The "Tizona" of Béjar

Jim McDougall · 10th December 2024, 06:04 PM

Very welcome, and well deserved for such a well research and well written paper which goes into the depths of how legends can often be compounded and alter the true understanding of many historical topics.

While there is of course a great deal of material and analysis regarding El Cid in the study of Iberian history, notably absent is any specific attention in kind toward his fabled sword TIZONA. As I read this amazing paper, I turned to a book I have long had titled "The Quest for El Cid" by Richard Fletcher (1989), in which there is of course no mention of Tizona, or any sword or weapon.
This is in my view, characteristic of much academic material, which avoids subject matter which is surrounded with subjective or any apocryphal detail.
This is unfortunate, as these details often offer important perspective in the review of the subject at hand.

El Cid was a real figure who reached legendary status in the history of Spain, who I would compare in essence to the literally legendary figure of King Arthur, who did not gain notable popularity until the 12th c. writing of Geoffrey of Monmouth. While much of this had basis in Welsh mythology and Celtic folklore, it was embellished enough to have questionable historicity. Interestingly virtually all of the material on King Arthur which began with popular study in the late 18th through 19th centuries, emphatically refers to EXCALIBUR, which has conflicting identity as the 'sword in the stone' as well as the sword from 'the lady in the lake'.

As a note toward the interesting background of Tizona, I found a clipping in the pages of my copy of Fletchers 1989 book (I often place such items in books in my library),
Titled "Sword of El Cid at the Heart of a Battle", (Judith Kane, "Renaissance" , #24; Vol.8, "6....discussing the sword Tizona in a legal battle between the family of the Marquis de Falces who had owned it since the 15th c.
They had loaned it to the Army Museum in Madrid for 60 years, but the family had offered to sell it for 5 million dollars.
The Spanish government questioned the swords authenticity but still offered $660,000, which was declined.
They then used 'heritage laws' to prevent the Marquis from selling it outside Spain.
There seems to have been other legal disputes concerning ownership which were concurrent.
While not relevant necessarily it just seemed interesting in accord with the subject matter in this fascinating paper.

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10th December 2024, 06:04 PM	#4
Jim McDougall Arms Historian Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Route 66 Posts: 10,278	Very welcome, and well deserved for such a well research and well written paper which goes into the depths of how legends can often be compounded and alter the true understanding of many historical topics. While there is of course a great deal of material and analysis regarding El Cid in the study of Iberian history, notably absent is any specific attention in kind toward his fabled sword TIZONA. As I read this amazing paper, I turned to a book I have long had titled "The Quest for El Cid" by Richard Fletcher (1989), in which there is of course no mention of Tizona, or any sword or weapon. This is in my view, characteristic of much academic material, which avoids subject matter which is surrounded with subjective or any apocryphal detail. This is unfortunate, as these details often offer important perspective in the review of the subject at hand. El Cid was a real figure who reached legendary status in the history of Spain, who I would compare in essence to the literally legendary figure of King Arthur, who did not gain notable popularity until the 12th c. writing of Geoffrey of Monmouth. While much of this had basis in Welsh mythology and Celtic folklore, it was embellished enough to have questionable historicity. Interestingly virtually all of the material on King Arthur which began with popular study in the late 18th through 19th centuries, emphatically refers to EXCALIBUR, which has conflicting identity as the 'sword in the stone' as well as the sword from 'the lady in the lake'. As a note toward the interesting background of Tizona, I found a clipping in the pages of my copy of Fletchers 1989 book (I often place such items in books in my library), Titled "Sword of El Cid at the Heart of a Battle", (Judith Kane, "Renaissance" , #24; Vol.8, "6....discussing the sword Tizona in a legal battle between the family of the Marquis de Falces who had owned it since the 15th c. They had loaned it to the Army Museum in Madrid for 60 years, but the family had offered to sell it for 5 million dollars. The Spanish government questioned the swords authenticity but still offered $660,000, which was declined. They then used 'heritage laws' to prevent the Marquis from selling it outside Spain. There seems to have been other legal disputes concerning ownership which were concurrent. While not relevant necessarily it just seemed interesting in accord with the subject matter in this fascinating paper.