The Battle of Las Navas de Tolosa (1212) in the Memory of the Christian West: Propaganda, Historiography, and Iconography of Victory

Abstract

This article examines the Battle of Las Navas de Tolosa (1212) not primarily as a military event, but as a dynamic construct of collective memory within the Christian West. Drawing on a wide range of Latin and Iberian sources — including papal correspondence, Cistercian narratives, and Castilian historiography — it analyses how the victory was interpreted, transmitted, and reconfigured across different ideological and cultural contexts. Particular attention is given to the contrasting perspectives of the papacy, which framed the battle as a universal crusading triumph, and Iberian authors such as Rodrigo Jiménez de Rada, who emphasised the autonomy and providential role of the Spanish kingdoms.
The study further explores the processes of sacralisation and political appropriation of the victory, including its incorporation into royal memory, chancery practices, and symbolic culture. It also considers the role of material and visual media — such as war trophies, monastic foundations, heraldry, and iconography — in shaping and perpetuating the memory of the battle. Finally, the article traces the gradual transformation of crusading ideology in 13th and 14th century Castile, where it was increasingly absorbed into the local narrative of the Reconquista and used to legitimise monarchical authority and construct political identity.
By situating the Battle of Las Navas de Tolosa within the broader framework of memory studies, the article demonstrates how medieval societies actively reinterpreted historical events to serve evolving religious, political, and cultural needs.