The Song of El Cid: Medieval Spanish Epic
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The Song of El Cid: A Medieval Epic
Date and Composition
The manuscript of El Cantar de Mio Cid, or The Song of El Cid, dates back to the 14th century. However, its composition is generally placed in the late 12th century or early 13th century.
Argument: The Heroic Journey of Rodrigo Díaz
The epic poem recounts the exploits of the Castilian hero, Rodrigo Díaz de Vivar, known as El Cid Campeador. The narrative unfolds in three main parts:
Exile and Conquest
By order of King Alfonso VI, El Cid departs with his loyal subjects into exile. He achieves great victories against the Moors, culminating in the conquest of Valencia.
Reconciliation and Marriage
The king forgives El Cid and allows his wife and daughters to join him in Valencia. El Cid's daughters are then married to the Infantes of Carrión.
The Outrage at Corpes Oak Grove
The Infantes of Carrión brutally beat El Cid's daughters. El Cid asks the king for justice, and his daughters are subsequently remarried to the Infantes of Navarre and Aragon, elevating their social standing.
Central Theme: The Recovery of Honor
The poem's central theme revolves around the recovery of honor, explored in two significant aspects:
Social Honor as a Vassal
Through his conquests and unwavering loyalty, El Cid gains the king's pardon and achieves widespread glory and fame, restoring his social standing as a loyal vassal.
Personal and Paternal Honor
After the humiliation inflicted by the Infantes of Carrión, El Cid's personal and paternal honor is restored. His daughters' new marriages to the Infantes of Navarre and Aragon signify a remarkable ascent on the social ladder.
The Protagonist: El Cid Campeador
El Cid is portrayed as an exemplary hero, embodying great virtues as a gentleman. He is the perfect model of a vassal: faithful to his king, brave in battle, generous with his friends, and just to his enemies. He is also depicted as an exemplary husband and father.
Historicity and Narrative Style
The historicity of the poem is remarkable. While rooted in historical events, the narrative skillfully blends real and fictitious elements, incorporating anecdotal details to enhance the story's vibrancy. This approach also serves to elevate the hero to a mythical status, characteristic of epic poetry.
Metric Structure
The poem consists of long stanzas (tiradas) of verses that rhyme in assonance; the rhyme changes with each stanza. The measure is irregular, ranging between 10 and 20 syllables, though predominantly 14 and 16. The verses are divided into two hemistiches by a central pause (caesura).
Literary Style
The language is concise and succinct, characterized by few prevalent adjectives and a predominance of juxtaposed and coordinated sentences. Geographical descriptions exhibit great realism, vividly reflecting the customs of the time, weaponry, and the social environment of Castile. The poem frequently employs appeals to the listeners and repeated epic epithets to describe its characters, especially the hero.