It's odd, that when we consider Great Western Literature we do not automatically consider Spain, despite the fact that it produced the first--and still the greatest--novel in Don Quijote (see Orrin's review) and one of the world's best epic poems, El Cid.   All of us recognize the name El Cid, and I remember the pretty feeble movie version with Charlton Heston (supposedly the restored version is much better than the hacked up one they used to show), but has anyone ever read it?  This great translation by the poet W.S. Merwin isn't even in print anymore.  It should be; it's a great story.

The Cid was a historical figure, Rodrigo Diaz de Bivar (1043-99),  the greatest Christian knight of 12th Century Spain.  This was a turbulent time in Spain.  The Moors had crossed over from Africa in 711 and won extensive holdings in the South (Andalusia).  By the Cid's day, the badly divided northern Kingdom was uniting for a Reconquista, an attempt to drive out the Moors.  The Catholic Encyclopaedia describes the actual events of the Cid's life:

    Ferdinand I, at his death (1065), had divided his dominions between his three sons, Sancho,
    Alfonso, and Garcia, and his two daughters, Elvira and Urraca, exacting from them a promise that
    they would respect his wishes and abide by the division. But Sancho, to whose lot had fallen the
    Kingdom of Castile, being the eldest, thought that he should have inherited the entire dominions of
    his father, and he resolved to repudiate his promise, claiming that it had been forced from him.
    Stronger, braver, and craftier than his brothers, he cherished the idea of despoiling them and his
    sisters of their possessions, and becoming the sole successor of his father.

    At this time, Rodrigo Diaz was quite young, and Sancho, out of gratitude for the services of
    Rodrigo's father to the State, had retained his son at the court and looked after his education,
    especially his military training. Rodrigo later rendered such distinguished services in the war in
    which Sancho became involved with Aragon that he was made alferez (standard-bearer or
    commander-in-chief) of the king's troops. After ending this war with Aragon, Sancho turned his
    attention to his plan of despoiling his brothers and sisters (c. 1070). He succeeded in adding to his
    dominion Leon and Galicia, the portions of his brothers, but not until in each instance Rodrigo had
    come to his rescue and turned apparent defeat into victory. The city of Toro, the domain of his
    sister Elvira, was taken without trouble. He then laid siege to the city of Zamora, the portion of his
    sister Urraca, and there met his fate, being treacherously slain before the gates of the city by one of
    Urraca's soldiers (1072). Learning this, Alfonso who had been exiled to the Moorish city of Toledo,
    set out in haste to claim the dominions of his brother, and succeeded him on the throne as Alfonso
    VI, though not without opposition, from his brother Garcia, in Galicia, and especially in Castile, the
    inhabitants of which objected to a Leonese king.  The story is told, though not on the best historical
    authority, that the Castilians refused Alfonso their allegiance until he had sworn that he had no hand
    in his brother's death, and that, as none of the nobles was willing to administer the oath for fear of
    offending him, Rodrigo did so at Santa Gadea before the assembled nobility. If this be true, it
    would account in a great measure for the ill-will Alfonso bore Rodrigo, and for his subsequent
    treatment of him. He did not at first show his hatred, but tried to conciliate Rodrigo and the
    Castilians by bestowing upon him his niece Jimena in marriage (1074). It was not long, however,
    before he had an opportunity to satisfy his animosity. Rodrigo having been sent by Alfonso to
    collect tribute from the king of Seville, Alfonso's vassal, he was accused on his return, by his
    enemies of having retained a part of it. Whereupon, Alfonso, giving free rein to his hatred, banished
    him from his dominions (1076). Rodrigo then began his career as a soldier of fortune, which has
    furnished themes to Spanish poets of early modern times, and which, idealized by tradition and
    legend, has made of him the champion of Christian Spain against her Moorish invaders. During this
    period of his career, he offered his services and those of his followers first to one petty ruler and
    then another, and often fought on his own account, warring indifferently against Christians and
    Moors, always with distinguished success, and incidentally rising to great power and influence. But
    in time of necessity his assistance was sought by Alfonso, and in the midst of career of conquest he
    hastened to the latter's support when he was hard pressed by Yusuf, the founder of Morocco.

    Through some mistake or misunderstanding, however, he failed to join the king, who listening to
    the complaints and accusations of the Cid's enemies, took from him all of his possessions,
    imprisoned his wife and children, and again banished him for his dominions. Disgraced and
    plundered, the Cid resumed his military operations. Upon his return from one of his campaigns,
    hearing that the moors had driven the Christians from Valencia and taken possession of the city, he
    determined to recapture it from them and become lord of that capital. This he did (1094) after a
    terrible siege. He spent the remainder of his days there. His two daughters were married to the
    Infante of Navarre and the Count of Barcelona respectively. His remains were transferred to the
    monastery of San Pedro de Cardena near Burgos, where they now rest.

The poem actually only covers the years from 1081, when the Cid is exiled from the Court, until shortly before his death.  It is concerned less with warfare, though there are stirring battle scenes, than with his relationship with Alfonzo.  Essentially it details how the Cid, in seeking redress of grievances including insult to his daughters, forces Alfonso to act like a King.  It culminates in a grand trial by combat, where The Cid's men at arms vanquish his treacherous sons-in-law.

The story functions on a number of levels: stirring adventure, Christian triumphalism and political instruction.  It is particularly vital to the Western tradition in so far as The Cid is born of middling rank, but rises to preeminence on the strength of his own talents and for the manner in which The Cid requires Alfonso to behave like a worthy leader.  Both of these have obvious implications for the rise of liberal democracy, and to my mind, place The Cid in company with Robin Hood as early democratic heroes.  The translation by Merwin, if you can find it, is readily accessible and vastly enjoyable.  (if not, try this one The Poem of the Cid : A Bilingual Edition With Parallel Text (Penguin Classics) This is good stuff and we should know it better.

(Reviewed:06-May-00)

Grade: (A) Orrin C. Judd

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