As portrayed in El Cid
| Ximena, Sol, and Elvira As portrayed in El Cid |
Born 1075. Daughter of the Cid. In historical records called Cristina. In 1098 she married Ramiro, Prince of Navarre, Lord of Monzon, a grandson of King Garcia de Atapuerca.
Their son, Garcia Ramirez, became King of Navarre in 1134. There is no historical record of her betrothal or marriage to one of the Infantes of Carrion.
Now the Cid bethought him of Dona Ximena his wife, and of his daughters Dona Elvira and Dona Sol, whom he had left in the Monastery of St. Pedro de Cardena; and he called for Alvar Fanez and Martin Antolinez of Burgos, and spake with them, and besought them that they would go to Castille, to King Don Alfonso his Lord, and take him a present from the riches which God-had given them; and the present should be a hundred horses, saddled and bridled; and that they would kiss the King's hand for him, and beseech him to send him his wife Dona Ximena, and his daughters, and that they would tell the King all the mercy which God had shown him, and how he was at his service with Valencia and with all that he had.
And Alvar Fanez and Martin Antolinez, when they saw them coming, leapt off their horses, and went to them, and Minaya embraced Dona Ximena and both his cousins, Dona Elvira and Dona Sol, and so great was the rejoicing which they made together that no man can tell it you.
The second reason was, that I might ask you for your two daughters Dona Elvira and Dona Sol, that you would give them in marriage to the Infantes of Carrion, for this methinks would be a fit marriage, and to your honour and good.
On the morrow the Cid mounted his horse and rode into Alcudia, and brought the Infantes his sons-in-law from thence with him into the city to the Alcazar, that they might see their brides Dona Elvira and Dona Sol.
When this was done, the Cid went and seated himself on the estrado with the ladies, he and Dona Ximena in the middle, and beside him he placed Dona Elvira his eldest daughter, and by her, her spouse the Infante Diego Gonzalez; and Dona Sol was seated on the other side, by her mother, and the Infante Ferrando by her.
And the two sisters Dona Elvira and Dona Sol, came and knelt before the Cid and before Dona Ximena their mother, and said, You send us to the lands of Carrion, and we must fulfil your command; now then give us your blessing, and let us have some of your people with us in Carrion, we beseech you.
Dona Elvira and Dona Sol, I go with your favour.
And Dona Elvira said to her husband, Why wouldst thou that we should remain alone in this place? And he said, Hold thy peace, and thou shalt see! And the Infantes tore away the mantles from of their wives, and the garments which they wore, save only their inner garment, and they held them by the hair of their head with one hand and with the other took the girths of their horses.
And Felez Munoz called out to them, Cousins! Cousins! Dona Elvira! Dona Sol! for the love of God rouse yourselves that we may get away before night comes, or the wild beasts will devour us! and they came to themselves and began to open their eyes, and saw that he who spake to them was Felez Munoz; and he said to them, For the love of God take heart and let us be gone; for the Infantes will soon seek for me, and if God do not befriend us we shall all be slain.
When the good man had said this, Dona Sol turned to Dona Elvira and said, Sister, the good man saith well, and it is better that we should go with him than remain and die here, for so shall we see the vengeance which I trust in God our father will give us.
Great was the joy of Dona Ximena and her daughters, and they bent their knees to the ground, and praised the name of Jesus Christ, because he had given them this vengeance for the dishonour which they had received; and Dona Elvira and Dona Sol embraced those knights many times, and would fain have kissed their hands and their feet.
He of Navarre hight Don Ramiro, and he was the son of King Don Sancho, him who was slain at Rueda; and he married with Dona Elvira, the elder: and the Infante of Aragon who married Dona Sol, the younger, hight Don Sancho, and was the son of King Don Pedro.
When eight days were overpast the Bishop Don Hieronymo married the Infantes of Aragon and Navarre to the daughters of the Cid in this manner: the Infante Don Ramiro of Navarre to Dona Elvira, and the Infante Don Sancho of Aragon to Dona Sol.
And there after few days the King of Navarre came with the Queen Dona Elvira his wife; and they brought with them two hundred knights; howbeit their shields were not reversed, for they had heard that no mourning was to be made for the Cid.
And when they were within half a league of Santesteban, the company of the Cid went out to meet them, as they had the Infante of Aragon; and they made no other lamentation, save that they wept with Dona Elvira; and when she came up to the body of her father she kissed his hand, and the hand of Dona Ximena her mother.
King Don Ramiro soon arrived with the other dame, Queen Dona Elvira his wife, and he brought with him a great company in honour of his wife's mother, and also the Bishop of Pamplona, to do honour to her funeral; and the Infante Don Garcia Ramirez, their son, came with them, being a child of four years old.
And when the seven days were over, King Don Ramiro and Queen Dona Elvira his wife, and her sister, Dona Sol, set apart rents for the soul of Dona Ximena, and they appointed that Gil Diaz should have them for his life, and that then they should go to the Monastery for ever: and they ordained certain anniversaries for the souls of the Cid and Of Dona Ximena.
After this was done they divided between them what Dona Ximena had left, which was a great treasure in gold and in silver, and in costly garments;...the one half Queen Dona Elvira took, and Dona Sol the other.
And when they had thus divided it, Dona Sol said that all which she had in the world should be for her nephew the Infante Don Garcia Ramirez, and with the good will of Queen Elvira his mother, she adopted him then to be her son, and she took him with her to Aragon, to the lands which had been given her in dower, and bred him up till he became a young man; and after the death of his father he was made King of Navarre, as may be seen in the book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Spain.