8176 El Cid Spanish Infantry
Dated: August 09, updated September 7, 2009.
The Christian kingdoms of eleventh-century Iberia were divided among a number of competing rulers, including Leon, Castile, Navarre and Aragon, together with a shifting collection of counties and lordships. Their armies fought not only against the Muslim taifa kingdoms of al-Andalus, but also against one another. Alliances frequently crossed religious lines, making the warfare of El Cid's age far more complicated than a simple struggle between Christians and Muslims.
Spanish infantry formed the main body of many of these armies. Most foot soldiers were drawn from local levies, town militias and the retainers of nobles, while better equipped men could serve more regularly alongside mounted knights. Their equipment varied considerably according to wealth, region and status, so a battlefield force might contain soldiers with mail, helmets and large shields beside much more lightly equipped men.
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The spear was one of the most common infantry weapons, useful both in formation and against cavalry. Swords, javelins and bows were also widely employed, while shields appeared in several shapes and sizes. The long kite-shaped shield, increasingly common during the eleventh century, offered good protection from shoulder to leg and became closely associated with both mounted and foot soldiers of the period.
Christian infantry fought in close formations when necessary, but medieval Iberian warfare also involved raids, ambushes, sieges and fighting around fortified towns. Infantrymen were essential for holding captured ground, defending walls and camps, supporting cavalry and providing the numbers needed for prolonged campaigns.
El Cid himself fought in this politically divided world. Born Rodrigo Diaz de Vivar, he served King Sancho II of Castile and later Alfonso VI, but after exile he entered the service of the Muslim taifa of Zaragoza. There he fought both Muslim and Christian opponents before eventually establishing his own rule at Valencia. His career illustrates how military service and political loyalty could cross the religious divisions usually associated with the period.
Spanish infantry took part in many of the major struggles of the late eleventh century. They fought in the wars between Castile, Leon and neighbouring Christian states, in conflicts against the taifa kingdoms and later against the Almoravids after their arrival from North Africa. They also played an important role in the long series of sieges and counter-sieges that accompanied the contest for towns such as Toledo and Valencia.
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The capture of Toledo by Alfonso VI in 1085 marked a major change in the balance of power. The taifa rulers responded by calling upon the Almoravids for assistance, bringing a new and powerful North African army into Iberia. Spanish troops therefore faced both Andalusian forces and, increasingly, Almoravid armies during the later part of El Cid's career.
This set represents the Christian infantry of Spain during the age of El Cid. The figures are suitable for the armies of Castile and Leon as well as other Christian states and can be used for levies, town troops and more experienced soldiers serving alongside the mounted nobility.
The set can be combined with our El Cid Spanish Light Cavalry, Spanish Heavy Cavalry and Spanish Command to create a broader Christian army. Together, these sets can represent the forces of Castile and Leon, regional lords or El Cid's own followers during his campaigns in eastern Spain.
Used against our Andalusian and Almoravid infantry, cavalry and command sets, these figures can recreate the changing conflicts of eleventh-century Iberia, from struggles between neighbouring kingdoms to the larger wars that followed the Almoravid intervention. They are especially suitable for campaigns connected with Zaragoza, Toledo, Valencia and the wider world of El Cid.