El Cid trivia
El Cid Mini Quiz
Test your knowledge with these top questions!
Question 1
Spanish knight Rodrigo Díaz de Vivar earned the name El Cid from an Arabic term meaning what?
"El Cid" stems from the Arabic dialect word "sidi" or "al-sayyid" (the lord). This honorary title reflects the deep respect he earned from Moorish forces in medieval Spain.
Question 2
Spanish folk hero El Cid spent several years of his exile doing what unexpected activity?
After King Alfonso VI banished him in 1081, El Cid offered his services to the Moorish rulers of Zaragoza, successfully defending them against Christian and Muslim enemies.
Question 3
According to legend, followers of Spanish hero El Cid won a final battle by doing what with his corpse?
Legend claims his wife tied his armored body to his horse, Babieca, to terrify the besieging Almoravid army. Historically, he died peacefully in Valencia in 1099.
Question 4
Castilian knight El Cid stars as the central hero in Spain's oldest surviving work of what literary type?
He is the subject of Cantar de mio Cid, a masterpiece of medieval Spanish literature. Composed around 1200, this epic poem blends historical facts with mythical heroics.