Savannah courier. (Savannah, Tenn.) 1885-1979, 1898-09-02
|Ihe Cid Of Spanish Legend
By FRANK WALLER ALLEN.
NE Gid of Spanish ballad, the Cid

THE Cid of Spanish ballad, the Cid
/ OF legend, romance and drama,
the Cid OF hundred thousand battles,
the Gid OF famous Spanish epic, the Cid
invoked by 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
meter 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 worshipcd this
perfect one while he lived, but in all
the ages since ting 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
ic 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
literature. Tn fact, most all of the
ssanish classics are built around some
story of his NEUROLOGICAL life. The
song OF the Cid that was chanted by
the wandering minstrels in the twelfth
century has survived to be hymned in
the odes of the Spanish soldier to-day.
They believe Just as firmly ms they be-
lieve In God that the Cid will deliver
them finally victorious from the hands
of the Americans in this present war.
Within n hundred years OF his death
the Cid had become the center of hun
dreds of myths. The Poem Del Cid"
written in tie latter half Of the twelfth
century. has scarcely any trace of his
torical character. The poem Of the Cid
Is but fragment of 3,744 lines writ
ten in barbarous style, in rugged nsso-
nant rhymes, and rude AleXandrinc
measure, but it glows with the pure
fire of poetry, and is full Of a noble sim
plicity and true cpical value and
grandeur, and is invaluable as living
picturc 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 more than half
dozen that can be traced without
doubt over n 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
"tbe ballads are too old to tell lies"
The real Cid Of history, although fall
ing short of the poetical ideal which
his countrymen have bestowed upon
him, was n great warrior, gaining his
name in the long struggle between the
Christians and the Moslem. He was
horn at Biyar, from which he derives
his name Rodrigo Diaz de Biyar. of n
noble family, some time between the
years 1880 and ,o40. His exploits were
oreot. but nevertheless he was man
with human power. From this person,
however. doubtless started oil the
beautiful Spanish legends that hover
about the Cid.
While these legends, written in both
nrose and poetry, are very beautiful
and form n great part of Spanish lit
erature. they cannot be relied upon
and some aspiring Spanish author is
continually discovering a new one
doubtless concocted in his own brain
There Is one beautiful story of his
birth that tells of his mother praying
IN the Virgin TO give her son. She
continued her prayer day after day
until one morning she begins heI
nrovers over beautiful red rose and
while praying her tears drop on its pc
tails and turn them white. When she
stops her prayers and glances down
ward. th<e in the heart of the white
rose she finds little wee baby nesting
omopo The immaculate petals. Sucf
was the birth of the Cid.
like cur own great men, the famous
hero of Spain is represented as exhib
ting on so many occasions great gen
tleness Of disposition and compassion
The following ballad "The Cid and the tn.
Leper," will not only serve as an ex
an,,,,.. Of this, but also OF the quain'
beauty of the lines Of the old Spanish
songs:
ue had ta'en some twenty gentlemen
n' aiong with him to 60
r.. We will ray the ancient vow he to saln
James doth owe
cornnastella. where the shrine doth b,
the altar stand - j., .,s.,
-. nood Rodrigo de Bivar Is 1dlnt
through the land.
II.
wbere'er he goes much aims he throws ''
"Heit fe,ble folx and poor