The King of Scotland

I don’t know when I first told this story. I simply remember telling stories in a children’s tent, and one of the kids asked me to tell a story about Spiderman. I came up with this one.

Robert the Bruce was the descendant of many Scottish, English and Norman nobles. He tried several times, in fact six times, to become King of Scotland. He was depicted in the movie Braveheart, with some historical inaccuracies. In fact, the name ‘Braveheart’ was actually given to Robert the Bruce, and not to William Wallace. I’ll tell you why in a moment.

Robert the Bruce tried six times to become King of Scotland. He was defeated by England’s King Edward I on the sixth attempt. He was then hidden by Angus Og MacDonald of ClanDonnell. For a considerable amount of time, Robert the Bruce was hidden on Rathlin Island, off the Ireland’s Antrim coast. He lived then in a hut, and often hid in one of the many sea caves in the island.

Robert the Bruce became very depressed. He was ready to give up his quest to become king.

But while in his hut, he saw a spider weaving a web. The spider was hanging from a beam. The spider was swinging back and forth, trying to bring his web to the next beam.

Six times he swung his web to the next beam. Each time he reached out for the beam. And each time he came short.

On the seventh try, he made it. He now had a web from one beam to the next.

Robert the Bruce took it as a sign. He realized that despite six failures, he had given up too early. He needed one more try to become king.

So Robert the Bruce came out of hiding. He led an army which defeated other Scottish rivals and later defeated a larger English army at Bannockburn. And Robert the Bruce became Robert I, King of Scotland – successful on his seventh try!

Robert the Bruce died in the year 1329. But Robert’s close friend, James Douglas, removed the heart from Robert’s dead body. Douglas took the heart with him on the Crusades to the Holy Land. Douglas’ journey to the Holy Land was by way of Spain, then held by the Moors. Douglas died in the Battle of Teba. Douglas’ body, and Robert’s heart, were found on the battlefield.

Douglas’ entire body and Robert’s heart were returned to, and buried in, Scotland. Robert’s heart, being carried into battle, was thereafter known as the Brave Heart.

The image of Robert the Bruce at the top of the page is from the stipple engraving on paper by R. Harding and George Jamesone in 1797, now at National Galleries Scotland.