I am happy to welcome a new guest to my blog today. Author Stuart Rudge's Legend of the Cid series transports readers into 11th century Spain, a world of knights, battles, and precarious crowns. To celebrate the publication of his third book, The Fall of Kings, Stuart is here to discuss the history behind his story.
Welcome, Stuart!
~ Samantha
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The History behind The Fall of Kings
Guest Post by Stuart Rudge
The years 1071-1072 proved to be a pivotal period in the story of Rodrigo Diaz de Vivar, the man known as El Cid, and also of medieval Spanish history. For in this year, all three sons of Fernando the Great were either deposed from their thrones and sent in to exile, or killed, and four of the five siblings had been involved in a dynastic feud. By the end of the year, only one man remained to take all three thrones, and ruled over a kingdom as vast as his father had done.
Upon Fernando’s death in 1065, his kingdom had been divided between his sons; Sancho became King of Castile, Alfonso received Leon, and Garcia inherited Galicia. His daughters Urraca and Elvira gained control of the Leonese cities of Zamora and Toro, respectively. Relations between the brothers had been tense ever since the death of their mother Sancha in 1067. Yet despite the tension, the only moments of note came from Alfonso wresting control of the parias tribute of Badajoz from Garcia in 1068, and a few months later at the battle of Lantadilla; although it was touted as a Castilian victory over Leon, it is only recorded as a minor skirmish between the two kingdoms.
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The division of Fernando’s kingdom: Copyright Stuart Rudge |
Tensions eventually came to a head in the year 1071, with the conquest of Galicia. There seems to be confusion over the events of the conquest itself, or simply they do not add up. One source claims that Alfonso and Sancho met in private some months prior, and conspired to conquer Galicia and divide the realm equally; a surviving document names Alfonso as King of Leon and Galicia, and Sancho as King of Castile and Galicia, at the same time.
Another source suggests Sancho rode across the kingdom of Leon, using the excuse of a pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela, then fell upon Garcia and forced him to submit. And a final source claims Sancho sent Rodrigo to pluck Garcia from his crumbling kingdom and escort him to Burgos as a prisoner. In any instance, it would prove difficult for Sancho to rule Galicia, given that Alfonso’s domain lay directly between the two. It is likely that it was Alfonso who claimed Galicia, as charters from the king of Leon from the time have Galician bishops as signatories, and Garcia was eventually sent in to exile in Seville. This left Alfonso and Sancho to fight for the ultimate prize.
The decisive clash came at Golpejera, some thirty kilometres west of the Pisuerga River, which was the natural barrier between Leon and Castile. The date of the battle is accepted as being between 2nd and 5th January, 1072, at a time where winter would have settled in the plains of northern Spain and made for hellish conditions for a battle. This suggests Sancho wanted to catch Alfonso without the bulk of his forces from Asturias and Galicia, as these would have taken some weeks to assemble. Legend places Rodrigo at the heart of the battle as Sancho’s alferez, or standard bearer, and though it is believed Alfonso carried the day, the forces of Castile rallied during the night and struck back; Rodrigo is said to have personally captured Alfonso and delivered him in chains to his brother. How much of this is true and simply included for epic narrative is debated. Regardless, Sancho bested Alfonso and was crowned king of Leon, Castile and Galicia on 12th January, and Alfonso was sent to the dungeons of Burgos.
Yet Sancho’s reign was doomed from the start. The Leonese did not support his tenure as king; indeed Bishop Pelayo of Leon, the most senior member of the clergy, refused to place the crown upon Sancho’s head. The sheer size of the realm proved another sticking point. For example, to travel from Leon to Portugal, then Galicia and Asturias, and finally to Burgos and back to Leon would take several months on the road for a mobile court, and for a new monarch like Sancho to gain the support of all of his subjects, it would take a considerable deal of time and effort. And to garner more support, it was necessary for Sancho to appease his sisters, Urraca and Elvira. The infantas were ever present in confirming Alfonso’s charters, but had much less of a role in Sancho’s court. The new king seemed to strike a bargain for their backing by sending Alfonso in to exile to Toledo instead of keeping him imprisoned. But ultimately, Sancho’s short tenure as king would soon come to a bloody end.
Urraca, along with Pedro Ansúrez of the Beni Gomez clan, who was a close friend and advisor to Alfonso, openly rebelled against Sancho’s rule and chose Urraca’s domain of Zamora as their bastion. Sancho was killed before the walls of the fortress on the Duero in early October, although there is debate about the nature of the conflict that took place. The
Najerense Chronicle would tell us that Sancho besieged the rebels, and that a man named Velliti Ariulfi, posing as a deserter and offering to show Sancho the weak spot in the defences, murdered him. Rodrigo allegedly chased him back to the city and, in a grief stricken rage, faced off against fifteen enemy knights, killed several and put the rest to flight.
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| The Death of Sancho II before the walls of Zamora Image source: https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/148751052/sancho_ii_king-of_castile |
The final events of the year are some of the most iconic in the story of the Cid. Upon hearing of Sancho’s demise, Alfonso returned from exile in Toledo and, after securing the crowns of Leon and Galicia, proceeded to Burgos to confirm the Castilian surrender. The epic scene in the Charlton Heston movie of El Cid, where Rodrigo forces Alfonso’s hands on to a bible to swear the king had no part in Sancho’s death, is purely fictional, or at least exaggerated. It is intended to fall in line with the legend that Rodrigo forced Alfonso to swear before the nobility of Castile that he was innocent of conspiracy and murder before they would accept him as their king, but there is no historical record of it. If this actually happened, we would expect Rodrigo to be punished, or at least be made an example of. Instead, we see his name as a signatory on some of the first charters Alfonso issues upon his confirmation as the one true king of Leon-Castile, showing Alfonso openly admitted him it to his court, albeit in a reduced capacity. From a historical point of view, it is not hard to imagine there would have been some sort of resistance to Alfonso’s coming in a muted capacity; most likely some nobles like Rodrigo would have wanted assurances about the new king’s intentions, but would not have gone so far as to slam royal hands upon a bible, in the hopes of securing some sort of position in the new regime.
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| El Cid makes Alfonso swear his innocence in the church of San Gadea Image source: https://laene.blog/2018/01/27/oath-of-santa-gadea/ |
We may never truly know the circumstances of how Alfonso won the crown, but it left him as the sole ruler of a large kingdom, with members of all three districts in his court. Yet Rodrigo’s time in Alfonso would bring mixed fortunes. Whilst Alfonso recognised the champion of Castile’s service to his brother, Rodrigo did not enjoy the level of prestige he experienced in Sancho’s court. Furthermore, conspiracy and jealously would plague his service in the years to come.
The Fall of Kings is available now on Amazon UK and Amazon US.
Castile. 1071AD
Three kings. One crown.
After Sancho II of Castile dispatches his champion Rodrigo Diaz de Vivar to capture his brother, King Garcia of Galicia, he hopes it is a defining moment in his quest to reunite the lands of his father under one banner. But Alfonso VI of Leon is one step ahead, and has already added the lands of Galicia to his domain. When the only alternative is war, Sancho turns to Rodrigo to lead the armies of Castile, and he must use all of his tactical acumen to defeat the Leonese in the field. Only one son of Fernando can claim victory and become the Emperor of Hispania.
Rodrigo and Antonio, now a knight of the realm, find difficulty adjusting to the new regime. Dissent and unrest run rife throughout the kingdom, and the fear of a knife in the dark from enemies old and new hangs heavy upon the pair. But if it is allowed to fester, it threatens to undo all that has been achieved. Can Rodrigo and Antonio root out the enemies of the king, and prevent chaos reigning throughout the land?
The Fall of Kings in the breath taking third instalment of the Legend of the Cid.
The Fall of Kings is available now on Amazon UK and Amazon US.
Connect with Stuart
Stuart Rudge was born and raised in Middlesbrough, where he still lives. His love of history came from his father and uncle, both avid readers of history, and his love of table top war gaming and strategy video games. He studied Ancient History and Archaeology at Newcastle University, and has spent his fair share of time in muddy trenches, digging up treasure at Bamburgh Castle.
He has worked in the retail sector and volunteered in museums, before working in York Minster, which he considered the perfect office. His love of writing blossomed within the historic walls, and he knew there were stories within which had to be told. Despite a move in to the shipping and logistics sector (a far cry to what he hoped to ever do), his love of writing has only grown stronger.
Rise of a Champion and Blood Feud are the first two instalments of the Legend of the Cid series. He hopes to establish himself as a household name in the mound of
Bernard Cornwell, Giles Kristian, Ben Kane and Matthew Harffy, amongst a host of his favourite writers.
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