Bull fighting has come to be known as synonymous to Spain and Spanish although the culture has lot more to offer in terms of food, literature, architecture and painting!
Bullfighting is a ritual carried out in carefully prearranged steps, as called for by the tradition of the corrida, each stage with its own name which the aficionados in the crowd will know by heart. The lead roles are played by the bull and the matador in the arena. It is a ritual that requires a sacrifice – sacrifice to the death.
The matador, representing mankind and dressed for his date with death in the fantastical if impractical traje de luz, suit of lights, goads, mocks and sentences the bull to death with the estocada, the death blow, from his sword. The most spectacular estocada is the estocada recibido (‘received’, when the matador stands his ground and lets the enraged bull charge him) but it isn’t seen that often. When the ritual is done, the bull is dead & matador triumphant. Man has defeated death – he is immortal!
Common bull-fighting terms used in Spanish –
- Toro -Bull
- Plaza de toros – Bullring
- Corrida – Bullfight
- Matador – Star Bullfighter
- Torero – Bullfighter
- Picador – Lancer (on horseback)
- Banderillero – Bullfighter (on foot) who inserts barbed wooden decorated sticks into the bull´s neck muscle
- Traje de luces – Suit of lights (colourful sequinned suit worn by bullfighters)
- Veronica – A type of pass whereby the cape is drawn over the bull´s head while the man holds a posture.
- Novillos – A novice bullfighter is called a novillero and fights not in a corrida, but in a novillada with young bulls (novillos)
- Bull fighting has come to be known as synonymous to Spain and Spanish although the culture has lot more to offer in terms of food, literature, architecture and painting!
