The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996, 1898-07-23
The Cid Of SPANISH Legend
BY FRANK WALLER ALLEN.

THE Cid Of Spanish ballad, the Cid
OF legend, romance and drama,
the Cid of a hundred thousand battles,
the Cid OF famous Spanish epic, the Cid
invoked 10y all Spaniards, good and
bad, at all times when the nation Is in
danger, and whose very name inspires
the tired soldier on to victory, and has
ever been perpetual in inspiring Span
ish patriotism, is NEUROLOGICAL char
acter in Spanish tradition that has
doubtless grown from the real char
acter OF Rodrigo Diaz De Biyar-a sort
OF freebooter and rebel whose daring
bravery and many victories won him
the name Of The Cid, or The Lord"
The people not only worshiped this
perfect one while he lived, but in all
the ages since they have sung his
praises in song and ballad until to-day
among the Spanish soldiers he Is the
invincible, magnanimous, the all-pow-
erful "My Cid" who is the type OF all
manly virtue, the mirror OF all patriot
&c duty. and the blossoming flower OF
all Christian grace. He is everything.
He is almost the Christ as the Jews
would have had him. He Is Napoleon,
Wellington and Nelson, and Washing
ton, Lincoln and Lee all in one.
In all the other nations Of the world,
not excepting King Arthur, OF English
legend. there is no character that holds
the place OF that OF the Cid in Spanish
literaturc. In fact, most all OF the
Spanish classics are built around some
story OF his NEUROLOGICAL life. The
song OF the Cid that was chanted by
the wandering Ministries in the twelfth
century has survived to be hymned in
the odcs Of the Spanish soldier to-day.
They believe just as firmly rs they be-
lieve in God that the Cid will deliver
them finally victorious from the hands
OF the Americans in this present war.
Within hundred years OF his death
the Cid had become the center OF hun
dreds OF myths. The Poem Del Cid,
writtenin the latter half OF the twelfth
century, has scarcely any trace OF his
torical character. The poem OF the Cid
Is but n fragment OF 3,744 lines. writ
ten In barbarous style, I'm rugged ASSOC
nant rhymes, and n rude AleNandrine
measure. bat IL CLOVIS with the pure
fire ofpoetry and is full Of a noble sim
plicity and true epieal value and
grandeur. and is invaluable as living
picture OF the age. Most OF the ballads
OF the Cid arc extinct. There were al
one time over 200 OF them; to-day, how
ever, there arc not more than hall
dozen that can be traced without
doubt over few centuries back. One
OF the most beautiful OF these Is given
further on. All these ballads take
great liberties with history, thus belly
ing the opinion OF Sancho Panza that
''the ballads are too old 20 tell lies"
The renl Cid OF history although fall
ing short OF the poetical ideal which
his countrymen have bestowed upor
him, was a great warrior, gaining his
name In the long struggle between tn,
Christians and the Moslem. He wai
born at Bivar, from which he derives
his name Rodrigo Diaz dc Bivar. Of 1
noble family, some time between tn,
years 1880 and i04O. His exploits wer,
great, but nevertheless he was maj
with human power. From this person
however, doubtless started all thu
beautiful Spanish legends that hove
about the Cid.
While these legends. written in boil
prose and poetry, are very beautiful
and form great part OF Spanish lit
ernture, they cannot be relied upon
and some aspiring Spanish author
continually discovering new one
doubtless concocted in his own brair
There Is one beautiful story Of hi
- ~ la ~ nrn r In
20 the Virgin 60 give her son. Sh
continued her prayer day after da
until one morning she begins he
prayers over beautiful red rose, an
while praying her tears drop on its pc
tails and turn them white. When sh
stops her prayers and Chances dowr
ward. there In the heart of the whit
rose she finds little wee baby nestlin
among the immaculate petals. Sue
was the birth OF the Cid.
Like cur own great men, the famou
hero of Spain Is represented as cxhil
iting on SO many occasions great ger
tleness OF disposition and compassion
The following ballad, "The Cid and th
Leper." will not only serve rs an g,
ample OF this, but also OF the QUAR-
beauty OF the lines OF the old SPANS
songs:
T.
He had tn'en some twenty gentlcmel
along with him 20 70.
For he will pay the ancies. vow he TO Sail
james doth owe.
To Compastella. where the shrine doth
the altar stand.
The good Rodrigo dc Divar Is ridir
through the land.
IL
where'er ne goes. much aims he throws.
feeble folk and poor;