Bullfight

Presentation

The “plays taurins”, possibly the setting with died of the bull in public in the bullfight, are undoubtedly a survival of the sacrifices of animals which were so important in the primitive cultures.

Course of a bullfight

The sorteo

The apartado

Once the drawing lot carried out, takes place the apartado : the bulls separate from/to each other and are placed one by one in the chiqueros , cells obscure of approximately three meters out of two, in which they wait the hour of the bullfight in order to be able to be released in the arena at the desired time.

has tired cinco of delays

“In Spain, the only thing which starts per hour, it is the bullfight” .

The paseo

The lidia

First tercio : the tercio of spade

Exit of the bull

Entry of the picadors

See also: Picador, Spade (of the picador)

Formerly, the picador was the principal hero of the bullfight, more awaited bullfighters; the bullfighters with foot were only its assistances. It is only in second half of the 18th century that it started to lose its supremacy, to become in the middle of 19th subordinate of the matador.

The role of the picador is to test the bravery of the bull using its spade, lance out of wooden of 2,60 meters length beech finished by a steel point: the Puya .

In theory, there is applied two spades minimum (it is no maximum), but in the event of weak bull, the president can reduce this number to only one. When by chance, the bull shows an exceptional bravery, an additional spade is sometimes given with the regatón : the picador takes its spade with back, and “pricks” with the end of the handle, the regatón , and not with the puya .

Second tercio : the tercio of banderillas

Third tercio : the tercio of setting to death

The faena of muleta

The thrust

The descabello

The puntilla

Appreciation of a bullfight by the public

Rewards

If they appreciated the service of the matador, the spectators claim with the president whom to him are granted one, even two ears, and even two ears and the tail. With this intention, they must agitate a white handkerchief, but the experiment shows that many spectators (especially in France) are satisfied to shout, whistle or applaud. The president grants an ear, two ears, two ears and the tail by presenting one, two or three white handkerchiefs. The trophies are cut under the monitoring of the alguazil which will give them to the matador after the skin of the bull will have been drawn out of the track. It does not remain any more with the matador but to make a vuelta Al Ruedo : it makes it tower of the track while skirting the barrier and greets the public; the most enthusiastic spectators send to him bouquets of flower, cigars, their hat, their scarf etc the matador keeps the flowers and the cigars, and returns hats, scarves, etc, with their owner.

If no ear were granted, the public will be able however, by its nourished and repeated applause, to ask the matador “to greet with the barrier” (the matador enters in track and greets the public while remaining near the barrier), to greet “with the third” (the matador halfway advances barrier and center of the track), to greet “in the center” (the matador greets while advancing until the center of the track), to even make a “vuelta Al ruedo”.

If the service of the matador were very little appreciated, it can involve a Bronca : the dissatisfied spectators shout, whistle, and it can even happen that some throw bottles on the track. (Such a gesture is largely condemned by the aficionados .) Sometimes the reaction is worse for the matador than strongest of the broncas : silence.

If the bull were exceptionally good, the president will be able to grant to him to him also a vuelta Al ruedo by presenting a blue handkerchief. And if it were more than exceptionally good, the president will be able, before the thrust, to order his grace by presenting an orange handkerchief El indulto.

When the matador finished greeting, it does not remain any more with the president but to leave his white handkerchief in order to order the track entry of the following bull.

At the end of the bullfight, the matadors leave the arena one after the other, by order of seniority. If one of them were particularly brilliant, it will leave has hombros , on the shoulders of its admirors. Perhaps - supreme reward - it will be authorized to leave by the Large Door. With Seville, it must for that have cut three trophies at least (that is to say three ears, or two ears and a tail); for Madrid, two trophies will suffice (being generally allowed that if one second ear inhabitant of Madrid and a second ear sévillane has approximately the same value, the first ear inhabitant of Madrid has some much more than the first ear sévillane); elsewhere, it is according to the serious one of the organization, the standard level and competence of the public, the local habits, etc

Protagonists of the bullfight

The bull

Current encastes

The toro of combat belongs to the species Bos primigenius F. taurus . It belongs to the subspecies Bos taurus ibericus different from that of the domestic bovines of Europe Bos taurus . This subspecies is divided into several races create by the crossings carried out by the men since centuries. The evolution of the genetics of the toro of combat can be represented as follows:

Bos taurus Ibericus

Espinosa
Raso de Portillo
Navarra-Aragon
Gallardo-Will pull up
Vazquez
Jijon
Vistahermosa

From which go down:

Freire
Vazquez X Vistahermosa (patas blancas)
Murube

from Which descend :

Will counter
Urquijo
Luis da Gama
Ibarra

from Which descend :

Carvajal
Pedrajas
Santa Coloma
Parladé

from Which descend :

Gamero Civico
Rincon
Tamaron

from Which descend :

Atanasio Fernandez
Lisardo Sanchez
Nunez
Domecq

The breeding of the bull

Principal the ganaderías

The bull in the arena

At the exit of the toril, it is marked currency, cascade of ribbons of various colors, each ganaderia having its own currency.

Principal qualities which one requests from the bull are bravery, the nobility and the caste.

Bravery: fundamental quality of the fighting bull. Bravery appears by the promptitude of the bull to charge with the least request, by the tireless repetition of its loads, by the abnegation of which it makes proof vis-a-vis the various adversaries which are opposed to him, in particular the picador.

Nobility: faculty which has the bull to rather charge in straight line than in “zigzag”, by lowering the head. Certain stockbreeders so much sought the nobility with the detriment of any other quality which their bulls become “sosos” (“stupid”) and remove any emotion with the combat about it.

Caste: this term indicates in the beginning each race of bulls selected for the bullfight. One will say of such breeding that it is of “caste vasqueña” to say that it goes down from bulls raised by the stockbreeder Jose Vasquez, or of “caste vistahermosa” to mean that it goes down from bulls raised by the Count de Vistahermosa. In one second meaning, one will say of a bull that it has of the “caste” to indicate that, generally it has all qualities or almost which one seeks in the bull.

The matador

Members of the cuadrilla

The peones

Picadors

The picador applies the spades at the time of the first tercio . Each cuadrilla account two picadors, which officiate in turn.

Other assistants of the matador

The mozo of espada

The mozo of espada (“servant of sword”) assists the matador since the contrepist. It provides him a hoods replacement in the event of tear, tightens the banderillas to him if it poses them itself, will give the sword to him at the end of the faena of muleta . It maintains the material and the bullfighter's costume , deals with the reservations of hotel, yesterday, today plane ticket train tickets when the matador owes toréer the following day in a city moved away, is used as driver, adviser technical, of interpreter, etc

The apoderado

The president and his assessors

The president is charged about the place. It orders the beginning of each race, the changes of tercios , the attribution of the trophies. Its decisions are notified using handkerchiefs (white for the change of tercio and the attribution of the trophies, red to order the installation of black banderillas, orange for gracier the bull, green to order its change, blue to grant to him a vuelta Al ruedo ).

In Spain, it is a police superintendent, appointed by the official authorities. In France, according to the payment of the Union of the French taurines cities (UVTF), it is indicated by the mayor of the commune; most generally, it will be selected among the presidents of the local clubs taurins.

It is assisted of two assessors. In Spain, they are indicated by the authorities of the State, as the president. It is however possible to appoint as assessor a reprocessed matador. In Andalusia, since April 1st, 2006, can also be named assessors of the “manifestly qualified aficionados ”.

The alguazil

Personnel of the arena

the areneros are charged to give the track in state after each bull.

the men in red, one often calls them Monosabio S , term which means “erudite monkeys”: towards 1847, the areneros of the arenas of Madrid had been equipped with a uniform to which many spectators found a resemblance to that of a troop of erudite monkeys which occurred then in the Spanish capital. They are charged to help the picador and the horse in track.

the mulilleros are the people in charge of the attachment of mules evacuating the carcass in end of the road.

Music

The hastened

It is the organizer of the bullfight, that which engages the matadors, buys the bulls, and hopes to garner the benefit.

In the largest arenas, the hastened is a private company. Some hastened are owners of the arenas (in Spain, Barcelona, Saint-Sebastien, Logroño, inter alia), others are tenants of the arenas which belong to the local government agencies (Arles, Nimes, Madrid, Valence) or to the private ones (in France in particular Béziers where the arenas belong to a public limit company; in Spain, in particular Seville where the arenas belong to a brotherhood militaro-nun, the Real Maestranza de Caballería ).

In other arenas, it is an emanation of the town hall: municipal control in France or similar organization in Spain. It is the case in particular in France of Bayonne or Dax.

In the smallest arenas, where the benefit are more random, the hastened is generally a Association law of 1901 (or equivalent in Spain).

Public

The public is varied. Traditionally, the spectators in two main categories are classified: “toreristas” and “toristas” .

The toreristas would be primarily attracted by the art of the matador, his address, the elegance of its master keys. Such an amount of worse if its art is exerted only in front of often weak bulls, even too weak, and of a nobility which plank the “soseria” (“stupidity”), so much worse so too often the spectacle is not with go, so much the bull is non-existent.

The toristas would be primarily attracted by the spectacle of the bull showing its bravery, especially vis-a-vis the picador. They would appreciate only the matadors who emphasize the bull, reveal its qualities and its defects. Such an amount of worse so very often, the spectacle is not with go, the too difficult bulls being, even impossible with toréer; such an amount of worse if the matadors who face this kind of bulls are often condemned to do it because of the insufficiency of their talent.

For these two principal categories, it is necessary to primarily add the recognizable “turistas” to the fact that they speak English, German, Italian, Dutch, or French with the “pointed” accent. To note however that number of English, Germans or Parisian are aficionados very experts, whereas number of Spaniards or Southerners who go to the bullfight only one time the year, in their city, are undoubtedly “casi-turistas” .

In the good place

In assigned time

The time assigned to the matador to put at dead the bull is limited: it is fixed in theory at fifteen minutes. Five minutes before the end of the prescribed time the president makes deliver the “first opinion” by a ringing of trumpet. Three minutes after the first opinion, “second opinion”. Two minutes later the “third opinion sounds”: the matador must withdraw himself behind the barrier, the bull is brought back to the toril where it will be cut down. To let sound the three opinions is regarded as the worst shame which a matador can know.

Why fifteen minutes? It is often marked that beyond this duration bull includes/understands that its true adversary is not muleta but man which holds the muleta (the bull does not perceive the colors and the movements in the same way only the man, which allows during a time to delude it), this is why he must be killed before he realizes of the subterfuge.

Others think that it that all the bulls included/understood the subterfuge at the end of fifteen minutes, and estimate that would have to be authorized a matador is abusive to think to prolong the spectacle if this last realizes that the bull puts more than one fifteen minutes to be included/understood. The latter also think that if the matador estimates himself more extremely than the bull, even after this one, it started to include/understand should be authorized to show it.

One can also observe that the fifteen minutes are not respected everywhere in the same way, and that the calculation does not start everywhere at the same time.

Formerly in Spain and France, the fifteen minutes were deducted starting from the first master key of muleta . Since 1991, they are it as from the moment or the president gives the order to change tercio .

In Mexico, the opinions are deducted starting from the first attempt at thrust. The matador thus lays out, not of fifteen minutes, but of an unlimited time until the first attempt at thrust, then seven minutes as from this first test. This specificity is not due to the bulls them-even, indeed, many Mexican breedings were recently made up starting from imported bulls of Spain; in many bullfights organized in Mexico, the bulls are Spanish.

In Andalusia, since April 1st, 2006, the first opinion is in theory sounded ten minutes after the change of tercio , like everywhere else in Spain or France. But if the matador less tries a thrust than eight minutes after the first master key of muleta , the first opinion is sounded two minutes after this first attempt at thrust. The president must thus have two stop watches: one which it launches when it makes sound the change of tercio to deduct the ten minutes, the other which it launches at the time of the first master key of muleta to deduct the eight minutes. In Andalusia, an attempt at thrust would thus accelerate the speed of training of the bull. And it rule is the same one as the bull is Andalusian, Castilian or Portuguese. And everywhere else in Spain like in France, only one stop watch remains necessary, whether the bull is Andalusian, Castilian or Portuguese.

According to the quality of the service of the matador, the president will be able to adapt to his suitability the ten minutes. If the service of the matador does not like the public, many spectators will shout “sloop, sloop” , and chair it will not wait until six hundred seconds were passed to make sound the ten minutes. In the same way, if the service likes the public, the president will be able to leave the matador a few minutes more.

Another explanation is sometimes advanced: the fifteen minutes limit would oblige the matador to shine by privileging the quality of its master keys. This explanation is not however either satisfactory, insofar as there remains completely possible for a matador to connect in less than ten minutes a big number of master keys of very poor quality. Contrary, the admirors of “Gitanillo de Triana”, matador of the Twenties, supported that their idol stopped time.

If el tiempo No lo impide

Like all the spectacles proceeding in the open air, the course of the bullfight depends to some extent of the weather. The rain in oneself is not awkward; only a too violent rain, transforming the track into mud ocean, can prevent the bullfight from taking place. Besides accustomed Bilbao know the usual drizzle of the capital of the Biscay; as for accustomed of Arles, he undoubtedly remember this fifth bull of El Sierro fought by Roberto Domínguez to beginning of the year 90, under a true flood.

The wind is much more awkward: making be agitated inopportunely hoods and muletas , it can make difficult even almost impossible the normal course of the bullfight. When the wind remains moderate, the matadors weigh down the bottom of the muleta : they sprinkle it water then let it trail on sand.

In Spain, the mention “if el tiempo No lo impide” (“if time does not prevent it”) figure generally on the posters. Perhaps the development of the covered arenas - in particular Saragossa partially covered, Holy Sebastien and completely closed Logroño - will make a day useless this mention.

Idiot el permiso of mow autoridades

Where that it is, the bullfight answers a strict regulation. In Spain, the mention “Idiot el permiso of mow autoridades” (“with the permission of the authorities”) figure besides on the posters.

In Spain

Before 1917, there does not exist any true regulation of the bullfight, each city, each arena has its usual own rules. In fact, these rules are very close from/to each other, the Andalusian arenas generally imitating the practices in force in Seville, the others generally imitating the practices in force in Madrid, Madrid and Seville being inspired mutually.

A law of 1917 creates a single payment for all Spain. In 1962, this payment is entirely redesigned. In 1991, the law Corcuera (of the name of the Minister of Interior Department) redesigns the payment again.

The development of the autonomy of the autonomous communities their transferred the regulation as regards bullfighting in particular. In fact, in almost all the communities, the law Corcuera remains in force, only Andalusia having, since April 1st, 2006, a particular payment but differing from the law Corcuera only on points of detail.

In France

The law Grammont

The payment of the Union of the French taurines cities

In France, the only regulation existing in connection with the bullfight prohibits it by principle and authorizes it only by exception. No law similar to the law Corcuera exists. Certain associations claim the creation of a “French federation of bullfight” to the image of the sporting federations. It seems not very probable that such a federation can be born. Any written regulation can thus only be of municipal origin.

During a long time, one in France, applied coutumièrement the Spanish payment. In 1972, the Union of the French taurines cities (UVTF) established a payment very largely inspired of the payment Spanish and invited its members to make it compulsory on their territory, by local by-law. All did not do it, but in these communes, as in the taurines communes which are not members of the UVTF, this payment is applied coutumièrement.

In Portugal

In Portugal, the setting with died in public is in practice prohibited since the middle of the 18th century, and formally and was definitively prohibited by a law of 1928, under the mode of the dictator Salazar. In spite of prohibition, it continued to be practiced in some communes, in particular with Barrancos, village of the Alentejo near to the Spanish border. A law of 2000 authorized the settings with died in public in the communes in which they continued to be practiced.

The alternative

The apodo

The brindis

The vault

In all the arenas or almost exists a vault allowing the bullfighters who wish it outward journey to collect themselves before the bullfight.

The chief of lidia

The escalafón

The bullfighter's costume

The red color

“Children here the oxen which pass, hide your reds aprons” (Victor Hugo, the legend of the nun )

According to an generally accepted idea, the bull sinks on what is red, which explains the color of the muleta . In fact, the bovines do not distinguish the colors; for them, red vermilion, Prussian blue or green bottle are only nuances of gray. Actually, the bull charges what moves. The matador thus agitates his muleta while remaining itself as motionless as possible, which starts the load of the bull on the muleta and not on the man.

Ironically, the irritation of the bull against the red color seems a prejudice Anthropologique, because of recent studies show that the man, is indeed excited for him by the red color.

The superstition

Certain footballers always thread their shoes in the same order, “because that their door happiness”, believe that to play with the white shirt rather than blue increases the chances of victories, etc; in the automobile races, it there forever of car number 13; the Friday the 13th sees assembling out of arrow the horse bets or the Lotto; do few people like to pass under a scale? Consequently, it would be astonishing that the bullfight escapes the superstitions. The principal ones are the following ones.

Before the preparing of the matador, his clothing is always posed on a chair, never on the bed: that carries misfortune. The most current explanation is that the clothing extended on a bed points out a corpse extended on the bed of death.

One never should “test” clothing of a matador, to see with what one resembles, that also carries misfortune. To thread clothing of the matador would point out the division of his businesses which its heirs will make after his death. When a matador brinde the bull with a spectator and thus entrusts his will assemble to the honoured person, it is not necessary especially that this person is posed it on the head!

In theory, the matadors never use bullfighter's costume of yellow color: that carries misfortune. The yellow would point out the color of a corpse. According to another explanation, time when the capital punishment still existed in Spain, condemned was carried out by Garrot; during the execution, condemned was covered with a kind of yellow Strait jacket of color. Yellow clothing would be thus that of condemned to death. There exists a third explanation: this superstition would go back to the death in scene of an actor of theater vêtu of a yellow costume.

to be noted concerning clothing: certain matadors, in particular Shine Francisco Esplá, use sometimes yellow clothes. Absence of superstition or taste of the provocation? With regard to the alicantin Esplá, this second explanation is perhaps the good one: another famous alicantin, “Manzanares” always had the reputation to fear over all the yellow color, so much so that some of its detractors put on a yellow shirt systematically when they were to attend a bullfight in which it took part. Is this a chance? At the time of the rare bullfights in which took part together both alicantins, Esplá always put on a yellow dress.

Toreador?

Notorious matadors

Martyrologe

See also: List of the matadors died in the arena

The bullfight is surely not the riskiest human activity: the majority of the matadors reaches the retirement age. Its martyrologe is however already provided: fifty-five matadors killed in the arena, for which it is necessary to add a hundred and eleven novilleros, fifty-nine picadors and a hundred and twenty banderilleros.

Where and when to attend bullfights

More than thousand five hundred bullfights are organized in France and Spain, to which are added the Latin-American bullfights, it in several hundreds of arenas. To know the principal arenas and the dates on which they organize bullfights, one can click on this bond.

Polemic on the bullfight

Other forms of bullfights

The bullfight of rejón

The “Portuguese race” or “Portuguese bullfight” (in Portuguese tourada )

The acoso there derribo

(Of the verbs “acosar” and “derribar” , “to continue” and “to reverse”). Consistent play for two riders to continue a young bull in the fields and to reverse it by pushing it of the end of a pole. This play was in the beginning a form of tienta of macho , which explains why one practices it near the remainder of the herd. After its fall, the bull can, is to charge the riders which caused it, that is to say to join the remainder of the herd, which makes it possible to evaluate its combativeness.

The race camarguaise

The race landaise

The race of recortadores

The comic toreo or “charlotade” (Spanish: toreo comico or charlotada )

The toro-swimming pool

Play into force primarily in the South of France, consisting in releasing a young cow camarguaise or landaise with the horns emboulées in the arena. Those which want it deliver to plays: statue (the competitors must remain upright on a barrel, gaining it being the last to remain on its barrel), part of charts (the competitors must sit down on the barrels by forming a square, as if they played charts), the toro-ball (that resembles the field hockey, except that the sticks are replaced by brushes), etc In the middle of the track, is a swimming pool made with a wall of balls of straw and a tight cover; the top consists in inserting the young cow in the swimming pool; the last word consists in entering there at the same time as the cow! Gaining premiums touch, in order to give a stake.

At the exit of a bullfight, one hears sometimes spectators exclaim “It was the toro-swimming pool”. Undoubtedly they attended the same bullfight as those for which it was a charlotade.

Lâchers of bulls in the streets

In many cities and villages of Spain and South of France, at the time of the local festivals, take place of the lâchers of bulls in the streets. These lâchers can be regarded as a survival of the old bullfighting and takes innumerable forms and local alternatives. The principal ones are the following ones.

The encierro

The abrivado

The bandido

Word of Provence. The bandido was formerly the return of the bulls since the arenas after the race, and gave place to the same attempts by the young people of the country to make them escape. Today, it is a form of lâchers of bulls analog to the encierro . According to the local practices, all the lâchers will be called encierros , or all will be called bandido , or finally, according to whether it is in such street or on such place, one will use one or the other term.

The formation of plural and the pronunciation of O final call the same remarks as for abrivado .

The jallikattu

It is about a tradition of the south of the known India also under the name of Manju Virattu (drives out with the bull). It is practiced in the State of the Tamil Nadu, at the time of the festival of the Pongal, and consists in releasing one or more bulls on a place where men try to control the animal with naked hands. This ritual constitutes the attraction of the third feastday and the stake of bets.

See too

Internal bonds

bullfight

External bonds

Sites of information taurine

In French

Corrida.tv
Campos there Ruedos
the Echo of the callejón
images-corridas.net - Photographs
El Tico
Site of the traditions taurines, photographs and vidéos
the school taurine of Nimes
Toreria.net
Toros2000
Toros there fotos
Site of the review '' Terres taurines ''
Reports vidéos on the site of Aquitanian FR3
Reports vidéos on the site of Southern FR3
Alliance for the suppression of the bullfights
International Movement Anti Bullfights
Committee Radically Anti-Bullfight

In Spanish

Advance Taurino
Burladerodos
Jose Moral Antonio LED
Mundotoro
Noticias Taurinas
Portal Taurino
Revista 6Toros6

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