Bullfighting

This past week, many new things were unfolding in Valencia. The beginning of primavera (spring), the unveiling of the fallas, and the commencement of the bullfighting season. The corrida de toros, bullfight, has been a tradition in Spain for centuries. Not knowing much about the event or the history behind it, I decided to check one out with an open mind. Needless to say, the three-hour event left an intense curiosity about the tradition, its cultural relevance, and the fierce debate surrounding it.

Bullfighting started as a small tradition of competition between knights in Medieval Spain. The Iberian bull is known to be the fiercest animal of the wilderness surrounding the battlefields in Spain. Often weighing over 1200 pounds (600 kilos!) and having a provocative anger, they were seen as a noble animal to fight and when beaten, brought the challenger praise and honor. The tradition spread and since then, blossomed into a form of artistic entertainment.

So what exactly happens in a bullfight? There are three matadors, killers, in each fight, and each matador fights two bulls. A corrida is separated into three tercios, each setting the bull up to a different challenge.

First, in the tercio de varas, the lancing third, the bull faces a lance on horseback dressed in armor. As the bull charges, the lance stabs a long spear into the bull's neck, causing the first open wound.

 Tercio de Varas

The next part is the tercio de banderillas, third of flags, where banderillos plant two barbed batons into the bull's back.

Tercio de Banderillas

The final stage is the tercio de muerte, or third of death. This is when the matador enters the ring and fights the bull with a red cape. The bull charges closely past the matador many times, becoming more and more enraged at its taunter. 

Finally, at the end of the stage. the matador thrusts a long sword into a specific spot through the spine of the bull and pierces the heart. At this moment, if done correctly, the bull will soon fall.

The Crippling Blow, or Estocata

For each matador, two bulls are slaughtered. Each fight, six bulls die. In a week, over 50 bulls are killed, and in one season, hundreds. Where does the dead bull go? Immediately after its execution, the bull is dragged across the street to a butcher's and made into top-quality steak right away. Six half-ton animals must provide a lot of steak.

The main animal rights issue focuses on the torturous killing of each animal. Bred to be large and strong, these bulls spend their lives being trained to fight. Over a half an hour, the bull is pierced seven times, facing numerous taunting matadors, made to run throughout the entire stadium while losing blood, and finally killed in a spectacle for entertainment. Bullfighting as a blood sport has already been banned in most countries, including the U.S., and faces controversy all over Europe.

As an art, however, the bullfight seems like a dance between a man and a beast. The matador must be skilled enough to have a steady stance and move fluidly to please the crowd. He must move the cape in a sweeping motion, just enough to draw attention from his body, while directing the bulls charging past inches away from his torsos. Fear has to be put away, as a bull would readily impale a shuddering man; instead, the matador looks into its eyes and holds dominance over the beast with human intelligence and grace.

Humane or not, the spectacle was interesting to say the least, and I'm glad I attended and learned just one more thing about this crazy country and the history of the people who live here.