Laín Calvo, Juez de Castilla

---

< Wikipedia > Laín Calvo is a legendary figure of the County of Castile, which the Castilians allegedly chose as their own judge to resolve their lawsuits, thus avoiding going to the Leonese court. This theoretical legislative independence of Castile was actually a myth created several centuries later (in the s. XIII) to legitimize the power of Castile against León at a time when, the Crown of Castile was just created and the old kingdoms of León and Castile (1230) were newly unified, it was necessary to justify Castilian supremacy with pseudohistorical arguments1. Consequently, he is a controversial figure within historiographical studies.

Genealogy

Son-in-law of Nuño Rasura and according to tradition, chronicles and later literary works (such as the Poem of Fernán González) are his direct descendants Diego Laínez and El Cid Campeador, although according to some authors such kinship is supported only by literary documents and has no true historical support.

---

Portrait of Laín Calvo with an epitome of his life included in the book Portraits of illustrious Spaniards, published in the year of 1791. < LAIN CALVO >

The ancient historians disagree about the origin of Lain Calvo who are about that of Nuño Nuñez Rasura, the most agree that he was the son of D. Gumesindo, Lord of Castro Xeriz, and great soldier: in fact, this is how it results from the most authentic documents that have been acquired, and from them it is inferred that he was born nearby. Educated according to the warrior spirit of his father, and next to him, it consists of a deed of donation that he made, of two chalices and some lands, to the Abbot of the Monastery of San Martin de Flavio in the year of 816, which in the previous one, that is at ten and eight of his age, Lain had been found in a battle that he had gotten himself into. This, which could have been the first feature of Lain's inclination to arms, were followed by others who credited him in the Castilian militia, and they are justified by another donation that, together with his father, he made in the year of 822 to the Monastery of S. Vicente de Fistoles, of certain portions of wheat, wine, legumes, wax and firewood, as in reward for the many prayers and sacrifices of that Community for its good success in the encounters with the Moors, which supposes them dangerous and frequent. From this time until the year of 843, when he was elected to the supreme judiciary of Castile, no memorable thing is known about this illustrious man that is legitimately proven, except for his marriage to Doña Teresa Nuñez, second daughter of Nuño Nuñez Rasura, his cousin, as both great-grandchildren of the Duke of Cantabria D. Fruela.

Appointed Judge in the terms referred to in the summary of the life of his partner Nuño, and in charge of military business for the reason that is insinuated there, he worked incessantly in the defense of his homeland, and in giving greater extension to its limits. He was found in the famous battle of Clavijo next to his Sovereign Count and King of Asturias D. Ramiro, in the second year of his judiciary; and in those of 851 and 53 in two strong incursions made by the Moors, in the fields of Lara the first and the other in those of Castro Xeriz, in whose days he dected

Not only was Lain Calvo great in the militia, he was also great in the political government: many times he was seen dictating laws in the Búrgos with his companion Nuño, and many times in the Villa de Fuente-Zapata, called Vi-jueces from then on. In both parages it is recorded that they gave an audience together, and administered justice Nuño and Lain, and in both monuments that accredit him are preserved in the day, although not exempt from some criticism; in Vi-jueces the court itself, which is a kind of stone portico, and in Búrgos, in the City archive, the chair on which they sat to Together, the people of Burgaleses made the same appreciation of Lain Calvo as of Nuño Rasura, erecting to his memory two other effigies alongside those of his companion, with an inscription that publishes how much they owent to his courage and his weapons: he says like this:

Laino Calvo fortiss. civi
Gladio Galeeque civitatis

It is believed that Lain Calvo died in the year 870, because at the end of 869 he was still alive, according to another deed of donation in favor of the aforementioned Monastery of S. Martin de Flavio, and then no testimony of his existence is found. If the memory of his companion should be recommended for having been the progenitor of the last Counts of Castile, it should not be less that of Lain, because it was of the immortal Cid Campeador Rodrigo Díaz de Vivar. His portrait, as well as that of Nuño, has been taken from what is preserved frescoed in the room of the old tower of Santa María de la Ciudad de Búrgos, and it has no more authenticity than that.

---

• http://www.geneall.net/H/per_page.php?id=7927 wife: Flamula

Origen
La tradición señala que durante el reinado de Ordoño II sucedió la derrota de Valdejunquera y así como el monarca leonés atribuyese el desastre a la negativa de los condes castellanos de acompañarle en la batalla, los condujo presos a León donde los ejecutó. En teoría, indignados los castellanos por esta acción y no pudiendo levantarse en armas acordaron proveer por sí mismos su gobierno, eligiendo entre los nobles dos magistrados, uno civil y otro militar, con el nombre de Jueces, para recordarles que su misión era de hacer justicia y no la de oprimir a los pueblos con su autoridad, o menoscabar su libertad.

Su nombre
El nombre de Laín, Laynus o Flaginus, de cuño acaso ibérico, era bastante común en la primitiva Castilla de la margen superior del Ebro. Pero también pueda serlo del gótico, pues es conocido en las crónicas romanas entre algunos Godos en contra o en el servicio Bizantino. No sucede lo mismo con el nombre completo Flaynus Calvus, aunque hay un Flaginus, abuelo del Cid, que parece haber vivido en la cuenta del Úrbel en la segunda mitad del siglo X, pero según Fray Justo este debió ser posiblemente un nieto suyo.

Juez militar
Para este cargo fue nombrado Laín Calvo , concretamente para los negocios de la guerra, al que se atribuía un espíritu combativo. Prueba de ello está en la toponimia, donde existen lugares como Villalaín pero nunca Villanuño.

"La tradición del siglo XIII, ampliamente representada por el Toledano, sabe que Laín Calvo fue hombre de humor colérico y que, mal avenido con los alegatos judiciales, consagró su actividad a la fatigas de la guerra".2​
En el Poema de Fernán González es considerado como un buen guerreador, coincidiendo todas las crónicas antiguas al afirmar que de él vino el Cid Campeador.

Genealogía
Yerno de Nuño Rasura y según la tradición, crónicas y obras literarias posteriores (como el Poema de Fernán González) son descendientes directos suyos Diego Laínez y el Cid Campeador, aunque según algunos autores tal parentesco está apoyado únicamente en documentos literarios y no tiene aval histórico cierto.

Bisjueces
La tardía tradición sitúa el estrado de los dos famosos y primeros jueces castellanos, Laín Calvo y Nuño Rasura en el paraje de Fuente Zapata, en la localidad de Bisjueces en la Merindad de Castilla la Vieja .

Notas

Escolar, Arsenio; Escolar, Ignacio (2010). La nación inventada: una historia diferente de Castilla. Península.

Fray Justo, página 135

Referencias
Fray Justo Pérez de Urbel (1969). El Condado de Castilla. Los 300 años en que se hizo Castilla. Madrid: Siglo Ilustrado.
Enlaces externos
Retrato de Laín Calvo con un epítome sobre su vida incluido en el libro Retratos de Españoles ilustres, publicado en el año de 1791.
Biblioteca virtual Miguel de Cervantes: Poema de Fernán Gonzálezhttps://es.wikisource.org/wiki/La%C3%ADn_Calvo_(Retrato)

LAIN CALVO. Juez Supremo de Castilla y Caudillo Soberano de sus Tropas. Nació hacia el año de 798, y murió por el de 870.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
https://burgospedia1.wordpress.com/2010/06/02/2263/

Era hijo de Gumensindo, señor de Castrojeriz y gran soldado según las fuentes históricas.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Lain Diaz el Calvo, juiz de Castilla (* c. 0890)

Padre: Diego Muñoz Castrogeriz * c. 0850

Madre: N

Matrimonio: Flamula

Hijos:

1. Munio Lains (* c. 0915) ++ Froile Bermudez
2. Fernando Laínez, conde en Salamanca (* c. 0920) ++ Gunteroda
3. Bermudo Lains (* c. 0920) ++ N

http://www.geneall.net/H/per_page.php?id=7927

---

Layn Calvo tuvo quatro hijos. El mayor Fernan Laynes (que poblo Haro) de quien deciende el Cid Ruy Diaz de Vivâr. El feguno Bermudo Laynez. El tercero Layn Laynez. El quarto Diego Laynez, que poblô a Peñafiel, de quien dize la chronica, vienen los de Caftro. NOBLEZA DEL ANDALVZIA Por Gonçalo Argote de Molina, Sevilla 1588. De Don Alvar Perez de Caftro Capitan mayor de la frontera, y de fu linage y Armas. Cap. C. Págs. 102

---

http://www.geneall.net/H/per_page.php?id=7927

wife: Flamula