Speaking Truth to Power

This book traces the evolution of an oral narrative tradition that inspired the Spanish epic poem Mocedades de Rodrigo.

Matthew Bailey is a professor of Romance Languages at Washington and Lee University.

Ryan Giles, Professor of Spanish and Portuguese, Indiana University Bloomington:
“An original, rigorous study, Speaking Truth to Power explores how the figure of Rodrigo, the youthful Cid, emerged from oral storytelling in the wake of Charlemagne’s thwarted invasion of Iberia, and went on to be refashioned by chroniclers and poets, making his way into early modern Spanish theatre. This impressive work of scholarship sheds new light on the legend through a series of expert close readings, a deep knowledge of medieval epic and historiography, and a masterful command of historical and cultural contexts. The book will prove indispensable for scholars and students interested in the oral and literary development of heroic legends on the Iberian Peninsula, and how these relate to a larger tradition beyond the Pyrenees.”

Sol Miguel-Prendes, Professor of Spanish, Wake Forest University:
“This rich, nuanced analysis of young Rodrigo Díaz de Vivar’s legendary deeds sheds new light on the long oral tradition behind the narrative of Spain’s most storied hero. Starting with the epic tales born in response to Charlemagne’s invasion of Spain and culminating with Guillén de Castro’s early modern Mocedades del Cid, Bailey provides a way of understanding the dynamic, affective nature of creative storytelling on El Cid that is as convincing as it is insightful.”

Geraldine Hazbun, Professor of Medieval Spanish Literature, University of Oxford:
“This book offers a brilliant re-evaluation of the evolving oral and written narrative traditions of the young Cid. Matthew Bailey’s remarkable analysis of the true essence of Rodrigo’s heroism, his readiness to speak truth to power, to thereby challenge and to correct, invites wholescale reconsideration of Rodrigo’s identity and legacy in medieval narrative contexts and beyond. This book is essential and illuminating reading for scholars of the medieval Spanish epic.”