Attending a “Corrida de Toros”: A Bullfight

(Note: I’m including pictures of an actual bullfight in this post, so there are some bloody/violent images.)

To many Americans, bullfighting is a practice that’s viewed as very stereotypically Spanish. For many people, it’s one of the first things that comes to mind when  they think of Spain. The entire time I was studying abroad, I wrestled with whether or not I wanted to actually attend a bullfight. I took a tour of the plaza de toros (bullring) with my program early on, but then set the idea aside. Towards the end of the semester, I decided I should attend a bullfight, since it’s such a unique, traditionally Spanish practice. It was fascinating, and I’m glad I decided to go, but I don’t think I ever want to (or need to) go to one again. Though it is traditional, and to many Spaniards is an essential part of the culture, bullfighting is controversial in Spain today. Some regions of Spain have banned the spectacle completely, and from what I’ve gathered from some online research, there are only some cities where bullfights are still held regularly (that is, several times a year during the “season”, beginning after Easter and continuing through the fall.) Otherwise it may be a fairly rare event.

So, what is bullfighting? In Spanish, it is called the “corrida de toros“, literally, “the running of the bulls” (not to be confused with the annual Running of the Bulls in Pamplona.) Bullfighting became popular in the 18th century, and the rules and customs have changed very little since the practice began. Other countries have historically held bullfights, as well, such as Portugal, France, and Mexico.

In Sevilla, the bullfights take place in the Plaza de Toros de la Real Maestranza de Caballería de Sevilla. This is one of the oldest bullrings in the world. Tickets can be purchased online, but (as far as I could tell) only from third-party vendors (usually with a big markup). I went to the Plaza de Toros a few hours before the bullfight and bought a ticket for 15€. I was seated about four or five rows back, which was closer than I anticipated based on the price. “Sol” (Sun) seats are cheaper than those in the sombra (shade), but the bullfight began in the early evening so the sun went down as the bullfight progressed. I was sure to wear a hat and carried my oh-so-Spanish fan to block the sun. (I don’t know if I’ve mentioned this on my blog, but a lot of Spanish women seriously fan themselves with colorful, painted fans. It’s a Spanish stereotype that’s based in fact! I’ve seen people in class fanning themselves, at restaurants, while walking around, etc.) I was surprised by the ticket price, as it was much less expensive than I had seen online beforehand, but that may have been because independent companies were selling the tickets online, and not the bullring itself, or because the bullfighters I went to see weren’t as famous. I was glad to have done research online, as I was warned about people who sell fake tickets outside the ring. They see you coming and try to pull you aside before you reach the taquilla (box office), but I knew to just ignore them and keep walking, haha. (Side note: I got a lot of good information from Seville Traveller about buying tickets and the bullfighting customs.)

Each bullfight has three toreros (bullfighters), who each have to fight (and ultimately kill) three bulls. (This was news to me; I thought just one bull was killed, not six!) Bullfighters in Spain are sometimes very famous. I saw them on the news as often as I saw singers and movie stars. I guess an equivalent in the US would be the amount of celebrity we give to football players or other athletes. However, that’s something that surprised me: bullfighting isn’t really considered a “sport”, per se. It’s not bullfighter-versus-bull, or  bullfighter-versus-other bullfighter. There are no “points”, and no one “wins.” Many Spaniards consider bullfighting to be an art form, and it’s considered very masculine, honorable, and even sacred. Men train for years to become a bullfighter (though the ones I saw were pretty young, about my age!), and if they’re popular or talented enough, they can make a lot of money. Every ticket for a bullfight is split between the people who run/own the ring, and then each bullfighter gets a cut.

Bullfights follow strict rules and always occur in the same order. I did some reading online in advance, and I was glad I did. I heard some other English-speaking tourists near me who were very confused by the whole thing, and I could tell they had no idea what they had signed up for. However, while I did see plenty of tourists, I saw even more Spaniards. I initially was worried I was paying for a “blood sport” only continued for the benefit of tourists, but no, this is still a popular event with Spaniards.

At the beginning of the bullfight, all of the people involved parade into the ring and stand in formation organized by their seniority (level of experience). Each matador has six assistants: two picadores (men on horseback with lances), and three banderilleros (like assistants.) Together all these people are referred to as toreros, but the main matador is the person of note and the lead bullfighter. Everyone salutes the audience and the president of the fight. The president of the fight decides when each section of the fight is complete, and whether or not the bullfighter will be given trophies (the ears or the tail of the bull).

A band with bugles and horns plays music during the fight and to signal the start and end of sections of the proceedings. Here’s a video that shows the kind of music played at bullfights:

Each bullfight is divided into three tercios (thirds), which each last approximately 20 minutes. The first tercio is the Tercio de Varas (“The Lancing Third”). First, the bull is released into the ring. I’ve been told that the bulls are sometimes isolated for long periods before the fight, and are kept in the dark, so when they’re released into the bright, loud ring, they’re often confused. The bullfighters wave their capotes (capes) to get the bull to run around and see how it charges. The cape movement, called “the art of the cape” was probably my favorite part of the experience. The movements of the bullfighter holding the cape are very expressive, and even dance-like. I tried to take pictures that captured the best poses and movements. After a time, the bullfighters that ride on horseback and hold lances enter the ring. They try to stab the bull’s neck in order to weaken its neck muscles so that it will be less dangerous. At this point, the bull often tries to gore the horses, but they wear padded armor. (Apparently that’s one practice that’s a bit “newer”; horses didn’t always wear armor historically, but this practice began because too many horses were dying in the bullfights!) The horses are also blindfolded so that they don’t make eye contact with the bull.

The next stage is the Tercio de Banderillas (“The Sticks Third”). During this stage, the banderilleros try to stick two poles with metal points on the end into the bull’s shoulders. The sticks have colored paper on them and are made in such a way that they often attach to the bull and get stuck in its skin. This is meant to further weaken the bull.

The final stage is the Tercio de Muerte (“The Third of Death”). This is the most exciting and interesting stage of the bullfight, as the main bullfighter, the matador, must face the bull alone. The bullfighter has this moment to shine and tries to show off his skill and personality to impress the audience. While in the other stages of the fight, the capes used were pink, during the final stage, the cape is red. The bullfighter uses a cape and holds a sword to make dramatic, visually-appealing movements to get the bull to charge. (A common myth is that the color red makes bulls angry, but in reality it’s the cape movement that causes them to become aggressive and charge.) Because I watched the three bullfighters each do this twice, I was able to get an idea of what makes a “skilled” or “talented” bullfighter stand out, as well as what each of the different bullfighters’ personalities was like. For instance, one of the bullfighters who was a crowd favorite had blonde hair and moved very dramatically and arrogantly; and I think I heard one of the Spaniards in the crowd near me call him Joffrey from the TV show Juego de Tronos (Game of Thrones), I guess because the actor who plays Joffrey is blonde and the character is pretty arrogant, haha.

People in the audience were very engrossed in the fight. I mean, it makes sense, since it is a dangerous and potentially life-threatening task, but I was surprised at how many audible reactions there were to the events. People shouted (¡Olé!) and applauded, and even waved white handkerchiefs when the bullfighter did an especially good job. There was even one point where the bull came very close to goring the bullfighter, and many people screamed and jumped up! It was intense.

After the bullfighter has completed the cape work (called the faena), he switches to a different sword, faces the bull head-on, and stabs it. Immediately, the assistants rush out to help and wave their capes around. I believe this is to wear out the bull even more, and to make the sword move around and cause further injuries. As the bull begins to weaken and sway, everyone is silent. The bull eventually will fall to the ground and everyone erupts into applause. Then comes the estocada, when the matador stabs the bull in the neck and finally kills it. This is part of the “honorable” nature of the bullfight; the bull must die a quick and clean death out of respect. I read online that in very rare occasions, bulls that put up a particularly good fight are allowed to live, and are released to live on a farm for the rest of their days. If a bullfighter is unable to kill the bull in this fashion, he must cut the bull’s spinal cord, and is considered a failure. If a bullfighter is injured during the fight, he is taken to an on-site hospital (apparently today they’re state-of-the-art), and another bullfighter must finish the job.

When the bull is dead, the bullfighter is lauded as a hero. The bull’s body is dragged out of the ring by mules. The bulls are then sold as meat to be eaten. The audience may demand that the bullfighter be given a victory lap, where he slowly walks around the ring as people cheer. I even saw people throw their hats to the bullfighter and he would immediately throw them back. I’m not sure if this is some kind of sign of respect, or just a means to get the bullfighter to touch something you own, haha. The audience waves white handkerchiefs, and this tells the president of the fight whether or not to award the bullfighter a trophy (one of the bull’s ears.) If the president deems the bullfighter to have done an exceptional job, the bullfighter may get the other ear, and even the tail, which is considered the highest honor. A talented bullfighter may also be allowed to exit the ring through a special gate by being carried on the shoulders of fans.

Attending a bullfight was a very interesting experience. In the end, I was glad I decided to go, since there are many more layers to this tradition than I previously had thought, and I only learned that by attending in-person. I don’t know if I’m “for” or “against” bullfights. I’ll admit that I found it a bit disconcerting to watch people cheer and get really excited about an animal dying in a fairly violent manner. I understood that it was a centuries-old tradition and that I was viewing it as an outsider, so I tried to take everything in with an open mind and not immediately judge the practice. I’ve been trying to think of something we do in the US that could be considered similar. Being from Texas, I thought of rodeos, though I don’t think those are normally violent. I suppose boxing and wrestling are just as violent, and those are regarded as fairly mainstream here. Honestly, sports like football often cause major injuries and most people don’t think twice about it. The only things I could think of that involved animals were dog fighting and cockfighting, but those are illegal in the US (though I’m sure they still happen.) This was a very thought-provoking experience! I can see why people may find this appealing to watch, as it is clearly necessary to be skilled and agile to be a bullfighter, and I was surprised at how dance-like and expressive the movement was. Not to mention that this has been a respected practice for many years, so bullfighting as “tradition” on its side. I really don’t think I have enough personal experience, nor have I done enough research to really decide whether I think this is “right” or “wrong”, but one thing’s for sure: bullfighting is a part of Spanish culture, and to some extent, it’s here to stay, so it’s worth learning about.

¡Hasta luego!