Angela Krak

Dra. Reyna

Western Cultures

31 May, 2017

El Cid

The history of the Iberian Peninsula during the reign of Al-Andalus and the times of the

Reconquista is filled with historical figures and legends that enhance our knowledge of what

actually took place. One of the most influential characters, more often considered to be a Spanish

hero, that is still represented to this day in films, shows, books, and other forms of media is a

man named Rodrigo Díaz de Vivar. He is more commonly referred to as “El Cid,” which means

“Lord” in Arabic. The information that remains about El Cid is a mixture of mythical and factual

evidence, but regardless, his presence in Spain shaped the peninsula and earned him great respect

as a warrior. The legends of El Cid, his appearance in literature, and remnants in our current

society all demonstrate the importance of this character during the Reconquista.

Rodrigo Diaz de Vivar was born around the year 1043, right in the middle of one of the

most significant time periods of the Iberian Peninsula. Spain as a country began to exist in the

year 1492, due to the unification of the Peninsula by King Ferdinand of Aragon and Queen

Isabella of Castile. Yet before this unification, the Peninsula was directed by many different

powers. Romans, Visigoths, Berbers, Celts, Moors, and other cultures had lived on the land of

current Spain, each leaving their mark and establishing their places in the history of the country.

El Cid was born during the reign of Al-Andalus, which was the Arabic name for the Iberian

Peninsula. The Moors had control of the territory starting in the year 711, and ending completely

in 1492. Within these two dates lies a multitude of culture, expansion, innovation, and the
shaping of a land and people that must be examined in order to fully appreciate Spain as we now

know it. And, one of these key people is a warrior of the Reconquista.

In order to grasp an understanding of the political situation of the Peninsula during El

Cid’s life, a brief historical foundation should be laid. The Reconquista began as a movement to

try and regain the Peninsula from Moorish rule. The Christians had been pushed into the

northernmost point of current Spain, in the region of Asturias after the Moors conquered and

continued gaining territory. Although the Moors were lenient and allowed Christians to continue

practicing their faith as long as they paid two taxes, many felt inspired to fight back and reclaim

the land. It should be noted that initially, after regaining the territory, the Christians adopted the

same leniency that the Moors had shown them. They allowed the people to remain practicing, as

long as a tax was paid. Little by little, the Christians defeated the Moors throughout the

Reconquista until only Granada remained. In the 1200’s, both Seville and Cordoba were once

again controlled by the Christians. Valencia is a significant city because it pertains directly to El

Cid and the legends of his battles. The Reconquista ended in the year 1492, when Boabdil

handed the keys over to the Catholic Kings.

El Cid’s role during the Reconquista was not one-sided. He fought for both the Christians

and the Muslims, and was hired by both due to being such a skilled warrior. El Cid gained these

weaponry skills as a young boy, due to his upbringing. He was born in Castile, and his father

worked as a famous knight who fought for King Ferdinand I (Gilliam). Since Rodrigo grew up

watching the example of his father, these skills to him became second nature. Richard K. Munro,

author of an article titled “A Legend among Christians and Muslims… El Cid,” speaks about the

history and facts behind one of Spain’s national heroes. He states that, “Little is known of

Rodrigo’s early life, except that he was raised, educated and trained as a knight in the court of
Prince Sancho, the eldest son of King Ferdinando I of Castile and León (Munro 16).” The death

of Ferdinand I brought about controversy as to which of his sons was to take the crown. Sancho

was the oldest, so naturally, the rule was passed to him. However, Alfonso was also interested in

becoming the king of Castile-León. El Cid was loyal to Sancho II because he had grown up

serving him as his royal marshal. Rodrigo’s reputation heightened as he worked to protect

Sancho II, yet in 1072, Sancho was assassinated (Munro 16). El Cid was placed in an

uncomfortable position, because it was speculated that Alfonso had played a part in the

assassination plan. Munro talks about a tale regarding an oath that El Cid wanted Alfonso to take

so that he could demonstrate that he had not conspired against his brother. In the article, he

states, “There is a story that Rodrigo forced Alfonso to swear an oath at Santa Gadea in Burgos

to the effect that he was innocent of any complicity in Sancho’s murder (Munro 16).” He did not

want to serve under Alfonso if indeed he had intentionally had his brother killed, and Alfonso

did not necessarily trust El Cid. Thus, El Cid was eventually banished and began working as a

mercenary for the Muslims.

After a few years, El Cid returned to fight for the Christians once again. Alfonso wanted

his assistance in taking the city of Toledo, and appointed Rodrigo to be the commander-in-chief

of the army (Gilliam). He was victorious, and continued to represent the Christians. El Cid is

frequently associated with the city of Valencia, because he helped to capture it and rule in the

name of Alfonso (Gilliam). There are countless myths and legends associated with El Cid, and

he inspired many soldiers even after his passing. One of the most famous deals with his own

death. According to legend, El Cid had a dream when he was growing old. In the dream, he was

visited by St. Peter and told that he would still win a major battle after his death. Thus, he

ordered his men to have him mounted on his horse, Babieca, if anything happened to him during
the fight. In an article titled, “The Genius of El Cid,” author Ronald R. Gilliam explains, “In an

apocryphal story, El Cid was killed in a siege, but still scared off the enemy when he was lashed

to his horse and sent out to face the battle lines (Gilliam).” The vision of El Cid riding towards

the enemy, surrounded by his army and wielding his sword, was enough to strike fear into the

opposition and caused them to retreat.

There are also many legends surrounding El Cid’s horse, Babieca. “Babieca” means

“stupid,” so the name alone hints at an interesting background story. Richard Melson wrote an

article on El Cid, and explains the background of the legend by stating, “Rodrigo’s godfather,

Pedro El Grande, was a monk at a Carthusian monastery (Melson).” According to myth, El Cid’s

godfather allowed him to pick one horse out of a herd of Andalusian stallions. After Rodrigo

chose his companion, the godfather exclaimed, “Babieca!” Apparantly, he believed that El Cid’s

choice was stupid because in his eyes, the horse was weaker than some of the others (Melson).

Babieca was loyal to El Cid and served as his famous warhorse. The name is mentioned in other

legends as well, and was well-known throughout the kingdom.

Babieca was so important to El Cid that he even requested to have his horse buried with

him. According to another legend, the horse was able to sense an important battle coming up

when El Cid was about to attack Toledo. Catharine Savage Brosman wrote a poem titled

“Babieca,” and highlights the presence of the warhorse in the timeline of El Cid. She states,

“Legend says that when the king drew near the city gate, El Cid, behind him on his steed, named

Babieca, passed a small, unprepossessing mosque. The horse stopped suddenly and knelt, in awe

and prayer; a holy light, miraculous, appeared (Brosman 1).” The myth continues to explain that

a Visigothic church had existed below the mosque, and that Babieca knew that her master would

have the grace of God during the battle. El Cid’s victory against the city of Toledo won him
favor once again with king Alfonso VI, and presumably he fought well (Brosman 2). In

representations of El Cid to this day, he is almost always pictured atop his noble steed Babieca.

El Cid’s legacy was documented, and for this reason, the first national Spanish epic poem

exists today. “Cantar de Mio Cid”, also called “The Song of the Cid,” is a lengthy work that

highlights major events in the hero’s life. It is still studied in schools throughout Spain today, due

to being a historical and cultural source of insight. The poem began as a narrative, but was

written down in the 1200’s by a man named Per Abbat. The University of Texas Austin Liberal

Arts ITS program published a website that strictly focuses on this epic poem of El Cid, and

offers a multitude of information. In addition, each verse can be accessed and commentary is

included by the authors. Their website states that, “This oral epic narrative was recorded on

parchment in 1207, eventually leading to its treatment as written text and to the occlusion of its

oral essence (UTexas at Austin).” The authors also explain that the original was copied, and this

was completed in the fourteenth century. It can be seen in the National Library in Madrid, and is

in near-perfect condition. For this reason, the document is a perfect indication of what the

language looked like before having been standardized. The first Spanish dictionary was not

published until 1492, so it can be interesting to study the linguistics themselves of this early

Spanish. However, “Cantar de Mio Cid” has been translated into the language of today, and can

be accessed online by anyone.

The poem is divided into three sections, and depicts the national hero in action.

Unfortunately, the first two pages of the poem have been lost over time, but are inferred based on

contextual clues (UTexas at Austin). The poem begins as El Cid is exiled and has to leave his

home of Vivar. As previously mentioned, during this time span, he began to work for the Moors

due to being banished by Alfonso VI. Throughout the epic poem, a clearer picture of El Cid is
painted, one that describes his qualities and shows why the Spaniards view him as a national

hero. In the initial commentary, Thomas Montgomery and Matthew Bailey state that, “We see a

man of deep human feeling, of measured speech, devout, admired and beloved by the people of

Burgos, who accepts adversity with no hint of resentment against the king (Bailey,

Montgomery).” In order for El Cid to be relatable to an entire nation, he must have demonstrated

other qualities than being capable in battle. The poem demonstrates that his character was also

strong, making him an admirable figure during the times of the Reconquista.

Even though El Cid existed hundreds of years ago, he is still present today in the culture

and society of Spain. For starters, there are statues of him and Babieca all over the world. One is

located in the city of Seville, right next to the university. The statue shows El Cid seated on top

of his trusted steed, dressed in his armor. His arm is raised, and he holds a spear with a flag on

the end of it in one hand. In the other hand, he grasps his shield. Babieca is depicted as though

the horse is in motion, with one front hoof off of the ground. The face of El Cid looks fiece,

determined, and bold. There are other statues similar to this one in Valencia, Buenos Aires, San

Francisco, and New York City.

In addition, there have been movies created based upon the life of El Cid. The most

famous was released in 1961, and includes stars Charles Heston and Sophia Loren (Melson). It

includes the death legend of El Cid, with the actor tied to Babieca and riding into battle. The film

was a success, and brought the tales of the Spanish hero to the big screen to reach broader

audiences. Also, several animated versions of El Cid have arose. There was a TV series called

“Ruy, el Pequeño Cid” that was a fictional story of the hero when he was a child. Several operas

were created based on the history and legends, and there are dozens of other references to

Rodrigo in pop culture. It is even said that Miguel de Cervantes drew inspiration from El Cid in
Don Quijote. In the book, Don Quijote believes that although his horse Rocinante is weak, it is

still better than Babieca (Melson). It seems as though El Cid will continue to hold his place in the

Spanish society as an essential figure of the Reconquista, and that he will remain in the pop

culture of today.

In conclusion, El Cid’s position in history was established during the Reconquista. He

was able to survive countless battles, changes of power in the kingdom, and switching of sides

while fortifying his place in the hearts of the citizens. His history is both a mixture of fact and

legend, and is well-represented in the oldest Spanish epic poem. El Cid personified the values of

the people of the Reconquista by being brave, noble, determined, loyal, relatable, valiant, and

human. He is a national hero of the country because he fought to protect the land of the

Peninsula. His legacy continues to be represented through literature, film, theater, and other

mediums of pop culture. Rodrigo Díaz de Vivar earned a reputation for himself, and will forever

be remembered as “El Cid,” the name given to him by the Moors, and “El Campeador,” a

Spanish term meaning “the champion.”

 Works Cited

Brosman, Catherine Savage. "Babieca." Modern Age (2017): n. pag. Intercollegiate Studies

Institute. Web. 2 June 2017.

Gilliam, Ronald R. "The Genius of El Cid." History Net. World History Group, 3 Aug. 2011.

Web. 31 May 2017.

Melson, Richard. "El Cid." Cambridge Forecast. N.p., Oct. 2006. Web. 2 June 2017.

Montgomery, Thomas, Matthew Bailey, and Per Abbat. "Cantar De Mio Cid." Cantar De Mio

Cid. U Texas at Austin LAITS, n.d. Web. 2 June 2017.

Munro, Richard K. “A Legend among Christians and Muslims, Don Rodrigo Diaz de Vivar

became Spain’s First National Hero- El Cid.” Military History, vol. 16, no. 2, June 1999,

pp. 16-88.