On May 1st, Granada
hosted its kick-off corrida de toros for the season. Corrida de toros is
essentially what we call a bull fight.
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| Ashley and I at the Corrida de Toros |
There were six bull fighters and six bulls, each bull
fighter gets 20 minutes with their bull.
Each torero has six assistants—two picadores
("lancers on horseback") mounted on horseback, three banderilleros
– who along with the matadors are collectively known as toreros
("bullfighters") – and a mozo de espadas ("sword
page"). The picadores come out on horseback and as the bull charges the
horse (who has protective gear on), they aim to stick a spear in the mound of
muscle on the fighting bull's neck, weakening the neck muscles and leading to
the animal's first loss of blood. This enables the torero to actually have a
chance in fighting the bull because it weakens the bull. Then the mozo de
espadas comes out with six different barbed sticks decorated in spain’s colors
(red and yellow) and andalucian colors (green and white). As the bull charges
them, they stab the spears again behind the neck, around the shoulder area.
This further weakens the bull. Finally the torero (bull fighter) comes out with
his muleta (small red cape). There’s a myth that the cape is red because it
aggravates the bull. However, bulls are colorblind. They react to the moment of
the cape. It’s only red to mask the blood of the bull. The torero uses his cape
to attract the bull in a series of passes which serve the dual purpose of
wearing the animal down for the kill and producing a beautiful display or faena.
He may also demonstrate his domination over the bull by caping it especially
close to his body (which then the audience shouts OLE!) The bullfighter’s turn
ends with a final series of passes in which the torero with a muleta (sword)
attempts to maneuver the bull into a position to stab it between the shoulder
blades and through the heart. After each bull is
killed, the audience decides whether or not the kill was clean and if they want
to see more. They wave white handkerchiefs (or hats, napkins…anything white) as
the bullfighter takes his bow around the arena. Then the process starts all
over with a different bull and a different fighter.
Many people argue that this spectacular is very cruel and
violent. I do agree with this. It was very hard to watch the bulls die.
However, I also understand that the Corrida de Toros is a part of Spanish
culture. It’s a piece of their history as well as an art. The way the
bullfighter maneuvers the bull with his cape, the lines of his body, and the
elegant-ness of the kill….is all an art. Although I would not like to go to
another Corrida de toros anytime soon, in all I’m glad I participated. It was
definitely a culturally experience and something you can never truly understand
until witnessing it yourself. I learned a lot more about the atmosphere: how
the bulls are treated like royalty and have superiority, how the people cheer
and clap when the bull charges the cape, how the people encourage the
bullfighter with Ole’s and waving of handkerchiefs. It was very neat to learn
about the Corrida de toros in class and then actually going to see one.
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