The Epic of the Cid

The work from which the following selection is excerpted is also known as the General History (General Historia). Composed by the school of chroniclers of Alfonso X (reigned 1252 to 1284), it was originally conceived as a complete history of the world, starting with the biblical creation and culminating with the reign of Fernando III in the mid-thirteenth century.

Also known as El Sabio (“the Wise”), Alfonso X was himself an accomplished poet and scholar. The law code redacted under his sponsorship and direction, the Siete Partidas (“The Seven Divisions”), is among the earliest promulgated by the emerging nation states of late-medieval Europe. Composed in Castilian rather than in Latin, the Partidas and the General History greatly contributed to the emergence of Castilian as a standardized national vernacular.

The title of First General Chronicle was given to the work by the renowned philologist and medievalist Ramón Menéndez Pidal (1869–1968) in his widely read edition of Alfonso’s history, first published in the early twentieth century and reprinted several times. Historians and philologists have pointed out inconsistencies in one of the two manuscripts on which Menéndez Pidal principally based his edition. Some parts of this composite manuscript may date from the time of Alfonso, while others may be insertions from a later date. The manuscript in question probably dates from the late fourteenth or early fifteenth century.

Historians rightly emphasize such issues of dating, authentication, and textual integrity. The medieval chroniclers’ concept of historiography, however, differed greatly from that of the modern academic discipline of history. Alfonso’s monumental account, in the various manuscripts that convey it, borrows from many sources, including versions of The Epic of the Cid, that would be considered anecdotal, fictional, or folkloric by present-day standards. Even if somewhat problematic by today’s historiographic standards, Menéndez Pidal’s edition—readily available in many university and public libraries, and also from Google Books—presents a readable version of this often novelistic account. The following selection is presented, therefore, not as history but as an extended version of the back story to The Epic of the Cid—a background with which the epic narrator assumes his audience is familiar.

The reader will remark a certain Shakespearean quality to the material. Divisions of kingdoms by old monarchs; murderous sibling rivalry among royal heirs; stalwart heroes and backstabbing courtiers; loyal and disloyal retainers; challenges and feuds; diplomacy and warfare—these are the stuff of pre-Renaissance chronicles, like those of Alfonso X’s school, and also like those of Holinshed, on whose work Shakespeare drew so extensively.²⁰

How King Fernando, foreseeing with certainty the day of his death, divided his kingdoms and lands among his sons, and also provided for his daughters.

… Fearing that after his death there would be contention and strife among his children, King Fernando divided his kingdom among them in this fashion … [H]e gave to Don Sancho, who was the eldest, the lands from the River Pisuerga and beyond, including Castile and Nájera and all the lands this side of the Ebro; he gave to Don Alfonso, the middle son, León and Asturias … he gave to the lady Urraca, who was the elder daughter, the Leonese city of Zamora, and all the lands pertaining to it … he gave to Doña Elvira, the younger daughter, the town of Toro and its adjacent lands … and to Don García, the youngest son, the whole kingdom of Galicia, together with that part of the kingdom of Portugal that he himself, King Fernando, had conquered.

When King Fernando had made this division of his lands among his sons and daughters, Prince Sancho, who was the eldest, disagreed with his father’s action and felt much aggrieved by it. And he told his father that he could not do this, for the ancient Goths had agreed among themselves never to divide up the empire of Spain, deciding, rather, that it should always be under the rule of a single lord. For this reason King Fernando should not and could not divide his kingdom among his heirs, since God had seen fit to unite the greater part of Spain into one country. And King Fernando replied that he would not change his mind on that account. Don Sancho then replied:

A few days later, King Fernando fell sick and had himself conveyed to León, entering into that city on the twenty-fourth of December. There, as was his custom, he knelt down to adore the saints buried in that place, beseeching them to pray for his soul and to ask that the angels carry him to heaven. That same Christmas Eve, the king sang matins with the churchmen, the best he could, although he was sick. At daybreak he called for the bishops, and they sang the high mass for him, whereupon he made his general confession regarding everything he could recall up to that point in his life, down to the least detail. He then received the body of Our Lord Jesus Christ.

At that point he summoned Ruy Díaz, the Cid, who was there at that time, and commended his children into the Cid’s safekeeping, bidding him counsel them well and truly, and stand by them whenever they might need help. And he bade his children swear not to do violence to one another, and to live in peace in the domains he had bequeathed them, for they were all well provided for. He also made the brothers swear that they would take nothing from their sisters, but rather look after them. And they all promised him, then and there, that they would comply with his wishes, the Cid vowing to carry out his lord’s commands, and the sons and daughters likewise—all save Sancho, who refused to make any public concession regarding the division of the kingdom. On the same occasion, the king admonished all his children to be guided by the counsel of the Cid Ruy Díaz, and to honor their father’s testament.

On Christmas day, King Fernando ordered that the bishops and abbots be summoned into his presence, along with all the other clergymen. He had himself conveyed to the church and donned his finest garments, as befits a king. And placing the crown on his head, as he knelt before the body of Saint Isidore, the king cried out to God in these words:

“Lord, Thine is the power and Thine the kingdom, and Thou art king over all kings, ruler over all peoples, and all things are subject to Thy command. Now, oh Lord, I give Thee back the land Thou gavest me. I beseech Thee: have mercy on my soul and grant it may abide in everlasting light.”

When King Fernando had spoken these words to God, he stripped himself of the fine garments he wore, snatched off the crown from his head, and dressed himself in haircloth. Praying again to God, he made a complete confession of all the sins he had ever committed, and received absolution from the bishops for all his sins, for they absolved him of all of them. Then he received extreme unction, and covered himself with ashes, living on after that for two more days, weeping contritely the whole while.

On the third day, on the Feast of Saint John the Evangelist, at the sixth hour, having already lived many days, he surrendered his soul, now spotless, to God. And he was buried right next to his father, in that same church of Saint Isidore….

… and according to the division the king their father had made for them, Don Sancho, the eldest brother, was to rule in Castile, and Don Alfonso, the middle son, in León, and Don García, the youngest, in Galicia and Portugal. But … King Sancho, as soon as he began to govern and to go about in his assigned kingdom, gave thought to the matter and considered that he was the firstborn and rightful heir, that his father had divided up all the kingdoms that God had seen fit to unite under his rule, and that his father should have left him, the rightful heir, all these kingdoms. Instead he had been bequeathed only a third of his inheritance, and even that was diminished. All this vexed him exceedingly, arousing such anger in him that he could not bear it. And because … a lord cannot abide any sharing of lordship within his domain, and even lesser lords refuse to recognize anyone’s having authority over them; and, furthermore, because the kings of Spain descended from the fierce blood of the Goths—for it so happened that many times among the Gothic kings brother slew brother over such questions of authority and inheritance—this King Sancho, descendant of the lineage of the Goths and eldest son and heir to King Fernando, was not satisfied with the kingdom of Castile nor with all that he possessed of Navarre. Seeking to recover the lands controlled by his brothers and sisters, and determining that their possession of those lands should be subject to his will and authority, he began to treat them in the most aggressive fashion. Many people died on account of this resolution of his, and much blood came to be shed.

King Fernando had entrusted his daughters Doña Urraca and Doña Elvira to the care of Don Alfonso, his son and their brother, holding the latter to be gentler and more moderate than the other two brothers. And Doña Urraca was a very wise and perceptive lady, and King Alfonso, regarding her almost more as a mother than as a sister, treated her with the greatest respect and was guided by her counsel….

How Ruy Díaz, My Cid, counseled King Sancho concerning the action Sancho was determined to undertake against his brother King García.

… in the third year of King Sancho’s reign, as he was dealing with Saragossa, and engaged in the conflict with King Ramiro of Aragon … his brother, King García of Portugal, wrested from their sister Urraca half the territory bequeathed to her by their father, King Fernando.

“Oh, King Fernando! In an evil hour did you divide your kingdom! … for now all Spain will fall into ruin on our account. King García, my younger brother, is the one who has disinherited me, rather than either of the other two, who are older. He has violated the oath he swore to his father, disobeying the king’s command and ignoring the mandate that he himself promised to uphold. I pray to God that he be disinherited in this world and the next.”

King Sancho, whose relations with his brothers were already strained, was much vexed when he heard this news and considered that his sister had been greatly wronged. But, at the same time, he was pleased, for he considered that this situation offered him the pretext and ready means by which he might proceed against his brothers. He said:

“Now then, since my brother King García has violated the oath he swore to our father, I am going to take his kingdom away from him, for in this I shall be in no way more perjured than he is, considering the offense he has committed against our sister Doña Urraca.”

And right after this he sent his highest-ranking nobles, along with a company of knights, chosen from among his most trusted vassals, bidding them tell his brother King García to cease from acting so wrongly and violently against their sister Doña Urraca, depriving her of her rightful inheritance. Rather he should restore her lands, as was only right, and remember what he and his brothers had promised their father King Fernando, solemnly swearing to hold to the division imposed by him. Sancho told them to determine if King García intended to do as his brother King Sancho asked, and, if not, to inform King García that he, Sancho, would do what he saw fit regarding this matter.

Thus did King Sancho hold audience regarding this affair, consulting in private with his most valued and trusted vassals. Speaking to them more for show than for any other motive, he reasoned thusly:

“My good lords, you know how my father left me and my brothers in a very quarrelsome situation, for the kingdom that should have been mine was divided by him into five parts. And I, the eldest and by rights the sole heir to the whole kingdom, do not enjoy possession of it and am thereby greatly wronged. I therefore pray you, as my good and faithful vassals, to counsel me as to how I might go against my brothers while avoiding the charge of treachery. For I will die if I do not become king of Portugal and León.”

“My lord, who could ever advise you in an affair such as this? For I know of no man anywhere who could rightly counsel you in any attempt to trespass against the will and oath of your father, who declared that anyone who went against what he had established should be considered a traitor.”

When King Sancho heard this, he was stirred to wrath against Count García, and angrily declared:

“Remove yourself from my presence! For I can no longer look to you for wise counsel.”

Then, taking the Cid by the hand and leading him off to one side, King Sancho said to him:

“I pray you to advise me as to how to proceed in this matter, and to remember now what my father told you as he was about to die: that the man who let himself be guided by you would not be ill advised. For this reason I gave you a county within my domains. And now, if I cannot look to you for help, I cannot rely on anybody else in this world.”

“My lord, it does not seem appropriate to me to advise you to go against your father’s will and testament. For you know quite well that when I came to Cabezón, your father had already divided up the kingdom. And when I came into his presence, he made me swear, holding my hands in his, to advise his sons the very best I could and to the best of my knowledge, and never give bad advice. And as long as I am able, I will do exactly as I promised.”

“Cid, I don’t consider myself to be going against my father’s will, for he had no right to divide up the kingdom, nor did I give my consent when he did so. I was never happy with his decision, and immediately declared my opposition to his plan. And I therefore wish you to advise me how I might restore the land to the way it was in my father’s day: one united kingdom.”

The Cid, when he saw that the king was not to be dissuaded from his objective, and that there was no way for him, the Cid, to rightly remain silent on the matter, gave Sancho the following advice. He should, with all brotherly affection, ask his brother Don Alfonso for free passage through his kingdom. If he could not obtain this favor, the Cid advised, Sancho should renounce his plan.

Then King Sancho considered that the Cid had given him good advice and immediately sent letters to his brother King Alfonso, asking to meet with him in Sahagún. And King Alfonso, as soon as he read his brother’s letters, wondered what this request might be about, but replied nonetheless that he would be pleased to meet with his brother. Soon after, the two kings met in Sahagún on the appointed day.

There King Sancho told his brother King Alfonso, as they sat together talking, of the reason why they were meeting there:

“Don Alfonso, our father left us, sinners that we are, a realm badly divided. He gave King García the greater share of the kingdom, while you ended up the most disinherited of us all, with the least portion of land. For this reason I think it proper to deprive and dispossess King García of the land our father gave him.”

King Alfonso said, then and there, that he would on no account do such a thing, nor would he in any way go against their father’s will, for he was quite content with what he had.

“Brother, grant me free passage through your kingdom, and I will take his away from him. And all that I win there I will divide between us, equally.”

This conversation being concluded in the manner just described, King Sancho, because he did not feel that he had obtained a straight answer from King Alfonso, requested yet another meeting. Concerning this they set a day on which to meet a second time. And they presented, on each side, trustworthy vassals to stand surety for what they agreed upon, twenty from León, twenty from Castile, to insure they would hold to whatever pact they made there. And when this business was concluded, each of the two kings went back to his own country.

King Sancho then gathered together, to go against his brother King García, a great host of Castilians, Leonese, Asturians, Navarese, Biscayans, and Extremadurans, and along with these many stout knights from Aragon. And he thereupon summoned Álvar Fáñez, a noble knight who was nephew to the Cid, and spoke thus to him:

“Álvar Fáñez, go and tell my brother King García to hand over Galicia to me, and if he refuses, tell him that I challenge him to single combat.”

Although it troubled him greatly to be the one to convey such a message to King García, his lord’s brother, Álvar Fáñez was bound to carry out the orders of King Sancho, his natural lord. And appearing before King García he declared:

“King Sancho, your brother, sends me to tell you to hand over Galicia, and if not, to inform you that he challenges you to single combat.”

When King García heard this, he was troubled in his heart and deeply distressed. Plaintively he cried out to God:

“Jesus Christ, our Lord: remember the pledge and oath we made to our father King Fernando, to the effect that whoever should disobey his command, and go against his brother, should be held a traitor on that account, and be subject to his wrath and God’s. And, base sinner that I am, I was the first to overstep, in taking away from my sister Urraca the inheritance our father had bequeathed her.”

“Go and tell my brother King Sancho that he should not seek to violate his father’s will and testament. But if he chooses to disregard my warning, I will be ready to defend myself as best I can.”

After this, Álvar Fáñez took his leave of King García and went back to King Sancho. King García then summoned an Asturian knight named Ruy Jiménez, telling him to go to his brother King Alfonso and inform him that their brother King Sancho had challenged García and was seeking to deprive him, García, of his kingdom. And he earnestly entreated his brother King Alfonso to take pity on him in this plight and to deny their brother passage through his kingdom. The knight immediately traveled to the court of King Alfonso and conveyed the whole message, just as his lord had told him to.

“Tell my brother King García that I will neither help nor hinder our brother, and that if he, García, manages to defend himself, I will be pleased.”

“My lord, to my way of thinking you must look to fortify yourself as best you can, for you can in no way rely on your brother King Alfonso for any help whatsoever.”

This king García, although the youngest of the three brothers, was, according to the histories, very resolute of character. When he heard the message his brother King Sancho sent to him, he immediately sought to gather together an army to go against the invader. And in that time King García had in his service a certain advisor, by whom he was guided in all things and to whom he entrusted all his dealings and secrets. And this advisor was at odds with all the nobles of the kingdom, opposing them in everything they sought to accomplish. The nobles, seeing the great harm that came to them from this man’s contrary attitude, begged the king, out of consideration for them, to dismiss the man from his service. But the king, ignoring all their demands, would have none of it.

When they saw the harm and mischief that they were subjected to on account of this man, they killed him, right in front of the king. The king became enraged at this and was exceedingly vexed, considering himself highly dishonored by the way they killed his advisor right in front of him. Angrily confronting them, he rebuked them bitterly and began to interfere with them in their affairs, much more persistently than he had ever done before, and warned them that they would never again be in his good graces nor enjoy his affection. And they, fearing his threats and resenting the indignities he subjected them to, began one by one to depart his court and abandon his service….

How King Sancho and King García warred against each other, and how King Sancho first vanquished King García.

… and King Sancho, seeing himself at the head of a numerous army, went against Galicia. And finding the king his brother estranged from the great nobles of his kingdom, in the way we have described in the previous chapter, King Sancho entered the land and easily took possession of it, sending out his raiding parties and pillaging the countryside all around.

Responding to all this, King García quickly sent out his couriers and criers, telling them to go throughout the land urgently summoning to his aid every able-bodied knight and footman capable of bearing arms. Thus he gathered a numerous host in Villafranca de Valcárcel. Meanwhile, the counts Nuño de Lara, Enzón, and García de Cabra, in the vanguard of King Sancho’s army, approached with a numerous force of cavalry.

King García sallied forth intrepidly to meet them, and the combat they engaged in there was a great and hard-fought one, so that fully three hundred of King Sancho’s knights were killed, and more than twice as many on the other side. And, as the history of these matters tells us, what Arias Gonzalo had foretold came to pass: that brother would kill brother, and kinsman would kill kinsman, over who should rule those kingdoms.

When King Sancho learned of the casualties suffered by his vassals, he rode forth as quickly as he could, with all the forces he could muster, to come to their aid. But King García, as he saw King Sancho coming, did not tarry to wait for him but rather took flight. And King Sancho sped after him in hot pursuit, all the way to Portugal, never stopping once.

How King García captured King Sancho, and how Sancho was set free by Álvar Fáñez, one of his knights.

… King García was at that time in Portugal, in the town called Santa Aren, and King Sancho launched an all-out attack against the place … and as they all took the field, with battle ranks forming and both sides eager to fight, King García exhorted his followers in these words:

“Friends and vassals, you all see the great wrong that my brother King Sancho does me in seeking to wrest from me the land my father gave me. I pray you therefore grieve at my distress and come to my aid, for you know well that ever since I have been king, I have shared everything I have with you: property, horses, weapons. And I have cherished you for just such an occasion, and just such a day, as this.”

“Lord, you have shared most generously and given us much wealth. And today you will be very well rewarded, as much as is in our power.”

Thereupon, as the opposing forces were ready to join battle against each other, the knight called Álvar Fáñez, whom we mentioned earlier, appeared before King Sancho, and called out to him:

“I have lost the horse and weapons I had. And if it please your highness to provide me with a horse and weapons, I will fight for you in today’s battle like six knights, and if not, regard me as a traitor.”

And he ordered Álvar Fáñez to be immediately provided with horse and weapons.

Then the battle began, up and down the line, and many knights died, along with other men-at-arms, on both sides … and the Castilians were getting the worst of it … and King Sancho was thrown to the ground from his horse, taken prisoner by his brother King García, and placed in the keeping of six knights….

“My lords, let me go, and I will leave this kingdom of yours and never again do you any further harm or mischief. What’s more, I will share everything I have with you.”

They declared they would not do this under any circumstances, but that they would hold him there under guard, leaving him otherwise unharmed until King García arrived.

And while they were thus engaged, Álvar Fáñez arrived, the knight whom King Sancho had provided with a horse and weapons as the battle was about to begin. He cried out to the knights who held the king:

Saying this he charged right into them, knocking two of them down and driving away the others. Taking possession of the horses of the two knights he had overcome, he gave one to King Sancho, who immediately leapt into the saddle, and kept the other for himself.… and King Sancho was thus set free at that time.… [Álvar Fáñez] then led his lord to a hilltop, where a number of Sancho’s knights were gathered.

“My lords, behold your king and lord, Don Sancho. Be mindful now of the renown you Castilians have always enjoyed, and look to see that it remains untarnished.”

At this point four hundred knights arrived, of those who had just been defeated in battle. And while they were gathered there, they saw the Cid arrive with three hundred knights, for it chanced that he had not yet gotten there by the time the battle had begun … and when Sancho saw that it was Ruy Díaz, My Cid, who had just arrived with reinforcements, he rejoiced at the sight of him, and declared to his vassals:

“Friends, let us now go down from here, out into the plain, for My Cid is come. Have no fear, for now we shall surely prevail.”

“You are most welcome, Cid, you lucky man! Never did a vassal come in more timely fashion to the aid of his lord, than you do here and now, for me.”

“Believe me, my lord, I’ll see you get even and win the field today, or die trying.”

How King Sancho, fighting for a second time against his brother King García, captured him, threw him in irons, and imprisoned him in the castle of Luna.

As King Sancho and the Cid were thus occupied, King García was still engaged in the pursuit he had undertaken. He was in the highest spirits as they rode along, telling his knights, in lavish detail, how he had vanquished King Sancho and now held him prisoner. And as he thus made his way, a message arrived for him, informing him of King Sancho’s escape, how the prisoner had been forcibly rescued from the custody of the six knights King García had assigned to guard him, and how his brother was now determined to resume the fight.

When King García heard this, he was sick at heart, but there was nothing he could do. Soon thereafter the battle began anew, and was even more hard-fought than the first one. Both sides contended fiercely, but in the end the Portuguese abandoned King García and took flight … and Ruy Díaz, My Cid, took King García prisoner and handed him over to his lord, King Sancho. And King Sancho ordered King García to be thrown into irons and conveyed to Luna, a well-fortified castle, and García remained a prisoner in that castle for nineteen years.

How King Sancho of Castile and his brother King Alfonso of León warred against each other … and how King Alfonso was vanquished.

After King Sancho had accomplished the things we have related, he immediately attacked his brother Don Alfonso, marauding throughout his realm. When King Alfonso saw what was happening, he straightaway undertook to defend himself against his brother. They agreed to a time and place in which to meet and do battle, with the winner to take over the kingdom of the loser.

And they came on the day set aside to the place called Llantada, and both sides fought there. And thus it was that King Sancho prevailed, and pursued his brother King Alfonso, although many perished on both sides. And in this battle Ruy Díaz, My Cid, fought most valiantly. And the fate so frequent among the Moors, that of brothers killing brothers, fell this time to the lot of the Christians. And King Alfonso, vanquished, retreated to León. Soon after, he and King Sancho agreed to do battle once again, with the loser to relinquish his kingdom, without further contention, to the winner.

How King Alfonso and King Sancho fought for a second time, this time in Golpejera, and how both were captured and taken prisoner, and how King Sancho was rescued by Ruy Díaz, My Cid.

… the history tells how King Sancho and King Alonso met yet again in Golpejera, near the river Carrión, and how many on both sides fought and died there. In the end, King Sancho, vanquished, fled the field. King Alfonso, taking pity on his fellow Christians, ordered his men to leave off the pursuit and to refrain from any further killing.

When that noble and most valiant knight, Ruy Díaz My Cid Campeador, saw his lord a beaten man, he bade him take heart, and spoke to him in these words:

“My lord, the Leonese are now with your brother King Alfonso, safe at home and thinking you pose no threat to them. Have your men turn back, the ones who have fled, and gather them all around you. And tomorrow at dawn strike that host of Leonese and Asturians and take them by surprise. For they and the Galicians are used to boasting when things go well for them. They swagger, and show off, and make fun of their enemies. They’ll spend the whole night bragging about the day’s doings, and by morning they’ll all be sound asleep.”

Things turned out just as the Cid had predicted. King Sancho and his forces attacked them just at the time the Cid had advised, killing many, taking many others prisoner, and putting the rest to flight. King Alfonso himself was captured in the church of Santa María of Carrión.

When the Leonese saw that their lord had been captured, they turned and, charging fiercely into the ranks of King Sancho’s army, took him prisoner as well. When the Cid saw his lord captured and carried off by fourteen Leonese knights, he rode after them, crying out:

“Knights of King Alfonso, give me back my lord, and I will give you back yours.”

“We are all Christians, and we have no desire to do you harm, Don Ruy Díaz. So turn back and go in peace, otherwise we will take you prisoner along with your lord.”

“Let one of you give me a lance, for I don’t have one with me. You will see how, with God’s help, I will rescue my lord from you all by myself, against the fourteen of you.”

And the knights, scorning the chances of one knight against fourteen, gave him a lance. And the Cid fought all of them, handling himself so deftly in the give-and-take of combat that he slew them all—all save one who gave up, exhausted. Ruy Díaz, My Cid, spared this one’s life.

And thus, as we have related, the Cid freed his lord and returned with him to the Castilian host. At the same time, they took King Alfonso, still a prisoner, back with them to Burgos.

In Chapters 826 and 827, Doña Urraca persuades Sancho to release Alfonso, on condition that the latter become a monk in the monastery of Sahagún. Alfonso escapes from the monastery and goes into exile at the court of al-Ma’mun, the Moorish king of Toledo, where he is treated as an honored guest. Both Alfonso and his host overhear two of the latter’s Moorish subjects discuss a dream that seems to foretell Alfonso’s eventual conquest of Toledo. Urged by his counselors to put Alfonso to death, the Moorish king refuses, but requires his guest to swear never to harm al-Ma’mun or his family. Alfonso swears a solemn oath, and the two men become fast friends.

In the following two chapters, Sancho takes possession of the kingdom of León and has himself crowned king. Soon Urraca hears that Sancho intends to take her kingdom of Zamora away from her, and the town of Toro from their sister Elvira as well. Proceeding against Toro, Sancho conquers the town, disinheriting Elvira. He then sends word to Urraca, commanding her to surrender Zamora to him. At the same time, he promises to provide handsomely for her for the rest of her days. She replies that she will never surrender the kingdom bequeathed to her by their father, King Fernando. Sancho, on the advice of his counselors, decides to winter in Burgos, waiting until the following summer to undertake the siege of Zamora.

In the seventh year of the reign of Don Sancho, king of Castile, León, Galicia, and Portugal … with many of his followers gathered in Sahagún, on the day he had ordered them to appear, King Sancho was much pleased to hear that his command had been obeyed. In his delight at this, as the history tells us, he raised his hands up to God and twice exclaimed:

“Praise be to Thee, oh Lord! Praise be to Thee! For you have delivered to me the kingdoms that were my father’s.”

When he had spoken these words, he ordered it to be proclaimed throughout the city of Burgos that everyone should go out from the town and await his signal … and the king went to Sahagún, where his host was waiting for him. There he camped outside the town. And that night, at the end of the first hour, he ordered the entire host to move out. They traveled so quickly that on the third day they reached Zamora and camped there on the banks of the Duero.

The king ordered it to be proclaimed throughout the host that everyone was to remain calm and at peace, and to refrain from attacking anyone until he gave the order. After that, the king rode with the vassals closest to him, all around the city. He saw how it was built on a steep crag, with massive walls and high towers likewise fortified with very thick walls. On one side, the waters of the Duero came right up to the foot of the walls.

“Now see how strongly built this town is. I don’t think it could be attacked by Moors or Christians. If I could get this place away from my sister, either paying for it or by some kind of trade, I would become the lord of all Spain.”

How King Sancho sent a message to his sister Doña Urraca, ordering her to surrender Zamora to him.

After King Sancho had looked the city over and spoken to his vassals in the manner just described, he returned to his encampment. Having sent for the Cid, he said to him:

“Cid, you know how my father brought you up in his own household, in the most honorable fashion, and how he himself knighted you and placed you in charge of his residence in Coimbra, after he took that place from the Moors. And on his deathbed, in Cabezón, he entrusted you with the safekeeping of all his children, just as we all swore to him that we would look after you. I made you the lord and majordomo of my household, and gave you a portion of my lands bigger even than a county. And now I most urgently beseech you, as my friend and faithful vassal, to go to Zamora and tell my sister Doña Urraca, yet again, to hand over Zamora to me, either in exchange for some payment in property, or by making some kind of trade. The trade I propose is this: I will give her Medina de Rioseco, with all its dependencies, from Villalpando to Valladolid, and even Tiedra, which is a very fine castle. I will swear to her, before twelve of my vassals, never again to break my oath to her, nor any other agreement that I ever make with her. And if she refuses this offer, tell her that I will take the place from her by force.”

“My lord, for any other this would be a most grievous task to undertake, but one appropriate for me, since I was brought up in Zamora, where your father sent me to be raised, along with Doña Urraca, in the house of Don Arias Gonzalo. I know Don Arias and all his children, and therefore I will gladly do what you command me to.”

The Cid then took his leave of King Sancho and went in to Zamora with fifteen of his knights. As he approached the town, he called out to the guards stationed in the towers, telling them not to shoot their arrows at him and his men, since he was Ruy Díaz, the Cid, sent with a message from King Sancho for his sister, Doña Urraca. He bade them go and ask her if she gave permission for the Cid to come in to the city.

A knight came out, a nephew of Don Arias Gonzalo who was stationed on guard at the gate. He invited the Cid to come in, and told him he would arrange suitable lodgings for him while he went to ask the lady Urraca if she would grant an audience. The Cid told him that this proposal was quite acceptable, and agreed to do as the man suggested.

The knight went to see the lady Urraca and told her that the Cid was in the town, having come with a message from her brother, King Sancho. And she declared that she would be pleased to meet with him, telling the man to conduct the Cid into her presence, so that she could hear what he had to say. She ordered Don Arias Gonzalo to go and welcome the Cid, accompanied by all the knights there in attendance.

And when the Cid came in to the palace, the lady Urraca greeted him warmly, telling him that he was most welcome. As the two of them sat down, the lady Urraca spoke out, before any other words were spoken:

“Cid, you know that we were brought up together, here in the house of Arias Gonzalo. You remember how my father, King Fernando, on his deathbed, charged you with advising his children, to the best of your knowledge and ability. I therefore pray you tell me what King Sancho intends to do. For I see him here, having gathered all of Spain around him, and any other country it might have occurred to him to go to.”

“Lady Urraca, he who bears a message should remain unharmed. If you grant me leave to speak freely, I will convey the message your brother King Sancho has sent me to tell you.”

She told him then that she would do whatever Don Arias Gonzalo told her to. And Don Arias told her that it was well to listen to the message her brother had sent to her:

“For if perchance he intends to go against the Moors and wants to ask you for help, it would be well for you to do so. I would send him fifteen of my sons, well equipped with horses, weapons, and supplies, even for as many as ten years.”

The lady Urraca then told the Cid to speak freely and say what he had to say. My Cid spoke thus:

“King Sancho, your brother, sends greetings to you and tells you to hand Zamora over to him, either in exchange for some payment of money, or in trade for something else. He offers you by way of trade Villalpando, as far as Valladolid, and in addition, Medina de Rioseco, with all its dependencies, and Tiedra, a fine and well-built castle. He will swear to you, with twelve of his barons standing witness, that this is a firm offer, and that he will never play you false regarding it. And if you refuse to give him what he wants, he says to tell you he will take it from you.”

Concerning the discussion between the lady Urraca and the inhabitants of Zamora as to whether she should surrender the town to King Sancho.

When the lady Urraca had listened to this ultimatum from King Sancho, she was very apprehensive and sick at heart. She exclaimed, weeping bitter tears:

“Oh, woe is me! What am I going to do, with all this bad news I keep hearing, ever since my father died? My brother Sancho has wrested our brother García’s lands from him, taken him prisoner, and thrown him in irons. There he lies, even now, punished as if he were a thief, some ordinary felon. Sancho has also wrested Alfonso’s kingdom from him, driving him from the land and into Moorish country, as if he were a traitor. He would not allow anyone to accompany him, and Alfonso would be alone if it weren’t for Pedro Ansúrez and his brothers, whom I sent to be with him. From my sister the lady Elvira he has taken Toro, against her will, and now he wants to take Zamora away from me. Let the earth now open up and swallow me down, that I may not endure so many woes.”

Overcome with rage, it is said that she spoke these words against her brother King Sancho:

“I am just a woman, and he knows full well that I can’t fight with him. But I can have him killed, either secretly or out in public.”

Don Arias Gonzalo then got up and spoke before all the good men of Zamora and all members of the town council summoned to assembly there by the lady Urraca:

“Lady Urraca, you gain nothing by complaining and bemoaning your fate, for the best and most sensible thing to do is to take counsel in time of gravest trouble and choose the best course of action. Let us now do this: order all the townsfolk of Zamora to meet in council in the Plaza of San Salvador, and let us determine if they want to stand by you, seeing that your father left them under your authority. And if they should indeed wish to stand by you and defend the town, do not hand it over for anything, neither for money nor in exchange for some other place. And if they do not want to do this, we should all immediately take our leave and head for Toledo, to live among the Moors, like your brother King Alfonso.”

The lady Urraca, like the shrewd and sensible woman she was, did as her one-time guardian advised her, and immediately ordered proclamation to be made throughout the town, to the effect that all the townsfolk should gather in the Plaza of San Salvador. And when they were all gathered there together, the lady Urraca addressed them:

“Friends and vassals, I have come here before you to make known to you how my brother King Sancho has sent to tell me to hand over the town to him, for money or in exchange for another place. If I do not agree, he intends to take the town by force. And if you all are determined to stand firm and defend the place, like good and faithful vassals, I will not surrender. I ask you now to give me your answer.”

At that moment, an elder named Nuño, one of the town’s most respected residents, got to his feet. With the consent of the town council and the encouragement of all, he declared:

“Lady, God bless you for wishing to honor us in coming to our meeting. We are your vassals, and we will never forsake you, as long as we live. And standing with you, we will eat up all the food there is here rather then hand over the city without your consent.”

When princess Urraca heard this reply from the town council of Zamora, she rejoiced in her heart. She said to the Cid:

“Cid, now you have heard what my loyal councilmen of Zamora have to say to this ultimatum, and with the agreement of all the townsfolk. Go and tell my brother that I would sooner die here with all the folk in Zamora than hand over the town, whether in a trade or for money.”

The Cid then took his leave and returned to tell King Sancho exactly how things stood, namely, that Urraca and her subjects would on no account hand over the town to him.

How King Sancho flew into a rage and ordered the Cid to leave his kingdom, and how he then changed his mind and sent for him.

Returning with the answer to the king’s ultimatum, the Cid told King Sancho what the lady Urraca and her subjects had said, to the effect that they would never, on any account, hand over the city. The king, when he heard this reply and saw that they would never surrender, flew into a rage against the Cid and said to him:

“You advised my sister to do this, because you were brought up with her in this town. And if it weren’t for the fact that my father commended me to you, I would have you killed for this, right here and now. And I order you now to be gone from my land, within nine days’ time, so that I may never again find you anywhere within my kingdom.”

The Cid went immediately to his tent, asking for his vassals, his attendants, and his friends, and left that very night to take lodging in Castro Nuño. And he decided to go into Moorish country, in Toledo, where King Alfonso had gone into exile.

When all the counts and principal barons of the king’s host learned of this, they went straight to King Sancho and declared:

“Your majesty, you must not even think of losing a vassal such as the Cid, not on any account. Send for him, we beg you, and do not send him from you, for your cause will be very greatly weakened if you do.”

The king, seeing that they were in the right, summoned a knight named Diego Ordóñez, who was the son of Count Ordoño and the nephew of Count García, nicknamed the curly-haired man of Grañón.²¹

“Go quickly, and tell the Cid that I ask him to return to me, and if he does so it will be as my good and faithful vassal, and that I will give to him, from my lands, yet another county and will exalt him over all other members of my household.”

Diego Ordóñez rode out speedily, and caught up with the Cid as quickly as he could. When the Cid saw him, he greeted him warmly, asking why he had come. To this Diego replied:

“The king sends to tell you that he wishes you to come back to him, and that he will give you, in addition to the lands you already have, yet another county within his kingdom. He promises always to treat you right, and to exalt you over all others in his household. What he said to you before, telling you to be gone from the land, was only because he was furious with his sister, the lady Urraca.”

The Cid then replied to Diego Ordóñez that he would consult with his vassals and do as they advised him to.

The Cid immediately called together his friends and vassals and told them the message Diego Ordóñez had brought from the king. His vassals advised him to return to the king, since Sancho had sent for him. For it was better to remain with his lord, and in his rightful place, than to go into exile among the Moors in foreign lands.

The Cid considered that his vassals had given him good advice. He summoned Don Diego and told him that he wanted to do as his lord commanded. And Don Diego immediately sent word on ahead to the king. The king rode out two leagues’ distance, with a company of five hundred knights, to welcome the Cid. And when the Cid saw the king, he jumped down from his horse and went to kiss the king’s hand, asking him to please grant the favor that he, the king, had promised when he sent Diego Ordóñez to bring him back. And the king granted this request, then and there before all those assembled knights, and assured the Cid that ever afterward he would always be treated very well.

Then the king returned to his host, and everyone rejoiced along with the Cid, and kept him company …

How King Sancho warred against Zamora, and how Don Arias Gonzalo gave the lady Urraca certain advice.

After all these doings, the king held council with his principal barons and others who were there, concerning how to conduct the war against Zamora. He ordered it proclaimed throughout the host that all should prepare themselves to attack the city on the following day.

And then they stormed the town furiously for three days and three nights. The moats, which were very deep, were quickly filled up with earth and stones, and the fill tamped down flat. They pulled down the outer watchtowers, while both defenders and besiegers smote one another furiously with their swords. So many were killed there, on both sides, that the waters of the Duero, downstream from the city, ran red with the blood of the dead.

When Count García de Cabra saw this, he was sick at heart to see so many men lost, Christians all of them, on both sides. Going to King Sancho, he kissed his hand and said:

“My lord, may it please your highness: order the assault on the city to cease. For you are losing many of your men. Lay siege to the place instead, for you will soon starve them out.”

The king then ordered his men to cease the assault. He ordered them to count the dead. They counted them up and determined that there were thirteen hundred deaths. Greatly distressed by this report, Sancho ordered the town to be immediately surrounded … every day the town was subjected to fierce attacks, as the siege went on for a long time … and the inhabitants soon suffered from hunger.

And when Don Arias Gonzalo saw how grievously the people suffered from hunger, and how many of them were dying, he said to Princess Urraca:

“My lady, I ask you to please assemble everyone in the town, and that you bid them hand over the town to King Sancho within nine days. For they have suffered greatly and endured great privation out of loyalty to you. You and I, meanwhile, can go and live in Moorish country with your brother King Alfonso. For if I have my way, you will never dwell in Zamora with King Sancho.”

Princess Urraca did as he suggested, summoning the inhabitants of Zamora and addressing them thus:

“Friends, you have been very good and very loyal. You have endured much pain and suffering, and lost many friends and kinsmen, out of loyalty to me. And because I consider that you have done more than enough, I bid you surrender the town to King Sancho in nine days’ time. I will go to Toledo to be with my brother Don Alfonso.”

The people of Zamora, when they heard this, were deeply saddened, because they had held out against the siege for so long, and now, after everything that had happened, they were going to end up surrendering the town anyway. Most of them agreed to accompany the princess into exile and not remain in the town.

How King Sancho received as his vassal Vellid Adolfo, and how the Zamorans warned the king to beware of this man.

When Princess Urraca had addressed the Zamorans in this fashion, a certain knight called Vellid Adolfo, who was in attendance, after listening to things said by the princess and by the council members, spoke up in this way:

“My Lady, I came to Zamora with three hundred knights, all of them my vassals. They and I have served you well for a long time now, praise God. I have asked you to reward me in whatever way you could, and you have never gotten around to doing so. And now, by your leave, I will rid Zamora of King Sancho and lift the siege.”

“Vellid Adolfo, I will remind you of the wise man’s words: that beggars can’t be choosers. That’s the way it must be between us. I don’t order you to do anything about any evil ideas you might have contrived. But I tell you that any man who would rid Zamora of my brother and lift the siege would receive from me anything he asked for.”

When Vellid Adolfo heard this, he kissed the lady Urraca’s hand, saying nothing further to her. He went right to the city gate and spoke with the gatekeeper, and told him that if he should see Vellid in distress, to open the gate for him right away. And he gave the fellow the cloak he was wearing at the time.

Then he went to his lodgings and armed himself. Mounting his horse and riding to the house of Arias Gonzalo, he addressed the latter:

“We all know it’s because you’re having an affair with the lady Urraca that you won’t make any kind of a deal or exchange with her brother.”

“In an evil day indeed was I born, if that’s the way people talk to me, and no one around to take revenge on the one who talks to me that way.”

All his sons were immediately up in arms and went in pursuit of Vellid Adolfo, who was now fleeing in the direction of the city gate. No sooner had the gatekeeper seen him coming than he opened up the gate for him, just as they had agreed earlier.

This Vellid Adolfo then went out from the town, and, going before King Sancho, kissed his hand. He then spoke these false and lying words:

“My lord, because I recommended to the town council of Zamora that they hand over the city to you, the sons of Arias Gonzalo tried to kill me. Now I have come to you and declare myself your vassal. I will see to it that Zamora is handed over to you within a few days, if God wills. And if I don’t do just as I have said, let me be killed for it.”

Believing what he said, the king received him as his vassal and treated him most honorably. And all the while, Vellid Adolfo became the king’s most intimate confidant.

Next day, in the morning, a Cordoban knight of the town went and stood on the wall overlooking the siege tower, and cried out in a loud voice so that everybody in the besieging army could hear him:

“King Sancho, pay close heed to what I tell you! I am a knight of noble lineage; my fathers and grandfathers prided themselves on their loyalty. I wish to undeceive you and tell you the truth, if you will listen to me. I tell you that a traitor has just left this town, one called Vellid Adolfo. He’s coming to kill you—watch out for him! And I tell you this so that if, by some mischance, something should happen to you, no one in Spain can ever say thereafter that you were not warned beforehand.”

…when Vellid Adolfo heard these words, he went straight to the king and declared:

“My lord, that old Arias Gonzalo is very shrewd. Because he knows I intend to see you gain possession of Zamora, he has ordered somebody to make these accusations.”

As soon as he said this to the king, Vellid Adolfo asked for his horse, making as if to leave and go somewhere else because he was so upset by what had been said about him. But the king took him then by the hand, saying:

“My friend and vassal, pay no attention to that calumny. For I tell you: if I win Zamora, I intend to make you the first and foremost man over that city, in the same way that Don Arias Gonzalo is now.”

Vellid Adolfo kissed the king’s hand then, wishing that God would grant the king long life and health with which to keep his promise.

But though the traitor spoke thus, he planned something else entirely in his heart….

How Vellid Adolfo slew King Sancho, and what Ruy Díaz, My Cid Campeador, did about it.

After the events just described, Vellid Adolfo, eager to carry out the treachery rooted in his heart, took King Sancho aside and said to him:

“My lord, if you think it a good idea, let us ride out together, just the two of us, and go all around Zamora, so that you may see the tunnels you ordered to be dug. And I will show you the entry the Zamorans call the Gate of the Sandpit. By means of this we will gain entry into the town, for this gate is never locked. And as soon as night falls, you will give me one hundred noble knights to go with me, and we will all be armed and go on foot. Since the Zamorans are weak from suffering and hunger, they will be unable to stop us from overpowering them. That way we can open the door and go inside, and keep it open so your entire host can come through—in this way, you will take the town.”

The king believed him and told him the plan was an excellent one. And the two of them rode out. As they rode around the outskirts of the town, far away from where the army was camped, the king observed the tunnels that had been dug and considered how quickly they might conquer the town. Then the traitor showed him the gate that was to be their means of gaining entry.

And as soon as they had gone all around the town, the king felt like going down to the banks of the Duero, to find there some diversion. He carried in his hand a small gilded throwing spear, such as kings in those days often used to have with them. And he gave it to Vellid Adolfo to hold for him while he went aside to answer the call of nature, that no man can deny. And Vellid Adolfo followed him, and when he saw him exposed in that way, he hurled the spear at him so that it struck him in the back and, coming out the other side, stuck out from his chest.

As soon as he had speared him in this way, the traitor wheeled his horse around and rode as fast as he could for the gate he had shown the king, the one that was to be the means of taking the city….

Ruy Díaz, the Cid, seeing him take flight like that, called out to ask him what he was running from. And Vellid Adolfo refused to answer, saying nothing. The Cid understood then that he had worked some mischief, or even that a man running away like that might have slain the king. For Vellid had become the king’s favorite and closest confidant, and the two were inseparable. The Cid asked for a horse to be brought right away, and while they were bringing it to him, Vellid Adolfo was getting away.

Very concerned about his lord, the Cid quickly took a spear and headed off after Vellid as fast as a horse can gallop who does not even wait for the spurs to be applied.

Meanwhile, Vellid gave up on reaching the Gate of the Sandpit and made instead for the main gate of the town. There, the histories tell us, the Cid overtook Vellid as he entered through the gate of the town, striking him with the spear and pushing him halfway through the doorway. There, they say, the Cid killed Vellid’s horse and would have killed the rider too, if he, the Cid, had been wearing spurs…. And of all the great feats of arms engaged in by the Cid, this was the only one in which any man could ever find anything to hold against him: in that he failed to go in through the door after the traitor, and failed to kill Vellid after he had caught up with him. But the Cid did not act on this occasion from anything remotely approaching cowardice, nor from any fear of death or imprisonment. It was, rather, an oversight on his part, to have set out in pursuit without remembering to put on his spurs as he should have.

As soon as Vellid Adolfo found himself inside Zamora, he ran in terror to Princess Urraca, taking refuge under her cloak. Then Don Arias Gonzalo said to the lady Urraca:

“Lady, I beg of you, for God’s sake, to hand that traitor over to the Castilians. If not, great harm will come to us, for they will surely accuse all Zamora, and after that, you will be unable to do the city any good.”

“Don Arias Gonzalo, advise me as to what I should do with this man, in such a way that he does not die for what he has done.”

“Lady, hand him over to me, and I will have him placed under guard for three weeks or so. If the Castilians call us to account for the crime, we will hand him over to them. And if during that time they fail to bring charges against us, we will throw him out of the city and see to it he never again shows his face among us.”

Princess Urraca, feeling obliged to go along with Arias Gonzalo’s recommendation, let him take Vellid Adolfo away. And Arias Gonzalo took Vellid and ordered him shackled with two sets of irons and kept under close guard.

As Vellid Adolfo was thus being taken in charge, the Castilians went looking for their lord. They found him on the banks of the Duero, mortally wounded but still able to talk. He still had the spear in his body, thrust into his back and sticking out from his chest. They did not dare try to take it out, for fear he might lose the power of speech and die without ever getting it back. And a battle surgeon arrived there, one who traveled with the host, who told them to saw off the shaft of the spear on both sides of the body, so that the king would not lose the power of speech.

Then Count García of Cabra, the one they called the curly-haired man of Grañón, spoke to the king:

“God bless you, Count, for speaking so frankly. For I know quite well I am a dead man. It was that traitor Vellid Adolfo who killed me. The one who made himself my vassal. I truly believe that all this is on account of my sins and the wrong I have done my brothers and sisters. I broke the promise I made my father and the oath I swore, to never seek to take away anything of theirs from any of my brothers.”

As the king finished speaking, the Cid, Ruy Díaz, arrived. Kneeling down before the king, he said:

“My lord, I am lost and helpless, more than any other of your vassals. When your father, King Fernando, divided up his kingdoms, he commended me to you, and to all your brothers and sisters, so that you would do right by me. I came to serve you, and have done or tried to do them great harm, according to their view of the matter. They now hold me a real grudge. Now it is no longer possible for me to go out among the Moors, there where your brother Don Alfonso is, nor to remain among the Christians, with your sister the lady Urraca. Both of them think that all the harm you did them was done because I advised it. And you well know, my lord, that I always advised you as a loyal vassal should advise his lord, and I never counseled any wrongdoing, nor gave you bad advice. And I beg your highness to please think of me before you die.”

The king then ordered them to place him in his bed. All around him were counts, barons, archbishops, and bishops.

“Friends and vassals, in all the Cid has said regarding his having counseled me well and faithfully, he speaks nothing but the truth. Never in any of this business did he advise me to do anybody any harm. And I therefore pray Count García, here present, as my good and faithful vassal, to ask my brother Don Alfonso when he gets back from Moorish country—I believe he will be here presently, as soon as he hears of my death—to do right by the Cid, and receive him as his own vassal.”

“I pray you all, as my good and faithful friends and vassals, to speak to my brother Don Alfonso, earnestly beseeching him to forgive all the wrongs I did him. And all of you pray to God to have mercy on my soul.”

When he was done speaking, as he asked for a candle, his soul departed his body. And all his vassals greatly mourned his passing, and all his other subjects too. Then … most of the host immediately scattered, most of them fleeing in every direction, leaving everything behind, while some were killed or captured, amid the uproar and confusion occasioned by the king’s death, by those who bore them a grudge…. But a party composed of the principal barons of the host, together with the bishops, conveyed King Sancho’s body to the monastery of San Salvador de Oña, where he was buried with all due honors, as befits a king….

In Chapter 839, the Castilians agree that because the Zamorans have given sanctuary to Vellid after the death of King Sancho, Urraca and her people are to be held accountable, one and all. The Castilians send as their challenger Diego Ordóñez. The latter’s accusation is answered by Arias Gonzalo, who offers to defend against the charges in single combat. They agree to a truce while both sides prepare for the trial. Chapter 840 tells how Alfonso, learning of his brother’s murder, returns from Toledo, having renewed his pledge to his host, King Al-Ma’mun, never to harm him or his family.

In Chapter 841, all the inhabitants of Zamora, responding to the charges of treason leveled against the whole town, assemble in the town square. All solemnly swear that none had anything to do with Vellid’s murder of King Sancho. Arias Gonzalo then picks five of his own sons to fight against Diego Ordóñez, the plaintiffs’ champion, in the upcoming combat. In Chapters 842 through 844, Arias Gonzalo’s sons Pedro, Diego, and Rodrigo are slain in judicial combat by Diego Ordóñez.

How the Leonese and Castilians came before King Alfonso, welcoming him as their lord, and how the Cid made Alfonso swear an oath.

And the history tells us that, as soon as Alfonso arrived in Zamora, he set up his camp outside the city, in the place called Santiago’s Field. Then he went to see his sister, Princess Urraca, taking counsel with her concerning how he might best proceed with the business at hand. And Princess Urraca, according to the histories, was a very astute lady. King Alfonso, having conferred with her, sent out his proclamations, throughout the land, summoning all his subjects to come there and swear fealty to him.

When the Leonese, the Galicians, and the Asturians learned that King Alfonso had come, they rejoiced at his arrival and went to Zamora without delay. There they all accepted him as their king and lord, and there, without hesitation, swore fealty to him, solemnly promising to uphold their allegiance.

After that, the Castilians and Navarrese arrived. They also accepted Alfonso as their lord, provided that he swear under oath that he, Alfonso, had had nothing to do with King Sancho’s death. However, no one under those circumstances was willing to take his oath, even though King Alfonso was willing to give it.

Only the Cid Ruy Díaz would agree to do so. But he stipulated that he would on no account receive Alfonso as his lord, nor kiss his hand, until Alfonso solemnly swore that he had nothing to do with the death of King Sancho….

And the histories tell us that when King Alfonso saw that the Cid Ruy Díaz refused to kiss his hand in sign of fealty, as all the other great lords and prelates and royal advisors had done, he addressed the assembled company in these words:

“Friends, since all of you here have received me as your lord, and you have consented to give me control of cities and castles and all the rest, and to concede that the kingdom is mine, I would like you to inquire of My Cid Ruy Díaz why he has refused to kiss my hand. For I would gladly show him favor, just as I promised my father King Fernando when he commended the Cid to me and to my brothers and sisters.”

After King Alfonso had spoken these words before the assembly, My Cid Ruy Díaz, who had been listening, arose and said:

“My lord, all the men you see here before you—although none dares say it to you—suspect you of being involved in the death of King Sancho. And I therefore say to you that, if you do not clear yourself of this suspicion, as is only proper, I will never kiss your hand in fealty.”

“Cid, I am very pleased at what you say. And here and now I agree to swear, to God and Holy Mary and to you, that I never ordered such a thing, nor was I involved in any way, nor was I in any way pleased when I learned of my brother’s death, even though he did drive me from the land. I therefore pray you tell me, as my loyal vassals, how I may be cleared of this suspicion.”

His principal barons then urged him to swear before twelve knights, in the church of Santa Gadea in Burgos. In this way he would be absolved of blame.

The king was much pleased with this judgment, as they rode toward Burgos with the purpose of putting this acquittal into effect. When they had arrived, My Cid Ruy Díaz took up the book of the Gospels and placed it on the altar of Santa Gadea. And as King Alfonso placed his hands on the book, the Cid began to take his oath in this manner:

“King Alfonso, do you now swear to me that you had nothing to do with the death of my lord King Sancho?”

“If you swear falsely, please God that you be slain by a treacherous vassal, just as Vellid Adolfo was to my lord King Sancho.”

“King Alfonso, do you swear to me that in the matter of your brother King Sancho’s death, you neither took part in planning it, nor ordered him to be killed?”

“And if you swear falsely, may a vassal of yours slay you, deceitfully and with perfidy, just as Vellid Adolfo slew my lord King Sancho.”

The Cid made him swear yet again. And King Alfonso swore just as the Cid charged him to, and the twelve knights stood witness.

And when the oaths had been sworn and duly witnessed, the Cid Ruy Díaz sought to kiss King Alfonso’s hand in fealty. But the king held back his hand, according to the history. Rather he told the Cid that henceforth he would never be in the king’s good graces, no matter how daring and hardy the Cid might be.

Afterward, however, they were reunited, sometimes amicably and sometimes not, until the time the king sent the Cid into exile. But in the end, they remained friends, and the Cid showed himself worthy of the king’s goodwill….

20. Primera crónica general de España que mandó componer Alfonso el Sabio y se continuaba bajo Sancho IV en 1289, edited by Ramón Menéndez Pidal, Antonio G. Solalinde, Manuel Muñoz Cortés, and José Gómez Pérez. 2 vols. (Madrid: Editorial Gredos, 1955).

21. This is the same personage, nicknamed “Curly-Head,” who figures in the EC. See also below, FGC, chapter 838.