July 11, 1274 — Robert the Bruce, more formally known as King Robert I of Scotland, was born on this day. A fierce warrior-king, who led the Scots in a number of battles trying to win independence from England, he is probably best known for his alleged encounter with a spider.
He first took up arms against the English in 1297 when he joined the revolt led by freedom fighter William Wallace – the Scottish hero portrayed by Mel Gibson in the 1995 Oscar-winning movie, Braveheart.
Robert came from a long line of noble ancestors and as well as shaking off the shackles of the English oppressors, he had ambitions to become King of Scotland.
So much so that in 1306 he stabbed to death John Comyn, his main rival for the throne, in a church. This act did not please the Pope who promptly excommunicated the ambitious Scot.
Undeterred, Bruce went on to claim the throne and to step up his campaign against the English, culminating in the Battle of Bannockburn in 1314 where Bruce defeated a much larger army led by King Edward II of England.
Before that, though, he lost six successive battles and was forced to go into hiding. And that’s where the spider came in.
According to legend, as a despairing Bruce lay on his bed he watched a spider swinging from the roof, trying to spin a web. Six times it tried and failed to complete the web, but became successful on the seventh attempt.
Bruce, it is said, took this as an omen, picked up his sword, rallied his men and resumed his campaign against the hated English.
In 1320, Scottish nobles sent the Declaration of Arbroath to the Pope, asserting Scotland's independence and naming Robert as their rightful king. Four years later, the Pope formally accepted this declaration.
The never-say-die king passed away in 1329, leaving instructions that his heart was to be removed from his body and taken on a pilgrimage to the Holy Land.
It never made it, though, because the knight making the journey, Sir James Douglas, was killed on the way. Bruce’s embalmed heart was then returned to Scotland and buried in Melrose Abbey. His body was buried at Dunfermline Abbey.
Published: October 11, 2017
Updated: October 11, 2017
Related Articles and Photos
Related Famous People
Articles on Events in July
$48 Million Prize Money: Anyone For Tennis?
The first Wimbledon Men’s Singles championship began on this day. The winner received prize money of $15. In 2022 the champion took away more than $2 million.July 9, 1877Rainbow Warrior Destroyed
In what turned out to be an act of state terrorism, Rainbow Warrior, flagship of the Greenpeace environment campaigners, was destroyed by two bombs on this day.July 10, 1985Killing Spree of Lady Death
Soviet sniper, Lyudmila Pavlichenko is the most successful female sniper in history, having killed 309 German soldiers during the Second World War.July 12, 1916Voice Of The Century – 'And Not Even Close'
Frank Sinatra cut his first disc on this day. It was a flop. But he would go on to be hailed as the “Voice of the Century”.July 13, 1939