Centenary Paper: The Cid’s Lineage in History and Fiction

The lineage of Rodrigo Díaz has recently been a subject of debate. This paper strives for a better understanding with several points in this regard: that he was not a member of the upper aristocracy by birth; that he is not portrayed as a lowly infanzón in the Cantar de Mio Cid , but rather as a powerful nobleman not belonging to the highest rank; that neither Rodrigo nor Jimena can be ascribed to the Flaínez family, meaning theirs was not an endogamic marriage; that she, being of royal blood, was buried at San Juan de la Peña rather than at Cardeña; that a confusion led to the poet naming one of the Cid’s daughters Elvira, with further insights on the usage of Sol as a cognomento also being provided; and that the hypothesis of a granddaughter called Maria marrying an alleged Count Bernat III of Besalú, should most definitely be dismissed.