Bio for Raimundo de Cabrera de la frontera

Bio for Raimundo de Cabrera de la frontera

They call me Raimundo de Cabrera de la frontera, and I am the son of a rich merchant. Cabrera is one of the smallest of the Balearic Islands, which are in the middle of the kingdom of Aragon (id est, between eastern Spain and southern Italy). All of these islands used to be ruled by my ancestors, the Normans, and at other times, Visigoths and Byzantines. Then came the dreaded Moors who easily subdued my forefathers. However, in the year of our lord, 1,226, King James I of Aragon reconquered the Balearic Islands. Then my father, when he became an established merchant, bought this island that we live on.

I was born in the year of our Lord, 1,444. I was raised to be a merchant but I am thinking of joining in the reconquest if ever prince Ferdinand marries princess Ysabel, instead of Juana la loca, as is planned.

Most people would describe me as a bright, but still young lad. My mother, bless her soul, thought I would make a fine merchant someday. I travel with my father all over the known world on his business trips in his caravel. I've gone to places as far north as the Hanseatic League, and far east into the trade center of the infidel, Alexandria. My dad is always warning me about my fool-hardy spirit getting me into trouble with the authorities.

My friends at home say I might be spoiled a little, but that doesn't keep me from being a great friend. I must admit that I am quite shy around ladies and some view the extent to which I am dedicated to the Italian fashions as room for doubting my sexual preference. Well, these doubters tend to be the local farmhands anywho, so I can not comprehend their lack of style education either. I take great appreciation that my marriage is already arranged, wherefore I do not have the courage to propose on my own to my lady. That is not to say that I do not like the opposite sex, not at all. In fact, I have seen my wife-to-be, and believe the she was indeed a wise choice also.

I am tall with six feet to my height and as fit and fashion-conscious as any youth ought to be. My favorite outfit is a royal blue doublet with gold and black trim with black hose, all under a plush red tabard . As the current trend in Italy is for the tabard to be so short that it only covers down to the hips, thus is my tabard in the same cut. I am a Norman by blood, thus I am blond-haired, blue-eyed, and without the Roman nose so typical of my friends. Like most of the Italians, I let my hair grow long enough, in the back, to reach my shoulders with all the ends of the hair curled inwards.

In my training for battle with the infidel in Granada, I am learning horsemanship, sword-&-buckler, and the crossbow which the Papacy has deemed fit for the killing of the infidels. However, my favorite is the javelin and I have become quite proficient in this infidel's weapon as I can hurl it even while charging on horseback with exceptional skill.

My armour is not much in quantity, but it's still no less than any Granadian armour. This theatre of war is one which puts high value on mobility. Thus, not many fighters wear full armour, if at all. My garniture includes a very open sallet instead of the more enclosed and heavier helmets favoured beyond the Pyrenees. I also lack gauntlets and any armor below mid-thigh where the chain-mail fauld of my brigandine ends. In fact much of my armour is supplemented with splint-versions of plate, and therefore cooler, unlike the kind worn in the colder regions of northern Europe.

I have a simple sense of humour, but I can be an intellectual at times also, as I have the best tutor on these islands that money can buy. Part of my education, in order to be a merchant, is of course, languages. They are: Latin to understand the Bible, Arabic, Low German, French (Catalan), and Italian for trade; of which, the hardest language for me is, of course, German. On one hand, the German tongue has nothing in common with any of the others, but the Holy Roman Empire is my source of fustian, silver, and copper. I get my ivory, gold, and cotton from my Arabic vendors. From the northern parts of Spain, I get my wool and iron. But of course, the majority of my father’s business resides in the city-states in northern Italy, where the textile and armour industries thrive best of all.

I like best to show off my javelin skills. However, I don't like the form of jousting which happens to be the most popular sport in the north of the peninsula and above the Pyrenees. I prefer the mobility and form necessary in cane tournaments (where cane spears are used in repeated parthian retreats), for example, while the French knights seem, to me, to prefer forming a solid mass of targets by comparison.

Everybody who I know at home agrees that we are on the verge of a new kingdom. Thus, I feel I am going to be quite useful in the near future.

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Me llaman Raimundo de Cabrera de la frontera y soy el hijo de un mercanto rico. Cabrera es una de las mas pequenas de las Islas Baleares cerca de la costa del reino de Aragon. Todas las islas regia por mis antepasados, los normanos, quien corrieron por el Mediteraneo despues de los vikingos habian regidos y en la manera muy similar. Despues vinieron, los aun mas miedos, los moros quienes sojuzgaron casi todos mis antepasados. Aunque, en el ano de nuestro Senor, mil, dos cientos, veinte-y-seis, el Rey Jaime I de Aragon reconquisto las islas Baleares. Despues mi padre, cuando se ponia establecido como un mercanto de clase alto, el compro esta isla en que vivimos.

Naci en el ano de nuestro Senor, mil, cuatrocientos, cuarenta-y-cuatro. Fui criado ser un mercanto pero estoy pensando en reunir el la Reconquista si cuando el principe Ferdinando se casa con la princesa Ysabel en vez de Juana la loca, como es planeado.

Casi todo el mundo me describiria como un chaval inteligente pero todavia joven. Mi madre, bendiga su alma, creia que yo seria hacer un mercanto respectado un dia. Viajo con mi padre en todas las partes del mundo conocidos en sus viajes de negocios en su carabela. He ido a lugares tanto norte como el reino de Dinemarca, y tanto oeste entre el centro de negocios del infiel, Alexandria. Mi padre siempre esta prevenidome de mi espiritu temerario dandome en desgracia con los autoridades.

Mis amigos, a casa, dicen que mime un poco, pero ese no me impide de ser un gran amigo. Debo admitir que estoy tan timido cerca las damas. Entonces aprecio poquito que mi matrimonio ya esta arreglado, porque no tengo el valor de hacer una oferta de matrimonio solo a mi dama. Ese no es decir que no me gusta el sexo opuesto, no es la verdad. En facto, he visto mi esposa futura, y creo que es ella en facto un escoje prudente tambien.

Soy alto con seis pies a mi altura y tan mantenido y de moda que algun joven pueda. Mi traje favorito es un sobrecota azul regal con borde de oro y negro sobre una camisa blanco y calzas negras. Como es la moda en Italia, el sobrecota es ser aun mas corto tanto que solamente cubre a las caderas, y por eso es mi sobrecota en la misma corta. Soy normano por sangre y por eso tengo pelo rubio, ojos azules, y sin la nariz romana tipica de mis amigos. Comocasi todos los italianos, no corto mi pelo hasta mis hombros en el posterior con todos los tipos del pelo rizan hacia dentro.

En mi entrenando para la batalla con el infiel en Granada, estoy aprendiendo equitacion, espada y escudo, y el arcobalista que la Paperia lo ha aprovechado para matar los infieles.

Please note: these persona stories are works-in-progress, and therefore the Spanish version may or may not match the English version. Your understanding is appreciated.

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