King

Robert I of Scotland Robert I (11 July 1274 – 7 June 1329), popularly known as Robert the Bruce (Scottish Gaelic: ''Raibeart an Bruis''), was King of Scots from 1306 to his death in 1329. One of the most renowned warriors of his generation, Robert eventuall ...

, also known as Robert the Bruce has been depicted in literature and popular culture many times. This list includes some examples.

Aircraft

The airline

British Caledonian British Caledonian (BCal) was a British private independent airline which operated out of Gatwick Airport in south-east England during the 1970s and 1980s. It was created as an alternative to the British government-controlled corporation airlin ...

, named a

McDonnell Douglas DC-10-30 The McDonnell Douglas DC-10 is an American trijet wide-body aircraft manufactured by McDonnell Douglas. The DC-10 was intended to succeed the DC-8 for long- range flights. It first flew on August 29, 1970; it was introduced on August 5, 1971 ...

(G-BHDI) after Robert the Bruce.

Art

*1876:

Statue A statue is a free-standing sculpture in which the realistic, full-length figures of persons or animals are carved or cast in a durable material such as wood, metal or stone. Typical statues are life-sized or close to life-size; a sculpture t ...

by Andrew Currie on the esplanade at

Stirling Castle Stirling Castle, located in Stirling, is one of the largest and most important castles in Scotland, both historically and architecturally. The castle sits atop Castle Hill, an intrusive crag, which forms part of the Stirling Sill geological ...

. *1929: Statue by Thomas J. Clapperton at the entrance of the gatehouse,

Edinburgh Castle Edinburgh Castle is a historic castle in Edinburgh, Edinburgh, Scotland. It stands on Castle Rock (Edinburgh), Castle Rock, which has been occupied by humans since at least the Iron Age, although the nature of the early settlement is unclear. ...

. *1964:

by Charles d’Orville Pilkington Jackson at the

Battle of Bannockburn The Battle of Bannockburn ( gd, Blàr Allt nam Bànag or ) fought on June 23–24, 1314, was a victory of the army of King of Scots Robert the Bruce over the army of King Edward II of England in the First War of Scottish Independence. It was ...

Monument at Bannockburn. *1966: Replica of the statue by Charles d’Orville Pilkington Jackson on 14 Avenue NW,

Calgary Calgary ( ) is the largest city in the western Canadian province of Alberta and the largest metro area of the three Prairie Provinces. As of 2021, the city proper had a population of 1,306,784 and a metropolitan population of 1,481,806, makin ...

Alberta Alberta ( ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada. It is part of Western Canada and is one of the three prairie provinces. Alberta is bordered by British Columbia to the west, Saskatchewan to the east, the Northwest Ter ...

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...

. *2001: Statue of Bruce and Bernard de Linton by David Annand at

Arbroath Arbroath () or Aberbrothock ( gd, Obar Bhrothaig ) is a former royal burgh and the largest town in the council area of Angus, Scotland, with a population of 23,902. It lies on the North Sea coast some ENE of Dundee and SSW of Aberdeen. The ...

Angus Angus may refer to: Media * ''Angus'' (film), a 1995 film * ''Angus Og'' (comics), in the ''Daily Record'' Places Australia * Angus, New South Wales Canada * Angus, Ontario, a community in Essa, Ontario * East Angus, Quebec Scotland * An ...

. *2010: Statue by Andrew Brown at

Annan Town Hall Annan Town Hall is a municipal building in the High Street in Annan, Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland. The structure, which accommodates the local library and is also used as a venue for the provision of local services, is a Category B listed bui ...

Annan, Dumfries and Galloway Annan ( ; gd, Inbhir Anainn) is a town and former royal burgh in Dumfries and Galloway, south-west Scotland. Historically part of Dumfriesshire, its public buildings include Annan Academy, of which the writer Thomas Carlyle was a pupil, and ...

. *2011: Statue by Alan Beattie Herriot on Broad Street, outside

Marischal College Marischal College ( ) is a large granite building on Broad Street in the centre of Aberdeen in north-east Scotland, and since 2011 has acted as the headquarters of Aberdeen City Council. However, the building was constructed for and is on long- ...

Aberdeen Aberdeen (; sco, Aiberdeen ; gd, Obar Dheathain ; la, Aberdonia) is a city in North East Scotland, and is the third most populous city in the country. Aberdeen is one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas (as Aberdeen City), and ...

Banknotes

From 1981 to 1989, Robert the Bruce was portrayed on £1 notes issued by the Clydesdale Bank, one of the three Scottish banks with right to issue banknotes. He was shown on the obverse crowned in battle dress, surrounded by

thistle Thistle is the common name of a group of flowering plants characterised by leaves with sharp prickles on the margins, mostly in the family Asteraceae. Prickles can also occur all over the planton the stem and on the flat parts of the leaves. ...

s, and on the reverse in full battle armour in a scene from the Battle of Bannockburn. When the Clydesdale Bank discontinued £1 banknotes, Robert The Bruce's portrait was moved onto the bank's £20 banknote in 1990 and it has remained there to date.

Beer

Three Floyds Brewing Three Floyds Brewing is a brewery founded in 1996 by brothers Nick and Simon and their father Mike Floyd in Hammond, Indiana. Since 2000, the brewery has been located in Munster, Indiana. Three Floyds opened a brewpub adjacent to the brewery in ...

, from the US-state of Indiana, makes a "mahogany-colored, malty ale with hints of chocolate and caramel" called Robert the Bruce Scottish Ale, according to medievalist and beerdrinker Dr. Alex Kaufman.

Books

*1865: In

George MacDonald George MacDonald (10 December 1824 – 18 September 1905) was a Scottish author, poet and Christian Congregational minister. He was a pioneering figure in the field of modern fantasy literature and the mentor of fellow writer Lewis Carroll. I ...

's novel '' Alec Forbes of Howglen'', the character Annie Anderson is raised by her stingy relative Robert Bruce. Though he is no relation to this great figure of Scottish history, MacDonald's Robert Bruce constantly refers to the story of "his ancestor and the spider," even when it is totally irrelevant to the conversation at the moment. *1876: In

Louisa May Alcott Louisa May Alcott (; November 29, 1832March 6, 1888) was an American novelist, short story writer, and poet best known as the author of the novel ''Little Women'' (1868) and its sequels ''Little Men'' (1871) and ''Jo's Boys'' (1886). Raised in ...

's novel '' Rose in Bloom'', the main character Rose mentions that her family, the Campbells, are rather proud of being descended from Robert the Bruce. *1887: In Nellie Bly's ''

Ten Days in a Mad-House ''Ten Days in a Mad-House'' is a book by American journalist Nellie Bly. It was initially published as a series of articles for the ''New York World''. Bly later compiled the articles into a book, being published by Ian L. Munro in New York City ...

'' she references the Bruce's night of watching the spider and her own attempts in staying awake. *1906: ''In Freedom's Cause'' by G. A. Henty, Robert the Bruce is the Scottish king. *1969 - 1971: Scottish author Nigel Tranter wrote a trilogy, considered largely accurate, based on the life of King Robert: ''The Steps to the Empty Throne'', ''The Path of the Hero King'' and ''The Price of the King's Peace.'' This has been published in one volume as '' The Bruce Trilogy''. *1998: The revolt of Robert the Bruce is the topic of

Mollie Hunter Maureen Mollie Hunter McIlwraith (30 June 1922 – 31 July 2012) was a Scottish writer known as Mollie Hunter. She wrote fantasy for children, historical stories for young adults, and realistic novels for adults. Many of her works are inspired b ...

's book ''The King's Swift Rider'', written from the point of view of a bold young Scot and future monk who joins the rebellion as a noncombatant. *1998 - 2001: Katherine Kurtz and Deborah Turner Harris wrote a fantasy fiction series (''The Temple and the Stone'' and ''The Temple and the Crown'') linking Robert the Bruce with the

Knights Templar , colors = White mantle with a red cross , colors_label = Attire , march = , mascot = Two knights riding a single horse , equipment ...

. *2002 - 2006: Chronicles of the reign of Robert the Bruce (or Robert de Brus) are published in a series titled ''Rebel King, Hammer of the Scots'' (2002); ''Rebel King, The Har'ships'' (2004); and ''Rebel King, Bannok Burn'' (2006). Two more volumes are planned. *2009: The third volume of Jack Whyte's Templar Trilogy, ''Order in Chaos'', is largely set in Scotland during the rise of The Bruce. It winds up its story just after the battle at Bannockburn. It covers a lot of the challenges and politics of that era. *2010: Robert the Bruce is the protagonist in English novelist

Robyn Young Robyn Young (born in Oxford in September 1975) is an English people, English author of historical fiction. She is most widely known for her ''Brethren'' trilogy, set in the Middle Ages. Her books have been published in more than 15 languages. ...

's ''Insurrection'' trilogy, starting the novel ''Insurrection''. *2010 - 2012: Romance writer Monica McCarty wrote a series of books (the Highland Guard Novels) about Robert the Bruce's legendary secret Islemen guard and Bruce's guerilla warfare tactics. Though Bruce is a minor character, his battles and the events surrounding his war against England are catalogued. *2012: Robert the Bruce and his brother

Edward Bruce Edward Bruce, Earl of Carrick ( Norman French: ; mga, Edubard a Briuis; Modern Scottish Gaelic: gd, Eideard or ; – 14 October 1318), was a younger brother of Robert the Bruce, King of Scots. He supported his brother in the 1306–1314 st ...

appear as characters in Irish writer Tim Hodkinson's novel, ''Lions of the Grail'' set during their invasion of Ireland.

Comics

*1939: The names "Robert the Bruce" and "

Mad Anthony Wayne Anthony Wayne (January 1, 1745 – December 15, 1796) was an American soldier, officer, statesman, and one of the Founding Fathers of the United States. He adopted a military career at the outset of the American Revolutionary War, where his mil ...

" are the inspiration for "

Bruce Wayne Batman is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created by artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger, and debuted in Detective Comics 27, the 27th issue of the comic book ''Detective Comics'' on ...

", the name for the civilian identity of

DC Comics DC Comics, Inc. (doing business as DC) is an American comic book publisher and the flagship unit of DC Entertainment, a subsidiary of Warner Bros. Discovery. DC Comics is one of the largest and oldest American comic book companies, with thei ...

superhero A superhero or superheroine is a stock character that typically possesses ''superpowers'', abilities beyond those of ordinary people, and fits the role of the hero, typically using his or her powers to help the world become a better place, ...

Batman Batman is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created by artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger, and debuted in Detective Comics 27, the 27th issue of the comic book ''Detective Comics'' on ...

. *1987: In the Marvel comic New Mutants in fleeing the villain Magus, they flee to the time and place of Robert the Bruce. *2014: Portrayed in an independently produced comic written by Colin Maxwell and illustrated by Michael Philp.

Films

*1948: In the live-action Disney movie '' So Dear to My Heart'', a cartoon sequence portrays Robert the Bruce's legendary encounter with the determined spider, as well as his subsequent victory. The sequence animates part of a song called 'stick-to-it-ivity' which is sung to teach the main character about the importance of perseverance in the face of adversity. *1995: In ''

Braveheart ''Braveheart'' is a 1995 American historical drama film directed and produced by, and starring Mel Gibson. Gibson portrays Sir William Wallace, a late-13th century Scottish warrior who led the Scots in the First War of Scottish Independence ag ...

'', Robert the Bruce is portrayed by Scottish actor Angus Macfadyen. The film shows Robert taking the field at

Falkirk Falkirk ( gd, An Eaglais Bhreac, sco, Fawkirk) is a large town in the Central Lowlands of Scotland, historically within the county of Stirlingshire. It lies in the Forth Valley, northwest of Edinburgh and northeast of Glasgow. Falkirk had a ...

, per Fordun's chronicle, as part of the English army; in fact, he never betrayed William Wallace (despite having changed sides). Wallace is also alleged to have been a complete supporter of Robert the Bruce, but Wallace was a supporter of the

House of Balliol The House of Balliol (de Bailleul) was a noble family originating from the village of Bailleul in Picardy. They held estates in England, granted during the reign of King William Rufus. Through marriage, they had claims to the Throne of Scotl ...

's claim to the throne which Bruce opposed. *1996: ''

The Bruce ''The Brus'', also known as ''The Bruce'', is a long narrative poem, in Early Scots, of just under 14,000 octosyllabic lines composed by John Barbour which gives a historic and chivalric account of the actions of Robert the Bruce and Sir Jame ...

'', Robert the Bruce was portrayed by Sandy Welch. *2018: '' Outlaw King'', a Scottish historical action drama film starring Chris Pine. *2019: ''

Robert the Bruce Robert I (11 July 1274 – 7 June 1329), popularly known as Robert the Bruce (Scottish Gaelic: ''Raibeart an Bruis''), was King of Scots from 1306 to his death in 1329. One of the most renowned warriors of his generation, Robert eventual ...

'', a Scottish historical drama depicting his time in the wilderness. King Robert the Bruce is played again by Angus MacFadyen, reprising his role from ''

''.

Music

* Robert Burns set his poem

Scots Wha Hae "Scots Wha Hae" (English: ''Scots Who Have''; gd, Brosnachadh Bhruis) is a patriotic song of Scotland written using both words of the Scots language and English, which served for centuries as an unofficial national anthem of the country, but h ...

, the words of which were originally stated to be taken from Bruce's address to his troops at the

, to an old Scots tune, Hey Tuttie Tatie. As a military march, ''Marche des soldats de Robert Bruce'', this tune is part of the repertoire of the French military. *14th century: A military song entitled "La marche des soldats de Robert Bruce" (march of the soldiers of Robert Bruce) is still played in France nowadays, for instance during the Bastille Day military parade. *1847: ''

Robert Bruce Robert I (11 July 1274 – 7 June 1329), popularly known as Robert the Bruce (Scottish Gaelic: ''Raibeart an Bruis''), was King of Scots from 1306 to his death in 1329. One of the most renowned warriors of his generation, Robert eventuall ...

'', a

pasticcio In music, a ''pasticcio'' or ''pastiche'' is an opera or other musical work composed of works by different composers who may or may not have been working together, or an adaptation or localization of an existing work that is loose, unauthorized, o ...

opera by Gioacchino Rossini *1968:

The Corries The Corries were a Scottish folk group that emerged from the Scottish folk revival of the early 1960s. The group was a trio from their formation until 1966 when founder Bill Smith left the band but Roy Williamson and Ronnie Browne continued ...

song " Flower of Scotland" is a tribute to Robert Bruce. It has become a de facto Scottish national anthem used at international sport events. *1996: The German

power metal Power metal is a subgenre of heavy metal combining characteristics of traditional heavy metal with speed metal, often within symphonic context. Generally, power metal is characterized by a faster, lighter, and more uplifting sound, in contra ...

band

Grave Digger A gravedigger is a cemetery worker who is responsible for digging a grave prior to a funeral service. Description If the grave is in a cemetery on the property of a church or other religious organization (part of, or called, a churchyard), ...

included a song called "The Bruce" on their album ''

Tunes of War ''Tunes of War'' is the seventh studio album by German heavy metal band Grave Digger. It is a concept about the Scottish struggles for independence from England, from the medieval conflicts between its clans in the 11th century through to the Jac ...

'', a

concept album A concept album is an album whose tracks hold a larger purpose or meaning collectively than they do individually. This is typically achieved through a single central narrative or theme, which can be instrumental, compositional, or lyrical. Som ...

about the Scottish struggles for independence from England.

Video games

Robert the Bruce leads Scotland in Sid Meier's Civilization VI: Rise and Fall expansion, released on February 8, 2018.

References

{{Cultural depictions of English and British monarchs

Robert the Bruce