Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1898-10-14
The Cid Of Spanish Legend
BY FRANK WALLER ALLEN.

THE Cid of Spanish ballad, the Cid
of legend, romance aud drama,
the Cid OF II hundred thousand battles
the Cid OF famous Spanish epic, the Cid
invoked 10y all Spanards, 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
lsh patriotism, is Il NEUROLOGICAL char
acter in Spanish tradition that has
doubtless grown from the real char.
acter of Rodrigo Diaz De Bivar-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, magnauimous, the all-pow-
erful MY Cid" who is the type of all
manly virtue, the mirror of all patriot
ic duty, and the bossoming flower OF
AL Christian grace. lie is everything.
He is almost the Christ as the Jews
would have had him. He is Napoleon,
Wellington and Nelson. and Washing
kton, 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
literature. In fact, most all Of the
Spanish classics are built around some
story Of his NEUROLOGICAL life The
song of the Cid that was chantcd by
the wandering MINISTRIES in the twelfth
century has survived 70 be hvmncd in
the odcs of the Spanish soldier today.
They believe just as firmly as 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 race Of his
torical character. The poem of the Cid
Is but fragment of 3.7ti lines writ.
ten in barharoUs style. in rugged asso-
nant rhymes, and q rude AleNandrine
measure. but il CLOVIS with the pure
. fire of poetry. and is full Of a noble sim.
'plicity and n true crical value and
grandeur. and is invaluable as a living
picture of the age. Most of the ballads /
of the Cid are extinct There were at
one time over 200 OF them: to-day. how /
ever, there are not moro than half /
dozen that can bc 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 10 tell lies"
The real Cid of history although fall
ing short of the poetical ideal which
his countrymen have bestowed upon
him, was "a great warrior. gaining his
name in the long struggle between the
Christians and the Moslem. He was
born at Bivar, from which he derives
his name Rodrigo Diaz de Bivar. Of a
noble family, some time between the
years 1890 and 7040. His exploits were
great, but nevertheless he was a man
with human power From this person,
however. doubtless started all the
beautiful Spanish legends that hover
about the Cid.
While these legends, written in both
prose and poetry, are very beautiful
and form great part of Spanish lit
erature, they cannot be relied upon.
and some aspiring Spanish author is
continually discovering new one.
doubtless concocted in his own brain.
There is one beautiful story of his
birth that tells of his mother pravinp
TO the Virgin TO give her a son. She
continued her prayer day after dav
until one morning she begins her
prayers over "A beautiful red rose. and
while praying her tears drop on it's ne.
tails and turn them white. When she
stops her prayers and chances down.
ward. there in the heart of the white
rose she finds little wee baby Nesting
among the immaculate petals. Such ,
was the birth of the Cid.
Like cur own great men, the famous ,
hero of Spain is represented as exhib-
iting on so many occasions great gen |.
tleness of disposition and compassion. +,
The following ballad, "The Cid and the ,
Leper." will not only serve as an ex- :
ample OF this but also of the quaint ,
beauty OF the lines of the old Spanish |
songs: +.
Re mad ta'en some twenty gentlemen.
along with him to go. /
For he will pay the ancient vow he 10 Saint y
James doth owe d.
TO Compastella. where the shrine doth bv
the altar stand,
rhe good Rodrigo de Bivar q rldine s
through the land 2
II O
A-here'er he goes, much aims he thrsvs. 20 c
:. feeble folk and poor;