Editing Bernardo del Carpio

{{distinguish|Bernardo Carpio}}
'''Bernardo del Carpio''' (also spelled '''Bernaldo del Carpio''') is a legendary hero of the [[medieval Spain]].<ref>[https://www.encyclopedia.com/reference/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/bernardo-del-carpio ''encyclopedia.com'']</ref> Until the end of the nineteenth century and the labors of [[Ramón Menéndez Pidal]], he, not El Cid, was considered to have been the chief hero of medieval Christian Spain and was believed to be a historical person. His factual existence has been defended in the later 20th century, although the Spanish government has not designated him to be historical.

[[File:Bernardo del Carpio-Plaza Mayor de Salamanca.jpg|thumb|Bernardo del Carpio]]

==The story==
The earliest form of the legend of Bernardo is found in the ''Chronicon mundi'' of [[Lucas of Tuy]] (1236), followed closely by the ''[[Historia Gothica]]'' of [[Rodrigo Jiménez de Rada]] (1243) and the ''[[Primera Crónica General]]'' (1270).<ref name=Franklin>Albert B. Franklin III, "A Study of the Origins of the Legend of Bernardo del Carpio", ''Hispanic Review'' 5/4 (1937): 286–303. {{doi|10.2307/469961}} {{JSTOR|469961}}.</ref>

According to the form of the legend found in the 13th-century chronicles, Bernardo was the son of the secret marriage of Sancho Díaz, count of [[Saldaña, Palencia|Saldaña]], and Jimena, daughter of King  [[Alfonso II of Asturias]] ({{reign|791|835}}), although rumour had it that his mother was Timbor, sister of the [[Frankish king]] [[Charlemagne]]. He was born early in his Alfonso's reign, but when the king learned of the illicit marriage he had Sancho imprisoned and Jimena placed in a convent. Bernardo was raised in the royal court.<ref name=Franklin/>

When Alfonso grew old, he submitted to Charlemagne in return for protection against the [[Moors]]. Bernardo led the resistance to this submission, forcing Alfonso to renege. Charlemagne then invaded Asturias. Bernardo, leading the army, and his Moorish ally, King [[King Marsile|Marsil of Zaragoza]], defeated the Franks at the [[Battle of Roncevaux Pass]], where [[Roland]] was killed.<ref name=Franklin/>

After his victory, Bernardo learned that his father was still alive. He went into mourning for his living father, but Alfonso still refused to free him. When Charlemagne returned to take revenge on Marsil, Bernardo joined him against his old ally. Charlemagne richly rewarded him and brought him back to France. Twenty-four years later he returned to Asturias and fought alongside King [[Alfonso III of Asturias|Alfonso III]] at [[Toledo, Spain|Toledo]].<ref name=Franklin/>

When his cousin, Don Bueso, marched from France with an army, Bernardo defeated him in a duel and then defeated his army. He then demanded the freedom of his father, but was refused. A year later, he fought for the queen in a [[Tournament (medieval)|tournament]], but his request for his father's freedom was again refused. He then decided to go on a rampage, seizing land and generally terrorizing the kingdom for two years. He built up a large retinue and constructed a castle he called El Carpio near [[Salamanca]] as his headquarters. When Alfonso III marched on El Carpio, Bernardo demanded his father's release. This was granted, but his father had died three days before. Bernardo thus lost the castle for nothing.<ref name=Franklin/>

Bernardo returned to France for a time before Charlemagne sent him back with soldiers and horses to fight the Moors. He liberated [[Berbegal]], [[Barbastro]] and [[Sobrarbe]] before settling down to marry Doña Galinda, daughter of Count Alardos de Latre. He [[Repoblación|repopulated]] the Canal de Jaca.<ref name=Franklin/>

==Origins==
Although presented in the chronicles as history, the story is of Bernardo is fictitious, being full of anachronisms and chronologically impossible. He would have been 82 years old when he defeated Don Bueso and his father must have been 110 at his death. The ''Primera Crónica'' frequently expresses doubt about the story. The historical figure who is most likely the origin of the legend is [[Bernard of Septimania]].<ref name=Franklin/>

==Literary works about Bernardo del Carpio==
The original legend of Bernardo del Carpio was sung by the ''[[jongleur]]s'' (minstrels, professional reciters, entertainers) of the [[Kingdom of León]]. Later, the Castilian poet [[Pero Ferrús]] ([[floruit|fl.]] 1380) mentions Bernardo del Carpio in one of his cantigas, which combines the theme of the good life in [[Castile (historical region)|Castile]] with a series of ''loores'', or lyric paeans, to a series of [[greek mythology|Greek]], [[Roman mythology|Roman]], [[Biblical]], [[Chivalry|chivalric]], and [[Arab]] heroes.

In 1624 [[Bernardo de Balbuena]] published ''El Bernardo'', an [[epic poem]] recounting Bernardo's exploits.<ref>{{cite journal |last=Van Horne |first=John |title=''El Bernardo'' of Bernardo de Balbuena: A Study of the Poem with Particular Attention to Its Relations to the Epics of Boiardo and Aristo and to Its Significance in the Spanish Renaissance |work=University of Illinois Studies in Language and Literature |volume=XII |location=Urbana, Illinois |publisher=University of Illinois |date=1927 }}</ref>

In the opening of ''[[Don Quixote]]'', [[Miguel de Cervantes]] has the protagonist especially admiring Bernardo because he crushed Roland with his arms alone, although the context is clear that Quixote is placing too much credence in the fantastic stories of [[Romance (heroic literature)|romance]].

Cervantes referred to one of his works as "the Bernardo". This uncompleted work is lost, as are almost all of Cervantes's manuscripts. Daniel Eisenberg has proposed that in Cervantes's Spain a book about a " Bernardo" must have been about Bernardo del Carpio. In contrast with Roland/Orlando, Bernardo was a Spanish hero, a national hero, and Cervantes was much in favor of celebrating Spanish heroes, or celebrating them more.

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==Further reading==
*Burton, David. ''The Legend of Bernardo del Carpio: From Chronicle to Drama''.{{full citation needed|date=August 2020}}
*Fitzmaurice-Kelly, James. ''Chapters on Spanish Literature''. Glasgow: Good Press, 2019, at pp. 49–56.

==External links==
* [http://www.bernardodelcarpio.org Asociación cultural Bernardo del Carpio]
* [https://www.heritage-history.com/index.php?c=read&author=morris&book=spanish&story=carpio Bernardo Del Carpio] at heritage-history.com

[[Category:Legendary Spanish people]]
[[Category:Spanish literature]]