|
CORRIDA DE TOROS |
Origins and History of Bullfight
Bullfighting is certainly one of the best known, although at the same
time most polemical Spanish popular customs.
This Fiesta could not exist without the Toro Bravo, a species
of bull of an archaical race that is only conserved in Spain. Formerly this
bull's forebears, the primitive urus, were spread out over wide parts
of the world. Many civilizations revered to them, the bull-cultus at the
Greek island Creta is quite well-known. The Bible reports on sacrifices of
bulls in honour to the divine justice. Also in the religious ceremonies of
Iberian tribes living in Spain in prehistorical times bulls played an
important part.
The origins of the Plaza, bullring, probably are not the Roman
amphitheaters but the Celt-Iberian temples where those ceremonies were held.
In the province of Soria, close to Numancia, one of them is conserved and it
is supposed that there bulls were sacrificed to the Gods.
While the religious cultus to the bull goes back to Iberians, it were
the Greek and Roman influences that converted it into a spectacle.
During the middle-ages it was a diversion for the aristocracy to torear
on horse's back. That was called suerte de caņas. In 18th
century this tradition was more or less abandoned and the poorer population
invented the bullfight by foot. Francisco Romero was a key-figure in
laying the rules for that new sport.
For its fans La Corrida is of course rather an art than a sport, not
to speak about the challenge of the man fighting against the beast.
It is an archaic tradition that has survived in this country, just as the
Toro Bravo has done.
What a Corrida is about
If you are not familiar to Corridas, you will find here listed
chronologically everything that happens. So you may decide by yourself if
you want to see one when you are visiting Spain.
A Corrida starts with the paseillo, with everybody involved in the
bullfight entering the ring and presenting himself to the public. Two
Alguacilillos, on horse's back, direct themselves to the presidency and
symbolically ask for the keys to the "puerta de los toriles". Behind
that door there are the bulls.
With the door being opened and the first bull entering the ring the
spectacle starts. It consists of three parts, called tercios, being
separated by horn-signals. There are three toreros in each Corrida,
by the way, and each will have to torear two bulls.
In the first tercio the bullfighter uses the capote, a quite
large rag of purple and yellow color. Now enter two picadores, on
horse's back and armed with a sort of lance.
The second part is la suerte de banderillas. Three banderilleros
have to stick a pair of banderillas into the attacking bull's back.
In the final "suerte suprema" the bullfighter uses the muleta,
a small red rag. He has to show his faena, his masterity to dominate
the bull, and to establish an artistical symbiosis between man and beast.
The Corrida ends with the torero killing the bull by his sword.