This book examines literary examples concerning William Wallace against
the background of various historical sources and evaluates the
construction, the changes, and the relevance of this Scottish national
myth.For over 700 years, William Wallace has been fascinating people.
What he achieved for his country is almost unbelievable. Already during
his lifetime, Wallace's reputation must have been legendary. Over the
centuries, a powerful myth has been created around his person, which was
fostered by diverse writers, and even by Hollywood. There have been
several periods throughout Scottish history when the interest in William
Wallace intensified enormously, resulting in an increase of literary
publications on the freedom fighter. These climaxes appeared whenever
the Scots were dissatisfied with the English rule and brought the old
animosity between England and Scotland to new life. These tensions
caused many writers to revive memories of Wallace and his ideals by
projecting the medieval story into their own time. Thus, more and more
bits and pieces were added to the myth whose message seems to have had
tremendous effects on the Scots. Wallace's unfulfilled quest of freeing
Scotland even became an issue in several programs of political
parties.With the release of the film "Braveheart" in the mid-1990s, the
Wallace cult was reborn once more. Was it the prevailing political
situation that stimulated such an overwhelming enthusiasm for William
Wallace again? Did the Wallace myth influence the Devolution Movement?
Is Wallace's spirit still alive today? Do the Scots still cherish what
he fought for, and will they finally achieve his goal of a fully
independent Scottish Nation? With regard to the current political
situation, the author finds interesting answers to these questions and
discusses the chances for a possible Scottish independence.
