Describing the interplay among the Iberian states of the period in a few paragraphs does little justice to the intricacies of the times. Not only did the Christian states and the taifas war constantly with each other Christians and Moors would just as quickly ally to fight a third party that might or might not share either of their faiths. On top of this were the incessant civil wars within the states. It would take quite a complicated wargame campaign to be as convoluted as the real history of Spain in the late 11th century.
One of the attractions of wargaming in the medieval period is it's nonuniformity. Ideally, no two figures in a medieval army will be alike. Uniforms as such were non-existent and outfits were created as needed. Variety in dress, armor and weapons required time-consuming work in collecting and painting the figures, but the end result is worth it. The color and assortment produce considerablc eye-pleasing pageantry -- and isn't that eye appeal at least part of the reason all of us participate in this hobby?
Another strong drawing card for medieval wargamers is the small scale on which war was waged back then. In this time frame, an army of 4,000 was considered a large one. In the standard scale of 20:1, such an army can be represented on the wargaming table in it's entirety by 200 figures. A couple such armies and you are ready to battle away, with the fare of the Iberian peninsula in your hands.
ONCE MORE INTO THE LISTS
Yes, here's another army "list". But you don't have to treat it as gospel. No list can claim to be the ultimate authority on any period. There's always room for additional interpretation, your included. But, for those unfamiliar with the period in question, a list can get them into wargaming the period quickly - and with reasonable authenticity. Others who prefer to tailor lists based on their own research may find this (or any other list) simply a convenient departure point. With that said, here's a personal, subjective army list for wargaming in the time of El Cid:
SPANISH AND ANDALUSIAN
Cavalry: 15 to 25 percent of the total forces would be cavalry. Most of these should be light cavalry, perhaps two-thirds of the mounted troops. Christian armies might have an even higher percentage of mounted troops, but the proportions of fight cavalry should remain correspondingly high as well.
Infintry:Up to 50 percent of foot troops would be missilearmed (crossbows, slings and bows)Another 30 to 40 percent of the foot would be armed with javelins and perhaps a spear. These would be fight infantry. The rest of the infantry force would be spear-armed medium infantry.
The above, however, only applies to a force gathered for a battle. A raiding force, on the other hand, would differ markedly and could consist of up to 100 percent cavalry, most of those being fight cavalry. A few light infantry might accompany such a force if the raid wasn't too extended and the foot were capable of moving rapidly enough to keep up with the horsemen.
ALMORAVID
Cavalry: 20 to 30 percent of the entire force would be mounted. A small proportion of these would be camelry, the rest light Berber horse and Spanish mercenaries (Christian or Moorish).
Infantry: More than half the foot would be Berber light infantry, their numbers about equally divided between spearmen and archer's. The remainder of the foot would be black African fight infantry, this contingent also being composed of equal numbers of spearmen and archers.
ED NOTE: This article was extensively footnoted We had to remove them because of Space limits . The footnotes all refer to referenced lifted in the bibliography.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Beeler, John. Warfare in Feudal Europe, 730 - 1200"(Cornell University Press, Ithica, N.Y. and London, 197 1).
Durant, Will. 'The Age ofFaith'(Simon and Schuster, New York, 195 1). Encyclopedia Britannica, 1987
Fuller, J.F.C. 'Military History of the Western World Vol. I (Funk and Wagnalls Co., New York, 1954).
Ian Heath. 'Armies of Feudal Europe, 1066- 1300"(Wargames Research Group, 1989). Ian Heath. -Armies of the Dark Ages, 600- 1066-(Wargames Research Group, 1989). Jackson, Gabriel. 'The Making of Medieval Spain "(Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, 1972).
Krepps, Robert. "EI Cid" (Gold Medal Books, Greenwish, Conn., 196 1).
Louric, Elena. 'A Society Organized for War: Medieval Spain " (Past and Pre sent X X XV, 1966).
Nicolle, David. "EI Cid and the Reconquista (Osprey Publishing London, 1988).
Oman, C.W.C.. 'The Art of War in the Middle Ages, AD 378-1515" (Cornell University Press, revised edition, 195 3).
Pidal, Ramon Menendez. "The Cid and His Spain" (Frank Cass and Co., London, new impression, 1971).
'The Poem of the Cid" (translated by W.S. Merwin in "Medieval Epics", The Modem Library, New York, 1959).
Smail, R.C. "Crusading Warfare, 1097 - 1193" (Cambridge University Press, paperback edition, 1972).
Beeler is one of the unsung heroes among medieval historians, For years, his book was the only modern, general word on military aspects of feudal Europe that was available. It's still a milestone achievement.
The WRG books are jam-packed with well-researched information about arms and equipment, coloring~) and even shield patterns. Though they're expensive, they're also invaluable.
Encyclopedia Britannica contains a concise but thorough review of the 11th century Spanish history in the Macropedia under the listing of Spain. This particular entry also includes several maps showing political borders. One of these, outlining the Spanish states, including the taifas, in the year 1037, is well worth looking at if you are creating a campaign map for the period.
One of the most useful books for wargamers is Osprey No. 200, "El Cid and the Reconquista*. This is a must for anyone interested in the period and brims over with usefid information about armies, arms and equipment. The color plates are outstanding and the photos of figures on monuments are also helpful. Unfortunately, the book covers the entire Reconquista, down to 1492, so a lot of the material is outside the period of El Cid.
No review of the Cid's time would be complete without mentioning 'The Poem of the Cid", the Spanish national epic. The poem is considered one of the more realistic of the medieval epics and was set down within 50 years of the Cid's death. It portrays the context of the times, but it can be tedious going for those accustomed to more modern writing. The particular translation mentioned above contains a lengthy introduction that details the career of the Cid and includes lots of historical names and dates.
Finally, there is "El Cid" by Robert Krepps, a paperback novel written as a companion piece to the 1961 movie. The book rises above it's humble origins, however, and does a considerably better job of evoking character than the movie on which it was based. Although, for the most part, the treatment of the Cid himself misses the historical mark, this is an enjoyable work of modern fiction that succeeds in giving the reader some feel for the period. But these types of books have short shelf lives and are meant to cash in on the popularity of current movies, so this one's long been a collector's item. If you happen across a copy in a store that handles used books, snatch it!
More El Cid
- Introduction
Early Spain and the Career of El Cid
Arms and Equipment and Coloring
Military Forces, Organization, and Tactics
Wargaming, Lists, and Bibliography
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