Robert the Bruce and the Spider

Like every Scottish schoolchild, I was told the story of how the humble spider encouraged King Robert I to persevere in his efforts to establish himself. Defeated by the English soon after his coronation in 1307, Bruce was
on the run for several months, kept hidden by friends in the Western Isles and in Galloway. Some stories say he even sailed to Norway. On one occasion he had to take refuge in a cave. It was the lowest point of his fortunes.
His wife and sister were prisoners of the English king, Edward I. His supporters were being hunted down and executed. The struggle to re-establish Scotland as an independent kingdom seemed doomed to hopeless failure. It was then that Bruce’s eye caught a spider, hanging by its thread from the roof of the cave. It was trying to swing to the cave wall. Several times it tried, but each time could not reach the wall and swung back again. It did not give up, and after many efforts, finally managed to reach and cling to the wall. Bruce was deeply impressed by its tenacity. He resolved that he too would keep on trying, until he had achieved his aim. Soon after that he returned to the Scottish mainland, and began his long, slow campaign which culminated in the Battle of Bannockburn in 1314 and the expulsion of the English from Scotland.

Return To Scottish Anecdotes Page 5