Colada is one of the two best-known swords, along with
Tizona, of
El Cid Campeador
Rodrigo Díaz de Vivar (c. 1043 – 10 July 1099) was a Castilian knight and warlord in medieval Spain. Fighting with both Christian and Muslim armies during his lifetime, he earned the Arabic honorific ''al-sīd'', which would evolve into El ...
. Won in combat from the Count of Barcelona, the sword was presented (along with Tizona) to his sons in law. According to the heroic verses of the
Cantar de mio Cid, after his sons-in-law beat his daughters and then abandoned them on the side of the road, El Cid asked for his gifts to be returned. Afterward, he bestowed the sword upon one of his knights, Martín Antolínez.
Though its authenticity is doubted, a blade named ''Colada'' and traditionally identified with that of El Cid, with the addition of a 16th-century hilt, is preserved in the
Royal Palace of Madrid. It is necessary to add that El Cid's sword is displayed in the Museum as the "Tizona" Sword, the name Colada could have easily been appointed by popular culture since Bards at the time shared stories of folklorical nature which were far from being based on historical facts.
According to Sebastián de Covarrubias,
[Sebastián de Covarrubias. ''Tesoro de la lengua castellana o española'', 1611.] ''Colada'' clearly means a sword made from "acero ''colado''" ("cast steel"), a process of alloyed steel without impurities.
As with
Tizona, Colada appears in the
epic poem Cantar de mio Cid as a sword that frightens unworthy opponents if wielded by a brave warrior.
El Cid
Rodrigo Díaz de Vivar (c. 1043 – 10 July 1099) was a Castilian knight and warlord in medieval Spain. Fighting with both Christian and Muslim armies during his lifetime, he earned the Arabic honorific ''al-sīd'', which would evolve into El ...
gives the sword to Martín Antolínez as a present, and he uses it in the duel against the
infante Diego González.
See also
*
Lobera
Lobera or La Lobera is the Spanish word for "wolves' lair", “wolf trap”, "wolf pack" or "wolf woman." It is equivalent to Portuguese Lobeira and Italian Luparia.
It may refer to:
Places
* Lobera de Onsella
* Lobera de la Vega
* Lobera de ...
References
Cantar de mio Cid
Fictional swords
Medieval European swords
Mythological swords
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