Corrida de toros
Corrida de toros is a traditional
spectacle of Spain, Portugal, southern France and some Hispanic American
countries and the Philippines, in which one or more bulls are baited, and then
killed in a bullring for the entertainment of the audience. Although a blood sport, by definition, some
followers of the spectacle prefer to view it as a 'fine art' and not a sport,
as there are no elements of competition in the proceedings. In Portugal, it is
now illegal to kill a bull in the arena, so it is removed and either
professionally butchered or, in exceptional cases, treated and released into
its owners fields.
The bullfight, as it is practiced
today, involves professional toreros who execute various formal moves which can
be interpreted and innovated according to the bullfighter's style or school. It
has been alleged that toreros seek to elicit inspiration and art from their
work and an emotional connection with the crowd transmitted through the bull.
Such maneuvers are performed at close range, after the bull has first been
weakened and tired by lances and short spears with barbs which are thrust into
and then hang from the bull. The close proximity places the bullfighter at some
risk of being gored or trampled by the weakened bull. After the bull has been
hooked multiple times behind the shoulder by other matadors in the arena, the
bullfight usually concludes with the killing of the bull by a single sword
thrust, which is called the estocada. In Portugal, the finale consists of a
tradition called the pega, where men try to grab and hold the bull by its horns
when it runs at them.
Supporters of Corrida de toros argue that it is a
culturally important tradition and a fully developed art form on par with
painting, dancing and music, whilst critics hold that it is a blood sport
perpetrated as a cowardly act resulting in the suffering of bulls and horses.
Forms of non-lethal Corrida de toros also appear outside the
Iberian and Francophone world, including the Tamil Nadu practise of jallikattu;
and the Portuguese-influenced mchezo wa ngombe is also practiced on the
Tanzanian islands of Pemba and Zanzibar. Types of Corrida de toros which involve bulls fighting other bulls, rather
than humans, are found in the Balkans, Turkey, the Persian Gulf, Bangladesh,
Japan, Peru and Korea. In many parts of the Western United States, various
rodeo events like calf roping and bull riding were influenced by the Spanish Corrida de toros.
Spanish-style bullfighting is
called corrida de toros or la fiesta In the traditional corrida, three
matadores, each fight two bulls, each of which is between four and six years
old and weighs no less than 460 kg. Each matador has six assistants two
picadores mounted on horseback, three banderilleros – who along with the
matadors are collectively known as toreros and a mozo de espadas. Collectively
they comprise a cuadrilla. The word
"matador" is only used in English, whereas in Spanish the more
general "torero" is used
and only when needed to distinguish the full title "matador de toros" is used.
The crowd may petition the
president to award the matador an ear of the bull by waving white
handkerchiefs. If his performance was exceptional, he will award two ears, and
in certain more rural rings, a tail can still be awarded. Very rarely, if the
public or the matador believe that the bull has fought extremely bravely, the
event's president may be petitioned to grant the bull a pardon and if it is
granted, the bull's life is spared; and it is allowed to leave the ring alive
and return to the ranch from where it came. Then the bull becomes a stud bull
for the rest of its life.
