to appologise...which of course is absurd.

__________________
HARD
.

MountainPro

true, i am oney of the only people in this country that think Gibson did a good job of the role, very emotional...

i have had a few conversations with americans who have asked, 'okay, whats the difference between the UK, Britian, England, Ireland and Scotland...i just dont get it'

its complicated stuff...with a lot of history attached, best told on a stormy evening infront of a roaring fire with a large single malt in your hand and a few hours to spare...

__________________
HARD
.

ward17

Mel Gibson is American. His family moved out here when he was about ten I think.

William Wallace like a lot of scotts fought many battles over centuries against the English for the right of man to wear skirts! :-)

jhuskey

He was born in New York and raised in Australia and "is" mostly likely of Scot/Irish heritage.
So you may make your own decision who may claim him.
It was a damn good movie either way.

__________________
Sobriety is over rated!

MountainPro

i thought he was an Aussie, my bad...

nice witty joke btw, dont plan any trips to Glasgow in the near future now will you...

__________________
HARD
.

stevebaby

When traitors were "hanged, drawn and quartered" , they were only hanged until unconscious,then they were let down,disembowelled,genitals removed and "quartered"i.e chopped into 4 pieces etc.The film is very accurate and realistic in this regard,probably why I don't watch it when it's repeated on tv.
Blah has a lot to apologise for,but as a Scot himself it would be pretty pointless. A Scot apologising to Scots for the perfidy of sassenachs 700 years ago? Silly.

__________________
I'm Rooting for Chiara!
Drink!Feck!Arrse!Girls!
bastard

MountainPro

yes, Blair is a Scot, but if anyone should apligose it should be the queen, after all it was the monarchy that put the price on Wallaces head, not parliment because there was none as such...

__________________
HARD
.

Blackearnside

I have been reading your thread regarding the 700 years memeorial for William Wallace. And feel a few points need to be cleared up.

1. Can you post a reference to where " some nationalists are calling on Blair to apologise"?

I am a Scottish Nationalist in the sense that what I want is Scotland to play a full and independant role on the world stage. Not as some "region" of the United Kingdom/England as some people appear to regard both as the same thing.

2. Braveheart was a very entertaining film but in no way should be treated as historically accurate no more so than say Titanic or Saving Private Ryan. The film went as far as to show the Battle of Stirling Bridge without (A) A bridge or even a rive and (B) Sir Andrew De Moray. Moray probably had as much influence in winning the battle than Wallace did.

Now to the march itself. I was fortunate to enough to be invited to both the service and the evenings events. I say fortunate because The Priory Church of St Bartholomew The Great in Smithfield can only hold 300 and thousands wished to attend. The church itself was completed in 1132 so would have been there on the day of Wallace's judicial murder. It was probably the last building he saw.

The days events were so emotionally charged that I have never seen so many grown men cry ( apart from maybe some recent Scotland football results )

Anyway during the first march from Westminster Hall to the Tower of London and on up to St Bartholomews I was stopped by many people asking what the event was, when I explained the enquirers showed a genuine interest and wished us well. This was not an antagonistic walk but was what I hope will become part of the healing process and that our nations can learn to live as neighbours in friendship but as seperate nations. It is not impossible we did it for 300 years leading up to the death of Alexander III and the wars of independance.

The church service would take to long to describe suffice to say it is still very raw in my mind and I do not want to soak my keyboard with tears.

The second march from the church to evening events was even more spectacular being led by a pipe band and escorted by mounted police and outriders. The police did a fantastic job in stopping the traffic. The motorists were most patient and were in good humour. Many people were at their windows with cameras videos and waving etc.

What I am trying to say is that there was no aggression and only good humour during my time down in London for these events and for this I thank both the participants and the people of London.

MountainPro

By capitalising the word 'Nationalist' i assume you mean you are a member of the SNP, which is what i was referring to.

Sandra White, an SNP MSP, said the Scottish Executive should ask Westminster to apologise for the act.
"I think an apology should be issued for the appalling way in which William Wallace was treated - hung, drawn and quartered - all those years ago," she told a meeting of Holyrood’s public petitions committee.

read more >> http://news.scotsman.com/politics.cfm?id=1302472004

MSP - Member of the Scottish Parliment
SNP - Scottish National Party (for the benefit of our international forum members)

youre a lucky man...wish i had been there, i dont hold anything against the English, thats why i said that an apology is absurd...

__________________
HARD
.