Cid's wisdom: rationality or cunning?

In this paper the heroic personality of Cid Campeador is considered and a problem of the origin of the main Cid’s trait (defined as “mesurado”) is articulated. It is worth a try to explain the peculiar features of the Spanish hero by his similarity with either the historical prototype or ancient ideal of the ruler or the problem consists in the genetic nature of this epic character? The analysis of certain events of the “Cantar de mio Cid” ̶ the event with pawning the chests and the Battle of Tevar ̶ shows that rationality and wisdom of Sid should rather be interpreted as resourcefulness. It is suggested to verify the origins of the nature of Cid Campeador’s epic role through the use of chronicle renderings, some of which are dated from the time preceding the poem dating and some, from the ensuing time. The analysis of the event in the “Crónica Najerense”, which should be treated as a clever trick with false belittlement of the forces, as well as definition of the narrative role of Rodrigo Dias in the story about division of the kingdom of Fernando I in the “Crónica de veinte reyes” as the counselor helping to find a clever escape from a difficult situation makes it possible to assert that wisdom of Sid stems above all from trickery typical for the trickster hero, while all epic roles and functions of Cid Campeador that develop in the Spanish epic tradition by the end of the XIIIth century (wise warrior; counselor; seignior) consistently linkSid’s wisdom with cunning resourcefulness in decision-making rather than with rational “economical” strategies and rationality of disposition.