Fellow publishes new books about legendary leaders

A Fellow of St Catharine’s is celebrating the publication of two new books that explore the emergence of two historical leaders in the eleventh century whose histories have evolved over the centuries into legends that remain relevant and meaningful in modern-day Spain and Hungary. Professor Nora Berend (1996), Professor of European History at the University of Cambridge’s Faculty of History, released ‘Stephen I, the First Christian King of Hungary’ (Oxford University Press) in June 2024, which she is set to follow up with the publication of ‘El Cid’ (Sceptre) on 7 November 2024. 

Professor Berend comments, "It was a new experience to write both an academic monograph and a trade book, on issues that have interested me for a long time. Studying the relationship between history and myth, both in the lifetime of the protagonists and after their death has been a source of many surprises and discoveries."

Stephen I, the First Christian King of Hungary

Stephen I (c. 975–1038), Hungary's first Christian king, has been celebrated as the founder of the Hungarian state and church. Despite the scarcity of medieval sources, and consequent limitations on historical knowledge, he has had a central importance in narratives of Hungarian history and national identity. 

Professor Berend traces the origin of crucial stories around Stephen, contextualising both the invention of early narratives and their later use. A challenger to Stephen's rule who may be a medieval literary invention became the protagonist of a rock opera in 1983, also standing in for Imre Nagy, a key figure of the Hungarian Revolution of 1956; moreover, he was reinvented as the embodiment of true Hungarian identity. Her book analyses the often seamless flow that has turned medieval myth into modern history, showing that politicisation was not a modern addition, but a determinant factor from the start.

Cambridge’s Centre for Geopolitics is hosting the official book launch at 5.30–7pm on 26 November 2024. The event is free, with a drinks reception afterwards, but it is essential to sign up to secure a space at https://www.cfg.polis.cam.ac.uk/events/professor-nora-berend-stephen-i-the-first-christian-king-of-hungary-from-medieval-myth-to-modern-legend-book-launch/.

El Cid

Rodrigo Díaz (c. 1043–1099) lived a violently colourful life in eleventh-century Spain. An ambitious military leader, exile and brutal mercenary, he served Christian kings, fought against Christian princes in the service of Muslim rulers, raided and killed Muslims and eventually struck out on his own, carving out an independent principality. Whether in life or after death, he came to be known as el Cid, which ultimately derives from the Arabic word for ‘lord’. While Rodrigo the man is long dead, El Cid lives on: a superhero; a quasi-saint; the ‘spirit of Spain’, according to military dictator Franco; and a champion of medieval Spanish multiculturalism.

In her latest book, Professor Berend uncovers how el Cid has been transformed across the centuries, confronting the gulf between truth and legend and examining how a military adventurer became a hero to people on opposite ends of the political spectrum. She will be discussing the book on History Hit's Gone Medieval podcast, currently scheduled for 12 November 2024.