El+Cid


 * Who is El Cid?**
 * ** El Cid (The Lord) is one of Spain’s national heroes. **
 * ** His real name was Rodrigo Diaz de Vivar. **
 * ** Although he was unjustly accused of disloyalty and banished from Castile. He gathered together a small army and fought for anyone that hired him. **
 * ** He was successful and became wealthy. **
 * ** His most famous accomplishment was his conquering of Valencia from the Moors. **
 * ** He ended up controlling most of Spain. **


 * What is epic poetry?**
 * ** An epic is a narrative poem, beginning with the Iliad and The Odyssey written by Homer. **
 * ** Many epics depict heroic deeds of people in war or travel. **
 * ** Most heroes are also demigods, but some talk of real men. **
 * ** Sometimes, epic poetry is written by one author, while other times it can be made by a collection of people. **
 * ** Earliest ones were sung. **


 * Describe the Middle Ages**
 * ** Period between 400-1400 **
 * ** AKA medieval period. **
 * ** Many Europeans converted to Christianity during this time and Islam became the dominant religion in the southern Mediterranean. **


 * Describe the role of the lords in that era.**
 * ** Life centered around fighting. **
 * ** Lords and knights wore heavy armor, rode horses, and fought with lances or heavy swords. **
 * ** A knight was supposed to be courageous in battle, fight according to certain rules, keep their word, defend their church. **
 * ** A woman (Lady) was considered property of the men in her family or her husband. **


 * Describe the Moors and their role in the history of Spain.**
 * ** Muslims from various places-The Moors are Muslim people who speak Arabic, and come from the Spanish, Jewish, or Turkish descent. They lived in northwestern Africa. Includes the Berbers. **
 * ** The Arabs and the Moors conquered Spain in the 700’s. They lost most of their land, by the 1200’s. **
 * ** In 1492, Ferdinand and Isabella conquered their last kingdom and forced them to become Christians or to leave. **