This is one of my areas...well anything Scottish really <img src="/forum/images/icons/smile.gif" alt="" />
There are loads of speculation about the "Wallace Sword". I have personally been to the Wallace National Monument in Stirling, Scotland and stood inches from the sword with my nose pressed to the glass.
Wallace was doing his thing in the late 13th century... A time where swords of this legnth are extremley rare. In fact, I am unaware of any other examples we have of that time period, where we have swords of that legnth and size. There is good evidence that it was rehilted in the 16th century, which makes sense considering the very un-medieval hilt.
Thomas MacDonald has graciously posted a flury of WONDERFUL photos of up close views of the "Wallace Sword" here:
http://www.myarmoury.com/talk/viewtopic.php?t=5457&highlight=william+wallace There is probably no one who wishes more that we had the actual sword of Scotlands National hero more than I, but I personally remain unconvinced. I think that at somepoint in the past they may have had a commemorative Wallace sword made to honor him. It began to just be known as the Wallace Sword. Over time, people began to think that the name meant that he must have owned it. I have NOTHING to base this off of but it's a somewhat plauseable theory. More so, I think, than suggesting he weilded a sword that we seem to have no other examples from the time period of. However, stranger things have happened.
"Why is there a picture of a man with a sword in his head on your desk?" -friends inquiry
