Medieval Sources In William Wallace's Early Life

Who was William Wallace?
Much of William Wallace’s early life remains a mystery. Around 1270, Wallace was undoubtedly born a younger son of a family of lesser nobles , his father was likely Alan Wallace and he was probably born in Ellerslie, Ayrshire . This is just what modern historians can agree on based on medieval documents and the rediscovery of Wallace’s seal in 1995. It is typical of this time period for there to be limited contemporary information about the Wallace family because they were not significant enough to warrant any surviving documentation pre-1297. Therefore, most of the accessible and remaining information about Wallace’s early life stems from later medieval sources such as Blind Harry’s The Wallace and other Scottish

chronicles.

Blind Harry’s 15th century epic, The Wallace, is the most in-depth retelling of Wallace’s youth and yet the most fictitious. According to Blind Harry, in Book one, Wallace is sent to live in Gowrie, with his mother’s brother, after his father and elder brother travel to Lennox . Wallace is schooled in Dundee where he begins to resent the English occupation of Scotland but remains on the outskirts of the rebellion. From the outset of 1291, Blind Harry introduces Wallace to the uprising after, in self-defence, he kills Selbie, the Constable of Dundee . Blind Harry then places Wallace and his mother travelling through Scotland as an outlaw, taking the pilgrimage to St Margret’s Cave in Dunfermline before returning to Riccarton. From this point on, because of his aptitude for getting into skirmishes, Wallace is reported to have slain many Englishmen with his most notable conquest being the murder of the Sheriff of Lanark.
Blind Harry’s colourful rendition is a suitable introduction to the fable of William Wallace’s life and career.

However, it is probable Blind Harry either created much of the information himself or has confused the actions of other individuals with those of Wallace. Whether this was an honest mistake or not, historians such as Brown are unsympathetic and call Blind Harry “less than reliable” . It is safe to assume that Blind Harry’s sources came from folklore, documents and chronicles that no longer survive or from translated works, for example, the written work of John Blair, Chaplain to Wallace . Riddy is cautious of Blind Harry, indicating that Wallace, for instance, never fought at Loudoun Hill nor did he meet Robert the Bruce on the Banks of Carron in 1298

.
The Wallace, despite its flaws, remains an important source for reconstructing Wallace’s life and career.

Blind Harry, although not a contemporary source, relied on sources that modern historians do not have access to. The Wallace was a product of growing nationalist consciousness in the 15th century , which is revealed in the anti-English and pro-Wallace approach that Blind Harry assumes. It would be inappropriate to dismiss the work of Blind Harry because of his dramatic and inaccurate portrayal. His account does contain vital information to the recreation of the character and career of Wallace.

The Orygynale Cronykil of Scotland by Andrew Wyntoun is a 14th century account of Scotland stemming from the beginning of the world until the accession of James I in 1424. In chapter CXLV, as most chroniclers do, Wyntoun first introduces Wallace as the younger son of a noble with an elder brother who inherited the family property . Wyntoun brings to attention Wallace’s stature and aptitude for weaponry:
“This ilk gud William Wallas
Drew to wappinnis and to

geire,
As manly man vsis in weire.
With a suerd baith large and lang
He vsit oftsyss for to gang,
A mantill wappit him about;
Off stature he wes strang and stout”
Wyntoun’s insistence that Wallace was drawn to weaponry suggests that he was competent and comfortable with warfare. According to Andrew Fisher, as a younger son, Wallace may have trained as a soldier before he became a leader of the fight for independence . However, it would be difficult for someone with Wallace’s reputation as a great warrior to pass through or clash with Edward I’s army without recognition. It is more likely that Wallace used his proficiency for weaponry in the hunt, as is suggested by the presence of a bow and arrow on his seal, or as a soldier elsewhere.
Like Blind Harry, Wyntoun worked from sources that may not have survived. Brown mentions that Wyntoun’s main source was most likely Fordoun’s Chronica Gentis Scotorum, written circa 1360 until Fordoun’s death in the 1380’s . This suggests that Fordoun and Wyntoun may have had more accurate accounts because they were writing closer in time to the incident and would have better access to materials and people’s memories. Nevertheless, this does not excuse Wyntoun or Fordoun from their patriotic predisposition to favour the Scots and Wallace. Wyntoun, in particular, presents his chronicles in verse suggesting that the histories he imparts are meant be seen as a form of entertainment as well as factual evidence. Consequently Wyntoun’s chronicle, much like Blind Harry’s, must be approached by historians carefully.