This study explores the extraordinary afterlife of the Spanish legend of King Roderick and La Cava in plays, poems, novels and operas from the eighth century to the present day.

Elizabeth Drayson is a member of the Department of Spanish and Portuguese and lecturer in Spanish at New Hall and Peterhouse, University of Cambridge.

The Birth of the Legend * Cultural filters: Roderick and La Cava in the eyes of medieval historians * The Master Forger: Miguel de Luna’s ‘true history’ of King Roderick * Metamorphosis into song * New Life in Drama and Music * The Eighteenth Century: Censored! * Romanticism and Renewal in England and France * Multiple Perspectives in Hispanic Romanticism * The Once and Future King * Conclusion