Wallace Monument
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The Wallace National Monument (generally known as the Wallace Monument) is a tower standing on the summit of Abbey Craig, a hilltop near Stirling in Scotland. It commemorates William Wallace, the 13th century Scottish hero.
The tower was constructed following a fundraising campaign which accompanied a resurgence of Scottish national identity in the 19th century. In addition to public subscription, it was partially funded by contributions from a number of foreign donors, including Italian national leader Giuseppe Garibaldi. Completed in 1869, the monument is a 220 foot sandstone tower, built in the Victorian Gothic style. It stands on the Abbey Craig, a volcanic crag above Cambuskenneth Abbey, from which Wallace was said to have watched the gathering of the army of English king Edward I, just before the Battle of Stirling Bridge.
The monument is open to the general public. Visitors climb the 246 step spiral staircase to the viewing gallery inside the monument's crown, which provides expansive views of the Ochil Hills and the Forth Valley.
A number of artifacts believed to belong to Wallace are on display inside the monument, including a 5 foot 4 inch-long claymore.
Braveheart: Cultural significance
In 1997, a statue of “William Wallace” was placed in the car park of the Wallace Monument. The statue however appeared not to resemble the historic face of Wallace; rather it looked more like the actor who portrayed him in the film Braveheart, Mel Gibson. Wallace’s shield even reads the word ‘Braveheart’.
Temby (2004) claimed that Scottish people found this disturbing and that groups have protested for the removal of the statue due to its obvious lack of authenticity, and as a result of officials denying the request, the statue was defaced. “How sad is it to think that most of the world will never envision the 7-foot-tall Scotsman that can shoot lightning bolts out of his arse-but rather will recall the slightly deranged performance of Gibson instead” (Temby, W. 2004).
Though it was not as if a statue of Wallace was replaced with one of Mel Gibson; rather an addition was made to the site to give it more cultural appreciation, by acknowledging that this film had a significant role in promoting this relatively unknown Scottish figure of history throughout the world. “After watching the movie, most develop a greater appreciation for the general ways of life and the history of the world” (Sullivan, ND).
This signifies that there is an importance of consumer culture in this historic site. This statue was about giving this site cultural appreciation in a socially appropriate (less formal) environment. Those who are not familiar with Wallace (children etc.), may relate with Gibson, and therefore they might develop an interest in this site.
External links
- [Undiscovered Scotland: The Wallace Monument]
- [InStirling's page on the monument]
- [Temby, W (2004): Braveheart, wrong head: the cinimazation of history]
- [Sullivan, K.: Braveheart]
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