On the 19th of June, the four HCers and Meggs, a new friend from the program, went to a bullfight. Spain is famous for it's bullfights, both how they are loved here and how they are hated here as well. From attending a bullfight and walking through the museum under the bullring with Trinity, I've learned a lot about this classic sport. Let me share some of what I've discovered.
Bullfighting has evolved dramatically over the years. When it began, it was a sport of chaos. The crowd sat around the ring in the stadium watching as several Toreros (or matadors or bullfighters – all the same people) fought several bulls all at the same time. Our guide mentioned a number around 8 or 9 bulls and fighters. Toreros could be on foot or on horses, and there was a little hole in the center of the ring that the men could jump in to hide from the bull. There were also dogs and cats in the ring to, in the dog's case, fight the bull or, in the cat's case, be thrown by the torero to distract the bull. They finally outlawed the participation of dogs and the throwing of cats in the mid 1800s. The horses that the Toreros rode didn't have armor, as they do now, to protect the horse from the bull's horns as they charged the Torero. The horses were given armor to wear in 1950 but until that time, every horse ridden into the ring died along with the bulls. Sometimes in the scuffle, a bull would jump over the railing round the ring and escape into the crowd. It was complete and bloody chaos with dead bulls, horses, dogs, cats, and men.
The game now is very different. It's almost become a dance, all about elegance and perfection. This is what happens. First before anythings starts, the ring is watered down thoroughly to avoid dust.
Then, the event begins. There is a band sitting in the audience that creates a soundtrack to the fight. There are certain tunes or sounds that happen with every fight to announce the entrance of a new player or the death of the bull, but sometimes, the band will play when the matador is really good and the fight deserves a little drama. At the very beginning of the event, the band plays to announce a parade of participants. All the players the audience will see in the fight parade around the outside of the ring to receive encouragement and applause from the public.
There are three main human players in a bullfight, the picadores, the bandieros, and the torero. All three types of fighters make one “team” that all works together to kill the bull. The torero is responsible, in most cases, for both picking his team and paying them. One fight with one bull lasts about 25 minutes. There are three toreros and team in each event and six bulls, two for every torero. The fight begins when the gate opens to release the bull into the ring, hopefully running.
The first five minutes are dedicated to the torero who comes out and gets to know the bull. The torero, at this point, has a fuchsia cape that he uses to control the bull. He goads the bull into running a few times to decipher the personality of the bull, is it very strong, aggressive, intelligent, and things of this nature. He then exits the ring to the side to watch the rest of the team work.
The second party to come into the ring (or third if you count the bull) are the picadores. The picadores are usually bigger in stature and very strong. They're mounted on horses who have been completely blindfolded between the parade and the fight. There are two picadores although when we saw the fight only one interacted with the bull and the other was for backup, I'm guessing. When the bull charges the horse, the picador uses his huge lance to stab the bull in the shoulders. I read that if they're successful, they should wound the tendons that assist the bull in raising it's head. If the bull can't raise its head, the horns are significantly less of a threat. The horses, as I've mentioned, wear armor now and are not killed as the bull smashes into their sides. However, it was still the most frightening part of the fight for me. You can hear the huge horse grunt as the bull hits it's side, often lifting the horse onto three legs and sometimes two with the force. I was always afraid the horse would fall over. This process takes about 5 minutes as well.
Next come the bandieros, in my opinion, the gutsyist fighters of the team. On foot, the two bandieros must face the bull until it charges and then the bandiero jumps and sticks two bandillos in the shoulder/neck area of the bull. The bandieros both stick two pairs of bandillos in the bull, eight in total. The bandillos are sharp, hooked barbs that stay in the bull, making bright colorful stripes on it's back to join the color of the blood that, by this time in the fight, is running down its shoulders and legs. The bandieros, if they're good, can make their part in the fight so exciting and the crowd often participates in this part of the fight with ooos and ahhhs and much applause. A good bandiero can jump with effortless grace making this terribly frightening job look easy. This also takes about 5 minutes.
Finally, the hero returns to the ring. The torero comes out again to face the bull, this time with a red cape. Contrary to past belief, bulls only see in black and white; they cannot see red nor do they become enraged by it. The colors are just for tradition. Bulls are actually only attracted to the movement of the capes. The torero enters to the musical announcement of the band and the applause of the crowd. Then, he “dances” with the bull. The torero is all about elegance, with his arched back and slow, measured movements. Even his crazy outfit, the suit of light or traje de luzes, looks elegant as it sparkles in the lights. The point of the dance is to show the skill of the torero to make the bull do what the torero wants. The best is when a torero can make the bull charge several times continuously all around the torero. When this happens, the happy crowd counts the charges with “Olé! Olé! Olé!” Finally, the torero inches his cape along the ground, encouraging the bull to follow it with it's hooves and get very close to the torero so he can kill it with a sword. A good torero can get the entire blade of the sword into the bull at a certain angle to kill the bull almost instantly with only one stab. That is what the crowd cheers for. This last for about 10 minutes so after 25 minutes, bull one is dead.
If a torero is really good, the president of the bullfighting ring will wave a white handkerchief and the torero will be awarded the ear of the bull. Two handkerchiefs mean two ears, and on the very rare occasion, three handkerchiefs mean two ears and the tail. Also on the very rare occasion, the president may decide that the bull is so valiant that he does not have to fight to the death but is set free to procreate other little valiant bulls. After the bull is killed in the ring, a team of three mules comes out and drags out the body to the fanfare of the band and cheering of the crowd. The bull is then butchered for meat that is sold at local supermarkets and the tail (if it's not in the hand of the triumphant torero) is served as a delicacy at restaurants.
There has been a lot of discussion about the ethics of bullfighting, the cruelty of making an animal suffer and die for entertainment. We talked to a fan behind us and she said that this is what these bulls are breed for, that to fight in the ring is their purpose. And it really is honoring the bull to give him such a good life and valiant end. I thought about this and it really makes a lot of sense. I looked up how the bulls are raised, and it's every animal's dream. They are fed like kings, with special grain mixes, alfalfa, and vitamins. They receive regular veterinary care, plenty of rest and (most extraordinary in my mind) plenty of space. The bulls are raised on large ranches with space to roam for the duration of their five or six years of life. When I compare this to the beef industry which raises cows in feedlots, pumps them full of hormones, gives them only enough space to sway, not walk, and butchers them after one or two years of this miserable existence, I wonder which industry is more inhumane? I disprove of violence and entertainment, but I also disapprove of hamburgers when I stop to think about it. I'll have to keep thinking on this issue. I'm glad I went to a bullfight. It's probably a one time experience, but I'm glad I went.
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