When you think of Spain, you think of bull fights, and no wonder since its origins date back to 711 A.D. As part of our year abroad, we wanted to see one, even it was something we wouldn't necessarily love. The Zaragoza bullring is only open from the end of September to about the third week of October to coincide with the Pilar festivities.
Although bullfighting is synonymous with Spain, not all Spaniards agree with it. Bullfighting has been banned in the Catalonia region (Barcelona area), and many anticipate that other regions will follow in the near future.
Photo: The beginning of the show with the picadors entering the ring
Children under 16 years of age are supposedly not allowed to attend but we were surprised to see several children at the arena, some of whom were well under eight years of age. When Colin heard that, he was particularly disappointed as he had really wanted to see a bullfight while we were in Spain.
Photo: The matadors enter the ring and pay tribute to the crowd and President
Photo: Matador starting his dance with the bull
What happens during a bullfight?
First, the bull is let into the ring. The Matador's assistants wave a bright yellow and magenta cape in front of the bull to make it charge as the Matador watches and determines the bull's qualities and mood, before taking over himself. After a trumpet is sounded, the Picadores enter to weaken the bull by placing spears into its shoulders. This whole segment takes around 10 minutes.
Next comes the faena or the "dance with death." Many consider the faena the most skillful section of the fight and the part where matador proves his courage and artistry. During the faena, the bull runs at the Matador, who's carrying a muleta, a piece of thick crimson cloth draped over a short stick, along with the espada or the killing sword. At this stage, the matador gets the bull into a trance-like state, and seemingly lures the bull around with his cape. If there's a artistic piece of bullfighting, it's during the portion where the Matador seems to have complete control of the bull. The faena continues until the Matador has demonstrated his superiority over the bull. Once the president indicates the Matador has achieved dominance, the bull can be killed. The Matador then aims the sword between the bull's shoulder blades.
Photo: The Matador during the faena.
Photos: Matadors with killing swords. The Picadors spears are hanging off the side of the bull
Photo: The bull never wins
According to the Matador's demonstrated skill, he may be awarded trophies by the president, which can include one or two of the bull's ears, the tail, and/or the hoof. The crowd may encourage the president to award the trophies by waving white handkerchiefs, and, in turn, the crowd may continued waving their handkerchiefs with the hope that the Matador will throw his trophies into the crowd. In return, the crowd may hurl flowers. None of the matadors we saw were considered skilled enough to receive awards.
While watching the first fight, we felt disturbed. However, a complete event consists of 3 matadors each working with 2 bulls for a total of six fights. Every one has the same pattern of activity described here, and the predictability of it can desensitize you to what's actually happening to the poor bulls. Yet, upon waking the next morning and having then had a chance to digest it all, our discomfort had returned, and we felt as if bull fighting was/is brutal. Essentially, the bull is tortured for 10-15 minutes and then ultimately killed.
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