Line #10 UsefulNotes/RobertTheBruce


1	[[quoteright:185:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/robertthebruce_742.jpg]]
2	[[caption-width-right:185:[[Music/GraveDigger The King, The Lion]]]]
3
4	-> ''"For as long as one hundred of us shall remain alive,''\
5	''we shall never in any wise consent to submit to the rule of the English'',\
6	''for it is not for glory we fight, nor riches, or for honour'',\
7	''but for freedom alone, which no good man loses but with his life."''
8	-->-- '''Robert the Bruce''' at the Declaration of Arbroath.
9
10	Robert I (11 July 1274 – 7 June 1329), better known as '''Robert the Bruce''', was the first Scottish monarch of the Bruce line.[[note]]His title originated from the French ''Bruis'', the hometown of his family's Norman side (his father's full title was Robert de Brus, 6th Lord of Anndandale). Rather than "of Bruce," Robert the younger's title was anglicized as "''the'' Bruce" instead.[[/note]] He was a major player in the Scottish Wars of Independence and ultimately led Scotland to freedom. Today revered in UsefulNotes/{{Scotland}} as their greatest national hero, Robert is something of a FolkHero in those parts, representing the Scottish Spirit and bravery, and is usually considered a national symbol.
11
12	Robert the Bruce first entered the annals of history as an heir of the [[TheClan House of Bruce]], his grandfather (also named Robert) was one of many claimants to the throne of Scotland in the SuccessionCrisis that came after King Alexander the Third. The elder Bruce lost, and John Balliol was crowned King. The elder Bruce [[ScrewThisImOuttaHere resigned]] and retired. But it is said his teachings and actions greatly affected the young Robert, inspiring him to his later actions.
13
14	Robert the Bruce then grew up believing the same thing his grandfather believed: the Bruces were the rightful kings of Scotland. The reign of John Balliol -- now King John (not [[UsefulNotes/KingJohnOfEngland that one]]) -- was brief and fruitless, with the King being mostly bossed around by [[UsefulNotes/EdwardTheFirst King Edward of England]]. Soon a war between the Scots and the English began, and after a short series of battles, King John abdicated and the English had him kept as a prisoner.
15
16	Scotland was essentially left kingless, and Edward was the ''de facto'' ruler of the country. A series of rebellions sparked the war anew, and Robert the Bruce participated intensively in them as one of the leading generals on the Scottish side (but make no mistake, [[HeelFaceRevolvingDoor the man switched sides a lot]]). After several decades of strife, Robert the Bruce emerged as the sole victor and rightful king of Scotland.
17
18	One of the more controversial elements of his life was the killing of rival claimant "Red" John Comyn (John Baliol's nephew) at Greyfriars Church, Dumfries on the 10 February 1306. Beyond the basic facts (Bruce and Comyn entered and Robert stabbed him before the altar) [[RiddleForTheAges the precise motivations remain a mystery.]] Scottish sources would claim that Comyn was a treacherous villain who plotted to betray Bruce to the English while English sources claim Bruce lured Comyn to a church so he could murder his rival. Whatever the cause, Comyn's death proved a near disastrous move for Robert the Bruce that divided Scotland at the worst possible time.
19
20	One of his most badass feats was during the Battle of Banockburn. A heavily armed English knight named Henry de Bohun on a warhorse charged against King Robert who was mounted on a smaller palfrey with an axe. At the last second Robert narrowly dodged him then stood up in his stirrups and smote de Bohun such a blow it clove through his skull and helmet. [[CasualDangerDialogue The king's only remark was that he regretted breaking his favorite axe.]]
21
22	During his rule, he secured Scotland's position as an independent nation in the eyes of the English and the world. He later attempted to unify [[{{Scotireland}} Scotland and Ireland]][[note]] Irish nobles in Ulster were quite supportive of this idea (Irish nobles outside of Ulster, not so much), and Robert's younger brother Edward was crowned by them as High King of Ireland in what was meant to be a precursor to the union.[[/note]], but his plans did not come to fruition. He died of some unspecified disease not too long after that.
23
24	Robert was succeeded by his son David II; after David died without issue in 1371, the throne of Scotland passed to Robert II Stewart, the son of Robert I's daughter Marjorie and Walter Stewart, High Steward of Scotland. As a consequence, in one of history's supreme {{iron\|y}}ies, Robert II's dynasty, eventually renamed UsefulNotes/TheHouseOfStuart by UsefulNotes/MaryQueenOfScots, ultimately [[UsefulNotes/JamesVIAndI inherited the throne of England]]!
25
26	He ended at #74 in ''Series/OneHundredGreatestBritons''.
27	----
28
29	!!Appears in the following works:
30
31	[[AC:Film]]
32	* The SoBadItsGood Scottish film ''The Bruce'' (1995) chronicles his life. ''[[NoBudget Quite poorly]]''.
33	* Robert gets a notable HistoricalVillainUpgrade in ''Film/{{Braveheart}}'' (1995), where he's portrayed as a lesser hero than William Wallace and as a man who betrayed him. Incidentally, the name "Braveheart" originally referred to ''him'', not Wallace. Played by Creator/AngusMacfadyen.
34	* Robert is played by Creator/ChrisPine in ''Film/OutlawKing'' (2018), which depicts the ups and downs of Robert's rebellion until his first major victory against the English at the battle of Loudoun Hill.
35	* ''Robert the Bruce'' (2019), starring Angus Macfadyen as Robert [[RoleReprise once again]] after ''Braveheart''. After numerous defeats, Robert finds refuge in the home of a peasant woman and her niece, nephew, and son who help to re-inspire Robert with a renewed understanding of the patriotism of ordinary Scots, which rekindles his zeal as he returns to the battlefield.
36
37	[[AC:Literature]]
38	* Creator/WalterScott's ''Tales of a Grandfather'' popularized the apocryphal tale in which a spider repeatedly tries to spin a web across a roof and ultimately succeeding inspires Robert to be a {{Determinator}} in Scotland.
39	* ''Literature/TenSixtySixAndAllThat'' includes a sketch map of the confusing Battle of Bannockburn, featuring the Bruce (who is distinguished from "William the Wallace") as well as his GiantSpider. The unfair defeat of the English is attributed in part to Scottish knights' "foul riding," exemplified by the Bruce blindsiding "Henry le Bohunk" in an exhibition combat before the battle.
40
41	[[AC:Music]]
42	* The German Heavy metal band Music/GraveDigger has an IAmSong [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WuyhuQpJ8fg about him]].
43	* Music/{{Sabaton}}'s song [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xp-RkMoUYg4 "Blood of Bannockburn"]] is about Robert's victory over Edward II at Bannockburn. The battle and the history leading up to it are described by Indy Neidell in WebVideo/SabatonHistory's [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pT7rteGNM_A second episode]].
44
45	[[AC:Video Games]]
46	* He appears in ''VideoGame/{{Civilization}} 6: Rise and Fall'' as the leader of Scotland.
47	* He makes an appearance in ''VideoGame/AgeOfEmpiresII: Definitive Edition'' expansion ''Lord of the Wests'' in the fifth and last Edward Longshanks scenario [[spoiler:as an "ally" before betraying Longshanks for the throne of Scotland.]]
48	* ''VideoGame/CrusaderKingsII'': Robert is playable from a custom start date after the "Rise of the Hansa" bookmark.

Context UsefulNotes / RobertTheBruce