On the 9th of October every year,
the people of València celebrate the national day of their autonomous region.
This is a historical commemoration of the date in 1238 when King James I
officially entered the city of Valencia, freeing it from Moorish rule.
My personal experience of the
parade was really nice and interesting and actually attracted a large crowd. It
took about two or three hours, which we were sitting on the sidewalk and
wathcing the show, actually it would have been impossible to stand along after
several days of walking.
So the bat topic, it’s pretty difficult to escape bats if you happen to be in and around Valencia. The image of the nocturnal animal is everywhere, from manhole covers to street corners, from bus stops to official council buildings, and of course it can also be found in the coat of arms of the football team. The winged mammal is first thought to have become a symbol of the city before James I of Aragon led the Christians to victory over the Moors as part of the 13th -century Reconquista. A bat landed on his flag or tent before he entered the city to battle and he interpreted it as a good sign.
However, I read many different
legends about the bat, what role it played in the battle, which are different,
but the point of each is that it was taken as a basis for help.
Anyway, I like this little story and I appreciate that they don’t associate it with witches, devils or the dark side of life.
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