Before a trip to any country, I would like to know its sights in advance and try my route in order to cover them as much as possible. Before going to Spain, along with others, questions arise about who is Campador, in which city are the remains of the legendary Sid? Any guide to Spain, a brochure of any agency, will answer this. They rest in the city of Burgos. But the question itself is more than justified, because the remains were reburied several times.
Who is Sid?
A man known in Spain by the name of Sid Campeador, a national hero of this country, existed in reality under the name of Rodrigo Diaz de Bivar, who was a Castilian nobleman who was born in 1040 and died in 1099. He received his nicknames thanks to the fame and legends that he was shrouded during his lifetime. The nickname Sid, or "my lord" in Arabic, speaks of his belonging to the nobility - he was married to a royal niece. It was given by the Moors and testifies to their recognition of his merits. Campeador - means "warrior". And this nickname is more than appropriate, because in all ages there have been few commanders who have not suffered a single defeat. Moreover, according to the legend, after his death he won another military victory.
The death of a legendary hero
Ballads told about the request of Sid, who was seriously wounded in the previous battle, to his wife, so that after his death she would dress the body in armor and, setting Babieka on the faithful horse, let go of the gate surrounded by the Moors of Valencia. Jimena did so. The Crusaders, seeing their leader at the head of the army, rushed into battle and won a crushing victory. Of course, the hero with honors was betrayed to the ground in Valencia, a fortress that was the estate of the Diaz. It could not be otherwise. No one in Spain wondered what city the remains of the legendary Sid rest in. But the hero of the Reconquista (war on the Iberian Peninsula for his liberation from the Moors), protector, generous philanthropist and patron died. Valencia hardly repelled the siege for another 3 years, but the crusaders were forced to leave it for a century.
First reburial
With the retreating troops, the remains of the legendary Sid were also transported to Castile. All his life he was accompanied by court intrigues. A brilliant warrior, a fabulous rich man afterwards, a beloved and loving husband - he could not but cause envy. Slandered before King Alfonso VI, who gladly believed lies, Sid was forced to leave the borders of what was then Spain for 9 days. The king did not forget that the commander, being the alperes (confidant) of the murdered ruler Sancho, demanded that Alfonso cleanse the oath in the church before the altar about not being involved in a perfect evil. And even after many years, after offering many priceless gifts and their actual reconciliation, it was impossible to bury the remains of Sid in the capital. The church of San Pedro Cardeña, in whose walls the wife and daughters of Don Rodrigo found shelter for many years, when Alfonso VI did not allow them to follow his father and husband, took the body of the famous warrior. The whole of Spain was worried about the theme of the hero’s body passing to the earth - in which city are the remains of the legendary Sid? The answer was that - 10 kilometers from Burgos, in the monastery. This time in this grave, the body of his wife Jimena Diaz rested with him. The epitaph on the stove expressed all the love and reverence that this legendary couple had for compatriots.
The great hero of Spain
An excellent strategist, repeatedly defeating the enemy with the help of military cunning, a brilliant court gentleman, a successful warrior, Sid became the hero of the works of court poets and roving minstrels. Ballads and romances formed the backbone of the famous “Song of My Side” Many writers have addressed this topic at all times, and Cornel’s play “Sid” has become a masterpiece. Lacked by contemporaries, driven from all stages by order of Richelieu, she later entered the repertoire of all theaters in the world. The role of Sid, performed by Gerard Philippe, glorified him no less than cinematic works. All works sang the legendary strength of the hero, military fortune, legendary male friendship and dedication to military affairs. Some modern scholars call Sid just a successful unprincipled mercenary, but legends say that the national hero is godlike. Jimena, his faithful “dove”, also became the heroine of several works. In the veins of all subsequent Spanish kings, the blood of Don Rodrigo flowed.
