El Cid: The Life and Afterlife of a Medieval Mercenary

Description

Exploring the creation of the El Cid legend over the centuries, this masterful and evocative biography peels away the layers of myth to reveal the real-life historical figure.El Cid was perhaps the most famous warrior involved in the indiscriminate fighting—irrespective of religion—on the Iberian Peninsula during the eleventh century.In the centuries after his death, he was transformed into a perfect Christian knight. In modernity, he was seen as the incarnation of Spain's special national character—Franco chose El Cid as the emblem of Nationalist Spain. Yet not only those on the political right, but many others, including academics and those on the political left, were in his thrall. He has been promoted both as the forerunner of white supremacists and of multiculturalism.How can we explain such a stupendous afterlife, and how can El Cid be a hero for so many different people? To begin to understand that, we must try...