Corrida de Toros

Despite the controversy surrounding the tradition, I didn't think it was right that I leave Spain without experiencing at least one bullfight (known as la corrida de toros in Spanish). This tradition is particularly popular in southern Spain, so Sevilla was a great location to go see it. The first bullfight of the season is on Easter Sunday, and they continue every night for two weeks to kick off the start of the season. The best bullfighters in Spain come to Sevilla during these two weeks to kick-start the season. After that, there are bullfights every Sunday through October (except in July and August, when it is too hot to spend that much time outside). 

Although we commonly refer to bullfighters as 'matadors,' they are more commonly referred to as 'toreros' in Spain. The word 'matador' literally translates to 'killer' whereas 'torero' loosely translates to 'someone who works with bulls.' Each bullfight consists of six separate fights; the three toreros of the evening each fight two bulls. 

Before the bullfight begins, there is a procession to show off all of the people that will be participating in that night's bullfight. I had no idea, but each torero has six other men helping him throughout the bullfight. 

With each bull, the torero and his assistants go through several rounds. The first round consists of testing the strength and ferocity of the bull by antagonizing it and then hiding behind these shelters. The torero uses this stage to learn the type of bull that it is. The torero and his assistants use pink capes during this round. At the end of the round, men on horseback (picadores) come out and use lances to weaken the bull by attacking its neck muscles. This leads to the bull holding its head lower for the rest of the fight which allows the torero to kill it at the end of the bullfight.

The second round consists of three banderilleros that each attempt to stick two banderillas (sharp sticks with a claw at the end) into the bulls' shoulders. This further weakers the bull before the kill.

The third and final round is the round that most Americans think of when they think of a bullfight. This round is torero versus the bull, one on one. The torero uses the red cape to antagonize the bull and tire him out before finally killing him with a sword. If the torero has performed well, he may be awarded one or two ears from the bull as a prize. 

I knew the concept of the bullfight before I went, and I honestly didn't think it would bother me. However, I really did not enjoy seeing the process. To me, it seemed to be a very unfair fight. I recognize that the bullfight is considered an art form and that it is of high cultural significance, but I probably won't be returning to see one anytime soon.