El Cid Part 2 Study Guide PDF

CAPITULO 7 - El Cid Conquista Valencia ❖​ After settling the dispute with Don Ramón, El Cid and his men headed to the coast of the Mediterranean to conquer Valencia ❖​ 3,600 of El Cid’s soldiers blockaded the beautiful city preventing any Valencians from entering or leaving ❖​ After...

CAPITULO 7 - El Cid Conquista Valencia ❖​ After settling the dispute with Don Ramón, El Cid and his men headed to the coast of the Mediterranean to conquer Valencia ❖​ 3,600 of El Cid’s soldiers blockaded the beautiful city preventing any Valencians from entering or leaving ❖​ After ten months, the capital of Valencia and its riches belonged to El Cid ❖​ Upon entering, the Moorish king of Sevilla attacked them with 30,000 armed men, but they were defeated in two battles and escaped, wounded. ❖​ El Cid gained the celebrated horse, Babieca, and even more riches. ❖​ The fame of El Cid attracted Don Jerónmino (1), a renowned bishop in the East. He was very strong, valiant, and well-written. He hated the Moors and wanted to wound them with his own hands. ​ (1) Don Jerónmino de Perigord was a French clergyman who was made Bishop of Valencia in 1098 by the Metropolitano of Toledo. This consolidated El Cid’s control of Valencia ❖​ El Cid granted Don Jerónmino the bishopric of Valencia and the bishop began to fight by his side. ❖​ The riches of El Cid were now fabulous. He again ordered away Alvar Fañez with a rich gift for King Alfonso. He asked him to permit his wife (doña Jimena) and his daughters (doña Elvira and doña Sol) to come and live with him in Valencia (2) ​ (2) The real names of the daughters of El Cid were Cristina and María ❖​ Alfonso made the sign of the cross upon seeing Alvar Fañez and said he was very happy with El Cid’s success ❖​ El Conde García Ordóñez, full of jealousy, said sarcastically that it seemed to him that he should not have let any Moores live. Alfonso responded that El Cid had served him better than Ordóñez in every way. ❖​ The king agreed to El Cid’s favor and offered to pay for his family’s trip. ❖​ Los Infantes de Carrión, Don Fernando y Don Diego (3) González, when they heard the news, said that they would marry the daughters of El Cid, and become rich despite them being more noble than El Cid. ​ (3) Los Infantes de Carrión were sons of Don Gonzalo, the Count of Carrión. Carrión was in León. The King wanted to unite Castilla and León. El Cid was from Castilla a place called Vivar, close to Burgos ❖​ The Princes flattered Alvar Fañez and asked him to send good health to El Cid, indicating that they would soon fight by his side. Fañez thought this would have a bad end. CAPITULO 8 - Se junta la familia del Cid ❖​ After completing the missions, Alvar, El Cid’s family, and his followers left from San Pedro de Cardeña for Valencia.  ❖​ Raquel and Vidas then said to Alvar that El Cid had impoverished them and asked for their money, though it could be without interest. They said, “If not, we will leave Burgos and go find it.” Alvar promised to complete this task. ❖​ When El Cid heard the good news from the King, he said his good, Moorish friend Abengalbón (1), to escort his wife and followers to Valencia. El Cid requested 100 men but Abengalbón ordered 200 ​ (1) Abengalbón represents a friend in peace of El Cid. Little is known about this “curious character” ❖​ When the group arrived in Valencia, El Cid rode on his horse, Babieca, boasting about his dexterity. He finally dismounted his horse and hugged his family; everyone was happy. ❖​ El Cid took his wife and daughters to the tallest tower in the castle and told them it was their new home. From there, you were able to view the city and the sea farther away. They looked at the very green orchard and the beauty of the place. Winter had gone and March wanted to set in. CAPITULO 9 - La batalla contra Yusuf (1) ❖​ (1) Yusuf ben Texufin (1059-1116) was the Emperor pf the almorávides, in Morrocco ❖​ Valencia was now the residence of El Cid and his vassals. The beautiful city, the riches, and the power of El Cid were another cause of the Moores' envy. ❖​ Yusuf, the Moorish king of the Morroccos, furious that El Cid had conquered Valencia, decided to attack with 50,000 armed men. They arrived from Africa on their ships. ❖​ They disembarked on the beaches of Valencia and set up their tents. The Moors began to beat on their drums (tambores) (2) at the break of dawn ​ (2) Moors always attacked by the beat of a drum in battle ❖​ Don Jimeña and her ladies were very frightened because they had never heard such clatter. El Cid consoled them by saying he would gift them Moorish drums and said “They will see with their eyes how we make a living (ganar el pan) (3)” ​ (3) Ganar el pan means “to make a living.” It is a biblical reference from when God expelled Adam and Eve from Paradise and said “You will earn your bread with the sweat of your brow” ❖​ After winning the battle, El Cid counted his grand treasure. He sent the rich tents of canvas from King Yusuf to King Alfonso and 200 men as a gift. He ordered Pedro Bermúdez to tell Alfonso that he would serve the king until his dying breath. ❖​ El Cid’s emissaries went to Valladolid where Alfonso was. Alfonso made the sign of the cross again and was very happy. He said to Minaya: “The hour to pardon El Cid is near.” ❖​ Once again El Conde Garcia Ordóñez was jealous and afraid ❖​ Then the Infantes de Carrión approached the King and asked for the hands of El Cid’s daughters. Alfonso considered this and ordered Minaya Alvar Fañez to carry the message to El Cid and to tell him he greatly believed the marriage would increase his honor (4)  ​ El Cid was an Infanzón, someone of lesser nobility than the Infantes. Therefore the marriage of his daughters would improve his nobility ❖​ Upon hearing this, El Cid thought gravely. He didn’t want to offend Alfonso, but he knew of the cowardice of the Infantes de Carrión. He decided to give Alfonso the job of marrying his daughters. CAPITULO 10 - Alfonso pardons El Cid ❖​ The hour of El Cid’s pardoning arrived, and he and his men went north to meet with King Alfonso. ❖​ Alfonso and El Cid met on the shores of El Río Tajo. The King pardoned him and kissed him on the mouth (1). Everyone was very happy except García Ordóñez, who caused grief. ​ (1) Normally a vassal would kiss a king on the feet or hands to show devotion and humility. Alfonso shows his love and regard for El Cid by kissing him on the lips as a sign of near-equality ❖​ El Cid was the guest of honor at Alfonso’s camp. Alfonso wanted his heart and did not tire of looking at him and marveling at his long beard. ❖​ The King then ordered the hands of El Cid’s daughters to Los Infantes de Carrión. El Cid said “They are my daughters who are still very young (2). Los Infantes de Carrión are of a good name. Give my daughters to whomever you want, how happy I am (3)” ​ (2) Experts say Elvira was 11 or 12 and Sol was 9 or 10 at the time. During the Middle Ages, it wasn’t unusual for young noble girls to marry, often for economic and/or political reasons. ​ (3) El Cid tactfully gives Alfonso responsibility for his daughters’ marriages. ❖​ Alfonso did not want to give them personally to Los Infantes de Carrión, so he told Minaya to be the best man at the wedding (padrino de la boda). Beforehand, Alfonso swapped the swords of El Cid with Los Infantes de Carrión to signal the union. ❖​ After meeting with the King, El Cid returned to Valencia and told doña Jimena and his daughters that he had arranged their marriages. His wife kissed his hand and said “Thank God, and El Cid, for always making us rich.” ❖​ El Cid then informed them that he had put them in the hands of the King, and said “The king has married you, not I.” CAPITULO 11 - Se celebran las bodas ❖​ Los Infantes de Carrión arrived in Valencia along with nobles from many other Spanish kingdoms. El Cid gained lots of honor, in particular from Los Infantes. He ordered Pedro Bermúdez and Muño Gustioz (1) to take care of and attend to Los Infantes. ​ (1) Muño Gustioz was a brother-in-law of Jimena ❖​ The marriages were celebrated in the grand living room of the palace. There were purple, silk rugs everywhere (2). The hour arrived and El Cid’s knights joined there in a hurry.  ​ (2) Purple is a color symbolic of nobility ❖​ Los Infantes bowed before El Cid and Doña Jimena. Hesitating, El Cid said, “Since you have to do it, why are you taking it slow?” He ordered Alvar Fañez to start the rites and hand off his daughters ❖​ After, everyone went to the church of Santa María where Don Jerónimo, the bishop gave his blessing. El Cid and his people, to celebrate the event made a great show of dexterity with their weapons. ❖​ They went to a sandy place and the following day before they ate, the knights destroyed seven wooden castles built in the countryside (3) ​ The Knights of El Cid tore down wooden castles erected in a field as a sign of dexterity with their arms, an exercise commonly seen during these times. ❖​ At the end of the 15-day party, El Cid gave rich gifts to all of the gentlemen present and they returned to their kingdoms rich and happy. Los Infantes de Carrión remained in Valencia to live with their new wives and El Cid.