April 30th, May 1st & 2nd, 2010

Copyright © 2010

Steve Newcomer/Prairie Fire Productions

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Over 700 years ago, August 23, 1305, William Wallace, Th' Guardian of Scotland, was brutally executed at London.  His body was quartered, and returned to the four corners of Scotland as a warning.   "Give up this fight for FREEDOM."

The great claymore that th' Wallace wielded in the fight for freedom was preserved.  It hangs today in the Wallace Monument at Stirling Scotland.  In 1999 the Aos Dana obtained a true replica of the great claymore, crafted by a blacksmith in Stirling, Scotland. The sword weighs 8.6 lbs., it is 5.6 feet in length, and the balance point is 3.25 feet from the tip.

With this sword we started a challenge to the world to perform a feat, which we believed only "Th' Wallace" himself could do.  Grasp th' claymore at the end of the handle with the end button touching your palm, extend the sword fully at shoulder height, elbow fully extended and locked, and keep the sword level, without the arm coming in toward the body, nor the point of the sword rising or falling more than 12 degrees.  KEEP IT THERE FOR AT LEAST 60 SECONDS to earn Th' Right Tae Wield Th' Wallace Sword.

Each year at Th' Gatherin, in the Warrior's Tent, after the feast, the claymore is brought out and the challenge is offered to all the world to try and earn the right! 

For this honor a warrior must hold th' true replica of th' William Wallace Sword at arms length for at least 60 seconds.

RICHARD HANKS held Th' Gatherin' record & Current Worlds Record, of 66.14 seconds, set in 2001 at Th' Feast in Th' Warriors Tent. RICHARD broke his own record of 61 seconds set at Th' Gatherin' in 1999. Then in 2004, after trying for several years, CHAD ULLOM, Topeka, became the second man to earn "Th' Right", holding the claymore 61.25 seconds. That same evening RICHARD HANKS called for the claymore and held it for 80 seconds flat, shattering his old record !!!!! 2006 TWO More Warriors earned th’ Right Tae Wield Th’ Sword.  MARK RENKEN AND DARYL BURCHETT BOTH BROKE TH’ 60 SECOND MARK.  DARYL on his first attempt and MARK on his second attempt, both are two of the oldest Warriors tae compete in Th’ Gatherin’.

2008, LUKE FABRIZIUS, became the fifth warrior in the history of Th’ Gatherin’ to earn TH’ RIGHT TAE WIELD TH’ WALLACE SWORD!!!!!!! LUKE is the youngest warrior to earn “Th’ Right”!  2008 was the first time Luke had competed in the games. At noontime after his participation of “RUNNIN’ TH’ FIERY CROSS” Luke quietly declared to Seamus that he would earn “Th’ Right” that evening. At the Warriors Feast, Luke was proclaimed by his fellow warriors, “WARRIOR OF DESTINY” for his outstanding performance in the Shire Division.  After the Feast he stepped into the circle, and on his first attempt, broke the 60 second mark and “EARNED TH’ RIGHT”.

2009, JONATHON IRVIN, Oklahoma City,  became the sixth warrior in the history of Th' Gatherin' to earn TH’ RIGHT TAE WIELD TH’ WALLACE SWORD!!!!!!! , holding th' sword for 62 seconds.  Here is what Jonathan wrote of his experience.

"Mark Renken comes upon the stage wielding the replica of William Wallace's sword, holding it out, one handed pointing it towards the crowd as if saying with his stern look, who WHO has the backbone, Who, WHO thinks they have the right to stand with me and hold this mighty sword? To be honest I was  a little intimidated, after all Mark holds a great likeness to Hamish:
 
So the "Hold" starts many and I mean MANY men women and children press the stage, lads and lass attempt the hold  some break 10sec others 20 but it is tough you can tell, the wrist breaks or the shoulder gives out, or the grip just  fails. We watch for about 30 minutes when It just hits me,
go now.
 
I pitch me hat & jacket off stride to the stage  and wait another hopeful is trying, I ask Mark may I  try ? He say's yes, but you have to believe. I take a grip lay the sword out, gripping my newfound church stone in my left hand  and laying the 8.5 # sword out in my right it begins, at first  I felt the weight and thought, yea baby all good.

 1 to 10 seconds NP 10 to 20 NP 20 to 30 a bit heavy  and I had to lower it a couple inch's getting very heavy  now, 30 to 40 seconds a bit shaky and I'm breathing like a  fish out of water, 40 seconds my index finger just jumps off  the handle, completely uncontrollable, at 50 seconds my pinkie jumps off the same way, that's when I hear Duncan and Wayne do it, do it for Tahna (my wife) and kids, reinstilled and 12 seconds later the hold ends @ 62 seconds I  have passed the test and by right of steel can hold the  Wallace sword with honor."

WHO WILL POSSESS TH’ MAGIC, COURAGE AND STRENGTH TO ‘EARN TH’ RIGHT’ IN 2010?

You come tae Th' Gatherin', call for th' claymore, thousands have tried, but thus far Th' Right has been earned by only six warriors.  Who will be the next warrior to earn Th' Right Tae Wield Th' Wallace Sword?

       Society of William Wallace

“We are not here to sue for peace, but to fight for the freedom of our country”

Wallace at Stirling Bridge

Original sword of William Wallace.

Th’ Challenge!

The Wallace Coat of Arms