¡Santiago y cierra, España!
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¡Santiago y cierra, España! is a Spanish-language phrase. The invoking of the apostle's name (Santiago, James in English) is said to have been a common battle cry of Christian soldiers in medieval Iberia and beyond into the Early Modern Period.[1] The full form, using a conjugated form of the verb cerrar,[n. 1] is recorded since the late-16th and 17th centuries.[1] It made a comeback in 1930s Spain as it became the motto of Ramiro de Maeztu's right-wing magazine Acción Española.[1] As a reminescense of a mythicized look on the middle ages, embedded in narratives of the "Recovery" of Catholic Spain against the [Muslim] Other-enemy-invader, it has thus been historically embraced as a political slogan by arch-conservative milieus of Spanish society.[1]
Origins
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In the 9th century, Santiago (St. James) is mentioned in the context of the purported saint's apparition to King Ramiro I of Asturias (r. 842–850) prior to the battle of Clavijo where he encouraged and assured the Christian king of victory, stating:
"I will come to your aid and on the morrow by the hand of God you will overcome the countless multitude of Saracens... You will see me on a white horse... bearing a great white banner." [2]
As promised, the Apostle James appeared on horseback and the Spanish troops shouted, "May God and St. James help us!"[2]
The association of St. James with intervening in battle evolved during the medieval era and reconquest of Spain. As such, the concepts of St. James and warfare became tightly interwoven (ie: Santiago as Matamoros or the Moor-slayer). By the twelfth and thirteenth centuries, the appeals of Spanish soldiers and crusaders requesting assistance from God, the Virgin Mary or diverse Catholic Saints prior to engaging in battle with Muslim armies were common place and well attested to, as adduced in the epic poem of Cantar de mio Cid, 731:[3]
- "Los Moros llaman Mafomat e los Cristianos Santi Yague."
- "The Moors call on Muhammad, and the Christians on Santiago."
In the heat of battle, war cries were customary occurrences and although there are a variety of battle cries used throughout the history of the Reconquista, (eg: "St. Mary and Santiago!" or "Castilla!" or "Castilla and King Alfonso!" or "Santa Maria!")[4] the most enduring rallying cry of the reconquest of Spain was "¡Santiago y cierra, España!"
Notes
[edit]- ^ According to Pedro de Ribadeneira, as a synonym of acometer (transl. assail).[1]
References
[edit]- ^ a b c d e Linares, Lidwine (2012). "¡Santiago y cierra, España!". Les Cahiers de Framespa. 10 (10). doi:10.4000/framespa.1552.
- ^ a b O'Callaghan, Joseph (2004). Reconquest and Crusade in Medieval Spain. University of Pennsylvania Press. p. 195. ISBN 9780812218893.
- ^ O'Callaghan, Joseph (1975). A History of Medieval Spain. Cornell University Press. p. 105. ISBN 9780801408809.
- ^ O'Callaghan, Joseph (2014). The Gibraltar Crusade. University of Pennsylvania Press. p. 252. ISBN 9780812223026.