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Bull Fighting In Spain
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[edit] Why should I be aware of this?
- Bullfighting is the most traditional of Spanish Fiestas. The Spanish people consider them art forms which are intimately linked with their country’s history, art and culture.
- Pressure groups attempt to lobby against bullfighting yet the King of Spain himself has been quoted as saying that the day the EU bans bullfighting is the day Spain leaves the EU.
[edit] All about bull fighting
[edit] Aristocratic sport
Bullfighting was originally meant to be an aristocratic sport, in which the bull fighter remained prudently on horseback. King Felipe V took exception to the sport however and banned the aristocracy from taking part, believing it to be a bad example to the public. After the ban commoners accepted the sport as their own and, since they could not afford horses, developed the practice of dodging the bulls on foot, unarmed. This transformation occurred around 1724.
[edit] What happens in a bull fight?
Bull Fights take place in round arenas, surrounded by spectators. First the bull is let into the ring. Then, the Matador or his assistant waves a bright yellow and magenta cape in front of the bull to make it charge. As soon as the bull charges, several fighters called Picadores weaken it by stabbing their spears into it's body.
Then the Matador enters the arena, doffs his black winged hat and dedicates the death of the bull to the president or the crowd before beginning his faena.
There is no doubt that Matadors need to be very skilled and brave indeed to vanquish an enraged bull. With a muleta, a piece of crimson cloth draped over a short stick and an espada, the killing sword, which is always held in the right hand, the matador engages the bull in a grim fight unto death. One wrong move and the Matador could become impaled on the horns of the bull.
Today, many bull fights (especially in the larger cities) are relatively less cruel, for they do not end with the Matador killing the bull. Instead, man and bull pitch their wits and muscle against each other, and withdraw before the contest gets gory.
[edit] Common bull fighting terms
- Toro -- Bull
- Plaza de toros -- Bullring
- Corrida -- Bullfight
- Matador -- Star Bullfighter
- Torero -- Bullfighter (general term applicable to any person who engages in the ultimate death of the bull)
- Picador -- Lancer (on horseback)
- Banderillero -- Bullfighter (on foot) who inserts barbed wooden decorated sticks into the bull´s neck muscle
- Traje de luces -- suit of lights (colourful sequinned suit worn by bullfighters)
- Veronica -- A type of pass whereby the cape is drawn over the bull´s head while the man holds a posture.
- Novillos -- A novice bullfighter is called a novillero and fights not in a corrida, but in a novillada with young bulls (novillos)
[edit] A critique of bull fighting
There are two main arguments against Bull Fighting. Firstly, it is cruel and barbaric. Secondly, it inflicts pointless suffering on the animals involved.
Animal rights activists argue that the odds are so heavily stacked against the bulls that the contest is pointlessly cruel and evil. Even though the death of the bull is rarely shown on national television, the fact is that even today, the bull is invariably killed or dies at the end of the fight.
The contest today is also not a fair one. First the bull is injured by the picadores. When the animal is already weakened by pain and loss of blood, the so-called `brave' matador steps in and finishes the job.
In 2004, Barcelona declared itself "an anti-bullfighting city," and earlier this year an animal-protection law prohibiting new bullrings went into effect throughout the entire North-eastern region of Catalonia.
[edit] CopperBytes
- It is estimated that the total number of people watching bullfights in Spain reaches one million every year.
- Only one species of bull of an ancient race that is only conserved in Spain, the toro bravo, is used for Bull Fights.
- 72% of Spaniards have no interest in bullfighting -- only 8% of Spaniards consider themselves bullfighting fans (Gallup poll 2006)
[edit] 90 degrees
[edit] Bullfighting Industry Statistics
- 2,000 bullfights happen every year
- 11,500 bulls are killed in official bullfights; total number killed is estimated to be three times as high
- 200,000 employees work in the bullfighting industry; often seasonal jobs
- Annual revenue is £1bn
- Bullfights are subsidised by towns and cities (1/3 of the total costs)
(Source: Spaniens Stierkampf in der Krise, in: Der Tagesspiegel, 28 December 2006 and Initiative Anti-Corrida, Stier"kampf", Anti Corrida)
