Looking for information on Spanish bull fighting? Want to know about the history of bull fighting and how exactly it works? Our guide to bull fights in Spain gives you the facts you want to know.
Spanish bullfighting is the ultimate in tradition and Spanish machismo, an art form which is completely interwoven with Spanish culture and history. In recent years, many pressure groups have been lobbying ardently to the European Union for an end to bullfighting, but there seems little chance of that happening when the King Spain himself was quoted as saying that bullfighting will never be banned in Spain. If the EU tries to force the issue Spain will leave the European Union. Bullfighting is not actually a Spanish invention; it was originally a gladiatorial event, in ancient Rome, which was adopted by the North African Moors, who brought it with them to Spain in the seventh century.
Spanish Bull Fighters
These days, the traditional spectacle has become a big business, young Spanish boys and girls have posters on their bedroom walls of matadors, just as other kids around the world have posters of pop or sports stars, these matadors even earn the same kind of money, as other top sporting heroes. The bullfighting events usually referred to as a corrida generally take place in the late afternoon. Traditionally, six bulls are fought by three matadors, each matador has supporting players, known as banderilleros, in turn assisted by picadors. Each bullfight will generally last around 15 minutes, there is no doubt that the matadors are the centre of attention with their flamboyance, traditional costumes, featuring a gold embroidered silk jacket, skin-tight pants and a special hat, known as a montera.
Spanish Bull Fights
As the bull enters the arena, the matador will perform an elaborate series of movements with his large Cape, which traditionally is red on one side, although despite the myth, bulls are colorblind, and do not react to red. Spanish people love this spectacular display of bullfighting bravado, the closer he gets to the bull, the more the crowd will shout and applaud the bullfighter who must maintain an air of total calm and show no expression of fear, even when being charged by a 1000lb enraged animal, the bulls have been purpose bred to charge at any large moving object, in this case, the cape
The picadors mounted on horses and carrying a lance will then antagonize the bull, followed by the banderilleros, who on foot will stab the animal in the shoulders, with banderillas, brightly colored sharp sticks, then the matador will return and face the bull head on, it is at this point, where most matadors are gored by a bull, to avoid this, he must move swiftly and smoothly before making the final blow with a sharp long sword between the bulls shoulder blades bringing to an end another Spanish bullfighting spectacle.
