The long struggle with the Moors made the Spanish a
patriotic people, keenly conscious of their national unity. The achievements of
Christian warriors were recited in countless ballads, and especially in the
fine Poem of the Cid. It deals with the exploits of Rodrigo Diaz, better
known by the title of the Cid (lord) given to him by the Moors. The Cid of
romance was the embodiment of every knightly virtue; the real Cid was a bandit,
who fought sometimes for the Christians, sometimes against them, but always in
his own interest. The Cid's evil deeds were forgotten, however, and after his
death in 1099 A.D. he became the national hero of Spain.
UNION OF CASTILE AND ARAGON, 1479 A.D.
Meanwhile the separate Spanish kingdoms were coming
together to form a nation. León and Castile in 1230 A.D. combined into
the one kingdom of Castile, so named because its frontiers bristled with
castles against the Moors. But the most important step in the making of Spain
was the marriage of Ferdinand of Aragon to Isabella of Castile, leading in 1479
A.D. to the union of these two kingdoms. About the same time the Castilian
language began to crowd out the other Spanish dialects and to become the
national speech.
