La Reconquista

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Description

By the early 720s, much of the West had fallen to the Saracens. The Umayyad Caliphate stretched from Afghanistan to Gaul, and the eventual conquest of Rome seemed all but inevitable.

The Visigoth Kingdom, which once lorded over all of post-Roman Hispania and parts of southern Gaul, had imploded quickly after their last king, Roderick, fell against Tarik at the Battle of Guadalete.

The Arabs had conquered Hispania, and the few who could escape, like hispano-romans, pre-roman natives, goths, suebi and all sorts of exiles, found refuge at the northern mountains of Asturias. In Visigoth fashion, they elected Pelagius, the son of a Visigothic nobleman, as their leader.

Pelagius spent his early years as king taking part in various skirmishes, of mixed results, against the Arabs, who were more concerned with conquering Gaul than wasting time, men and resources with the pacification of the mountainous north.

Eventually the Saracens decided enough was enough, and decided to corner Pelagius' army near the mountain range called Picos de Europa, close to the town of Covadonga.

According to Visigothic accounts, 300 of Pelagius' men faced off against some 185 thousand moors. Golden Legend tells us that the Virgin Mary appeared above the mountain pass, and aided the defenders by deflecting moorish arrows and causing major rock slides that ended up taking the lives of many men.

Utterly routed, the army retreated in disarray, while the locals seized the opportunity to massacre those unlucky few who weren't fast enough.

The Reconquista had begun, proving that not all miracles are myths.

Lyrics (as sung by Zapato Veloz):

Según relata la historia, hace mil trescientos años
querían entrar en Asturias Almanzor y sus vasallos
Llegaron a Covadonga y el Mohamed muy bravío
se acercó hasta la montaña y le dijo al enemigo:

"¡Ay mi Pelayo, querido Pelayo, déjanos entrar!
Que están las tropas cagadas de miedo de tanto esperar.
¡Ay mi Pelayo, querido Pelayo, déjanos entrar!
Que ya está todo conquistado y sólo falta Asturias para completar."

"¡Suelta la roca!"

¡Suelta la roca dura, dura, para los moros de Mohamed!
¡Suéltala fuerte, fuerte, fuerte, que ya no puedan ponerse de pie!
¡La Reconquista, la Reconquista, la Reconquista ya comenzó!
¡Ya conquistaron toas las provincias, pero Almanzor en Asturias no entró!

"¡Suelta la roca!"

¡La Reconquista, la Reconquista, la Reconquista ya comenzó!
¡Ya conquistaron to’as las provincias pero, Almanzor en Asturias no entró!
¡Suelta la roca dura, dura, para los moros de Mohamed!
¡Suéltala fuerte, fuerte, fuerte, que ya no puedan ponerse de pie!

¡La reconquista, la reconquista, la reconquista ya comenzó!
¡Ya conquistaron to’as las provincias pero, Almanzor en Asturias no entró!
¡La reconquista, la reconquista, la reconquista ya comenzó!
¡Ya conquistaron toas las provincias, pero Almanzor en Asturias no entró!