Many occasions, proof of implausible finds vanishes, abandoning solely legends (assume the Tulli Papyrus or Robin Hood’s Hideout). Nevertheless, generally, fabulous artifacts from historical past handle to outlive intact throughout the millennia. At the moment, controversy swirls across the authenticity of 1 such artifact, the sword of the Scottish revolutionary William Wallace. The Wallace Sword would have been in use at the very least till the Battle of Falkirk in 1298, presumably till Wallace’s demise in 1305. Over the subsequent 700 years, the sword modified many fingers earlier than coming to relaxation within the Corridor of Heroes gallery of the Nationwide Wallace Memorial. It’s a captivating story – if it’s the actual sword.

The Historical past of the Wallace Sword 

Immediately, William Wallace (1270-1305) might be most acquainted to individuals as the person portrayed by Mel Gibson in  Braveheart. A Scottish knight, Wallace was instrumental within the Wars of Scottish Independence, initially as a navy chief after which as a symbolic determine. The 2 wars lasted from 1296 to 1357. On the finish of each wars, the Kingdom of Scotland maintained its independence from the Kingdom of England. (Although the 2 kingdoms would change into more and more intertwined as a result of royal marriages till they merged to type the Kingdom of Nice Britain in 1707.)

An outline of Wallace from H E Marshall’s ‘Scotland’s Story’, printed in 1906. (Public Domain)

The Wallace Sword at the moment on show in Stirling, Scotland weighs 5.95 kilos (2.7 kg). The blade is 4 ft 4 inches (132 cm) lengthy; with the hilt, the sword is 5 ft 4 inches (163 cm) lengthy. On the base, the sword is 2.25 inches (5.7 cm) broad; on the level, the sword is 0.75 inches (1.9 cm) lengthy.

The Wallace Sword. (Glenn J. Mason/CC BY 2.0)

The Enigmatic Destiny of Wallace’s Sword

In 1305, Wallace was captured and turned over to the British by the sheriff (later governor) of Dumbarton, John de Menteith (generally referred to as  Fause Menteith for this treachery). Right here, the legend of the sword turns into murky. It’s believed that de Menteith stored the sword or presumably obtained it again as a token of appreciation from the English.

The Trial of William Wallace at Westminster by Daniel Maclise. (Public Domain)

For the subsequent 200 years, there isn’t any document or point out of the sword. Then, in 1505, information present that King James IV of Scotland paid 26 shillings to an armorer for “the bind of Wallace’s sword with cords of silk” and for the availability of “a brand new hilt and plummet” in addition to for “a brand new scabbard and a brand new belt” (Caldwell, 2014). The King’s requests have been undoubtedly made as a result of Wallace’s scabbard, hilt, and belt have been mentioned to have been constructed from the dried pores and skin of Sir Hugh Cressingham, the treasurer of the English administration in Scotland. If that is true, the scabbard, hilt, and belt have been most likely in horrible situation by 1505; even when it isn’t true, it’s nonetheless an unsettling thought, particularly for an Englishman.

After this, the legend turns into murky as soon as once more. In 1644, a sword bearing the outline of the Wallace Sword turns up in Wallace Tower at Dumbarton Fortress. Erected in 1617, it isn’t fully clear why the tower was named after the Scottish people hero however, at the very least as late as 1808, the sword was marketed as Wallace’s Sword, as evinced by William Wordsworth notes from his go to to the fort.

• 3,000-year-old damaged weapons present in Scotland loch reveal historical ritual choices to gods
• Face of King Robert The Bruce is Introduced Again to Life 700 Years After His Demise

Dumbarton rock, fort, lime kiln and the clyde in 1800. (Public Domain)

The sword doesn’t reappear till 1825, when it was allegedly despatched to the Tower of London to be repaired. At the moment, Duke of Wellington (the Grasp-Normal of the Ordnance) submitted it to Sir Samuel Meyrick (an authority on historical swords) for examination. Given the know-how on the time, Sir Meyrick might solely precisely date the sword’s mountings. So it isn’t stunning that he concluded “The 2-handed sword, proven at Dumbarton Fortress as that of Wallace, is of this era, as will probably be evident to anybody who compares it with that of the earldom of Chester, within the British Museum” – the Chester Sword was utilized by Edward IV, Prince of Wales, to storm Chester Fortress in 1475 (Caldwell, 2014). This relationship is correct as far as the sword’s mountings go, nonetheless, historic proof reveals that these have been changed in 1505.

Disturbances Surrounding the Wallace Sword

In 1888, after 19 years of requests, the sword was transferred to the Nationwide Wallace Monument. There it has been on show ever since, although not with out some disturbances. In 1912, “suffragette Ethel Moorhead smashed the sword case within the Nationwide Wallace Monument to attract consideration to the ladies’s trigger for the liberty of political expression” (The Nationwide Wallace Monument, 2017).

The Wallace Monument close to Stirling, Scotland. (Finlay McWalter/CC BY SA 3.0)

And in 1936 the Wallace Sword was stolen “by Scottish Nationalists at Glasgow College, who later returned the sword after realizing the misery the theft had induced” (ibid). Lastly, “the Sword was stolen once more in Could 1972 and returned in October of that very same 12 months” (ibid). The Sword has additionally traveled world wide to take part in museum shows, as an illustration, it went to New York Metropolis in 2005 to be the centerpiece for a Tartan Day celebration (BBC, 2017).

• Archaeologists Say They Have Discovered an Vital Medieval Web site Linked to Scottish Hero William Wallace
• Formidability within the Face of Factions: The Significance of Dunollie Fort

Controversy Surrounding the Authenticity of Wallace’s Sword

But controversy swirls across the sword’s authenticity. Most notably, the sword is so huge it couldn’t have been wielded whereas on horseback. Furthermore, even to be wielded on foot, “historians assume that due to its huge measurement, Wallace should have been at the very least 6 foot 5 [1.96m]; the common top on the time was round 5 foot seven [1.7m]” (Lawton, 2011).

Was Wallace a towering 6 ft. 5 inches (1.96 meters) tall? William Wallace statue by D. W. Stevenson, Scottish Nationwide Portrait Gallery, Edinburgh. (Kim Traynor/CC BY SA 3.0)

Nevertheless, as historian David Caldwell factors out, “remarkably, the blade, as we now have it, appears to have been welded collectively from at the very least three separate items” (Caldwell, 2014). As well as, the blade reveals heavy use and mistreatment. The repairs wanted for the blade itself can be in step with the historic proof now we have displaying repairs have been wanted for the sword mountings. In his examination of the blade, Caldwell writes,

“at the very least two of the items don’t appear to match up nicely. The underside 87.7 centimeters [34.5in] has for probably the most half a flattened diamond part, not like the flattened profile of the higher portion, and appears to belong to a comparatively narrower weapon… Presumably this quantities to a single-handed blade that has been intentionally enlarged to provide it the looks of a two-handed one. An in depth date couldn’t be placed on such a single-handed blade, but it surely may nicely be of thirteenth-century date.” (Caldwell, 2014)

Caldwell continues that the mismatch might have occurred unintentionally or intentionally to reinforce Wallace’s renown.

Symbolic Worth Amid Skepticism

David Caldwell, additionally dismissed the William Wallace sword on the Nationwide Wallace Monument, Stirling, as having “nothing to do” with the First Conflict of Independence chief (1270-1305), as expressed in a information report within the Scotsman. Throughout a lecture on Scottish identification, Dr Caldwell additionally uncovered the sword’s doubtful origins. He mentioned: “As a curator I’m used to seeing objects purchase an affiliation that aren’t essentially true. “When the Wallace Monument was being constructed within the nineteenth Century, there was an excellent want to search out acceptable relics to go along with the good man and so they have been very laborious to search out.” He went on to say that, Rev. Charles Rogers, who proposed the monument, linked the William Wallace sword to Dumbarton Fortress, regardless of specialists discrediting it as a poor sixteenth Century instance. Caldwell reveals, “It had completely nothing to do with Wallace himself however Rogers was determined. He badly wanted some image and finally he managed to steer himself that this might have been related to the good man.”

The sword’s affiliation with Wallace solely dates to 1803 when William Wordsworth was informed by a soldier at Dumbarton Fortress that it was the warrior’s sword.  The Nationwide Wallace Monument’s declare of a hyperlink from 1305 is disputed by Dr Caldwell.

Regardless of skepticism, the sword gained respect through the surge of Scottish patriotism within the 1800s. Whereas authenticity stays in query, Ken Thomson of Stirling District Tourism emphasizes its symbolic worth, representing Wallace’s struggle for freedom.

Historical past might by no means know for sure. Regardless, “Wallace’s sword has been of nice symbolical significance to individuals down the centuries. It’s on public show within the Nationwide Wallace Monument, and each Scot ought to take a look at it, examine it, and consider what it means within the historical past of Scotland.” (Elspeth King, quoted in BBC, 2017)

Wallace Monument, Stirling, Scotland – stained glass window, William Wallace. (Otter/CC BY SA 3.0)

Following the Sword’s Path

In October, 2017, a new investigation was launched – this time, historians have been looking out for the final sword utilized by William Wallace, which is believed to have been offered to him by the King of France.  The weapon was recognized to have been stored within the parish of Loudoun in Ayrshire, Scotland, for a lot of centuries, earlier than being offered at a personal public sale in Glasgow in 1930. After that, all traces of the sword disappeared.  Historians had been making an attempt to hint its steps, within the hope {that a} deal perhaps struck and the sword might in the future return to its homeland. 

In March 2023, activists from the group This Is Rigged vandalized the William Wallace sword show on the Nationwide Wallace Monument throughout an oil protest, utilizing hammers to inflict injury. In consequence, authorities promptly eliminated the sword from the famend vacationer attraction to make sure its security. Fortuitously, the sword itself remained undamaged; nonetheless, specialised designers needed to create a brand new show case, incurring a price of £10,000. The newly crafted showcase incorporates anti-reflective, practically invisible glass, permitting guests an unobstructed view of the legendary sword and its intricate floor.

Prime Picture: Element of the Wallace sword on show inside William Wallace monument. Supply: Public Domain

By Kerry Sullivan