El Cid Campeador-
Rodrigo Diaz, the national hero of
Spain, was born in
Burgos ca. 1040; and died at
Valencia, in 1099. He was given the title of
seid or
cid (lord, chief) by the
Moors and that of
campeador (champion) by his admiring countrymen. The history behind his legendary exploits is veiled in myth and legend, but he is primarily remembered for his role as the central figure of the long struggle of Christian
Spain against the
Moslem invaders.
El Cid is the subject of the oldest monument of Spanish literature, an epic poem of over 3700 lines- "Poema del Cid", author unknown. His exploits have been fodder for much other Spanish literature, among the most prominent: