What Happens in a Bullfight? Aficionados International

This website gives a detailed description of the process of a bullfight, which (as stated previously) I wanted to understand in more depth as this will be essential to my study:

"The First Third"(What Happens in a Bullfight, 2011):

 The 1st third involves a bull entering the ring through a gate and being tested by the matador and his team. They see how strong he is and the speed of his reactions. All toreros carry a capote at this point, which is "a large cape that is usually managed with both hands", (What Happens in a Bullfight, 2011)  (shown on the right). 

The matador then starts the show by "stylistically" making passes at the bull with the Capote, one of the most "visually appealing" parts of the show. One of the passes that each matador tries to uniquely perform is the "Veronica"(What Happens in a Bullfight, 2011), which can range from expressive movement to technically orientated stances. Once the matador has control of the bull, the picadors enter the ring on horse back (there are always two). They use lances to stab the bull in the back of the neck, the  "morrillo". The lance that they use is "270cm is length with a spike of no more than 2.9cm long". (What Happens in a Bullfight, 2011) The picadors then position themselves at each side of the ring and ideally the bull is driven into the centre of the circle. Then, the picador starts to provoke the bull with movement and voice, making it want to charge at the horse. Then, when the bull charges, the picador withstands the force by plunging its lance into the bulls shoulder. The bulls can leave the ring if they show any physical impediment at this stage (e.g. blurred vision) and will be replaced with another bull. (What Happens in a Bullfight, 2011). This, however, might not be true; there is no way to tell at this moment whether this is just speculation from this particular source, or whether it is true of every bullfight in Spain so i will bear this in mind. Also, in this part of the fight, the matador makes "Classic artistic passes" including "chicuelinas", "gaoneras" or personal trademark passes like Julian Lopéz El Juli’s "lopecina"". (What Happens in a Bullfight, 2011). 

This first third seems to be mainly about assessing the power, speed and aggression of the bull. When the picadors leave the ring, they have a good idea of the bulls potential to create a good spectacle for the crowd. 

"Second Third: Act of the Banderillas" (What Happens in a Bullfight, 2011):

The Second Third takes place next, with banderillas which are "Straight sticks of wood, 70cm in length, with a 4 cm blade on one end" (What Happens in a Bullfight, 2011). This blade is intended to penetrate the bulls skin. The banderillas "are placed in pairs into the muscle on top of the bulls shoulders", which would be incredibly painful for the bulls. They are placed by "provoking the bull to charge head on," (What Happens in a Bullfight, 2011) and as both banderillero/matador and bull run towards eachother the bull is stabbed. 

Once again, the matadors like to use their own techniques for this, using "artistic" moves to make the spectacle grander. In particular, "The matador currently best known for his placement of banderillas is El Fandi, for whom this part is often the mainstay of his performance"(What Happens in a Bullfight, 2011). This Third seems to be primarily concerned with weakening the bull in preparation for the Final Act. 

"Final Act: The Muleta and Moment of Truth"(What Happens in a Bullfight, 2011):

This part is the "longest and most iconic part of a bullfight," (What Happens in a Bullfight, 2011). It is the part that uses the well known red cape that is associated with the sport and the matadors chance to show off while he is alone with the bull. This "Muleta" is smaller than the "Capote" which I previously mentioned. The faena is the performance with the muleta. This is where the most technical passes happen, and the bullfighter strives to be as artistic and daring as possible up until the "moment of truth" where the bull is killed. 

Faenas are initiated by "the matador passing the bull in parallel lines across his body. The matador will have his feet together and straight, and only moves as, the bull turns around to repeat its charge, slowly moving it towards the center of the ring", (What Happens in a Bullfight, 2011). Interestingly, the rest of the faena is described as being like a piece of classical music. "The matador will strive to link a sequence of verse-like series of 4-5 passes, each one building in intensity and finished with a flourish or “remate”, such as the chest pass.  The passes will force the bull to curve around the matador’s body in a circular fashion, only to be released into a parallel line of charge again, and away from the matador’s body at the end of each series of passes". (What Happens in a Bullfight, 2011). This exemplifies the artistic nature behind the sport, as it is literally a show as well as a sport. The matadors all try to be unique also, to try and gain the best reactions from the crowd. 

Interestingly, in this Third the matador only has ten miutes to kill the bull, and if he does not do this within this time-frame, a warning will sound granting him a further three minutes to finish the performance before a second time warning. He then has a further two minutes, but once the third time warning has sounded, the matador must withdraw, and the bull is returned to the pens for slaughter. "(What Happens in a Bullfight, 2011). It seems incredibly harsh that even if the bull survives the fight, they are killed anyway. (I would like to see how this affects peoples views on the sport, so will research this). 

The Moment of Truth (or "Sute Supreme") (What Happens in a Bullfight, 2011) is when the matador kills the bull with the sword: he does this usually with a technique called "Volapie". "The matador will position himself in front of the animal, directly between the horns and, presenting the muleta to the bull with his left hand, he will then encourage the bull to lower its head, and to focus on the muleta. In a combined movement, often accompanied by a loud vocal outcry, the matador will then move the muleta to invite the bull to attack, while at the same time taking a step towards the bull.  As bull and matador come together, he will place the sword high up between the bull’s shoulders, using his right hand."(What Happens in a Bullfight, 2011). This clearly shows how the fight is a spectacle rather than a sport. 

Source Evaluation:

I have found a detailed description of a bullfight here, and I feel that my knowledge of the process is substantial as the source offered lots of information. Furthermore, it is a factual page, so it is reliable and would not have a reason to give false information. While the information is ten years old, it is unlikely that the process has changed much (if at all) because it is a tradition, however I will look into this and how different laws, animal rights groups and different communities have tried to change or preserve the sport in . 

Reference: what-happens-in-a-bullfight, 4All Digital, 2011, accessed 10th Nov. 2021.