Unlike some of the other heroes told about in this book, the Cid was a
real man, whose name was Rodrigo Diaz, or Ruydiez. He was born in Burgos
in the eleventh century and won the name of "Cid," which means
"Conqueror," by defeating five Moorish kings. This happened after Spain
had been in the hands of the Arabs for more than three hundred years, so
it is small wonder that the Spaniards looked upon their hero as a very
remarkable man.
When Rodrigo was still a youth, his father, Diego Laynez, was grossly
insulted by Don Gomez. The custom in those days was to avenge such an
insult by slaying the offender; but Diego was too old and feeble to bear
arms. When he finally told his son of the wrong, Rodrigo sought out Don
Gomez and challenged him to fight. So bravely and skilfully did Rodrigo
manage his weapons that he slew his father's enemy. Then he cut off the
head and carried it to Diego.
Soon after this Diego bade his son do homage at King Ferdinand's court.
Rodrigo appeared before the king, but his bearing was so defiant that
Ferdinand was frightened, and banished him.
Rodrigo departed with three hundred followers, encountered some Moors,
who were invading Castile, defeated them and took five of their kings
captive, releasing them only after they had promised to pay tribute and
to refrain from further warfare. It was these kings who first called him
"Cid."
In return for his brave service Rodrigo was restored to favor and given
place among the king's courtiers.
One day Dona Ximena, daughter of Don Gomez, appeared and demanded
justice from the king. Recognizing Rodrigo among the courtiers, she
called to him to slay her also. But both demand and cry were unheeded,
for the king had been too well served by Rodrigo to listen to any
accusation against him.
Three times the maiden returned with the same request, and each time she
came she heard greater praise of the young hero. At last she decided to
alter her demand. A fourth time she returned, consenting to forego all
thoughts of vengeance if the king would order the young hero to marry
her. The Cid was very willing, for he had learned to love the girl,
admiring her beauty and spirit.
The marriage was celebrated with great pomp and the king gave Rodrigo
four cities as a marriage portion. Rodrigo, vowing that he would not be
worthy of his wife until he had won five battles, after a pious
pilgrimage to the shrine of the patron saint, hastened off to Calahorra,
a frontier town claimed by two kings--the kings of Castile and Oregon.
It had been decided that the dispute over the town should be settled by
combat. Rodrigo became the champion of Ferdinand of Castile. The other
champion, Martin Gonzalez, began, as soon as the combat opened, to taunt
the Cid.
"Never again will you mount your favorite steed Babieca," he said,
"never will you return to your castle; never will you see your beloved
Ximena again."
But the Cid was undaunted, and had soon laid his enemy low. Great praise
then was given to the Cid--so great that the knights of Castile were
jealous and plotted to kill him. But the Moorish kings whom he had
captured and released warned him in time to avert the danger.
Then the Cid aided Ferdinand in defeating the hostile Moors in
Estremadura, after a siege of Coimbra lasting seven months. Several
other victories over his country's enemies were added to this, and then
Rodrigo returned to his beloved wife.
But not for long was he permitted to remain in the quiet of home. Henry
III, Emperor of Germany, complained to the Pope that King Ferdinand had
refused to acknowledge his superiority. The Pope sent a message to
Ferdinand, demanding homage and tribute. The demand angered both
Ferdinand and the Cid.
"Never yet have we done homage," cried the Cid, "and shall we now bow to
a stranger?"
A proud refusal was then sent to the Pope, and he, knowing of no better
way to settle the dispute, bade Henry send a champion to meet Rodrigo.
The emperor's champion was, of course, defeated, and all of Ferdinand's
enemies were so awed by the outcome of the fight that none ever again
demanded homage or tribute. Rodrigo was, indeed, a very useful subject.
When Ferdinand died, he was succeeded by his son, Don Sancho. The
latter, planning a visit to Rome, selected the Cid to accompany him.
Arriving, they found that in the preparations that had been made for
their reception a lower seat had been prepared for Don Sancho than for
the King of France. The Cid would not suffer such a slight, and became
so violent that the Pope excommunicated him. Nevertheless, the seats
were made of equal height, and the Cid, who was a good Catholic, humbled
himself before the Pope and was forgiven.
It was an age of great wars, and the Cid aided his king in many a brave
fight. At last, in the siege of Zamora, the king was treacherously
murdered, and, as he had no sons, Don Alfonso, his brother, succeeded.
When he arrived at Zamora the Cid refused to acknowledge Alfonso until
he should swear that he had no part in the murder. The king, angered by
the Cid's attitude, plotted revenge. Opportunity came during a war with
the Moors, and the Cid was banished upon a slight pretext.
"I obey, O king," replied the Cid, when he heard the decree. "I am more
ready to serve you than you are to reward me. I pray that you may never
more in battle need the right arm and sword that so often served your
father."
Then the Cid rode away, through a crowd of weeping people, and camped
outside of the city until he could make definite plans. The people
longed to bring him food or offer him shelter, but they feared the
displeasure of the king. One old man, however, crept outside of the city
with food, declaring that he cared "not a fig" for Alfonso's commands.
The Cid needed money, and to get it he pledged two locked coffers to
some Jews. The Jews in those days were much despised by the Christians,
though usually very wealthy. The men, thinking that the boxes contained
vast treasures, when in reality they were filled with sand, advanced the
Cid 600 marks of gold. Then the hero bade farewell to his wife and
children and rode away, vowing that he would return, covered with glory
and carrying with him rich spoils.
Within two weeks' time the Cid and his little band of followers had
captured two Moorish strongholds and carried off much spoil. The Cid
then prepared a truly royal present and sent it to the king. Alfonso,
upon receiving the gift, pardoned the Cid, and published an edict
permitting all who wished to join in the fight against the Moors to join
Rodrigo and his band.
Toledo, thanks to the valor of the Cid, soon fell into the hands of
Alfonso, but a misunderstanding arose and the king insulted the Cid.
The latter, in great rage, left the army and made a sudden raid on
Castile. Then the Moors, knowing that the Cid had departed, took courage
and captured Valencia. But the Cid, hearing of the disaster, promptly
returned, recaptured the city, and sent a message to Alfonso asking for
his wife and daughters. At the same time he sent more than the promised
sum of money to the Jews, who up to this time had not learned that the
coffers were filled with sand. To the messenger he said:
"Tell them, that although they can find nothing in the coffers but sand,
they will find that the pure gold of my truth lies beneath the sand."
As the Cid was now master of Valencia, and of vast wealth, his daughters
were sought in marriage by many suitors, and the marriage of both girls
was celebrated with great splendor. But the Counts of Carrion, their
husbands, were not brave men like the Cid, and after lingering at
Valencia in idleness for two years, their weakness was clearly shown.
One evening while the Cid was sleeping, a lion broke loose from his
private menagerie and entered the room where he lay. The two princes,
who were playing in the room, fled, one in his haste falling into an
empty vat, and the other taking refuge behind the Cid's couch. The
roaring of the lion wakened the Cid, and jumping up he seized his sword,
caught the lion by the mane, led it back to its cage, and calmly
returned to his place.
The cowardly conduct of the Counts of Carrion roused the anger of the
Cid's followers, and in the siege of Valencia that followed their
conduct brought only contempt. When the Moors were finally driven away
the counts asked permission to return home with their brides and gifts.
So the Cid parted from his daughters, weeping at the loss. The
procession started. The first morning the counts sent their escorts
ahead, and, left alone with their wives, stripped them of their
garments, beat them and kicked them, and left them for dead. But Felez
Munoz, a loyal follower of the Cid's, riding back, found the two wives,
bound up their wounds and obtained shelter for them in the house of a
poor man whose wife and daughters promised to nurse them. Then he rode
on to tell the Cid. The Cid swore that he would be avenged, and as
Alfonso was responsible for the marriage, he applied to him for redress.
The king, who had long since forgiven the Cid and learned to value his
services, was very angry. A battle was finally arranged. The Counts of
Carrion and their uncle were defeated and banished, and the Cid returned
in triumph to Valencia. Here his daughters' second marriage took place.
The Moors returned five years later, and the Cid was prepared to meet
them when he received a vision of St. Peter, predicting that he would
die within thirty days, but that even though dead he would triumph over
his enemy. He accordingly made preparations for his death, and after
appointing a successor, he gave instructions that none should weep over
his death, and that his body when embalmed should be set upon his horse,
Babieca, and that, with his sword Tizona in his hand, he should be led
on a certain day against the enemy.
The hero died and his successor together with his wife Ximena strove to
carry out his instructions. A battle was planned, and the Cid, strapped
upon his war horse, rode in the van. The Moors, filled with terror, fled
before him.
After the victory the body was placed in the Church of San Pedro de
Cardena, where for ten years it remained seated, in plain view of all.