El Cid ’The Lord’ – Medieval Castilian Leader Known For His Courage And Extraordinary Military Skills

Angela Sutherland  – AncientPages.com – “In Rodrigo Diaz’s lifetime there were in Spain and elsewhere many lords, commanders or bosses. In his day he was not unique but one of a type. Who were these bosses of the eleventh century?… However, if there were many ‘cids‘, there is only one national hero of Spain (and more particularly of Castile), El Cid – the crusading warrior who waged wars…” ¹

His real name was Rodrigo Diaz, Count of Bivar. He didn’t come from a wealthy or powerful family. Later, he has come to be known to the world as El Cid from the Spanish Arabic as-sid meaning ‘The Lord’. In Spain, he was also known as El Campeador – ‘The Champion’.

The Monument to the El Cid, Burgos (Castile and León, Spain), unveiled in 1955. Bronze equestrian statue – sculpted by Juan Cristóbal González Quesada (1897-1961). Image credit: ElCaminodeSantiago09, 2006  – CC BY-SA 2.0

Born in 1040 in Burgos, Spain, El Cid was a medieval Castilian military leader during the 11th century, at a time when the country was going through something of a political turmoil. His country consisted of several different provinces and kingdoms, of which the most powerful was called the Castillo.

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