It is said that before the Battle of Bannockburn, Bruce was attacked by the English Knight Sir Henry de Bohun. Riding with the heavy cavalry, de Bohun caught sight of Bruce, who was armed only with his battle-axe. De Bohun lowered his lance and charged, and Bruce stood his ground. At the last moment, Bruce swiftly dodged the lance, rose in his saddle, and with one mighty swing of his axe, struck Bohun so hard that he split de Bohun's iron helmet and his head in two, a blow so powerful that it shattered the very weapon into pieces. Afterwards the King merely expressed regret that he had broken the shaft of his favourite axe. To this day, the story stands in folklore as a testament of the determination of the Scottish people and their culture. Depictions in modern culture Opera Robert Bruce (1843), Gioacchino Rossini's last opera (albeit a pastiche of previous operas). Poems (1893), written by Lesya Ukrainka Fiction The Bruce Trilogy (1985), by Nigel Tranter Films Braveheart (1995), directed by Mel Gibson, features Angus Macfadyen as Robert the Bruce. It has been described as one of the most historically inaccurate modern films. The Bruce (1996) focuses primarily on the rise to power of Robert I of Scotland, culminating in the Battle of Bannockburn in AD 1314. Outlaw King (2018), directed by David Mackenzie, stars Chris Pine as Robert the Bruce. The film climaxes with the Scots victory at Loudoun Hill in 1307. Robert the Bruce (2019), directed by Richard Gray, stars Angus Macfadyen reprising his role from Braveheart. Television In Rise of the Clans (2018), a three-part historical series narrated by Neil Oliver, David Paisley portrays Robert the Bruce in episode 1: "The Bruce Supremacy". Video Games In Sid Meier's Civilization VI, Robert the Bruce is the leader of Scotland. See also Competitors for the Crown of Scotland Cultural depictions of Robert the Bruce Scottish monarchs' family tree People on Scottish banknotes Notes References Bibliography . . . . . . , with copious original source materiéls. Duncan, A.A.M. (Editor), (1999) John Barbour: The Bruce Canongate. . Grant, Alexander, (1984) Independence and Nationhood: Scotland 1306–1469 Edward Arnold. . Grant A, and Stringer, Keith J., (1995) Uniting the Kingdom? The Making of British History Routledge, pp. 97–108. . . . . Mackenzie, Agnes Mure (1934), Robert Bruce, King of Scots. . . . . . . . Geoffrey