Braveheart Quotes

Context

This line is spoken by William Wallace, played by Mel Gibson, in the film Braveheart (1995).

"Now wait just one darn minute, Eddy. We didn't take kindly to you waving your British bums in our faces. But we really put our foot down when your noblemen take our brides and deflower them on their wedding night. Think you can sew your weedy seeds in our purebred Scottish stock? We'll teach you sorry invaders who's boss. And no haggis for you!"

That may not have been the exact language William Wallace used when he led the Scottish uprising against King Edward I's British rule in the thirteenth century. But the Braveheart movie enhances the facts, so… we're just following suit.

This quote is as logical as "they may take our microwaves, but we're still nuking our nachos." The important thing here is poetic license. Historically speaking, Wallace probably didn't say the "never take our freedom" quote, but the screenwriter gave him those words to rouse the troops. It must have worked, too, because the Scots won the Battle of Stirling Bridge that followed that speech and did, indeed, go on to fight again—and not just in the movie.

Prepare to get roused, troops.

Where you've heard it

Know any over-dramatic sports fans? You may run into this slogan before a big game. And you may still overhear it shouted out at your favorite Scottish shop.

Additional Notable References

• Parody with Bob Newhart & cast
• September 11 connection, Battle of Stirling Bridge (1297)
• On Facebook
• House Speaker John Boehner in blue face

Pretentious Factor

If you were to drop this quote at a dinner party, would you get an in-unison "awww" or would everyone roll their eyes and never invite you back? Here it is, on a scale of 1-10.

If you're standing on your chair shouting this to a table of stunned onlookers, chances are they admire your conviction but really wish you'd just sit down and eat your broccoli already.