Bullfighting has been, and increasingly is, a controversial topic. It is very much a part of the history and aura of Spain although modern-day sensibilities are certainly opposed to such a spectacle. The charts below show evidence of the changing acceptance and practice of bullfighting.
 |
Bullfighting in provinces of Spain in the 19th century
|
 |
Bullfighting in provinces of Spain as of 2012
Bullfighting was banned in the Canary Islands in 1991 and
in Catalonia in 2012 |
I want to give a brief history of this pageant, and then describe how an afternoon of bullfighting is carried out. I need to say that Bonnie and I do enjoy bullfighting. When stationed at the navy base in Rota in the sixties we went to numerous bullfights and came to enjoy the entire spectacle and pageantry displayed.
The spectacle of bullfighting has existed in one form or another since ancient days. For example, a contest of some sort is depicted in a wall painting unearthed at Knossos in Crete, dating from about 2000 BC. It shows male and female acrobats confronting a bull, grabbing its horns as it charges, and vaulting over its back.
Bullfights were popular spectacles in ancient Rome but it was in the Iberian peninsula that these contests were fully developed. The Moors from North Africa, who overran Andalusia in AD 711, changed bullfighting significantly, from the brutish formless spectacle practiced by the conquered Visigoths, to a ritualistic occasion observed in connection with feast days on which the conquering Moors, mounted on highly trained horses, confronted and killed the bulls.
As bullfighting developed, the men on foot, who by their capework aided the horsemen in positioning the bulls, began to draw more attention from the crowd and the modern corrida began to take form. Today the bullfight is much the same as it has been since about 1726 when Francisco Romero of Ronda, Spain introduced the estoque (sword) and the muleta (the small, more easily handled red cape used in the last part of the fight).
Bullfighting, although controversial, is still very much a part of southern Spanish culture and is a prominent part of Feria (spring fair).
Bullfighting is a ritual. It is a ceremony that is carried out in carefully prearranged steps, as called for by the tradition of the corrida, each stage with its own name. The lead roles are played by the bull, toro, and the torero (matador) in the arena. It is a ritual that requires a sacrifice, a sacrifice to the death. Man, in his complex relationship with the fear of death but also his willingness to risk it, seeks to vanquish death. He does that by physically overcoming death in the ring.
The torero, bullfighter, represents mankind and vanquishes the bull. The ritual has been carried out, the bull is dead and the torero is triumphant. Man has defeated death - today he is immortal.
In an afternoon of a bullfight, corrida de toros, there are three toreros , each facing two bulls. The process takes two to two and a half hours. All the members of the team, or cuadrilla, are called toreros. The word matador is only used in English, whereas in Spanish the more general "torero" is used. Only when needed to distinguish is the full title "matador de toros" used.
(Thanks to Wikipedia and other internet sources for the information above)
The bullfight we attended in Villaluenga del Rosario was one of novilleros. These are novice bullfighters, think minor leaguers, who aspire to the big time. They usually perform in bullrings in the smaller towns and villages. The fight we saw this day was very good for this kind of event. The first bull was fought entirely on horseback which was the original form and is still seen in Portugal. The next five bulls were faced in the traditional modern way, on foot.
The following photos give a flavor of the events of the afternoon.
 |
This small bullring is built of local stone and is polygonal rather
than the usual circular shape |
 |
| The President's box, where the officials in charge of the fight are seated |
 |
| President of the bullfight |
 |
| Cool dude in the crowd |
 |
| Andalucian horses are exquisite |
 |
| Ferrer Martin fought the first bull from horseback |
 |
| Tremendous skill required of man and horse |
Below are photos of the more traditional style of bullfighting, i.e. man on the ground with cape. You might wonder where the fancy suit is. The traje de luces, or suit of lights, is the traditional garb. My guess is that the traditional riding costume was chosen on this day since one of the fights was on horseback.
 |
| Jesulin de Ubrique using the muleta (red cape) |
 |
| Olé |
 |
| Torero pivoting as bull passes, wrapping cape around himself |
 |
The kill with the sword. The torero must lunge over the horns
and thrust the sword into a silver dollar sized area. |
 |
| Capote or cape |
 |
| Rafael Tejada |
 |
| Classic form |
 |
| Looks dangerous to me |
 |
| Olé |
 |
Fans waving white handkerchiefs petitioning president of the fight
to award trophy to torero for a good performance |
 |
| White handkerchief indicates one ear awarded |
 |
| Triumphant torero taking victory walk around ring |
 |
| Jesulin de Ubrique |
 |
| olé |
 |
| Such intensity |
The two photos below were shot in sequence
The two photos below also shot in sequence
 |
| Two ears awarded! |
 |
| Receiving cheers from the crowd |
 |
A sip of wine from a wineskin thrown from an appreciative fan.
I busted my the seams of my wineskin in 1967 in Puerto de Santa
Maria when the torero missed catching it and it hit the floor
of the ring...splat! |
 |
| Ignacio Bonmati Bohórquez enticing the bull |
 |
| Venga, toro! |
 |
| Olé |
 |
| Classic form |
We hope to get to another afternoon of the Corrida de Toros, possibly in Jerez next month.
No comments:
Post a Comment