William Wallace, immortalized by Mel Gibson in the film Braveheart, is considered the founder of Scottish nationalism. The three adjectives I would most use to describe him are: ferocious, pious, and nationalist. For a long while, it was assumed that Wallace was born in Elderslie in Renfrewshire, but according to James MacKay (1996) he was actually born in Ellerslie in Ayrshire, ôMost glaring of all is the mistaken assumption that Wallace was born in Renfrewshireö (13). Wallace was the middle of three sons born to Sir Malcolm Wallace and Joan Crawford. However, MacKay (1996) also maintains that his motherÆs surname is often given as several variants, ôHis motherÆs name is given as Jean, Joan or Margaret Crawford, Craufurd, Crawfoord or some other variantö (13). WallaceÆs early years were consumed by the rudiments of education provided by his mother. His early education consisted of attending the chapel of Cambuskenneth Abbey, where he was taught by the monks of Paisley Abbot and his uncle. When he was in his late teens, Wallace attended a Dundee church school where he made many acquaintances that would provide him with help and support in future years. One of these men was John Blair who would later become WallaceÆs chaplain and eventually authored a biography on his life. That biography eventually became the book allegedly used by Blind Harry in his immortal poem of ôBraveheartö that has often served as one of the few histories on his life.
The first adjective to describe William Wallace would be ferocious. By all accounts Wallace was an enormous man and stood over 6Æ6ö tall during a period of history when many men were barely 5Æ6ö. He was also an excellent swordsman. As James MacKay argues, ôin the hands of a swordsman like Wallace [the ClaymoreÆs] whirling movement could hack and slash with a velocity and force which even the armor of the period could not withstandö (Real, 1996, 1). Wallace involved ...