The Battle of Clavijo is a mythical battle, which was believed for centuries to be historical, and it became a popular theme of Spanish traditions regarding the Christian expulsion of the Muslims. The stories about the battle are first found centuries after it allegedly occurred; according to them, it was fought near

Clavijo Clavijo is a municipality of the autonomous community of La Rioja (Spain). It is located near the capital, Logroño. , its population was of 276 inhabitants. In 834, according to a 12th-century spurious charter and later traditional records, th ...

between Christians, led by

Ramiro I of Asturias Ramiro I (c. 790 – 1 February 850) was king of Kingdom of Asturias, Asturias (modern-day Spain) from 842 until his death in 850. Son of King Bermudo I of Asturias, Bermudo I, he became king following a succession struggle after his predecessor, ...

, and

Muslim Muslims ( ar, المسلمون, , ) are people who adhere to Islam, a monotheistic religion belonging to the Abrahamic tradition. They consider the Quran, the foundational religious text of Islam, to be the verbatim word of the God of Abrah ...

s, led by the

Emir of Córdoba Emir (; ar, أمير ' ), sometimes transliterated amir, amier, or ameer, is a word of Arabic origin that can refer to a male monarch, aristocrat, holder of high-ranking military or political office, or other person possessing actual or cerem ...

. Modern historians no longer believe the battle to be historical - "To a serious historian, the existence of the Battle of Clavijo is not even a topic of discussion".

Background

In the legend,

James, son of Zebedee James the Great, also known as James, son of Zebedee, Saint James the Great, Saint James the Greater, Saint James the Elder, or Saint Jacob (Aramaic ܝܥܩܘܒ ܒܪ ܙܒܕܝ, Arabic يعقوب, Hebrew בן זבדי , '' Yaʿăqōḇ'', Latin '' ...

, an Apostle of

Jesus Jesus, likely from he, יֵשׁוּעַ, translit=Yēšūaʿ, label=Hebrew/Aramaic ( AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesus Christ or Jesus of Nazareth (among other names and titles), was a first-century Jewish preacher and religious ...

, and future Saint James/Santiago, who died 800 years earlier, suddenly appeared and led an outnumbered Christian army to gain its victory. He became the patron saint of Spain and is known to Spaniards as Santiago Matamoros ("the Moor-killer"). Aspects of the historical

Battle of Monte Laturce The Battle of Monte Laturce, also known as the second Battle of Albelda, was a victory for the forces of Ordoño I of Asturias and his ally García Íñiguez of Pamplona. They defeated the latter's uncle and former ally, the Banu Qasi lord of Bo ...

(859) were incorporated into this legend, as

Claudio Sánchez-Albornoz Claudio Sánchez-Albornoz y Menduiña (; April 7, 1893 in Madrid – July 8, 1984 in Ávila) was a Spanish scholar, politician and orator. He served as Prime Minister of the Spanish Republican government in exile during the dictatorship of Fran ...

demonstrated in 1948. The date originally assigned to the battle, 834, was changed in modern times to 844 to suit the inherent contradictions of the account. The day is sometimes given as 23 May. The legend as it survives was first written down about 300 years after the supposed event on a spurious charter. Another item, a forged grant to the Church of Santiago de Compostela by which Ramiro reportedly surrendered a part of the annual tribute owed him by all the Christians of Spain, also dates from the mid-twelfth century. The history of the cult of Saint James is rich in such frauds. Historian Jean Mitchell-Lanham says, "While this event is based on legend, the supposed battle has provided one of the strongest ideological icons in the Spanish national identity."

Gallery

Saint James' appearance at Clavijo has been a major theme in art. Among those artists who portrayed him there are

Aniello Falcone Aniello Falcone (15 November 16001656) was an Italian Baroque painter, active in Naples and noted for his painted depictions of battle scenes. Some sources refer to him as ''Ancillo Falcone''. Biography Born in Naples the son of a tradesman, ...

, Paolo da San Leocadio,

Evaristo Muñoz Evaristo Muñoz Estarlich (1684, Valencia – 1737, Valencia) was a Spanish Baroque painter; a follower of the decorative style introduced to Valencia by Antonio Palomino. Some sources give his year of birth as 1671. Biography He studied with ...

Mateo Pérez Mateo may refer to: People ;Name * Mateo (given name) * Mateo (surname) ;People named Mateo * Mateo (singer) (born 1986), former stage name of American pop/R&B singer-songwriter Arts, entertainment, and media * ''Mateo'' (1937 film), a 1937 Argent ...

Martin Schongauer Martin Schongauer (c. 1450–53, Colmar – 2 February 1491, Breisach), also known as Martin Schön ("Martin beautiful") or Hübsch Martin ("pretty Martin") by his contemporaries, was an Alsatian engraver and painter. He was the most important ...

Corrado Giaquinto Corrado Giaquinto (8 February 1703 – 18 April 1766) was an Italian Rococo painter. Early training and move to Rome He was born in Molfetta. As a boy he apprenticed with a modest local painter Saverio Porta, (c1667–1725), escaping the rel ...

, and Antonio González Ruiz. File:Battle of Clavijo by Martin Shongauer.png, Late medieval engraving of the battle of Clavijo by

File:Palacio de Rejoy, gable, Battle of Clavijo.PNG, Gable of the Pazo de Raxoi,

Santiago de Compostela Santiago de Compostela is the capital of the autonomous community of Galicia, in northwestern Spain. The city has its origin in the shrine of Saint James the Great, now the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela, as the destination of the Way of St ...

Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond") , national_anthem = (English: "Royal March") , i ...

File:Altichiero, scene della vita di san giacomo, basilica del santo, cappella di san felice, padova, 1376 circa.jpg, Scenes from the life of Saint James, including the battle of Clavijo File:20070415 - Monasterio de Uclés - La Aparición del Apóstol Santiago en la Batalla de Clavijo, obra de Antonio González Ruiz, presidiendo la Escalera principal.jpg, Saint James appearing at Clavijo, by Antonio González Ruiz File:St James -Cristo del Rey.jpg, St. James as carved by anonymous Mexican stone carvers.

Santa Fe, New Mexico Santa Fe ( ; , Spanish for 'Holy Faith'; tew, Oghá P'o'oge, Tewa for 'white shell water place'; tiw, Hulp'ó'ona, label=Tiwa language, Northern Tiwa; nv, Yootó, Navajo for 'bead + water place') is the capital of the U.S. state of New Mexico. ...

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

1760

References

Sources

*Pérez de Urbel, Justo. 1954. "Lo viejo y lo nuevo sobre el origin del Reino de Pamplona". ''Al-Andalus'', 19:1–42, especially 20–6. *Fletcher, Richard A. 1984
''Saint James's Catapult: The Life and Times of Diego Gelmírez of Santiago de Compostela''.
Oxford: Oxford University Press. {{coord, 42, 21, N, 2, 25, W, display=title 844 Spanish legends

9th century in Al-Andalus

Background

Gallery

See also

References

Sources