Díaz de Vivar, Rodrigo (“The Cid”) (d. 1099)

Abstract

Abstract Rodrigo Díaz de Vivar, also known as El Cid, from the Arabic word “Sayyid” or “lord,” and also as the Campeador, from the Latin campi doctor or “master of war,” is best known as the hero of the epic poem Cantar del Mio Cid , or The Song of My Cid, a “song of deeds” like the Song of Roland . Like other “songs of deeds,” the Cantar del Mio Cid celebrates the knightly virtues of the early Middle Ages, such as loyalty to one's lord, largesse toward one's followers, and prowess as a warrior. The poem also celebrates the opportunities presented by the circumstances of the Reconquista during the early Middle Ages, when Moorish Spain was often divided into taifa kingdoms, small principalities that emerged whenever central Muslim authority collapsed. Though wealthy, the taifa kingdoms were divided and militarily weak, and the Christian kingdoms to the north began to retake lands lost to the Muslims in the eighth century. This was also an opportune time for intrepid Christian knights, who could sell their services to the taifa as mercenaries, join the Christian kingdoms and be rewarded with land and booty, or simply set out on their own. In the Cantar del Mio Cid, El Cid is portrayed as using his skills as a warrior and leader to successfully navigate the political and military world of early medieval Spain to gain fame, wealth, and power, serving as a model of chivalry for many generations of Spaniards.