4th Annual Cal Poly Pomona Student RSCA Conference March 4, 2016 University Library, Oral Presentations from 12:45 to 5 pm Bronco Student Center (Ursa Major), Poster Session, Performance Presentation, and Reception from 4 to 6:30 pm

Lead Author: Montserrat Gonzalez

Major: Spanish

College: Letters, Arts, Social Science

Co-author(s): Not Applicable

Faculty Mentor(s): Dr. Marta Albala

Presentation Type: Oral Presentation

Project Title: The construction of a hero: Rodrígo Díaz de Vivar through his epic adventures in Las and El Cantar de Mio Cid

Synopsis: This abstract provides a description of my research which analyzes the differences and similarities between the late epic poem Las Mocedades de Rodrigo and the literary myth El Cantar de Mio Cid.

Abstract: The construction of a hero: Rodrígo Díaz de Vivar through his epic adventures in Las Mocedades de Rodrigo and El Cantar de Mio Cid Montserrat Gonzalez California State Polytechnic University, Pomona Las Mocedades de Rodrigo is a late epic poem, composed during the Middle Ages narrating the fictional adventures of Rodrigo Díaz de Vivar, , a long-standing hero in Spanish Nationalistic discourses. Its codex, found in the National Library in Paris, does not portray the mature hero that will forge the legend on El Cantar de Mio Cid but instead describes him at a young stage of his life, what enables the poet to display Rodrigo's ancestors and the conflicts his family faced when he was a young boy. Las Mocedades depicts Rodrigo as an arrogant and rude twelve-year old kid who did not had the respect of the king, the soldiers or the community, thus questioning the very foundations of the construction of the literary myth, as portrayed in El Poema de Mio Cid. While Mocedades de Rodrigo presents the early life of Rodrigo Diaz de Vivar, el Cantar de Mio Cid portrays El Cid as the brave mature leader that late nineteenth century nationalistic critics, such as Menendez Pelayo have praised. El Cid is depicted as a loyal vassal who battles his enemies on behalf of his king as well as for his own honor. Critics of Mocedades de Rodrigo such as V.A Hubert claim that such poem is an imitation of El Cantar de Mio Cid which affects the perception and reputation of this iconic idol, thus availing for a more contemporaneous reading of the poem attuned to nowadays sensibilities. Thus, it is important to compare and understand both poems in order for us to ponder the different renderings of the character, and the impact those might have as contemporary readings.