El Cid

attacks rather than the justification that God told him it was a good idea, as the Islamic Caliph does not speak with God’s voice and therefore God has no involvement in the matter. Furthermore, when El Cid is in good graces with the King, he states “Travel freely through Castile and return to the Cid without…

The word Moors derives from the Latin mauri, a name for the Berber tribes living in Roman Mauretania (modern day Algeria and Morocco). It has no ethnographic meaning but can be used to refer to all Muslims, Berber or Arab, who conquered the Iberian Peninsula. These Moors, who were religious fanatics, arrived in Spain in the year 711 and thus began a period of history which would shape Iberia differently than the rest of Europe as the land adapted to a new religion, language and culture.…

During the Reconquista, one of Christian Spain’s most prominent heroes was known as El Cid. He was well known for formulating the plan to take over Muslim Valencia on Spain’s Mediterranean coast in 1094. He was also well known for winning battles after battle. “While Roland leaves Spain strewn with France’s valiant dead, none of the Cid’s key lieutenants and precious few of his rank-and-file soldiers perish. The Cid wins every battle he joins.” These two iconic figures were leaders and showed…

where he ran into “the new cid” a local gang leader. Later Catalina gave into one of her addictions once more, gambling, Catalina happened to be on a streak and winning large amounts of money, but once “ the new cid” believed it was large enough he felt as though he was entitled to a portion of the money, “ the new cid” did this twice and upon the third try Catalina took a dagger and nailed “the new cid’s” hand to the table and this was not taken lightly by “ the new cids” gang and Catalina…

MARTIN SCORSESE Martin Charles Scorsese born November 17, 1942) is an American film director, screenwriter, producer, actor, and film historian. Part of the New Hollywood wave of filmmaking, he is widely regarded as one of the most significant and influential filmmakers in cinema history. In 1990, he founded The Film Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to film preservation, and in 2007 he founded the World Cinema Foundation. He is a recipient of the AFI Life Achievement Award for his…

like one of those cheap fans you used on a hot sunny day during baseball games. The mist sprung onto my face every time the long white speed boat hit a wave. My family and a few others on the adventure weren't far off the coast, I could still see el cid, our resort. We were heading to a small beautiful green jungle in Mexico. The ride was quick. We thanked the…

The bullfight, as it is rehearsed today, includes proficient toreros (of whom the most senior, who really kills the bull, is known as a bullfighter) who execute different formal moves which have an importance, or if nothing else a name, as indicated by the matador's style or school. It has been asserted that toreros look to evoke motivation and craftsmanship from their work and an enthusiastic association with the group transmitted through the bull. The nearby closeness puts the matador at some…

that I chose to write about Francisco Goya was that he is from Spain. I have heard my mother tell me many times that our ancestry comes from Spain. She says that our genealogy shows that we are descended from the great military leader from Spain, El Cid. My fascination with Spain does not disappoint as I have been able to learn more about the artist born on March 30, 1746, Francisco José de Goya y Lucientes. Born in Fuendetodos, Spain to José Benito de Goya y Franque and Gracia de Lucientes y…

The Spanish Reconquista The history of Spain is a tale of both the blending and the clashing of cultures. When Muslims, Jews, and Christians could maintain peace, Spanish culture would exceed that of all the rest of Europe. When persecution and strife broke out, wars that amounted to crusades were the result. Ultimately Spain was united as a nation under triumphant Christian monarchs whose exploits went beyond anything medieval Europeans could even imagine. The result was the foundation of…

William Egginton has given a comprehensive analysis of film in which he argues that “this thematic convergence is not new, but is rather the logical extension of a narrative trope whose history predates the invention of film and, in fact, reaches back to the invention of theater in the 16th century”. William states that what film has brought into the picture at the end of this century is the possibility that the circle will become complete, that the represented reality will cross the threshold…