[MR] Two interesting BBC articles

[Robert Maccuswell]

Have not seen the show as of yet but will have to catch it.
As for the statue and accuracy, I actually visited the Wallace Monument in 1999 a couple of years after the statue in the picture was put there.

Nobody in the area takes the statue seriously and the story behind it was the sculptor had an illness and the movie Braveheart inspired him to get through it. He created the sculpture because of that and gave it/loaned it to the Wallace Monument. What you don't see in the photo is that it is actually behind chainlink as so many of the locals constantly defaced it with graffiti as it did not portray the image of "historical" Wallace. In fact when you talk to most folks they freely will tell you great movie in no way correct. Historians and Scots alike in the area pretty much looked at it as a joke.

You can hike up the hill to the monument itself and there is a pretty good statue of Wallace holding a proper claymore. Inside the monument is a museum with what is reported to be his actual claymore. Pretty darn big sword and in the correct style. All in all it is fairly accurate portrayal minus the mel gibson statue.(Thankfully going away)

Ironically while Wallace is considered  a patriot this is pretty much the only monument to him in Scotland. Robert the Bruce is held in much higher regard in country and Rob Roy's gravesite is quite revered as well. Beautiful site to visit also. I highly recommend going if you can.

regards
 Ld Robert Maccuswell

--- On Mon, 10/19/09, Garth G. Groff <ggg9y at virginia.edu> wrote:

> From: Garth G. Groff <ggg9y at virginia.edu>
> Subject: [MR] Two interesting BBC articles
> To: atlantia at atlantia.sca.org
> Date: Monday, October 19, 2009, 7:12 AM
> Friends,
> 
> Here are two recent short pieces from the BBC that give us
> something to ruminate upon:
> 
> The first, a truly frightening piece on William Wallace. I
> was watching a History Channel video last night, THE HIDDEN
> LIFE OF BRAVEHEART, which showed a brief clip of this
> statue. So much for accuracy:  http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/scotland/tayside_and_central/8310614.stm
> . Then they also kept showing a broadsword with a cage grip,
> which I am certain was 16th century.
> 
> A more tame topic is this piece, said to be about the first
> watch depicted in art: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/arts_and_culture/8313893.stm
> . That's really cool.
> 
> Now if I could only just relocate the picture I saw of an
> early pope or cardinal seated next to a table holding a pair
> of bi-focals, I would be very happy. Take that, Ben
> Franklin.
> 
> Kind regards,
> 
> 
> Mungo Napier, Archer of Mallard Lodge
> (mka Garth Groff)
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