Scotland's real-life Brienne of Tarth is the knight in shining armour for us
Laura Henderson is set to represent Scotland at the International Medieval Combat Federation’s world championships
Who’s your favourite knight? We don’t mean a newly ennobled sir or dame from the New Year’s honours list but, you know, a real one.
Perhaps it’s Robert the Bruce, who famously defeated Henry de Bohun in single combat before the Battle of Bannockburn. Or maybe the legendary (but also real) William Marshal, described as ‘the greatest knight who ever lived’? Or could it be the mighty (but fictional) Brienne of Tarth from Game of Thrones?
You may think you need to rely heavily on your imagination when considering this weighty question but, if so, you’d be wrong. Step forward Laura Henderson, Shotts vet and modern-day ‘medieval’ knight.
Henderson, who has her own sword, shield and suit of armour, is set to represent Scotland at the International Medieval Combat Federation’s world championships in Denmark.
This is a full-contact martial sport and injuries are commonplace. However, so far Henderson has “only” sustained a broken thumb (from a polearm in France), apart from the usual bruises and sprains, of course.
Sounds like we’ve found our new champion and, in these troubled times, who couldn’t use a knight in shining armour?
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