Rabbit,
I agree with you totally on the point that they (producers of BH) didn't make it clear that their film was
very loosely based on the real W.Wallace. And, sheople being sheople, most of them won't bother to go and investigate the accuracy for themselves, but take what they saw in the movie as written in stone. I knew, from my research, going into the movie, that it was very loosely based on William Wallace's life. FWIW, I also remember when reading the "write-up" of the movie in the local paper, the critic stated that very thing (loosely based...).
I also agree with you that much of what we see today as "Scottish culture" is geared toward the cheesy tourist thing. But, there is a national revival in
true Scottish culture/pride going on over there that has nothing to do with tourism. Many people are learning to speak their native language again.
Being Scottish, to me, is so much more than what clan you're from, what tartan you claim, where your ancestor's land was, who won the '45...etc etc. It's everything Scottish: from the ancient Celts who ran sreaming down the hillside butt naked, with woad on their faces and their hair limed into stiff spikes. It's the troubled history of a people and their enduring spirit;It's the lochs, the glens, the burns, the heather, the mountains... (cue Braveheart theme)
.
Despite all the tourist shops lining city streets in places like Edinburgh and Inverness, you can still experience the "Scots thing." I hope that someday I can go to Scotland and see that for myself. I would not be one to frequent those tourist trap shops, but would travel the Highlands and experience the LAND, which is beautiful.
One last note: how could England have been "defeating an invading force", when the battle of Culloden took place in extreme north Scotland (near Inverness)? The Jacobites never made it down to England to invade! I guess it all depends on your point of view. I, in my IMHO, consider the
English to be the invaders, not the other way around.
England has always considered Scotland "her" property, whether the Scots wanted it or no. That's what gets me: The English attitude that they were better than everyone else; anyone w/ a different culture to them was considered barbaric. But, I digress, as this could easily open another can of worms. (I didn't say that to offend anyone, and am not necessarily speaking of English people of today. I'm referring specifically to their past "exploits" in Scotland ).
------------------
"...What will you do without freedom? Will you fight?... Fight, and you may die, run and you'll live, at least a while. And dying, many years from now, would you be willing to trade all the days from this day to that, for just one chance, to tell our enemies, that they may take our lives, but they'll never take our FREEDOM!!!"
-------------------------
je suis prest
[This message has been edited by Darthmaum (edited August 17, 1999).]