Following In Braveheart William Wallace’s Footstep
William Wallace was immortalised worldwide by Mel Gibson’s classic film Braveheart. I wonder how many people in Scotland, let alone the world, were even aware of who William Wallace was or the significance of the great man prior to this movie. I will hazard a guess and say not too many.
I occasionally like to go and visit the William Wallace memorial plaque, which is situated on a wall of St Bartholomew’s Hospital in Smithfield, London. The plaque was erected in April 1956 and is situated near to the “Elms” Smithfield. The “Elms” was an execution place where hundreds of heretics, political opponents and traitors were brutally executed.
William Wallace was given a mock trial at Westminster Hall where he was tried and of course found guilty of the trumped up charge of treason. Wallace’s response to the charge of treason was, “I could not be a traitor to Edward, for I was never his subject.” There was only ever going to be one outcome of the trial and that was the murder of William Wallace by a power hungry and sadistic King Edward I.
William Wallace was taken from Westminster Hall, upon his guilty verdict, stripped naked and dragged through the streets of London by a horse to the “Elms”. Wallace was then hanged, drawn and quartered.
Not only is there the William Wallace plaque to visit, there is a small garden, which was part of the area used for executions, as well as medieval joists and tournaments. Why not go and visit the place where the legendary Scottish knight and freedom fighter “Braveheart” William Wallace met his maker.
Who would have ever thought an Australian dwarf such as Mel Gibson would have managed to pull of the role of a Scottish warrior like William Wallace. Maybe Mel could go and do the same for another great Scottish patriot and legend Robert the Bruce.
Even to this day William Wallace is used as inspiration for oppressed people in various war zones around the world, which gives you an indication of what the man stood for.
My favourite quote from the Braveheart movie, which deservedly won 5 Oscars –
“In year of our lord 1314 the patriots of Scotland starving and outnumbered charged the fields of Bannockburn. They fought like warrior poets they fought like Scotsman and won their freedom.”
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