Bull Fight or Bull’s Public Butchery?

When I went to Spain I resolved that come what may, I should see a bullfight, a brutal / cruel “sports” which a man plays in a ring specially prepared for the same. I do not like to call it as sports because the end is known in the beginning only. The bull must die at the hands of the matador. A sharp sword will be pierced into it’s nape and the bull falls dead. Ernst Hemingway in his non-fiction book “ Death in the Afternoon” said “Auto racing, bull fighting, and mountain climbing are the only real sports … all others are games.” Though he said that he had not minced words to state what that sports is all about. In 1932, he journeyed to Spain to research “Death in the Afternoon,” a manifesto on bullfighting that was published in Esquire and became the Bible of the sport.

“The bullfight is not a sport in the Anglo-Saxon sense of the word;” Hemingway said, “ that is, it is not an equal contest or an attempt at an equal contest between a bull and a man. Rather it is a tragedy; the death of the bull, which is played, more or less well, by the bull and the man involved and in which there is danger for the man but certain death for the animal. The danger to the man can be increased by the bullfighter at will in the measure in which he works close to the bull’s horns. Keeping within the rules for bullfighting on foot in a closed ring formulated by years of experience, which, if known and followed, permit a man to perform certain actions with a bull without being caught by the bull’s horns, the bullfighter may, by decreasing his distance from the bull’s horns, depend more and more on his own reflexes and judgment of that distance to protect him from the points. This danger of goring, which the man creates … ….”

Keeping the above in the background, if we try to know what sort of an activity it is, is it a sports between two equals or a game between two unequals, then we will get the answer for the same. It is neither a sport nor a game but only a show. That is why in certain parts of Spain this ‘show’ is banned. I am happy that they have spared the bulls of that region from this sport or game.

In Spain they call bullfight as Corrida des Toros or “running of bulls”. The bullfights are held either in the afternoons or in the evenings. I saw the bull fight in Barcelona, when I visited Spain for the first time. But I remember Barcelona not for the bullfight but for Las Ramblas It is the central most beautiful Boulevard which cuts through the heart of the city centre and is a vibrant and lively promenade filled with Barcelona action at its best. But now Bull fight.

The name of the stadium where I saw the bullfight is Plaza de Toros Monumental de Barcelona. Whenever there is Bullfight, the Stadium wears a festive look. One can see men, women and children coming in their best dresses and occupying their seats in advance. Every part of the fight has it’s own importance. However it is not the matador alone who fights the bull but there are three parties to fight the bull. They are called as Banderillero or assistants. who implant decorated darts (banderillas) into the neck or shoulders of the bull during a bull fight. And there are Picadors or the horsemen who prick the bull with lancers early in the bullfight to goad the bull and to make it keep its head low The horse is surrounded by a mattress-like protection that minimizes injuries; however, I learn that injuries to the horses often include broken ribs and damage to internal organs. One should understand the difference they make between these two animals who are there in the arena not out of their own choice! One is protected against injuries and another is inflicted with deadly injuries.

As I said that when you enter the stadium, you will be surprised to see hundreds of people in their colourful dresses enjoying the unique special bullfight music. I think it has some Arabic touch. The game begins with a procession of matador and his entourage. The entire ring is fenced with wooden logs with an opening which is closed with a wooden door. That is the door through which the bull is forced to enter the ring.

When the bull is let into the arena, the entire crowd rises up and starts yelling, whistling and clapping. There is loud music. The bull which had never heard such sounds gets panicky and runs amuck. It tries to run or jump out of the arena and tries to find a way out and in the bargain it hits its head to the wooden fence. It cannot jump as the wooden logs used for the fence are almost 5 to 6 feet in height. At that time the picadors on horses come with lancers and prick the bull to goad it to weaken its neck and shoulder. By that time the bull has lost lot of blood.

Then the second stage begins. That is the assistants called banderilleros enter the arena and start implant darts into the neck or shoulders of the bull. The said darts work as an intrusion into its body and it tries to get rid of them. The Matador enters the ring with red rag and he performs his cape work. The real “sports” begins at this point of time The Matador is always unarmed.. He manages the bull to submission by using the red rag The color red is supposed to enrage bulls. But it is believed and I have also read that the bull is supposed to be colour blind. Actually it’s probably the waving of the rag that attracts the bull’s attention By that time the bull is almost completely exhausted. Lot of blood is lost.

Now is the turn of the Matador. The matador by his passes makes the bull submit to his dictates. It becomes so submissive that it stands before him with it’s head down as though it prays to be freed from that ordeal Actually by that time it was completely exhausted, has lost blood, shoulder and neck muscles have lost their strength. But the Matador considers that as his success and he bends his body in such a way to show that he triumphed over the strong animal When the bull stands before him pathetically, the Matador takes a sharp sword and pierces into it’s nape. The bull ‘crumbles’ down dead. Immediately there will be shouting and clapping and loud music. All are happy except the bull and the horses. .In that mele, I also clapped by forgetting for a moment that he subdued the bull without its knowledge and with the help of several assistants. The Matador stands in the middle of the ring to receive the applause from the audience. The show was over within 20 minutes. The body of the bull is dragged out of the ring by the horses. But before it was dragged out, I found someone cutting it’s tail and the ear. I was shocked why they should treat the dead body with such cruelty and contempt and dismember it.. So I asked a couple who were sitting by my side the significance of that. They did not understand English but understood my question. They said it was the “award” and “souvenir” to the matador for his excellent feat in the ring. Great I said.!!!

Even now I do not understand why Spaniards do not oppose the said “sports” with one voice. Why do they still consider it as a sport and not a cruelty to a dumb animal. They call it as national sports. But should anyone encourage such national sports?!!