In this explosive episode, we dive into the legendary tale of El Cid, the exiled Castilian knight whose sword may be sidelined, but whose legacy is anything but forgotten. While El Cid is holding the northeastern flank in Zaragoza, Alfonso VI takes center stage, leading a brilliant and strategic expansion of Christian borders — including the historic conquest of Toledo. But the Reconquista is far from one-sided.

Alarmed by Christian advances, the Taifa King of Seville and key Islamic religious leaders in Cordoba call upon Yusuf ibn Tashfin and his battle-hardened and religious dogmatic Almoravid army in North Africa. Their mission? To reclaim Al-Andalus and remove the Christian yoke once and for all.
The tension explodes in one of the most epic pitch battles of the Reconquista: the clash at Sagrajas in the region of Badajoz, where Alfonso VI rallies a massive Christian coalition to face the Islamic invaders head-on.

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In this episode of the DWS podcast, we go back and examine not only El Cid’s early military career in more detail but also analyze and unpack the politically fraught situation that would inevitably led to Civil War between the Castilian royal family. El Cid is a vassal, friend, and battlefield comrade to King Sancho, the eldest brother. Because of his natural and deadly talent, Rodrigo Diaz earns the name “Campeador” and nearly everyone across the Iberian has heard of his military exploits and moreover when the enemy sees or hears that he is present on the battlefield they very often take flight.
Just as the war was ending, King Sancho is assassinated, and El Cid eventually finds himself adrift in foreign lands working as a sword-for-hire. He has only one choice: in order to survive he must fight.

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Welcome back to The Dead Warrior Society, the podcast where history’s fiercest fighters live again. In this episode, we dive into the early life and legendary exploits of Rodrigo Díaz de Vivar—better known as El Cid. From his rise through the ranks of Castilian nobility to his battlefield brilliance and uneasy alliances with both Christian and Muslim rulers, El Cid's story is as complex as it is iconic.

But this isn't just a tale of swords and sieges. Throughout the episode, we explore the broader world of the Reconquista: who actually fought in it, what weapons and tactics were used, and how power was structured in medieval Iberia. We examine the layers of feudal obligation, beginning with the king himself and working down through his royal entourage, noble vassals, and military retainers, highlighting how governance, loyalty, and warfare were all deeply intertwined.