| I read somewhere that you can tell a lot
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| | in conflict with their powerful neighbour
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| about a person by finding out who her
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| | across the border. England, on the other
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| heroes are. I suppose that's fairly
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| | hand, doesn't seem to create the same
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| obvious. Take Homer Simpson. It comes as
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| | kind of heroes. It's true that Boadicea
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| no surprise to find out that his hero is
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| | is a genuine heroine, from the same mold
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| Superman, ("If you are up there and can
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| | as Wallace, but strictly speaking she was
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| hear me, I just want to say thank you for
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| | not English. She was the leader of one of
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| listening, Superman"). It occurs to me
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| | the Celtic tribes who fought the Romans
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| that it ought to be possible to extend
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| | before the Saxons came to Britain. In our
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| this idea to national heroes. This is
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| | day (more or less), Churchill was a great
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| probably a tired old idea, used in
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| | leader and hero, but he led the entire
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| seminars up and down the country, but
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| | British nation, not just England.
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| most of the things I know, I learnt after
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| | Besides, his mother was American...That
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| leaving school, so as far as I'm
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| | really only leaves Alfred the Great and
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| concerned this is new and original.
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| | Nelson as English military heroes. If you
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| Anyone got a problem with that? Alright,
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| | ask English children what they know about
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| let's try it out. I'll just stick to
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| | Alfred they'll probably tell you that he
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| countries that I feel linked to, either
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| | burnt the cakes when he was left in
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| by blood, language or shared history and
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| | charge of the kitchen, rather than that
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| ideas, and I'll start with Scotland,
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| | he was the country's last desperate hope
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| since it's my home.The Scots, to coin a
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| | of saving the Anglo-Saxon world from
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| phrase, sure know how to pick 'em.
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| | Viking tyranny.The English are
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| Scottish heroes are sometimes
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| | traditionally suspicious of strong
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| unfortunate, very often tragic and always
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| | military leaders. William the Conqueror,
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| romantic, in the old sense. Arguably the
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| | for instance, was hated at the time,
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| greatest Scots hero of all was William
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| | naturally enough, but that dislike still
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| Wallace. More than anyone else he stands,
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| | reverberates in the form of the English
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| in Scottish hearts, for freedom and
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| | class system, now thankfully dying out.
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| liberty. He had that rare and precious
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| | Or take Edward 1st., who, at the time of
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| ability, shared by a handful of leaders
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| | William Wallace, defeated Scots armies
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| such as Alfred the Great, Nelson,
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| | time after time and built massive castles
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| Churchill, and in America, George
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| | across Wales, but is not regarded as a
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| Washington, Thomas Jefferson and Lincoln,
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| | hero. Neither is Henry 5th., in spite of
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| to lift up a nation, to become its voice
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| | the spin Shakespeare put on his exploits
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| and spirit, not through fear and
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| | in France and his triumph, at odds of
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| oppression, the hallmark of the tyrant,
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| | seven to one, at Agincourt.It's
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| but by reflecting the will of the
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| | interesting to contrast the two
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| people.Wallace taught the nation that it
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| | Englishmen who helped to defeat Napoleon
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| could win against its mighty neighbour to
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| | Bonaparte - Nelson and the Duke of
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| the south. Although essentially a
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| | Wellington. Both were brilliant
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| brilliant guerrilla fighter, he defeated
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| | strategists, both got results. Wellington
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| a major English army at the Battle of
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| | was respected but not much liked, Nelson
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| Stirling Bridge. He was eventually
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| | was adored by the British public.
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| betrayed to the English, taken down to
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| | Wellington was a rather frosty character,
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| London and tortured and executed as a
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| | who treated his men with contempt, while
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| traitor, which he certainly was not.
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| | Nelson genuinly liked his men and was
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| Unlike many prominent Scots, he had never
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| | concerned with reforming conditions in
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| sworn allegiance to the English king,
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| | the fleet. I think his affair with Lady
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| Edward 1st. In suffering a martyr's death
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| | Hamilton didn't do him any harm either,
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| Wallace became Scotland's first national
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| | as far as the public were concerned.Dick
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| hero, and paved the way for his own
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| | Whittington is probably one of the best
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| personal hero, Robert the Bruce.The
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| | loved of English heroes. The story goes
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| father of Robert de Brus was Anglo-Norman
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| | that as a poor boy from the country he
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| and his mother was the Celtic Countess of
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| | tried several times to make his fortune
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| Carrick. He was descended from King
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| | in London. When at last he gave up and
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| William the Lion. Through Brus came the
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| | headed off for the sticks, he hadn't gone
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| Royal House of Steward who produced the
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| | far before he heard the bells of London -
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| current British royal family. Robert the
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| | 'Bow Bells' - saying, "Turn again, Dick
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| Bruce was not always a dedicated patriot.
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| | Whittington, three times Lord Mayor of
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| He was a landowner on both sides of the
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| | London". Back he went and became Lord
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| border, equally at home in the English
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| | Mayor as the bells had forecast. Oh yes,
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| and the Scottish court. Eventually he was
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| | and he had a cat. The reality is fairly
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| forced to choose which side he was on. He
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| | close to the myth, but he was remembered
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| chose the Scots cause and in 1314, at the
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| | at the time as a benefactor to the poor
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| Battle of Bannockburn he led them to
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| | and to charities.I think the hero that
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| victory over an English army twice their
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| | most completely stands for English
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| size. Bannockburn was the turning point
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| | virtues,as perceived by themselves, would
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| in Scotland's struggle for independence.
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| | have to be Robin Hood. Nobody knows
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| From this time on there was no question
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| | whether he really existed. Was he the
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| but that the Scots were a separate and
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| | Earl of Huntingdon or possibly Sir Robin
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| independent nation.Formal recognition of
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| | of Locksley? Most of the stories are set
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| Scotland's rights was still required from
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| | in mid-12th. century, when Richard 1st
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| the Pope. A representative group of the
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| | was away at the Crusades. The modern
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| Scottish nobility wrote to him in a
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| | Robin Hood was popularised by Sir Walter
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| famous letter known as the 'Declaration
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| | Scott in 'Ivanhoe', but in a way it
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| of Arbroath', part of which went as
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| | doesn't really matter if he existed or
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| follows:
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| | not. He stands for freedom from
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| 'For as long as there shall but one
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| | oppression and the rights of the poor and
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| hundred
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| | vunerable, so it's right and proper that
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| of us remain alive we will never give
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| | he should be England's most popular
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| consent to subject
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| | hero.In moving across the Atlantic, it
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| ourselves to the domination of the
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| | seems to me that Canada doesn't really go
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| English. For it is not
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| | in for heroes, although I'm sure they
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| glory, it is not riches, neither is it
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| | exist. My own list would start with Grey
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| honour, but it is liberty
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| | Owl, who pioneered an awareness of
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| alone that we fight and contend for,
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| | Canadian wildlife issues and was the
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| which no
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| | friend of the Ojibway. When he died in
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| honest man will lose but with his
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| | 1938 it was realized that he was not an
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| life.'One of the most romantic, and at
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| | Indian. In fact his name was Archie
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| the same time tragic figures in Scottish
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| | Belaney and he was from Hastings in
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| history was Mary, Queen of Scots. Mary
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| | England. Then there would be Lucy Maud
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| had been brought up in France and
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| | Montgomery, who wrote Anne of Green
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| returned to Scotland on succeeding to the
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| | Gables, which was about her childhood on
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| throne in 1560. She was eighteen years
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| | Prince Edward Island. Finally I'd
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| old, very attractive, impulsive and
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| | probably include White Fang and Joni
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| inexperienced in the machinations of
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| | Mitchell as my personal favourites.Heroes
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| Scottish court life. Everything went well
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| | are not in short supply in America, in
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| at first but when she married her cousin,
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| | fact the making of America is a heroic
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| Henry Stuart, Lord Darnley, her life
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| | story in itself. I can't say too much
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| changed and nothing ever went right for
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| | about American heroes; not because I
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| her again. She soon became disillusioned
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| | don't know who they are, but because it's
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| with her husband and took a lover, an
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| | not for me to say what they mean to
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| Italian called Riccio, who was murdered
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| | Americans. The earlier ones were,
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| in front of her in her room, by her
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| | naturally, concerned with the forming of
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| jealous husband and others. It wasn't
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| | the nation - George Washington, Thomas
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| long before her husband was also
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| | Jefferson, Abe Lincoln, possibly Paul
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| assassinated. At this point poor Mary
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| | Revere. I think Davy Crockett counts -
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| seems to have lost the plot completely
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| | 'King of the Wild Frontier', according to
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| and married the Earl of Bothwell, the man
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| | the song.Then there are the Native
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| who was almost certainly involved in the
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| | American heroes, Sitting Bull, Geronimo
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| murder of her husband.It must have been
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| | and my favourite, Chief Joseph of the Nez
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| clear to her by now that the only kind of
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| | Perce. Chief Joseph, with his band of 200
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| luck she attracted was bad luck. After a
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| | warriors and 500 women and children,
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| few more set-backs she decided to head
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| | conducted one of the most brilliant
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| south to enlist help from her cousin,
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| | retreats in American history. In over
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| Elizabeth, Queen of England. This proved
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| | three months this small, forlorn band
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| to be a fatal mistake. Far from helping
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| | fought off 2000 U.S. soldiers in four
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| her, Elizabeth had her arrested and
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| | major battles and numerous skirmishes.
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| imprisoned in a gloomy castle far to the
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| | They travelled 1400 miles and got to
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| north of London and the English court.
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| | within forty miles of the Canadian border
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| She remained Elizabeth's prisoner for the
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| | and sanctuary before being forced to give
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| rest of her life, some nineteen years,
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| | up. When he finally surrendered, Chief
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| and was finally executed for 'treason' in
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| | Joseph made this speech:'I am tired of
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| 1587, which fate she met with great
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| | fighting. Our chiefs are killed,
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| dignity.Probably the best known of
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| | Looking Glass is dead, Tu-hul-hil-sote
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| Scotland's heroes is Bonnie Prince
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| | is dead.
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| Charlie who raised the standard in
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| | It is the young men who say yes or no.
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| Scotland for the Jacobite cause. The name
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| | He who lead the young men is dead.
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| 'Jacobite' was a French version of
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| | It is cold and we have no blankets.
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| 'James', i.e. the 'Old Pretender' James.
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| | The little children are freezing to
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| Charles Edward Stuart was actually more
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| | death
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| Italian than Scottish and was only in
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| | My people - some of them have run away
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| Scotland for less than a year. His
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| | to the hills and have no blankets, no
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| campaign culminated in the disastrous
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| | food.
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| battle of Culloden in 1746, the last
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| | No-one knows where there are - perhaps
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| battle ever fought on British soil.
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| | freezing to death.
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| Following the defeat of the Scots army,
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| | I want to have time to look for my
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| he abandoned his followers and, with the
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| | children and see how many
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| help of the wonderful Flora MacDonald,
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| | of them I can find. Maybe I shall find
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| fled the country, dressed as a
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| | them among the dead.
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| washerwoman. His undignified exit has
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| | Hear me, my chiefs, my heart is sick and
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| always reminded me of the story of Toad
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| | sad.
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| of Toad Hall, who also fled the law,
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| | From where the sun now stands I will
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| dressed as a washerwoman. I wonder if
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| | fight
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| that's where Kenneth Graham got the idea.
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| | no more against the white man.
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| After all he was a Scot.The Jacobite army
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| | Chief Joseph 1877Coming nearer to our
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| had at one point struck deep into
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| | own time, there is no doubt John Kennedy
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| England, and in fact came to within a
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| | is an American hero, and so, of course,
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| hundred miles of London, before turning
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| | is Martin Luther King, and I see no
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| back. The English, badly scared by the
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| | reason at all why the New York
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| whole business now did their best to
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| | firefighters who were on duty on the day
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| destroy the Highland clan system by
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| | of the Twin Towers should not qualify
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| driving off the Highlanders cattle,
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| | too.
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| burning their homes and banning the
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| | James Donaldson CollinsJames Donaldson
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| singing of gaelic songs, the wearing of
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| | Collins is an artist and writer. He lives
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| the kilt and other gaelic traditions - an
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| | in the Highlands of Scotland with his
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| eerie precurser of the treatment meted
| |
| | wife, daughter and three dogs. His
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| out to the northern Plains Indians in
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| | interests are conservation, history,
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| America after the Battle of the Little
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| | science fiction, chess and snooker. He
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| Bighorn.So there you have Scotland's
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| | also claims to play guitar like a ringing
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| heroes, all tragic and all more or less
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| | a bell.
|
