El Cid (from Arabic "sid" or "master") was the name given to Rodrigo Díaz de Vivar (born Vivar, near Burgos, c1043). He is Spain's warrior hero, being brave and warlike but also loyal and fair. He grew up in the court of Fernando I of Castile and later fought against the Moors, earning the title, Campeador. He married Jimena, granddaughter of Alfonso VI, "the Wise." In 1089, after a disagreement with the king, he and his loyal retainers went into exile, recapturing Valencia from the Moors. He died in 1099 and his deeds are the subject of many oral accounts, the most complete being El Cantar del Mío Cid. His sword, La Tizona, is in a museum in Burgos.
