El Cid (mythology)
El Cid, also known as Rodrigo Díaz de Vivar, is a central figure in Spanish history and mythology, celebrated for his role as a national hero during the Reconquista, the period of the reclaiming of Spain from Muslim rule. The narrative surrounding El Cid is primarily captured in "El Cantar de mío Cid" (The Song of My Cid), the oldest preserved epic poem in Castilian Spanish, written between 1195 and 1207. This poem recounts El Cid's journey from banishment by King Alfonso to becoming a celebrated military leader and lord of Valencia after various victories against the Moors.
The character of El Cid is portrayed as a noble and complex figure who embodies ideal virtues of loyalty, honor, and bravery, distinguishing him from other legendary heroes through his relatability and humanity. Unlike many mythical figures, El Cid's exploits are grounded in historical realities, though the poem does take some liberties with events. The narrative highlights significant themes such as loss, restoration, and the challenges of nobility, as seen through El Cid's personal struggles, including the mistreatment of his daughters and his quest for justice.
Overall, El Cid stands as a symbol of resilience and moral integrity within the context of medieval Spanish society, and his legacy continues to influence cultural perspectives on heroism and identity in Spain. His historical existence is affirmed, and he is buried in Burgos Cathedral, a site of reverence for those who honor his contributions to Spanish history.
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Subject Terms
El Cid (mythology)
Author: Traditional
Time Period: 1851 CE–1900 CE
Country or Culture: Spain
Genre: Legend
PLOT SUMMARY
After his banishment by King Alfonso, El Cid (“the Lord”) wins several victories over the Moors. Following one such victory, Cid sends a messenger to the king with a gift of thirty horses. While waiting for the messenger to return, Cid and his band of warriors encamp in the forest of Tebar. The count of Barcelona, Raymond Berenger (also known as Ramón Berenguer), hears of Cid’s location and readies to take arms against the intruder. When Cid hears of Raymond’s intentions, he sends the count a message of peace, stating that he means no harm and wishes to pass through the woods of Tebar without any trouble.
Despite this, Raymond still sees Cid’s intrusion on his land as an insult to his honor, so Cid rallies his soldiers and instructs them to collect whatever booty they can. He delivers a rousing speech to his men, telling them how much more skilled they are than Raymond’s troops. When Raymond’s troops start to descend upon them, Cid gives the order to charge. Within an hour, Cid and his men are victorious. Their spoils include one thousand marks of silver and the legendary sword Colada.
Count Raymond is put under guard, but Cid offers him the opportunity to leave a free man. Raymond refuses and fasts for three days. He says he would rather die than eat Cid’s food. It is only after Cid offers him two knights with which to travel that Raymond agrees to leave. After feasting, the count and his two knights ride away in peace.
Later in Cid’s life, he is brought before a court of King Alfonso to plead his case against his sons-in-law, Ferrando and Diego Gonzalez. These brothers beat Cid’s daughters, Elvira and Sol, and abandoned them, so he demands they return to him his swords and three thousand marks of gold and silver. The court grants Cid his wishes, but Cid demands the brothers be further punished. The Count Garcia is present in the court and states that because of Cid’s long beard, the brothers Gonzalez did not believe the daughters were of nobility. Cid retorts that his beard is a gift from God and no enemy has ever plucked a hair from it.
Ferrando Gonzalez explains that he and his brother were justified in the beating of Cid’s daughters, for they believed them to be of low estate, not the daughters of emperors or kings. Then Pero Bermuez, one of Cid’s knights, testifies against Ferrando, stating that the man is a coward and a traitor who fled in battle against the Moors. Bermuez recounts another tale in which Ferrando hid from an unchained lion that threatened Cid as he slept. Ferrando could only hide in fear from the beast while Bermuez and the other knights protected their lord.
Diego stands and reaffirms his and his brother’s noble birth and explains that there was nothing wrong with how they treated Cid’s daughters. After much back and forth, the king declares that the Gonzalez brothers must fight their challengers. Bermuez fights Ferrando using his lance. The knight bests him, and Ferrando calls for mercy, which is given. Martin Antolinez, another of Cid’s knights, takes on Diego. The knight easily bests Diego, who sees no chance for survival but to flee on his horse. Cid and his men are victorious.
El Cid returns with his knights to Valencia, where the citizens rejoice to see their champion. After his daughters are avenged, Cid marries them to the noblemen Navarre and Aragon.
SIGNIFICANCE
These stories are part of El cantar de mío Cid, which translates to The Song of My Cid. Commonly referred to in English as The Poem of the Cid, this work is the oldest preserved Castilian Spanish epic poem. Written between 1195 and 1207, the epic tells the story of the national hero of Spain, Rodrigo Díaz de Vivar, commonly referred to as El Cid. It is set during the reconquest of Spain from the Moors, in an Islamo-Judeo-Christian multicultural landscape.
In the beginning of the poem, Cid is accused of stealing, and King Alfonso takes away his titles and land. He is given a royal pardon after the conquest of Valencia (a city in eastern Spain that was Islamic at the time), and he is named the lord of the city. To help solidify his new lordship, he marries his daughters to the noble Gonzalez brothers, who beat them and leave them for dead. Throughout The Poem of Cid, the pattern of loss and restoration recurs.
The poem is unique for its time for several reasons. For one, there are no supernatural elements. While other legendary heroes have the support of magical benefactors, such as fairies or gods, Cid survives on his own strength, wisdom, and strategy. He is injured and even makes a few mistakes, which makes him a hero who is much more human and relatable than other heroes of medieval literature. Also, the fictionalized adventures in the work are historically accurate, even if the original author took certain liberties.
Although the exploits may be dramatized, Cid was a real Castilian nobleman and military leader. Some scholars believe that the historical Cid was a mercenary who cared less about honor and more about his own land and riches. The Cid in the poem, however, functions as an exemplary hero. He embodies all of the heroic virtues that the poet perhaps saw lacking in contemporary medieval Spanish society. Despite being banished, Cid is loyal to his king and always fights on the Christian side. He is an ideal lord and vassal within the historical context of feudal Spain. The historical Cid died in 1099, when the Almoravids invaded Valencia. His body lies in the Burgos Cathedral in Burgos, Spain.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Barton, Simon, and Richard Fletcher. The World of El Cid: Chronicles of the Spanish Reconquest. New York: Manchester UP, 2000. Print.
Chasca, Edmund de. The Poem of the Cid. Boston: Twayne, 1976. Print.
Hamilton, Rita, Janet Perry, and Ian Michael. The Poem of the Cid. New York: Penguin, 1975. Print.
Nelson, Lynn Harry. “Rodrigo Diaz de Bivar, El Cid.” Medieval History Lecture Index. Virtual Library, 2001. Web. 19 May 2013.
---. “Thoughts on Reading El Cid.” Medieval History Lecture Index. Virtual Library, 2001. Web. 19 May 2013.
Rabb, Kate Milner. “Selections from the Poem of the Cid.” National Epics. Authorama, n.d. Web. 19 May 2013.