Prominent in the fight for survival of his nation's identity, was William Wallace, son of a minor Scottish nobleman. In truth, Wallace was possibly Scotland's greatest-ever hero. Whilst Bruce fought for a throne, Wallace fought only for his people and his country.
A massive man, standing well over 6 foot, Wallace wielded his great two-handed sword with deadly effect in the cause of his nation, much to the chagrin of Edward l. He was eventually betrayed into the hands of the Longhsanks, who dispensed his own kind of justice, having Wallace publicly hung, drawn and quartered at the Tower of London.Wallace died 7 years before Bannockburn. But without the example he set to an unsure and undecided Robert the Bruce, which eventually inspired him to take the throne that was rightly his, there may not have been a united Scottish nation on the field at Bannockburn. The relationship between Wallace and Bruce was respectful but never friendly. The politics of compromise and balance, the mark of Bruce's eventual stewardship, were not for William Wallace who preferred action, both swift and decisive. But without his lead, it is possible Bruce would have missed his destiny, hence his place in this chess set.
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