History of the bullfight

The “plays taurins”, implying in certain cases the setting with died of the Bull in public as in the Bullfight , are undoubtedly a survival of the sacrifices of animals which were so important in the primitive cultures.

Origins

The Taureau is an animal whose power always impressed the man; more strongly still during the Neolithic and of the Antiquity. The raising of the pets is often a dangerous activity that the cultures sometimes sublimated in collective or initiatory rites. Today still, among certain people, one becomes a man only after having killed or having captured a Lion or a tiger. With the edge between peaceful the Ox and these wild animals, showing how nature and its violence can sometimes re-appear, the bull fascinated and inspired many creators, like Goya or Pablo Picasso.

With the Middle Ages

The modern bullfight owes its bases with the plays taurins organized to divert the Spanish nobility with the Moyen-âge. (This theory is disputed by certain which affirms that the bullfights find also bases older among the Circus games. That these assertions are made without bearing least witness, the least should however be specified written showing such a filiation. The same ones also affirm that in the beginnings it was not an Iberian speciality, always without supporting their assertions by the least testimony, nor least written.) The noble ones organized between them huntings for the bulls and tournaments equestrian during which they attacked the bull using a lance. According to a chronicle of 1124, “Whereas Alphonse VII was in Saldaña with the young person Doña Berenguela, girl of the count de Barcelone, inter alia entertainments, there were festivals of bulls. ” the chronicle also recalls that Cid was fond of delicacies of these plays. Later, Charles Quint will be him also amateur.

These spectacles were held on public places in order to celebrate a victory, or for employers' festivals. They were not without danger to the spectators: Goya represented an accident which has occurred during one of these festivals, having resulted in the death of the Alcalde of Torrejón.

One supposes that the Moors were the first to use capes to divert the bull, during the attacks with the lance.

16th and 17th centuries

During 16th and 17th centuries, the bullfighting with horse reserved for the nobility is codified with in particular, in 1643, the publication of the Traité horsemanship and various rules for toréer of Gift Gregorio de Tapia there Salcedo. The riders practice a combat using lances, ancestor of the Corrida of rejón and the Portuguese Corrida modern.

At the same time, the nobility starts to use its servants to distract the bull when themselves change horse (tired or wounded), or to help them in the event of fall. During the appearance of the varilarguero , ancestor of the current Picador, these “pedestrians” will have also as a role to move away the bull from the horse and will make use with this intention of capes or of coats, ancestors of the hoods.

The bulls in general are put at died by the riders; this setting with death is sometimes carried out by the servants with feet. It also happens that the bull is not immediately killed; after the combat, it is delivered to the rabble which makes use of it to make plays: pose and withdrawal of Banderilles, jumps of firm footing or with the pole over the bull, etc When the bull is weakened too much so that these plays remain possible, it is put at died: one slices to him the bulges using a blade fixed at the end of a pole; it any more but does not remain to kill it out of a blow of sword.

As from the 17th century, the bullfighters with foot, resulting from the people and either from the nobility, start to be known and attract each other the sympathy of the public more and more. The nobility, on its side starts to be diverted these plays. Consequently, the bullfight, aristocratic that it was, becomes popular. The main actor remains still the rider, but it is from now on a varilarguero (“carrying long lance”, in opposition to the noble ones whose lance was in fact a kind of javelin). Instead of continuing the bull, or to be made continue by this one, it awaits it firm footing to stop it with its lance, as do it the current picadors. After the varilarguero , the pedestrians deliver themselves to the same plays as time of the “aristocratic bullfight”.

18th century

In 1700, Philippe V, grandson of the king de France Louis XIV, goes up on the throne of Spain. Its little of taste for the bullfight accelerates the disaffection of the nobility for these entertainments.

It should be noted that, if the nobility gives up the arena in Spain, in Portugal, it in is not the same: the “aristocratic” race continues to exist. However, after the death of the count d' Arcos in 1762, at the time of a bullfight, the setting with died of the bull ceases being practiced. This form of bullfighting exists still nowadays.

In the first years of the 18th century, Ronda, some Francisco Romero, at the end of a race, asks for the authorization of kill itself the bull. After having made it charge two or three times a lure made with fabric, estoque Francisco Romero the bull using its sword. Thereafter, it starts again in other arenas and becomes a true professional. Francisco Romero is generally regarded as “the inventor” of the modern bullfight. In fact, it seems that this setting with dead bull by Estocade was practiced quite front him, in particular by employees of the slaughter-houses sévillans, which transformed their trade of killers of bulls by putting it in scene for a public increasingly more. In any case, if Francisco Romero is not “the inventor” of the modern bullfight, it is the first Matador to have exerted his art in a usual and professional way. Moreover, its successes involve a radical change in the art of toréer: until him, the main character is still the picador; after the picador, the important thing, they are the plays; the setting with dead is only the end (the “fine” word used in the direction “termination”) of the spectacle. After him, the picador starts to lose of sound will have, the plays are only one “interlude”, the setting with death becomes the end (the “fine” word used in the direction “drank”) spectacle.

Following Francisco Romero, many its compatriots are made also matadores toros , in particular its grandson Pedro Romero, “Costillares” and “Pepe Hillo”. This last will be in 1796 the author of “the tauromaquia, O el arte of torear of magpie has there caballo” (“bullfighting, or the art of toréer to foot and horse”), first treaty of modern bullfighting.

19th century

The picador and the plays which follow its service losing of their importance, the setting with death becoming the strong moment of the bullfight, Francisco Montes “Paquiro” that Prosper Mérimée will call the “Napoleon” of the bullfighting”, imposes in the years 1830-1840, the organization of all the speakers in a team charged to help the matador to kill the bull. From now on, picadors and Banderillero S are nothing any more but the subordinates of the matador; their goal is to allow the setting dead bull with the possible maximum of chances of success. The Suerte S consequently become useless, such as the jumps with the pole, disappear.

In addition to “Paquiro”, principal the appeared (“high-speed motorboats”) of this time are “Cúchares”, “Frascuelo” and “Lagartijo”.

Throughout this period, the bullfights such as they were practiced in Spain, are established in its colonies of America. The first bullfight to Mexico City takes place the January 24th 1526 with imported bulls of Spain. Nowadays, it is practiced in Mexico, the Peru, in Colombia, with the Venezuela, in Ecuador and Bolivia. There were also some bullfights in Argentine, Uruguay and with Cuba.

Bullfights were also practiced in France, in Aquitaine, like Provence and Languedoc in the neighborhoods of the the Camargue. However, the “aristocratic” race existed forever, only of the plays were practiced, which did not end systematically in the setting with died of the bull.

After having conquered all the Andalusia, then all Spain and its colonies (or old colonies) American, the modern bullfight crosses the the Pyrenees: the first French bullfight proceeds the 1853 with Holy Spirit, commune since attached to Bayonne, in front of Napoleon III and the empress Eugenie (this one is Spanish). In fact, bullfights, such as they were practiced in Spain, had already taken place in France, in particular with Arles and Bayonne (already!) at the beginning of the 19th century. But, on the one hand, they were races such as they were practiced before “Paquiro”, on the other hand, these “Spanish” races were without following days.

Starting from 1853, the Spanish bullfighting settles durably in France: as of 1854, bullfights are organized with Nimes and Arles. There was even with Roubaix and the Havre! This installation in France is not done without evil, because it raises many oppositions. Moreover, the Court of appeal judge at the beginning of the 20th century that the Loi Grammont applies to the bullfights; those are thus prohibited. In spite of prohibition, many bullfights are organized in the cities of the South, the sanctions, when they are pronounced by the courts, being symbolic systems.

The end of the 19th century is in particular marked by the figure of Rafael Guerra “Guerrita”, its science of the bull inébranlable and its disproportionate pride. One knows his famous judgment on the hierarchy taurine with its, time: “Initially there is me, after me it does not have nobody there and after anybody, Fuentes. ”

20th century

The years 1910 to 1920 are often called the “Golden age”, remembered by personalities like Rafael González Madrid “Machaquito” or Ricardo Torres Reina “Bombita”, but especially by the competition between Jose Gomez Ortega “Joselito” and Juan Belmonte. This last “invents” the temple , faculty to grant the displacement of the lure and the load of the bull. He “invents” also the immobility: hitherto, the bullfighter moved back at the time of the load of the bull; from now on it remains in place and deviates the load.

In 1928, under the dictatorship of Primo de Rivera, the caparaçon invented by the French Jaques Heyral in order to protect the horses, becomes obligatory: from now on, the pink on which was assembled the picador will not be étripée more in track. Some believe to see in this decision the end of the bullfight. Actually, the spectacle is satisfied to evolve/move: it will be from now on difficult to measure the bravery of a bull of many killed horses!

In the years 1920 and 1930, under the impulse of a captain of cavalry, Antonio Cañero, the bullfighting with horse “returns to the gallop”. Cañero, takes again the principal techniques of the Portuguese riders, but restores the setting with death which it practices using a rejón , literally “harpoon”, actually nearer to a javelin.

In April 1931, the Republic is proclaimed. It is often marked wrongly that the Spanish Republic prohibited the bullfight: to celebrate the proclamation of the Republic, the socialist mayor of Madrid organizes a bullfight, the June 17th 1931; it is chaired by Niceto Alcalá Zamora, future president of the Republic; in April 1932 with Valence for the first birthday of the Republic, distribution of specimens of the Constitution, beauty contest and bullfights. The bullfighting is socialized. All the professional organizations or almost multiply the Novillada S without picador and much of races are made with the profit social works. And 1935 is an important season of bullfighting grace in particular to Marcial Lalanda, Victoriano of Serna, Manolo Bienvenida, Domingo Ortega, “Cagancho”.

The July 18th 1936, begins the civil war. Like their compatriots, the bullfighters divide, sometimes according to the geography (those who are as of the beginning in nationalist zone taking the party of Free, those which are in the zone still controlled by the Republic taking the party of this one), sometimes according to their opinions. In the zones still controlled by the Republic one makes the Paseo by singing International the , in the others by singing Cara Al ground . Others follow the wind: the August 29th 1936, Domingo Ortega torée in Valence for the popular militia and “brinde” a bull at the executive committee of the Republic; the May 24th 1939, it will take part in Madrid with the “bullfight of the victory” organized to celebrate the victory of Free.

A minority fights on the face, by ideology or interest, on a side like other. Pro-Franco side: Marcial Lalanda, “Algabeño”, Victoriano of Serna. Republican side: Enrique Torrés, Manolo Martínez, Felix Almagro, Felix Colomo. And some die there: “Algabeño Chico”, the banderillero Fernando García in the nationalist rows; Saturio Torón, the novilleros Ramón of Cruz and Cayetano of Torre, republican side.

After the War of Spain, the figure of Handbook Rodríguez Sánchez “Manolete appears” (“Manolete, a bullfighter to forget the war”) which in front of the small ones and thin bulls of the time again revolutionizes the toreo by its verticality and its opposition to progress. Its death with Linares in 1947 will be a true national tragedy.

After the death of “Manolete”, place with the Mexican Carlos Arruza, but also with Pepe Shine Vázquez and in Agustín Parra “Parrita”, and especially with the competition of the two brothers-in-law Luis Miguel Dominguín and Antonio Ordóñez.

In France, by the law of the April 24th 1951, the law Grammont is amended. From now on, it “is not applicable to the bullfight when an uninterrupted tradition can be called upon. ” Moreover, the decree of September 7th, 1959 specifies that the tradition must be “local and uninterrupted. ” Under the terms of these new rules, of the bullfights is organized today in all legality in more than one about sixty cities, located in eleven departments (Aude, Rhone delta, Gard, Haute-Garonne, Gers, the Gironde, Herault, Landes, Yrénées-Atlantiques, the Eastern Pyrenees, Var).

In the years 1960, the Manual hurricane Benítez “El Cordobés”, wire of a republican workman killed during the civil war, is essential in Spain which opens with tourism. The American magazine Life , in a guide with the use of its readers travelling to Europe, advises to them in connection with bullfights, if they see writes on the poster “El Cordobés”, to miss this spectacle under no pretext; in the contrary case, not to waste their time with this spectacle without interest!

Beside “El Cordobés”, appear in particular Diego Puerta, Santiago Martín “El Viti” and Paco Camino.

At the end of the years 1960 and especially with the beginning of the year 1970, one sees appearing the first French matadors having succeeded, if not to become appeared , at least to acquire a certain notoriety in France: Bernard Dombs “Simon Casas”, Alain Montcouquiol “Nimeño I”, Robert Crushed. In the middle of the years 1970, begins Christian Montcouquiol “Nimeño II”, which will be the first, not only with becoming a appeared in its native land, but also taking part regularly in bullfights in Spain.

November 20th 1975: died of the general Francisco Franco. Spain becomes a constitutional monarchy, the democracy returns. Some foresee (and sometimes even hope) the end of the bullfight, “pro-Franco spectacle” which could not survive Franco a long time: in the years 1960, there were 400 bullfights per annum to the maximum; since the beginning of the years 2000, their number evolves/moves around 1.600 per annum.

Principal the appeared of the end of the 20th century are Jose Maria Dols Abellán “Manzanares”, Pedro Gutiérrez Moya “El Niño of Capea”, Dámaso González, Francisco Rivera “Paquirri”, Antonio Chenel “Antoñete” Paco Ojeda and Juan Antonio Ruiz Román “Espartaco”, líder of the escalafón each year of 1985 to 1991.

21e century

At the beginning of the 21e century, the principal ones are Enrique Ponce and Julián López Escobar “El Juli”. Lastly, for the first time French, Sebastien Castela, acquired the row of appeared , not only in France, but also in Spain, after having received the price " Cossio" decreed by the taurine Federation of Spain of " Better matador of toros" temporada 2006.

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