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A nobleman of high birth in the Kingdom of the Visigoths that held power in Spain from the early 5th century until its defeat by the Muslims at the Battle of Guadalete in 711, Pelayo refused to accept Islamic overlordship of his homeland. He escaped capture at the battle of Guadalete, where he may have been a member of the Visigothic King Rodrigo 's bodyguard, and returned to his native Asturias in the northern part of Spain. He soon became the leader of a rebellion against Munuza, the Moorish governor of the area.

He was captured in 717 and imprisoned by the Moors, but soon escaped and returned to Asturias, where he defeated Munuza and established the Kingdom of Asturias in 718, with its capital at Cangas de Onis. In accordance with Visigothic custom, he was elected as his nation's first king by a vote of his countrymen.

For a few years after that, Pelayo's "kingdom" was more illusory than actual, as he was facing forces much stronger than his own. It wasn't until 722Events 3 January K'inich Ahkal Mo' Naab III takes throne of Maya state of Palenque Battle of Covadonga: First victory of a Christian army over a Muslim army in Spain (probable date) War between Wessex and Sussex Births Deaths Empress Gemmei of Japan 722. that his kingdom was secured, when a powerful Muslim force sent to conquer Asturias once and for all was defeated by Pelayo at the Battle of CovadongaThe Battle of Covadonga was the first major victory by a Christian military force in Spain following the Islamic Moors' conquest of that country in 711. Taking place about a decade later, most likely in the summer of 722, the victory at Covadonga assured. Today, this is regarded as the first Christian victory of the Reconquista. The Muslims, ungracious in their defeat, described Pelayo and his men as "thirty wild donkeys" in their chronicles. But it didn't matter; Pelayo had won independence for his country.

Pelayo died in 737. His son FavilaFavila Favilac or Fafila was king of Asturias from 737 to 739. He was supposedly killed by a bear, but note that his father Pelayo was said to have, improbably, met the same fate. succeeded him as king but could not enjoy the throne for a long time: legends claim that he was killed by a bear. After Pelayo, the subsecuent kings of Asturias, LeónThe city of Leon was founded by the Roman Seventh Legion (for unknown reasons always written as Legio Septima Gemina or 'twin seventh legion'). It was the headquarters of that legion in the late empire and was a center for trade in gold which was mined at, CastileA former kingdom of Spain, Castile comprises the two regions of Old Castile in north-western Spain, and New Castile in the centre of the country. Previously an eastern county of the kingdom of Leon, Castile in the 11th century became an independent realm and Spain itself could trace their lineage back to him in some manner for hundreds of years. However, attempts to link him to the royal house of the Visigoths (some sources claim he is the grandson of the Visigothic King Chindaswinth ( 563- 653)) are without foundation.

The Spanish Falange Fascist party named one of its youth organizations Pelayos.