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This book explores one of the central myths of Spain: the idea that Spanish culture arose from that of the Visigoths. It begins with a sketch of Visigothic history, then proceeds to explore attitudes towards the Goths and the legends and myths that developed around them from Late Antiquity to the twentieth century. The Gothic myth was of great use to the different monarchies that succeeded the Goths after the Arabic invasion of 711, and over the centuries adroit "improvements" on history and even outright fabrications have influenced the creation of an idealized past to which Spaniards look even today.