The Sex Life of William 'Braveheart' Wallace

Betwixt The Sheets: The History of Sex, Scandal & Society

History Hit

Society, Sex, Scandal, Education, History

4.8 • 1.6K Ratings

🗓️ 22 February 2024

⏱️ 38 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

If you've seen the film Braveheart, you might have certain expectations about the real history of William Wallace.

Separating fact from fiction can be tricky, but what do we really know about this iconic Scot, and the supposed relationships that sparked his rebellion against the English?

Today Kate is joined by author and host of Gone Medieval, Eleanor Janega, to find out the truth behind William Wallace.

How does his life tie into the Scottish Wars of Independence? Why did he receive such gruesome treatment? And why is the film Braveheart so irritating to medieval historians?

This episode was edited by Tom Delargy. The producers were Stuart Beckwith, Sophie Gee and Joseph Knight. The senior producer was Charlotte Long.

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Transcript

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0:00.0	Welcome to Between To Betwixt the Sheets, the History of Sex Scandal and Society from History Hit.
0:05.6	To listen to all of our episodes, add free and watch hundreds of history documentaries,
0:10.6	download the History Hit app or go to History Hit.com forward slash
0:15.6	subscribe. And if you're an Apple listener you can subscribe for new ad-free
0:20.4	episodes within the app.
0:31.4	Hello my lovely betwixters it's me Kate Lister I am here to care for you look after you nurture you and keep you all safe and wrapped up and
0:34.7	squishy. And in order to do that you need a fair dues warning. Here it is. This is an
0:39.1	adult podcast spoken by adults to other adults about adult things covering a range of adult subjects and you should be an adult too.
0:45.0	I feel safer, I know I do, let's do it. Good day, betwixters! You join me on a balmy summer's day in London. The year is 1305, the sun is shining brightly and crowds have
1:06.2	gathered in their hundreds. Moments ago, the brutal execution of William Wallace took place,
1:12.1	and it was brutal even by the standards of the day.
1:16.4	It's not quite the day out that I had in mind.
1:19.5	I fancy just a summer stroll through the capital and ice cream, except ice cream hasn't been invented yet, but that's what I was after.
1:26.0	And whilst in years to come, William Wallace's final moments would be immortalised in the film Brave Heart, crying out freedom!
1:35.0	I can tell you that a fair amount of creative license was at play.
1:40.0	But his story is most definitely one of defiance, especially in the face of King Edward I,
1:46.0	whom Wallace refused to acknowledge as his king. Fair play. And it was a defiance that would inspire the fight for Scottish independence for generations to come.
1:56.4	But just how much creative license was taken in the film Brave Heart
2:01.2	when it comes to William Wallace's sex life?
2:04.4	Hmm? Well, I am ready to find out if you are. What do you look for the man?
2:15.0	Oh, money, of clothes.
2:18.0	You're supposed to rise when an adult speaks to you.
	...

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