Bernardo del Carpio facts for kids
Bernardo del Carpio (sometimes spelled Bernaldo del Carpio) is a famous hero from old Spanish legends. For a long time, people thought he was a real person. They even believed he was the most important hero in medieval Christian Spain, more famous than El Cid! Today, we know his story is mostly a legend, but it's still a very exciting one.
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The Story of Bernardo del Carpio
The first versions of Bernardo's legend appeared in old books written in the 1200s. These books were called Chronicon mundi, Historia Gothica, and Primera Crónica General.
His Secret Birth and Early Life
According to these old stories, Bernardo was born from a secret marriage. His father was Sancho Díaz, a count from Saldaña. His mother was Jimena, who was the daughter of King Alfonso II of Asturias (who ruled from 791 to 835). Some rumors even said his mother was Timbor, the sister of the famous Frankish king, Charlemagne.
Bernardo was born early in King Alfonso's rule. But when the king found out about the secret marriage, he was very angry. He had Sancho, Bernardo's father, put in prison. Jimena, his mother, was sent to live in a convent. Bernardo himself was raised in the royal court, not knowing his parents.
Fighting for Spain's Freedom
As King Alfonso grew old, he decided to ask Charlemagne for help. He wanted Charlemagne to protect Spain from the Moors, who were people from North Africa living in parts of Spain. To get this help, King Alfonso agreed to let Charlemagne have some control over Spain.
Bernardo, however, did not like this idea at all. He led a group of people who resisted Charlemagne's influence. Because of Bernardo's strong stand, King Alfonso changed his mind and took back his offer to Charlemagne.
Charlemagne then decided to invade Asturias, a kingdom in Spain. Bernardo led the Spanish army against the Franks (Charlemagne's soldiers). He also had an ally, King Marsil of Zaragoza, who was a Moorish ruler. Bernardo and King Marsil's forces defeated the Franks at a place called Roncevaux Pass. During this battle, a famous knight named Roland was killed.
Searching for His Father
After his big victory, Bernardo learned a shocking truth: his father was still alive! He was very sad that his father was still in prison. Bernardo begged King Alfonso to free him, but the king refused.
Later, Charlemagne came back to get revenge on King Marsil. Bernardo decided to join Charlemagne against his old Moorish ally. Charlemagne rewarded Bernardo richly and took him to France.
Twenty-four years later, Bernardo returned to Asturias. He fought alongside a new king, Alfonso III, in a battle at Toledo.
More Battles and a Sad Discovery
Bernardo's cousin, Don Bueso, marched from France with an army. Bernardo defeated Don Bueso in a duel, a one-on-one fight. Then, he defeated Don Bueso's entire army. After this, Bernardo again demanded that his father be freed. But his request was still refused.
A year later, Bernardo fought in a tournament for the queen. He hoped this would finally earn his father's freedom, but he was refused once more. Bernardo became very angry and decided to take matters into his own hands. He started seizing land and causing trouble in the kingdom for two years.
He gathered many followers and built a castle called El Carpio near Salamanca. This castle became his headquarters. When King Alfonso III marched his army towards El Carpio, Bernardo made one last demand for his father's release. This time, the king agreed! But it was too late. Bernardo's father had died just three days before. Bernardo had lost his castle for nothing.
Bernardo went back to France for a while. Later, Charlemagne sent him back to Spain with soldiers and horses to fight the Moors again. Bernardo helped free several towns like Berbegal, Barbastro, and Sobrarbe. He then settled down, married Doña Galinda, and helped repopulate the Canal de Jaca area.
Where Did the Legend Come From?
Even though the old books presented Bernardo's story as history, it is mostly made up. The story has many things that don't fit with the real timeline. For example, Bernardo would have been 82 years old when he fought Don Bueso! His father would have been 110 when he died. The old books themselves sometimes showed doubt about the story.
Historians believe that the legend of Bernardo del Carpio might have started from a real person named Bernard of Septimania.
Bernardo in Books and Poems
The original stories of Bernardo del Carpio were sung by jongleurs. These were minstrels or entertainers who traveled around and recited poems and stories.
Later, in the 1300s, a poet named Pero Ferrús mentioned Bernardo del Carpio in one of his songs. This song praised many heroes from different cultures.
In 1624, a writer named Bernardo de Balbuena published a long poem called El Bernardo. This poem told many of Bernardo's adventures.
The famous writer Miguel de Cervantes, who wrote Don Quixote, also admired Bernardo del Carpio. In Don Quixote, the main character, Don Quixote, especially liked Bernardo because he supposedly crushed Roland with his bare hands. Cervantes even had an unfinished work about "the Bernardo," which was likely about Bernardo del Carpio. Cervantes liked to celebrate Spanish heroes.
See also
In Spanish: Bernardo del Carpio para niños
