BLOOD, BANNERS AND WILD BOARS

by Jonreed Lauritzen ‧ RELEASE DATE: March 16, 1967

Cretans, Phoeniciaus, Byzantines, Greeks, Persians, Egyptians, Arabs, Romans, Goths, Visigoths, and Moroccans overran Spain one after another spawning folk heroes whose tales have been handed down by word of mouth for hundreds of years. Three young warriors became legend: Viriato, a crippled peasant lad whose guerrilla tactics almost drove Scipio out of Spain; Leandro, a noble youth who used the same methods to rout the Norsemen; Bernardo, famous knight and love-child of a princess whose bumbling bumpkin of a servant killed France's beloved Roland. Stories of two older men were also told: of Ramiro II, a monk forced to kingship who learned to wield his ruthless power to keep peace in Spain, and of Lazaro, blinded and misused yet still capable of teaching El Cid a lesson. The romantic entry, Rojin Rojal, thwarted lover and illegitimate son of a Norse king, killed the boor who married his love and the wild boar which slew her. Six distinctly Spanish legends are introduced by a capsule history and told with bravado and evocative imagery by an accomplished raconteur--good stories to read or retell.

Pub Date: March 16, 1967

ISBN: N/A

Page Count: -

Publisher: Little Brown

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 1967

Categories: NONFICTION