THE SCENE: The King’s nephews, known as the Infantes of Carrion, imagined opportunities for glory and enrichment when they married the daughters of the hero-general El Cid. What they didn’t expect was to be humiliated when they had the temerity to be afraid of a live lion.
THE TEXT: The Cid was at Valencia with his followers, and with him too were his sons-in-law, the Infantes of Carrion. The Cid was lying asleep on his couch when they had a nasty surprise. The lion struggled loose and escaped from his net. Great fear seized them in the middle of the hall, and the Cid’s men wrapped their cloaks about their arms and surrounded the couch to protect their lord.
Fernando Gonzales (one of the Infantes) looked round for somewhere to hide, but found no open door nor tower; so in his panic he crawled under the couch. Diego Gonzales made off through the door, crying: “I shall never see (my home in) Carrion again!” In his terror, he got behind the wine press and made his cloak and tunic all filthy.
At that moment, the Cid awoke and saw his couch surrounded by his brave followers. “What is the matter?” he asked. “What are you doing here, my good men?” “Honored lord,” they replied, “the lion has given us all a fright.” The Cid leaned on his elbow and rose to his feet, and leaving his cloak over his shoulder he walked towards the lion. When the lion saw him, it was so taken aback that it hung its head and nosed the ground. Don Rodrigo took it by the neck, let it along with his right hand and put it in the net.
All the onlookers, amazed at his courage, returned through the hall to the apartment. When the Cid asked for his sons-in-law they were nowhere to be found. When they were discovered they were pale with fear. You never saw such jesting and mockery as then went round the palace.
– The Song of the Cid, 12th Century AD
