CABUGNASON, LIONIZA A.

CADAYONA, DEVE JOY B.

BEED 4 (A)
HANDOUT IN WORLD LITERATURE (LIT 2)

TOPIC: EL CID (SPAIN)

A. Brief background of the author

-The author of the epic poem of El Cid, widely accepted by the literature community, is
Per Abbat.
-In 1983, Colin Smith defended that Per Abbat was the author of El Cid.
Final Recommendation
- In 1994, It was finally accepted that Per Abbat was only the copyist of El Cid.
- The author was anonymous.
- He is known for being a good musician and he composed several motets, preserved
in the Escorial.
- He was a cantor
- His name gained fame from appearing on the explicit preserved written poem
Cantar de Mio Cid (1207)
- A person who sings solo verses or passages to which the choir or congregation
respond.

CHARACTERS OF THE STORY

•Protagonist: Rodrigo Diaz de Vivar

Birthdate: Born in the year 1040

Birthplace: Vivar, Burgos
-Serve Sancho II and Alfonso
CABUGNASON, LIONIZA A.
CADAYONA, DEVE JOY B.
BEED 4 (A)
HANDOUT IN WORLD LITERATURE (LIT 2)
- Exilled by Alfonso
- He was widely known as “El Cid Campeador.” (El Cid– the lord or master; Campeador–
the champion)
- Became ruler of Valencia in 1094, and died on 1099
- He was a Castilian military and political leader in medieval Spain.
- The national hero of Spain.
- He was born in Vivar on 1043 and died on July 1099 in Valencia. After his death, he
became Castile’s celebrated national hero and the protagonist of the most
significant medieval Spanish epic poem, El Cantar de Mio Cid.
-The Moors called him El Cid and the Christians or his countrymen, El Campeador.

•Secondary Characters:
Doña Jimena Díaz

- was the wife of El Cid, whom she married between July 1074 and 12 May 1076,[4] and
her husband’s successor as ruler of Valencia from 1099 to 1102.

Count Garcia Ordonez

CABUGNASON, LIONIZA A.
CADAYONA, DEVE JOY B.
BEED 4 (A)
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-El Cids only enemy in the veins of him and his relatives and descendants flows the
blood of a wrongdoer that made El Cid suffer and lose his wealth and honor

Sancho II (1036/1038 – 7 October 1072)

-Called the Strong (el Fuerte), was King of Castile (1065–72), Galicia (1071–72) and León
(1072).
Sancho ( the 1st born of King Ferdinand)
-He was married to Alberta, known by name only from her appearance as Sancho’s wife
in
contemporary charters.

García II (1041/April 1043[1] – 22 March 1090)

CABUGNASON, LIONIZA A.
CADAYONA, DEVE JOY B.
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King of Galicia, was the youngest of the three sons and heirs of Ferdinand I, King of
Castile and León, and Sancha of León, whose Leonese inheritance included the lands
García would be given
King Alfonso VI

- King of Castile
- He was successor of his brother, King Sancho
- He banished El Cid

Urraca of Zamora (1033/34 – 1101/03)

CABUGNASON, LIONIZA A.
CADAYONA, DEVE JOY B.
BEED 4 (A)
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-was a Leonese infanta, one of the five children of Ferdinand I the Great, who received
the city of Zamora as her inheritance and exercised palatine authority in it. Her story
was romanticized in the cantar de gesta called the Cantar de Mio Cid, and Robert
Southey’s Chronicle of the Cid.
Elvira (1038 or 1039 – 15 November 1101)
-was a Leonese infanta and the Lady of Toro, Zamora, the daughter of Ferdinand I of
León and Castile and Sancha of León, and granddaughter-namesake of Elvira Menéndez,
and also an aunt of Elvira of Castile, Queen of Sicily.

Ferdinand I (c. 1015 – 24 December 1065),

CABUGNASON, LIONIZA A.
CADAYONA, DEVE JOY B.
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-Called the Great (el Magno), was the count of Castile from his uncle's death in 1029
and the king of León after defeating his brother-in-law in 1037. According to tradition,
he was the first to have himself crowned Emperor of Spain (1056), and his heirs carried
on the tradition.
SETTING:
-The epic took place in Spain somewhere in Castille.
- In the land near the small Moorish state of Aragon is where El Cid’s exile happened.
- El Cid visited her wife, Jimena, in San Pedro de Cardena.
- Hearing the bell toll indicating that El Cid will be exiled,115 soldiers gathered at the
bridge of Arlanzon, to join El Cid.

B. Summary of the Literary Piece

The ‘El Cantar del Mio Cid’ (The Poem of the Cid) is the oldest Spanish epic poem
preserved. It’s based on the true story of Rodrigo Díaz de Vivar, known as El Cid, and it
takes place during the Spanish Reconquest.
CABUGNASON, LIONIZA A.
CADAYONA, DEVE JOY B.
BEED 4 (A)
HANDOUT IN WORLD LITERATURE (LIT 2)
EL CID
Rodrigo Diaz de Vivar (the Moors called him El Cid while the Christian or his countrymen
called him El Campeador) was born in Vivar on 1043 and died on July 1099 in Valencia.
In this span of time, the Arab and Christian Kingdoms of Spain had a conflict under the
rule of King Fernando. When Rodrigo was seven, his parents died and his uncle wanted
him to be educated in the court. El Cid was brought up in the court of King Ferdinand I
and he lived in the household of the king’s eldest son, who was to be the future Sancho.
In 1065 Ferdinand I died. He divided his kingdom among his three sons, Sancho, Alfonso,
Garcia and his two daughters, Elvira and Uracca., Sancho the eldest wanted to have all
his father’s lands, that’s why he planned to do a battle against his siblings with the help
of El Cid.
In 1070 Sancho began his war with his brothers Garcia and Leon and exiled his brothers
in the city of Toledo. Then, Sancho took the city of Toro which was the Domain of his
sister, Elvira. With great assistance of El Cid, almost certain defeats turned into victories.
In 1072, Sancho began a battle with his sister Uracca in her city of Zamora. However,
Sancho was killed by one of Uracca’s soldier right at the city gates. After that, Alfonso VI
became Sancho’s successor.
El Cid became concerned of his re since after all he wage war against Alfonso who was
now the King But Alfonso knew that he would need a leader like El Cid. Also, people in
Castile were not happy that they were being led by a king from Leon but rather liked El
Cid who was came from Castile. El Cid had an enemy named Count Garcia who accused
him of betraying the people. After King Alfonso VI knew this, he exiled El Cid. His family
was stayed in the Kingdom while he needs to live in the Moorish domain of Aragon. As
time passed by, El Cid won a series of battle and victory and he also gained wealth from
the ransom of the Moros they captured. Because of that he became famous and have a
lot of followers

Later on, when King Alfonso VI came under attack from the Almoravid armies from
North Africa which he suffered great defeat, he realized that he needed El Cid to save
his kingdom. El Cid returned but he let both Almoravid and Alfonso’s armies fight
without his help Because he was hoping that both armies become weak, that would
make him easier to carry out his own plan which is to become the ruler of Kingdom
Valencia,
CABUGNASON, LIONIZA A.
CADAYONA, DEVE JOY B.
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The first thing that El Cid needed to do was to removed the influence of the Count of
Barcelona He defeated the count (Berenguer Ramon) at the battle Tebar in May 1090.
However, Valencia was still ruled by an Arabic leader but later on killed by one of El Cid’s
noblemen. After all, El Cid technically ruled Valecia for Alfonso. But Alfonso wasn’t
about to start war against Efcid that’s why he let him rule with almost no control He
began to act as king and encourage all the people to settled in valencia and appointed a
Bishop. His daughter Cristina married to Ramiro, prince of Aragon and the other
daughter Maria to Count of Barcelona, Ramon Berenguer, whose father he had earlier
defeated.
Unluckily, he died reached by an arrow of the enemies. When Arabs took the city of
Valencia, Rodrigo Cid) was already dead. However, his men dressed him in his horse
Babieça, with his sword Tizona to made him look alive. When Arabs saw El Cid with all
the knights, they can away from Valencia The body of El Cid was to Burgos and buried in
a monastery.
Tizona sword is used by El Cid to fight the Moors in Spain according to the Cantar de
Mio Cid. The name Tizón translates to burning stick, firebrand.
Today, a beautiful blade claimed to be Tizona resides in the Museum of Burgos, near El
Cid’s hometown.

The King wished a fair fight and gave El Cid his finest horse, Babieca, or Bavieca. This
version says Babieca was raised in the royal stables of Seville and was a highly trained
and loyal war horse, not a foolish stallion.
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CADAYONA, DEVE JOY B.
BEED 4 (A)
HANDOUT IN WORLD LITERATURE (LIT 2)

C. Central theme
FIGHT FOR OUR OWN RIGHTS. This is because the life we have is ours and we must
always be responsible for it.
The epic also emphasizes that we should not only never give up in protecting the life we
have, but we should also enhance and develop it.

D. Significance in the Philippine Literature/History

El Cid ultimately became a legend for his military leadership, fighting in numerous
important battles throughout Spanish history.
The story of El Cid unfolds during these troublous times, tells stories of his persistant
heroism and forbearance. He counsels against war, but fights bravely for his king. He
fights champions in single combat to restore his family’s honor. When King Alfonso
betrays him, he does not return the slight and endures five years of exile with courage
and humility. He wins the respect of the Moors as well as the Christians, and conquers
the Moorish city of Valencia. As conqueror of Valencia he might have declared himself a
king, but instead maintained his loyalty to Alfonso. He might have treated his conquered
subjects with cruelty, but instead won their trust. He might have strayed from his wife,
but was a faithful husband as well as a loyal subject. The Song of Cid is not just the story
of a warrior, but that of an ideal hero of chivalry.
CABUGNASON, LIONIZA A.
CADAYONA, DEVE JOY B.
BEED 4 (A)
HANDOUT IN WORLD LITERATURE (LIT 2)

E. References

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/El_Cid
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/El_Cid_(film)
https://prezi.com/xf3jshkzzdoe/el-cid-excerpt/?
fbclid=IwAR2UY5CglrU4kpkiywkH9kfAFzb7DRv5f8Nwy-vJNAInQmoPhx2bUHpDBYg