Beruflich Dokumente
Kultur Dokumente
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.
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
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
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
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
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
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
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.
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
Brosman, Catherine Savage. "Babieca." Modern Age (2017): n. pag. Intercollegiate Studies
Gilliam, Ronald R. "The Genius of El Cid." History Net. World History Group, 3 Aug. 2011.
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
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.