Author: jjanecki@mtholyoke.edu

 

The Socio-Political Context of Cantar de Mio Cid

Cantar de Mio Cid is the oldest preserved epic poem in the Spanish language. It is the story of El Cid, the knight who recaptured Valencia from the moors, it is 3730 verses long and details the epic struggle of El Cid to reclaim his honor and fortify the kingdom of Alfonzo VI of Leon and Castile.   Cantar de Mio Cid is based on true events and El Cid in the Poem was a real person by the name of Rodrigo Díaz (Montaner Frutos). Díaz was the man who led the charge to oust the moors from Valencia (Montaner Frutos).  While not all of the events detailed by the poem are true, it remains an incredibly important and influential Spanish text (Montaner Frutos).  Part of the reason the poem is so important is because it helped craft an imagining of Spanish nationalism, which is why it remains so relevant today (Leaños).

Cantar de Mio Cid was first recorded during the period of the Reconquista. The Reconquista is a historical period within the region of the Iberian Peninsula dating from 718-1492.  The Reconquista was a period of time in which the Christian European forces were attempting to “reclaim” the Iberian peninsula from the Islamic Moorish forces that were occupying the land as a part of the Umayyad Caliphate.  The Caliphate arrived in 711 and held a varying me sure of control over the Iberian Peninsula for centuries until they were expelled in 1492 when Ferdinand and Isabella won the Granada war. The period of the Reconquista was a period of political instability in the region.  The countries now known as Spain and Portugal were divided into a series of smaller kingdoms ruled by either Christian or Islamic powers which were engaged in an ongoing power struggle with each other. The events chronicled in Cantar de Mio Cid took place between 1077 and 1109 during the reign of Alfonzo VI.  The conquest of Valencia by El Cid is documented by both Moorish texts and European texts as having occurred in the year 1094 (Montaner Frutos).   Scholars have calculated that the poem itself was originally written sometime between 1140 and 1200 (Montaner Frutos).  The authorship of the poem is greatly contested.  Some claim it was originally written by a minstrel as early as 1140 (less than 50 years after the death of El Cid) and transcribed soon after.  Others claim a Lawyer named Per Abbat wrote it nearly a hundred years later in 1207, however it is more likely that he merely transcribed it and did not write it himself (Montaner Frutos).  No scholars have been able to provide sufficient evidence thus the mystery as to who originally authored the poem persists. (Montaner Frutos)

Cantar de Mio Cid is the story of the life and struggles of Spanish knight Rodrigo Díaz or Rodrigo the Battler or El Cid.  According to the poem Cantar de Mio Cid, among other sources, El Cid is the knight who successfully recaptured Valencia from Moorish forces (Montaner Frutos).  Rodrigo Díaz was a member of the court of Alfonzo VI of Leon and Castile; unfortunately, he fell out favor with the king after being wrongly accused of thievery.  El Cid then sets out to reclaim his honor he becomes a mercenary. Over time he gains respect as a military strategist and warrior, he thus conquers Valencia reclaiming it from the Moors.  El Cid’s great feats in battle and his recovery of Valencia lead Alfonzo VI to issue a royal pardon restoring El Cid’s titles and honor. In the poem, to cement El Cid’s status, Alfonzo VI arranges for the marriage of El Cid’s two daughters to Los Infates de Carrión.  However, his daughters are beaten, raped and left for dead by their new husbands. Upon the mistreatment of his daughters by Los Infantes, El Cid is forced to campaign for the restoration of his and his family’s honor once again. He is successful Alfonzo VI agrees to help EL Cid by stripping Los Infantes of their titles, the marriages are annulled and his daughters and then remarried to Los Principes Narrave y Aragon.  

In many ways, Cantar de Mio Cid can be read and understood as early Spanish propaganda.  The poem is designed to encourage the Christian communities and kingdoms of the Iberian Peninsula to rise up against the Moorish forces and push them out of what is now Spain (Leaños).  In the poem, El Cid is unceremoniously and wrongly stripped of his land and titles. He is then banished from his homeland dishonoring him and his family. EL Cid is then forced to set out on a path to reclaim what he has lost at all costs.  This leads him to conquer Valencia thus crafting a new and better name for himself as the man who defeated and exiled the Moorish forces “occupying” the city. At its core, Cantar de Mio Cid is a story about the reclamation of honor and homeland despite the odds (Leaños).  Given the socio-political state of the region at the time it is no stretch to imagine that Cantar de Mio Cid was designed and sung with the intention of encouraging Christian people to rise up against the moors, and reclaim their land and bringing honor to their kingdoms and their heritage (Leaños).

Cantar de Mio Cid differentiates in a variety of ways from other European texts written during the same epoch.  Cantar de Mio Cid lacks the mystical quality that many other texts of the epoch had (Hook). While other texts from the era had mystical qualities with their hero’s and villain’s posses magical qualities (religious or otherwise) El Cid and his adversaries are simply portrayed as human (Hook).  In Cantar De Mio Cid, El Cid accomplishes everything without any special or superhuman qualities; this feeds into the use of the poem to mobilize the psyche of the Christian population in order to oust the Islamic forces (Leaños). Although during the period in which Cantar de Mio Cid was written Spain was not yet even a dream and Spanish as we know it did not yet exist, the process of nation-building is a long one, and the poem is a marker in the lengthy proses of crafting the nation-state.  

The story recounted by Cantar de Mio Cid has maintained its relevance for centuries.  The poem continues to be relevant in pop culture with El Cid being a featured character in Video games and film (Montaner Frutos).  Tourists can travel el Camino del Cid and explore the historical and archeological spaces related to him and his feats recorded by the epic poem (Montaner Frutos).   The poem itself continues to be an integral part of Spanish education and historical memory dedicated to the emergence of Spain and Spanish nationalism (Leaños).  

Bibliography

“El Cantar Del Mio Cid.” Classicspanishbooks.com. N.p., 2011. Web. 5 Feb. 2019.

Montaner Frutos, Alberto. “The Author Of The Spanish Epic Poem The Song Of My Cid.” En.caminodelcid.org. N.p., 2019. Web. 5 Feb. 2019.

Montaner Frutos, Alberto. “El Cid Campeador / Literature Legend Romanticism & Myth.” En.caminodelcid.org. N.p., 2019. Web. 5 Feb. 2019.

Leaños, Jamie. “El Cid redentor: Propaganda anti-islámica en el Cantar de Mio Cid.”  Rocky Mountain Review. Vol. 72 Issue 2 (2018,), p280-299. 2/11/19

Hook, David. “El Cantar de Mio Cid y el Contexto Europeo” Olivar. Issue 8 2007, p 313-325. 2/11/19

Girón Alconchel, José Luis, and María Virginia Pérez Escribano. Cantar De Mio Cid. 2nd ed. Madrid: Editorial Castalia, 2009. Print.

Cantar de Mio Çid Original

 Delos sos oios tan fuerte mientre lorando

Tornaua la cabeça & estaua los catando

Vio puertas abiertas & vços sin cannados

Alcandaras uazias sin pielles & sin mantos

E sin falcones & sin adtores mudados

Sospiro myo çid ca mucho auie grandes cuydados

Ffablo myo çid bien & tan mesurado

 

Grado ati sennor padre que estas en alto

Esto me an buelto myos enemigos malos

 

Alli pienssan de aguIar alli sueltan las Riendas

[Ala] Exida de biuar ouieron la corneja diestra

E entrando a burgos ouieron la siniestra

Meçio myo çid los ombros & en grameo la tiesta

 

Albricia albarffanez ca echados somos de tierra

 

Myo çid Ruy diaz por burgos en traua

En su conpanna .Lx. pendones ([^2leuaua]) exien lo uer mugieres & uarones

Burgeses & burgesas por las finiestras son ([^3puestas])

Plorando delos oios tanto auyen el dolor

Delas sus bocas todos dizian una Razon

 

Dios que buen vassalo si ouiesse buen Sennor

 

Conbidar le yen de grado mas ninguno non osaua

El Rey don alfonsso tanto auie la grand sanna

Antes dela noche en burgos del entro su carta

Con grand Recabdo & fuerte mientre sellada

Que a myo çid Ruy diaz que nadi nol diessen posada {mss-001V}

Ea quel que gela diesse sopiesse uera palabra

Que perderie los aueres & mas los oios dela cara

E aun demas los cuerpos & las almas

Grande duelo auien las yentes xpistianas

Asconden se de myo çid ca nol osan dezir nada

El campeador adelino asu posada

Asi commo lego ala puerta falola bien çerrada

Por miedo del Rey alfonsso que assi lo auien parado

Que si non la quebrantas por fuerca que non gela abriese nadi

Los de myo çid a altas uozes ([^3l])laman

Los de dentro non les querien tornar palabra

AguIo myo çid ala puerta se legaua

Saco el pie del estribera una feridal daua

Non se abre la puerta ca bien era çerrada

 

 

Translacion Moderna

 De sus ojos fuertemente llorando,

De un lado a otro volvía la cabeza mirándolos;

Vio las puertas abiertas y contrapuertas sin candados,

La perchas vacías, sin pieles y sin mantos

 

5  Y sin halcones y sin azores ya pelechados.

Suspiró Mio Cid, se sentía muy preocupado,

Habló Mio Cid sumamente mesurado:

 

¡Bendito seas, Señor Padre, que estás en lo alto !

¡Esto me han devuelto mis enemigos malvados !

 

10   Entonces deciden aguijar a riendas sueltas.

A la salida de Vivar vieron una corneja a la derecha,

A la entrada de Burgos la vieron a la izquierda.

Se encogió Mio Cid de hombros y alzó la cabeza.

¡Albricia, Albar Fáñez, nos echan de nuestra tierra !

 

15   Mio Cid Ruy Díaz en Burgos entró

Con sesenta abanderados, a los que a ver salían mujeres y varones;

Asomados por las ventanas burgalese y burgalesas vio

Llorando de los ojos, ¡tan grande era su dolor !

Por su boca todos decían una razón:

 

20   ¡Dios que buen vasallo ! ¡Ojalá encuentre intercesor !

Le hubieran invitado de buena gana, mas ninguno se arriesgaba;

El Rey don Alfonso estaba que rabiaba.

La noche anterior en Burgos circuló su carta

Con medidas de seguridad, firmemente sellada:

 

25   Prohibiendo que a Mio Cid Ruy Díaz se le diese posada,

Y si alguno se la diese, que considerara estas palabras:

Que no solo perdería sus haberes sino también los ojos de la cara,

Y lo que es más, sus cuerpos y sus almas.

Gran pesadumbre tenían cristianos y cristianas;

 

30   Se escondían de Mio Cid, sin atreverse a dirigirle la palabra.

El Campeador se encaminó hacia su posada;

Al llegar a la puerta, la halló herméticamente cerrada,

Por miedo al Rey Alfonso decididos estaban;

Si no la rompía por la fuerza, no se la abrirían por nada.

 

35   Los de Mio Cid a gritos llaman;

No querían los de dentro responderle ni palabra.

Se adelantó Mio Cid, a la puerta se llegaba,

Saco el pie del estribo y una patada le daba;

No se abre la puerta, pues estaba muy bien cerrada.

 

English Translation 

He turned and looked upon them, and he wept very sore

As he saw the yawning gateway and the hasps wrenched off the door,

And the pegs whereon no mantle nor coat of vair there hung.

There perched no moulting goshawk, and there no falcon swung.

My lord the Cid sighed deeply such grief was in his heart

And he spake well and wisely: “Oh Thou, in Heaven that art

Our Father and our Master, now I give thanks to Thee.

Of their wickedness my foemen have done this thing to me.”

 

Then they shook out the bridle rein further to ride afar.

They had the crow on their right hand as they issued from Bivar;

And as they entered Burgos upon their left it sped.

And the Cid shrugged his shoulders, and the Cid shook his head:

“Good tidings Alvar Fanez We are banished from our weal,

But on a day with honor shall we come unto Castile.”

 

Roy Diaz entered Burgos with sixty pennons strong,

And forth to look upon him did the men and women throng.

And with their wives the townsmen at the windows stood hard by,

And they wept in lamentation, their grief was risen so high.

As with one mouth, together they spake with one accord:

“God, what a noble vassal, an he had a worthy lord.

 

Fain had they made him welcome, but none dared do the thing

For fear of Don Alfonso, and the fury of the King.

His mandate unto Burgos came ere tile evening fell.

With utmost care they brought it, and it was sealed well

‘That no man to Roy Diaz give shelter now, take heed

And if one give him shelter, let him know in very deed

 

He shall lose his whole possession, nay! the eyes within his head

Nor shall his soul and body be found in better stead.’

 

Great sorrow had the Christians, and from his face they hid.

Was none dared aught to utter unto my lord the Cid.

 

Then the Campeador departed unto his lodging straight.

But when he was come thither, they had locked and barred the gate.

In their fear of King Alfonso had they done even so.

An the Cid forced not his entrance, neither for weal nor woe

Durst they open it unto him. Loudly his men did call.

Nothing thereto in answer said the folk within the hall.

My lord the Cid spurred onward, to the doorway did he go.

He drew his foot from the stirrup, he smote the door one blow.

Yet the door would not open, for they lied barred it fast.

Phonetic Analysis

• Latin: Capitia

Modern Spanish: Cabeza

1)/Kapitia/>/Kapetia/ when /i/ weakens to /e/

2) /Kapetia / > /Kaßetia/ when the intervocalic voiced stopped /p/ weakens to the fricative /ß/ due to lenition

3) /Kaßetia / > /kaßetja/ yod is formed

4) /kaßetja / > /Kaßedza/ the cluster of /t+yod/ yields /dz/

5) /Kaßedza / > /Kaßetsa/ /dz/ weakens to /ts/

6) /Kaßetsa / > /Kaßesa /after complete lenition of /t/

Written Cabeza

 

 

•  Latin: Apertus

Modern Spanish: Abierta

1) /Apertus/>/Apertu/ after loss of word final /s/

2) /Apertu / > /Aßertu/ after the intervocalic voiced stopped /p/ weakens to the fricative /ß/ due to the intervocalic position

3) /Aßertu / > /Aßiertu/ after epenthesis of /i/ creating diphthong /ie/

4) /Aßiertu / > /Aßierta/ after lenition of word final high back /u/ to low back /a/

Written Abierta

 

• Latin: Mulier

Modern Spanish: mujer

1) /Mulier/ >/Muljer/ after formation of yod

2) /Muljer / >/Muʎer/ because the cluster of /l+yod/ creates the voiced palatal lateral approximate /ʎ/

3) /Muʎer / >/Mudzer/ after the /ʎ/ yields the voiced post-alveolar fricative /z/

4) /Mudzer / >/Muxer/ after the post-alveolar fricative /z/ becomes the voiceless velar fricative /x/

Written Mujer

 

• Latin: Bucca

Modern Spanish: Boca

1) /Buka/> /Boka/ after the high back /u/ become the mid back /o/

Boca in spelling after the assimilation of /cc/ to /c/

 

 

• Latin: Oculus

Modern Spanish: Ojo

1) /Okulus/> /Oklus/ after syncope of unstressed /u/

2) /Oklus />/Oʎo/ after /kl/ cluster evolves

3) /Oʎo />/Ozo/ after /ʎ/ weakens to post-alveolar fricative /z/

4) /Ozo />/Oxo/ when /z/ typically evolves into the voiceless velar fricative /x/

written Ojo

 

• Latin: Noctem

Modern Spanish: Noche

1) /Noktem/> /Nockte/ after loos of word final consonant /m/

2) / Nockte />/Nojte/ due to the palatalization of /kt/ cluster which produces a yod creating a diphthong> this process of palatalization then yields voiceless post alveolar affricative /tƒ/

Written Noche

 

• Latin: Inimicus

Modern Spanish: enimigo

1) /Inimikus/> /Inimiku/ after loss of word final s

2) / Inimiku />/Enimiku/ after lenition of high front /i/ to mid front /e/

3) / Enimiku />/Enimiko/ after lenition of word final high back /u/ to mid back /o/

4) / Enimiko />/Enimigo/ after lenition of stopped lingua-velar voiceless /k/ to stopped lingua-velar voiced /g/

Written Enemigo

 

• Latin: Sentire

Modern Spanish: Sienta

1) /Sentire/ > /Sentre/ after syncope of unstressed vowel /i/

2) / Sentre / > /Siente/ after epthnthisis of /i/

3)/ Siente / > /Sienta/ after word final /e/ becomes /a/

 

 

• Latin: Terra

Modern Spanish: Tierra

1) /Terra/ > /Tierra/ after epenthesis of /i/ yielding the diphthong /ie/

 

 

• Latin: Corporis

Modern Spanish: Cuerpo

1) /Korporis/ > /Korpors/ after syncope of unstressed vowel /i/

2) /Korpors / > /Korpo/ after deletion of /rs/ cluster

3)/ Korpo / > /Kurpo/ after strengthening of /o/ to /u/

4) / Kurpo / > /Kuerpo/ after epenthesis of /e/ creating diphthong /ue/

Written Cuerpo

 

• Latin: Clamare

Modern Spanish: Llamar

1) /Klamare/ > / Klamar/ after loss of word final vowel /e/

2) /Klamar/> /ʎamar/ after Palatalization of /kl/ cluster leads to the /ʎ/ sound the grapheme for which is written /ll/

Written Llamar

 

• Latin: Dicere

Modern Spanish: Decir

1) /Dicere/ >/Dicer/ after the loss of word-final vowel /e/

2) /Decir/ after metathesis of /i/ and /e/

 

 

Verbal Morphology

 

1. Dēcernunt > deciden >deciden > Decidir

Class II verb in present indicative form; rhizotonic, no allomorphy. The conjugation is typical in that the /en/ developed from the Latin 3^rd plural ending /unt/.

• /Dēcérnere/ > /Decener/ after syncope of unstressed syllable
• /Decener/ > /Deceder/ after strengthening of the nasal voiced lingua alveolar /n/ to the stopped voiced lingua alveolar /d/
• /Deceder/ > /Decidir/ After the evolution of the /e/ to /i/ and analogy of the second /i/

 

2. Perdet Habebat > perdet[eat] > perdería> perder

Class IV verb in the conditional form; rhizotonic; perder is a non-allomorphic verb in the conditional form. The conditional form did not exist in Latin it developed later on in the romance languages as an offset. The /ía/ ending developed from the /ea/ ending in Latin.

• /perdet/> /perder/ after lenition of the voiceless stopped lingua-alveolar /t/weakens to the liquid voiced lingua-palatal /r/

 

3. Decḗbant > dizian > Decian> Decir

Class IV verb in imperfect indicative form; arhizotonic; allomorphic verb following the boot pattern wherein the 1^st singular follows a different pattern from the 2^nd and 3^rd singular and the 3^rd plural while the 1^st plural and 2^nd plural has an entirely different pattern; in this case it occurs because the stressed vowel is not in the stem. Thus we get digo, dices, dice, decimos, decìes, dicen in the present. The 3^rd plural ending for Spanish /ían/ developed from the 3^rd plural ending /ant/ in Latin.

• /Dicere/ > /Dicer/ after loss of word-final vowel /e/
• /Dicer / > /Decir/ after metathesis of /i/ and /e/

 

4. Habuḗrunt > ouieron > Hubieron > Haber (preterit) 146

Class II verb in the perfect preterit form; arhizotonic; allomorphic verb, wherein there are different spellings and pronunciations of the same word. Like other allomorphic verbs, it follows the boot pattern. In the present tense, it is conjugated he, has, ha, hemos, han.

• /Habere/ > /Haber/ after loss of word-final vowel /e/
• /Haber/ > /Aber/after complete lenition of /h/ however the grapheme ‘h’ remains in writing

 

5. Plorā́tum > Plorando> Llorando>llorar

Class I verb in the perfect participle form; rhizotonic; no allomorphy; participle endings in Spanish /ido/ and /ando/ are derived from the Latin endings of /udo/ and /ītu/. Typically in Spanish the perfect participle is preceded by haber that signals who the action is in relation to. I think that in Cantar de Mio Cid it was dropped for stylistic purposes. Llorar is conjugated in the typical manner, lloro, lloras, llora, lloramos, and lloran.

• /Plorare/ > /Plorar/ after loss of word-final /e/
• /plorar/> /llorar/ after palitization of /pl/ cluster to /ʎ/ written “ll”

 

6. Fabulari > Fablo> Habló

Class 1 verb in the present perfect form; richzotonic; non-allomorphic.

• /Fabulari/> /fabular/ after loss of word final vowel /i/
• /Fabular/ > /Fablar/ after syncope of unstressed vowel /u/
• /Fablar/ > /Hablar/ after lenition of fricative voiceless labiodental /f/ to fricative voiceless glottal /h/
• /Hablar/ >/Ablar/ after complete lenition of /h/ however the grapheme remains in writing

 

 

Noun Adjective Morphology

1. “a mio çid Ruy diaz” (line 25)

• This is an example of the personal “a” in Spanish. Spanish lost the Latin case marking system but developed a new one known as “the personal a”. The “personal a” is a marker of human objects or objects that pose human characteristics.

 

2. “Vio las puertas abiertas”

• The Spanish noun ‘Puerta’ is derived from the Latin noun ‘Porta’ of the first declension. It is a feminine noun.

 

3. “considerara estas palabras”

• The Spanish noun “Palabra” is derived from the Latin noun “Parabola” of the first declension. It is classified as a feminine noun.

 

4. “Ea quel que gela diesse”

• This is an example of how in Latin every personal pronoun was capable of standing alone. In the modern version of the text it is translated “Y si alguno se la diese” because pronouns are always accompanied. In Spanish they are often only used in order to emphasize the meaning of something.

 

5. “No la rompía por la fuerza”

• The Spanish noun “Fuerza” comes from the Latin noun “fortia” of the first declension. It is classified as a feminine noun derived from the neuter plural Fortis.

 

6. “Nos echan de nuestra tierra”

• “Nos” is an example of the Spanish first plural pronoun that developed from the Latin dative NŌS. It signifies to whom one is referring.

 

Description of Pronunciation 

The grapheme {ll} pronounced /ʎ/ in Old Spanish and /j/ in modern. {u} {v} were interchangeable in Latin and in the old text they still are to some extent. The phoneme /ß/ was beginning to be used in place of /v/ and /b/. In the text the grapheme {y} is generally pronounced /j/ however in some cases it is used as a stand in for /i/. In Old Spanish the grapheme {z} is pronounced as /s/. The grapheme {ç} is pronounced /t∫ /. The grapheme {i} is generally pronounced as /i/ however it is occasionally pronounced as a yod depending on what its preceded or followed by. The grapheme {h} is still pronounced in Old Spanish, it was not lost until later on. The diphthongs {ue} and {ui} are pronounced /we/ and /wi/ respectively.