active 1470-1492 Blind Hary

Very little is known for certain about Blind Hary, also called Blind Harry or Henry the Minstrel. He flourished in the late 15th century and is traditionally identified as a Scottish poet and travelling performer.

He is renowned for The Actes and Deidis of the Illustre and Vallyeant Campioun Schir William Wallace, usually shortened to The Wallace. Written around 1477 and preserved in a manuscript dated 1488, the poem became the best-known medieval account of William Wallace and played a major part in building Wallace’s enduring reputation.

Because the historical record is thin, parts of Hary’s life remain uncertain. Even so, his work has had a long afterlife: part history, part patriotic storytelling, The Wallace stands as one of the most famous works of medieval Scottish literature.