King Robert I of Scotland, 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 (G-BHDI) after Robert the Bruce.

Art

*1876: Statue by Andrew Currie on the esplanade at Stirling Castle. *1929: Statue by Thomas J. Clapperton at the entrance of the gatehouse, Edinburgh Castle. *1964: Statue by Charles d’Orville Pilkington Jackson at the Battle of Bannockburn Monument at

Bannockburn Bannockburn ( Scottish Gaelic ''Allt a' Bhonnaich'') is an area immediately south of the centre of Stirling in Scotland. It is part of the City of Stirling. It is named after the Bannock Burn, a stream running through the town before flowing i ...

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

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, Angus. *2010: Statue by Andrew Brown at Annan Town Hall,

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, an ...

. *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 Clydesdale Bank ( gd, Banca Dhail Chluaidh) is a trading name used by Clydesdale Bank plc for its retail banking operations in Scotland. In June 2018, it was announced that Clydesdale Bank's holding company CYBG would acquire Virgin Money for ...

, 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, 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 church, Congregational Minister (Christianity), minister. He was a pioneering figure in the field of modern fantasy literature a ...

's novel ''

Alec Forbes of Howglen ''Alec Forbes of Howglen'' is a novel by George MacDonald, first published in 1865 and is primarily concerned with Scottish country life. Synopsis The 'Howglen' described in the novel is probably a reference to George MacDonald's childhood hom ...

'', 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's novel ''

Rose in Bloom ''Rose in Bloom'' is a novel by 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 ''Lit ...

'', 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'' 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 George Alfred Henty (8 December 1832 – 16 November 1902) was an English novelist and war correspondent. He is most well-known for his works of adventure fiction and historical fiction, including ''The Dragon & The Raven'' (1886), ''For The ...

, Robert the Bruce is the Scottish king. *1969 - 1971: Scottish author

Nigel Tranter Nigel Tranter OBE (23 November 1909 – 9 January 2000) was a writer of a wide range of books on castles, particularly on themes of architecture and history. He also specialised in deeply researched historical novels that cover centuries of Sco ...

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 Katherine Irene Kurtz (born October 18. 1944) is an American fantasy writer, author of sixteen historical fantasy novels in the '' Deryni'' series, as well as occult and urban fantasy. Resident in Ireland for over twenty years, she moved to Virg ...

and

Deborah Turner Harris Deborah Turner Harris (born 1951 in Pennsylvania), is an American fantasy author, best known for her collaborations with Katherine Kurtz. Life Harris lives in Scotland and is married to Scottish author Robert J. Harris. Works Mages of Garill ...

wrote a fantasy fiction series (''The Temple and the Stone'' and ''The Temple and the Crown'') linking Robert the Bruce with the Knights Templar. *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 Jack Whyte (March 15, 1940February 22, 2021) was a Scottish-Canadian novelist of historical fiction. Born and raised in Scotland, he moved to Canada in 1967. He resided in Kelowna, British Columbia. Early life Whyte was born in Scotland on Marc ...

'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'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 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" are the inspiration for " Bruce Wayne", 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 Batman. *1987: In the

Marvel Marvel may refer to: Business * Marvel Entertainment, an American entertainment company ** Marvel Comics, the primary imprint of Marvel Entertainment ** Marvel Universe, a fictional shared universe ** Marvel Music, an imprint of Marvel Comics * ...

comic

New Mutants The New Mutants are a group of fictional mutant superheroes appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics, generally in association with the X-Men. Originally depicted as the teenaged junior class at the Xavier Institute, subs ...

in fleeing the villain

Magus Magi (; singular magus ; from Latin '' magus'', cf. fa, مغ ) were priests in Zoroastrianism and the earlier religions of the western Iranians. The earliest known use of the word ''magi'' is in the trilingual inscription written by Darius th ...

, 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 ''So Dear to My Heart'' is a 1948 American live-action/animated film produced by Walt Disney and released by RKO Radio Pictures. Its world premiere was in Chicago, Illinois, on November 29, 1948. Like 1946's ''Song of the South'', the film comb ...

'', 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'', Robert the Bruce is portrayed by Scottish actor

Angus Macfadyen Angus Macfadyen (born 21 September 1963) is a Scottish actor. His roles include Robert the Bruce, both in ''Braveheart'' and ''Robert the Bruce'', Komodo in ''Warriors of Virtue'', Vice-Counsel Dupont in '' Equilibrium'', Jeff Denlon in the '' ...

. The film shows Robert taking the field at Falkirk, per Fordun's chronicle, as part of the English army; in fact, he never betrayed

William Wallace Sir William Wallace ( gd, Uilleam Uallas, ; Norman French: ; 23 August 1305) was a Scottish knight who became one of the main leaders during the First War of Scottish Independence. Along with Andrew Moray, Wallace defeated an English army ...

(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's claim to the throne which Bruce opposed. *1996: '' The Bruce'', Robert the Bruce was portrayed by Sandy Welch. *2018: ''

Outlaw King ''Outlaw King'', stylized as ', is a 2018 historical action drama film about Robert the Bruce, the 14th-century Scottish King who launched a guerilla war against the larger English army. The film largely takes place during the 3-year period from ...

'', a Scottish historical action drama film starring

Chris Pine Chris Pine (born August 26, 1980) is an American actor. He is best known for his roles as James T. Kirk in the ''Star Trek'' reboot film series (2009–present), Steve Trevor in the DC Extended Universe films ''Wonder Woman'' (2017) and '' Wo ...

. *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 '' Braveheart''.

Music

Robert Burns Robert Burns (25 January 175921 July 1796), also known familiarly as Rabbie Burns, was a Scottish poet and lyricist. He is widely regarded as the national poet of Scotland and is celebrated worldwide. He is the best known of the poets who hav ...

set his poem Scots Wha Hae, the words of which were originally stated to be taken from Bruce's address to his troops at the Battle of Bannockburn, 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 The French Armed Forces (french: Forces armées françaises) encompass the Army, the Navy, the Air and Space Force and the Gendarmerie of the French Republic. The President of France heads the armed forces as Chief of the Armed Forces. France ...

. *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 Gioachino Antonio Rossini (29 February 1792 – 13 November 1868) was an Italian composer who gained fame for his 39 operas, although he also wrote many songs, some chamber music and piano pieces, and some sacred music. He set new standards ...

*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 "Flower of Scotland" is a Scottish song, frequently performed at special occasions and sporting events as an unofficial national anthem of Scotland. The song was composed in the mid-1960s by Roy Williamson of the folk group the Corries. It w ...

" 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 included a song called "The Bruce" on their album '' Tunes of War'', a concept album 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