(1296–1328 and 1332–57) and applies it to the time
in which he was writing. The past serves to explain the
present. WILLIAM WALLACE becomes the voice of Scot-
tish nationalism through his combativeness and hatred
for the English.
From the very beginning, Hary merges the protago-
nist’s thirst for revenge with the national cause. Wal-
lace is represented as a tragic hero who endures the
loss of most members of his family at the hands of the
English. His personal sorrow is equated with his suf-
fering for Scotland (ll. 181–184). The personal and the
national will form an inseparable goal in the hero’s
mind. From then on, his words and his behaviour do
not correspond to that of a youthful warrior but to that
of an experienced leader, an indispensable requisite to
lead his nation against Edward I. Wallace’s nonnatural-
istic representation is closer to HAGIOGRAPHY than to a
ROMANCE hero.
Wallace’s knightly deeds are dependent on the
national cause as well. The main reason to fi ght is per-
sonal vendettas, yet, this is integrated within Scotland’s
struggle for freedom, which is an essential feature of
Blind Hary’s ideological discourse. In the battlefi eld,
the Scottish leader is depicted as a very strong and
revengeful knight. As in JOHN BARBOUR’s The BRUCE (ca.
1375), to which Blind Hary is indebted, the hero’s per-
sonal ambitions are subservient to the national cause.
When treating female characters, Wallace’s conduct
is profoundly altered. In book 4, Wallace’s lover
betrays him after the English offer her a reward. Up to
this point, the hero killed English enemies and Scottish
traitors mercilessly—but he forgives his lover. Blind
Hary creates a complete image of the protagonist not
only during combat but also in social interchanges
with ladies. Wallace dissociates the EPIC world of war
from the courtly world of social relationships to emerge
as the perfect romance hero.
Wallace’s image is also reshaped along the lines of
the European courtly tradition when he meets his
future wife. Her description follows the conventions of
COURTLY LOVE. At the same time, however, a reference
to her Scottish origin accentuates the nationalistic dia-
lectics once again (Book 5, ll. 604–609). When the
English kill her, Wallace’s revenge acquires political
connotations. Not only does he avenge himself, but he
also expels the English from Lanark in Lanarkshire.
Blind Hary presents a lover’s tragic story as a suitable
tool for the liberation of Scotland. Even the most
explicitly courtly scenes are integrated within the
nationalistic literary project.
The employment of DREAM VISIONs and prophecies
offers an allegorical framework. Wallace’s personal
quest after revenge dilutes within the collective defence
of the country. His face-to-face combats and sporadic
skirmishes are politically and allegorically redefi ned in
the milieu of Scotland’s fi ght for freedom. God himself
supports and approves of Wallace’s bloodthirsty way
of action, which elevates the Wars of Independence to
the realm of ALLEGORY—so much so that when Wallace
is thought to be dead (Book 2, l. 252) and his body is
washed (Book 2, l. 267), biblical typology is inescap-
able. Blind Hary imagines his hero as a Christ-like fi g-
ure with his passion and resurrection. William Wallace
the man dies, and the legendary liberator of Scotland is
born. Christological symbolism relocates the narrative
in the domain of religious iconography.
Blind Hary structures the allegorical pattern of the
text according to his nationalistic beliefs. The pseudo-
mythical fi gure of Thomas of Erceldoune tells the audi-
ence that Wallace is the elect to liberate Scotland when
he was believed to be dead (Book 2, ll. 346–350). The
Scottish authority of Thomas supplants the customary
classical auctoritas (authorities) of the past. After this, it
is Saint Andrew, the patron saint of Scotland, who
confi rms his role as a national leader in book 7. The
holy fi gure also takes the warrior to the presence of the
Virgin Mary, who explicitly designates him as her cho-
sen one (Book 7, ll. 95–97). While the intervention of
Saint Andrew synthesizes political issues and allegori-
cal signifi cance, Mary elevates Wallace’s mission to the
domain of ANAGOGY. As a Christ-like incarnation, his
quest to set his country free will typologically bring to
the audience’s mind Jesus Christ’s sacrifi cial death to
save humankind to the extent that the protagonist’s
death follows the pattern of hagiographies and the pas-
sion of Christ.
In Book 12, when Wallace goes back to Scotland,
the arch Scottish traitor Sir John Menteth, like Judas,
sells him to the English. Blind Hary refuses to relate
the knight’s torture, stating merely that Wallace’s endWA L L ACE , T H E 455