Bullfighting

So as you may of concluded from my hint in the previous post I went to a bull fight here in Sevilla. Sevilla is one of best known places for bull fighting along with the town of Rondo (also in southern Spain). As most people know bullfighting has become a bit of a contentious issue. Barcelona converted their bullfighting ring into a mall and the bull ring in Madrid sees less and less usage as any bull fight is met with big protests there. It seems that Bullfighting is likely on the decline and will not persist for much longer. Thus I was not going to miss a chance to get to see part of Spanish Cultural before it potentially disappears.

The bullfighting Ring in Sevilla

The poster for the bull fight I went to, notice that the first Matador is actually a woman (Veronica), this is not very common.

I went to the bull fight with several other people from my hostel. The fight was not actually a part of their "Normal Season" of bull fighting, this fight was instead a fight for young bullfighters who are new to the sport. This meant that the Matadors were between the ages of 14 - 18! I have not idea how a 13 year old tells his parents he wants to be a bull fighter or what sane parents would say yes! As the bullfighters are younger and less experienced that means they are often less effective at killing the bull. Thus it often took several tries in the fights we watched for them to finally kill the bull. A side affect of this is that it tends to get a bit more bloody. In all there were six bull fights on the evening we went (one for each of the six young matadors), some went quickly and some took longer depending on the skill of the matador and the size and strength of the Bulls. The last two matadors we watch both got a bit more friendly than they probably would of liked with the bulls, with one getting gored and the other going for a ride on the head of the bull before being tossed into the air. Both matadors to their credit jumped right back into the action and finish their fights.

Watching the bull fight was quite the experience. I can see why there are plenty of people who oppose them, but I can also appreciate it as Spanish Culture. I will leave it up to others to make the judgment call as to which should prevail. Below I have some pictures and video footage of the bull fight.

Inside the Bull Ring

Bullfighting

The Matador and his assistants after a successful fight

There are three major parts of a bull fight. The first part is called "Tercio de Varas" (The lancing third) and is the part in which the bull and the fighter are brought into the ring. During this the Matador attempts to rile up the bull with his red cape and get the bull to make several runs at him. The second part is called "Tercio de Banderillas" (The Third of Flags) in which the Matador and his assistants attempt to place Banderillas on the bull (in other words stab the bull with the Banderillas). The final part is called "Tercio de Muerte" in which the the Matador and his assitants will deliver the final blows and kill the bull.

In the video you will see bits of each of the three parts. Please be forewarned that you will see the bull stabbed and you will see the bull die. Thus the Movie can be a bit graphic at times. If this will offend you then I suggest you do not watch it.