History ArtisticLicenseHistory / ElCid2020

* The first season has a similarly misguided class warfare message. In one scene, Orotz tells Ruy that they may hang with "kings, princes, and nobles" but that they "aren't like them", meaning they are [[WorkingClassHero commoners]]. Yet Orotz is the king's firstborn's master-at-arms and Ruy is his squire and the son of a knight, which would realistically be limited to nobles - or, in the rare occasion a commoner got near such position, guarantee they [[RagsToRiches became a nobleman]]. Indeed, any commoner that owned a horse and rode it to battle was a ''caballero villano'' ("villain-knight" - note "villain" means "villager" here, not [[HaveAGayOldTime the meaning we give it today]]) and legally entitled to the same privileges as an ''infanzón'', the lowest nobility rank that fought on foot (the latter being what Menéndez-Pidal believed Diego Laínez's family had been).

* Contrary to the female characters' claims, Leonese women weren't powerless and subjected to a "law of men" in the Kingdom of Leon. The ''Fuero de León'' gave women multiple rights, and also had the figure of the ''Infantado'', an institution by which noblewomen who kept themselves single (as well as some who married, in special cases) had the right to own and manage their own lands and riches. The claim that being a woman would stop Urraca from reaching the throne is specially funny, because at the time there was no law forbidding women from power if they lacked husbands. In fact, when Fernando divided the kingdom, his edict included his daughters Elvira and Urraca, who became ladies of Toro and Zamora (confusingly, the show includes this detail, though Season 2 has Urraca imply that it was only due to her intervention). Knowing this, it's little wonder that the historical daughter of Alfonso VI, Urraca I of Leon, would go on to become the first regnant queen of Western Europe.
** The "powerless" Leonese noblewomen are contrasted with Zaragoza's free-spirited princess Amina, almost implying that the former would have it better if they were Muslim. The idea that Muslim Spain was somehow more progressive towards women than their Christian neighbors is oddly persistent in pop culture, but has no basis in reality. The golden age of al-Ándalus did feature a certain presence of women in arts and law, but those were [[IdleRich limited to rich elites]] and actually represented a departure from Islamic customs rather than a result of those (al-Ándalus was known by its relaxation due to its remoteness from other centers of Islam, with its inhabitants consistently violating all prohibitions on alcohol, party hard and heterodoxy), and tellingly, it would be all undone long before the events of the series, as the territory deterioriated and foreign dynasties like the Almoravids reverted to a more rigorous enforcement of Islam. Season 2 makes an attempt at an AuthorsSavingThrow at this by implying that Amina is an unusually spoiled DaddysGirl from a surviving equally.

** Related to the previous, the "powerless" Leonese noblewomen are contrasted with Zaragoza's free-spirited princess Amina, almost implying that the former would have it better if they were Muslim. The idea that Muslim Spain was somehow more progressive towards women than their Christian neighbors is oddly persistent in pop culture, but has no basis in reality. The golden age periods of al-Ándalus did feature a certain presence of women in arts and law, but those were [[IdleRich limited to rich elites]] and represented more of a general cultural growth and relaxation of customs than any specific attitude (tellingly, it would be all undone as the territory deterioriated and dynasties like the Almoravids reverted to a more rigorous enforcement of Islam), especially contrasted to their otherwise characteristic Islamic treatment of lower-class women. Season 2 makes an attempt at an AuthorsSavingThrow at this by implying that, as explained, Amina is an unusually spoiled DaddysGirl.

* The first season has a similarly misguided class warfare message. In one scene, Orotz tells Ruy that they may hang with "kings, princes, and nobles" but that they "aren't like them", meaning they are [[WorkingClassHero commoners]]. Yet Orotz is the king's firstborn's master-at-arms and Ruy is his squire and the son of a knight, which would realistically be limited to nobles - or, in the rare occasion a commoner got near such position, guarantee they [[RagsToRiches became a nobleman]]. Indeed, any commoner that owned a horse and rode it to battle was a ''caballero villano'' ("villain-knight" - note "villain" means "villager" here, not the meaning we give it today) and legally entitled to the same privileges as an ''infanzón'', the lowest nobility rank that fought on foot (the latter being what Menéndez-Pidal believed Diego Laínez's family had been).

** In short, the show simplifies the feudal system into a dichotomy with the royalty and (high) nobility on one side, and commoners who are one hair away from destitution on the other. This ignores how costly it actually was to be a warrior (since so many poor commoners in the show have no trouble getting horses and weapons and making it their sole occupation), how this stuff was paid for (in land and agriculture rents), and in turn how someone, particularly in Spain compared to other places in Western Europe, could gain them and advance in social rank (the institution of ''presura'' allowed anyone to take some borderland in war and cultivate it, as long as they could defend it). It makes no sense that Trifón would be Sancho's champion and at the same time his wife and children would be raggedy and starving in Leon, unless he was pilfering their income and did not care for the [[DudeNotFunny shame and potential retaliation]] this would bring him (we have no indication that this is the case, of course, and his wife clearly loves him).

** In short, the show simplifies the feudal system into a dichotomy with the royalty and (high) nobility on one side, and commoners who are one hair away from destitution on the other. This ignores how costly it actually was to be a warrior (since so many poor commoners in the show have no trouble getting horses and weapons and making it their sole occupation), how this stuff was paid for (in land and agriculture rents), and in turn how someone, particularly in Spain compared to other places in Western Europe, could gain them and advance in social rank (the concept of ''presura'' allowed anyone to take some borderland in war and cultivate it, if they could defend it). It makes no sense that Trifón would be Sancho's champion and at the same time his wife and children would be raggedy and starving in Leon, unless he was pilfering their income and did not care for the [[DudeNotFunny shame and potential retaliation]] this would bring him (we have no indication that this is the case, of course, and his wife clearly loves him).

* Orduño replaces García Ordóñez, likely because of OneSteveLimit. Ordóñez was not related to Flaín nor Count of Leon, but of Najera and a Castilian, though also a personal friend of Alfonso VI (like Orduño) and went quickly into his service.

** Related to the previous, the "powerless" Leonese noblewomen are contrasted with Zaragoza's freespirited princess Amina, almost implying that the former would have it better if they were Muslim. The idea that Muslim Spain was somehow more progressive towards women than their Christian neighbors is oddly persistent in pop culture, but it has no basis on reality. Periods focused on the golden age of Al-Ándalus did feature a certain presence of women in arts and law, but those were [[IdleRich limited to rich elites]] and represented more of a general cultural growth and relaxation of customs than of any specifical attitude (tellingly, it would be all undone as the territory deterioriated and dynasties like the Almoravids reverted to a more rigorous enforcement of Islam), especially contrasted to their otherwise characteristic Islamic treatment of lower women. Season 2 makes an attempt at an AuthorsSavingThrow at this by implying that, as explained, Amina is an unusually spoiled DaddysGirl.

** This is jarring because the 'powerless' Leonese noblewomen are contrasted with Zaragoza's freespirited princess Amina, almost implying that the former would have it better if they were Muslim. Season 2 makes an attempt at an AuthorsSavingThrow by implying that Amina is an unusually spoiled DaddysGirl, but then brings in Saxon warrior princess Oiubreda. Put both together and it would seem Christian Spain was a NoWomansLand compared to its neighbors. Yet historically, Moors and Franks alike were amused, when not condemning of the Spanish for giving women too much power.

* The Galicians use bagpipes before battle. [[RegionalRiff While the bagpipe is an iconic instrument in Galicia]], they're not recorded or depicted in Spain until the mid-13th century.

* Count Flaín lost his titles and lands after a revolt against Fernando between 1062 and 1065, the details of which are lost to history. In the show, this revolt is a ConspicuouslyPublicAssassination, but it fizzles out and Fernando dies of unrelated causes, without knowing of Flaín's involvement or taking action against him. As a result, Flaín's titles and power pass intact to his son after his own death.

* Flaín was the brother of Jimena's father and possibly also a distant relative of Diego Laínez. In the show they are seemingly unrelated, as he arranges his son's marriage to Jimena.

* Historical sources are divided on wether Alfonso escaped to Toledo with Urraca's help, or she just talked Sancho into allowing him to become a exile there. [[RuleOfDrama Obviously]] the show has her try the latter and do the former. The siege of Zamora happened because the city refused to recognize Sancho as king, rather than Sancho's desire for revenge on Urraca, though Urraca's presence doubtlessly helped the Zamorans take their stance.

* The show has Rodrigo gain the title ''Campeador'' at the 1063 Battle of Graus, which is DatedHistory. In real life, Rodrigo might have been as young as 15 and not present in the battle. Today, it is believed that he got the title from [[CombatByChampion winning duels in the 1060s]], the 1072 Battle of Golpejera (most favored), or even the 1079 Battle of Cabra.

* Season 2 ends with tensions between Rodrigo and Sancho building until they can barely tolerate each other during the siege of Zamora, culminating with Sancho sending Rodrigo away. In RealLife, sources are unanimous that they got along perfectly and Rodrigo was in Zamora until the siege ended.

* Historical sources are divided on wether Alfonso escaped to Toledo with Urraca's help (and of others), or if she just talked Sancho into allowing him to take up exile there. [[RuleOfDrama Obviously]] the show has her try the latter and do the former. The siege of Zamora happened because the city refused to recognize Sancho as king, rather than Sancho's desire for revenge on Urraca, though Urraca's presence doubtlessly helped the Zamorans take their stance.