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Almost from the very beginning, bullfighting
has formed an integral part of the Feria de Abril (April fair
held in Seville). The great names in the art of bullfighting
claimed their places in history by carrying out their greatest
faenas - the work done with the muleta (a red flannel cloth
with a stick inserted along the top) at the end of the bullfight
- in the afternoons of the Feria. In homage to the maestros
( a term used to describe the most experienced matadors or
toreros) the streets of the ‘Real’ are signposted
with the names of Juan Belmonte, Joselito el Gallo, Ignacio
Sánchez Mejías and Curro Romero who, to this
day, still dresses in the costume of his art every year,
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Banda de música:
A group of musicians who add charm to the proceedings when
the torero and his team parade at the beginning, during the
breaks between bulls, and during the segundo tercio (the second
act of the fight), when the matador sticks the bull with banderillas
(75cm darts with colour paper and a barbed harpoon).They also
play during the third act if the fight is exceedingly good.
‘La banda del Maestro Tejera’, is in charge of
such proceedings at the Maestranza bullring.
Banderilleros: The bullfighter’s assistants
or auxiliaries who form part of the team. They jump into the
ring and stick up to three pairs of banderillas into the bull
during the segundo tercio (second act) of the fight.
Burladero de cuadras: General headquarters
for the matadors and their assistants and the true nerve center
of the bullfight. This is where the highly important assistants
to the matador called mozos de escuadra (the matador’s
sword handlers) are to be found.
Capote de brega: A small and light article
very similar to a dress cape which is used by the torero to
meet the bull on entrance to the ring. It is strong and firm
and made of percale. It is light red on the outside and yellow
on the inside.
Capote de paseo: Cape which forms part of the ‘suit
of lights’ sported by the matador during the entrance
parade and after which can be seen decorating the fencing
encircling the ring. These are made of satin and are finely
embroidered with pictures of many colours.
Cartel: A giant poster announcing where and
when the fight is to take place, the number of bulls to be
fought, the denomination of origin of the bull breeding ranch
they belong to and the names of the toreros or matadors taking
part. The cartel is, by extension, also the name given to
the list of matadors taking part in the in the bullfight
Cogida: The moment in which the torero, due
to error, an unfortunate accident or the unpredictable behaviour
of the bull, is struck by the beast and left totally at its
mercy. The fate of the matador then depends on the quick reflexes
of his assistants when carrying out the quites (passes to
redirect the attention of the bull).
The cogida may result in major or minor injury, or even conjure
the appearance of the shadow of death, demonstrating the risk
involved and authenticity of the spectacle.
Estoque: Made from forged steel, this sword with a slightly
curved end is used by the matador to kill the bull at the
moment called la suerte suprema.
Muleta . A red flannel cloth about half a
meter long which has a stick inserted. It is used during the
faena de muleta in the last act of the fight.
Picador: A rider armed with a long lance,
whose duty it is to inflict pain on the animal by sticking
the tip of his lance into him up to three times, making him
bleed and weakening him. He dresses in calzona (breeches),
faja (sash), chaquetilla (jacket of the suit of lights), and
castoreño (beaver hat).
Plaza de toro: The setting for the fight
- generally circular- which includes the ring itself, the
tendidos, (the first rows of seats directly behind the fence
circling the ring) and boxes for the general public, as well
as all the other facilities needed to carry out a bullfight
(cattle-pens, patios, stalls to keep the bulls in immediately
before their release into the ring, infirmary, etc). The Maestranza
de Sevilla is one of the few arenas which are not completely
circular. Founded in 1762, it is without doubt the most beautiful
in Spain.
Presidente: The representative of the governing body
who by means of waving different colour handkerchiefs has
the power to give permission for the entrance parade to start,
decide when each act should start or finish, grant awards
to the matadors and the bull breeders, send the bull back
to the cattle-pen or give him the honour of a lap of the ring
after his death as a tribute to his ferocity and courage.
Publico: The spectators who attend a bullfight
and cheer or boo the performance of the matador or the decisions
made by the presidente. They are spread around the arena in
sol (sunny part of the arena) or sombre (the shaded part of
the arena). The spectators should not leave their seats between
bull and bull in order to ensure the continuity of the spectacle.
Rejoneo: A type of bullfight where the bull
is fought from horseback The main objective is to stick the
bull with three rejones or lances tipped with little harpoons,
and to achieve this without any injury occurring to the horse.
As the bull is fought at all times from horseback it allows
us to appreciate the quality and mastery of the matador.
Ruedo: The ring. Normally circular and covered in albero (pipe
clay), this is the area in which the bullfight takes place.
The diameter should be between 45m and 60m. It is divided
into three sections: the tablas, the tercio and the medios
located in succession from the outer rim to the central part
of the ring.
Sorteo: The drawing of lots. This takes place
at mid-day in the cattle-pens of the bullring where the bullfight
is to take place. It is here where it is decided which matadors
will fight which bulls and the bulls are assigned their places
in the chiqueros (stalls where the bulls await their entrance
to the arena).
Toro de lidia: The bull, the true protagonist
of the fight alongside the matador. It is a ferocious animal
weighing a minimum of 450kg for high standard bullrings (such
as the one in Seville)
Traje de luces: The ‘suit of lights’
worn by the bullfighter which comprises black slippers, pink
stockings, taleguilla or calzon(matador’s breeches),
pañoleta (fichu) or bowtie, waistcoat, shirt jacket,
montera (hat worn by the bullfighter and the banderilleros)
and the cape for the entrance parade.
Trofeos: Awards conceded by the presidente
to the matador for his work during the fight. These awards
may be a lap of the ring, one or both the bulls ears, being
carried from the ring on the shoulders of the public through
the main gate and the bull’s tail.
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. THE DIFFERENT STAGES OF A BULLFIGHT
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The preliminaries
El paseíllo
The spectacle begins exactly at the time previously
announced when the presidente waves a white handkerchief giving
the order for the paseíllo de las cuadrillas (entrance
parade) to begin to the strains of the music played by the
band. It is headed by the alguacilillos , followed by the
matadors - the most experienced in the central position, the
next most experienced on his right and the youngest on his
left. After them come the matadors assistants and the mulilleros
(those whose drive the team of mules used to drag the dead
bull from the ring). The procession crosses the ring to the
presidente’s box where the matadors and their assistants
greet the presidencia, bowing and taking their hats off. When
the parade has finished, the team heads for the burladeros
to change the capote de paseo for the capote de brega.
The ring is cleared
The president takes out his white handkerchief again to the
sound of drums and bugles. After these signals and after checking
that the matadors and their assistants are all in position,
the bull is released from its stall into the ring and the
fight begins.
The fight in its strictest sense is divided into four parts
(the three acts previously mentioned and the death of the
bull) as described below.
The bull comes into the ring
The fight starts when the door to the bull’s stall is
opened and the first bull enters the ring. The torilero (the
man who releases the bull into the ring) provokes the bull
by shouting and screaming. The bull comes out of the stall
at great speed and after crossing part of the ring is met
by a cape brandished by the senior member of the matador’s
team.
After this, it’s the matador himself who begins to fight
the bull with the cape while at the same time studying the
bull’s characteristics, breeding and ferocity.
The first act : la suerte de varas. The first
act of the fight is called the suerte de varas in which
the aim is to weaken the bull. This is the job of the picadors,
who have to be strong enough to stick the bull and at the
same time keep control of the horse.
To position the bull in front of the picador, the matador
who is fighting the bull may use different passes with the
cape (veronicas: the fundamental two handed cape pass named
after St. Veronica or chicuelinas: a pass invented by Chicuelo
where the cape is pulled in tight against the body), leaving
the bull to face the suerte de varas.
The ferocity of the bull is measured by the way in which
the bull charges the horse. He should attack several times
without a thought for the punishment he receives from the
picador’s lance. In some cases, the bull’s strength
as it pushes at the horse is so great that he manages to
push the horse over or throw the picador from his saddle
with the resulting danger for both man and horse.
When the president has decided that the bull has suffered
sufficient punishment, he puts an end to this by taking
out his handkerchief to signal the change of acts (cambio
de la suerte)
The second act: la suerte de banderillas.
With the second act comes what is called the suerte
de banderillas. Three pairs of regulation darts can now
be put in place by “specialist” assistants from
each team or by the matador himself. This is done with no
cover or protection and with the aim being to injure the
bull more so as to get it to place it’s head in position
ready for the faena de la muleta (the final act where the
bull is fought using the muleta). La suerte de las banderillas
can be carried out by going in search of the bull or by
waiting for the bull to charge.
The third act: la faena de la muleta.
This begins when the president takes out the regulation
handkerchief and the drums and bugles announce another change
of act.
While the assistants keep the bull away from the presidential
box, the matador picks up the muleta and crosses it with
the estoque addressing the box as he does so, thereby asking
permission to begin the part of the fight called the faena.
It is also the symbol of the traditional dedication ceremony.
He may dedicate the fight to the president, another person
in particular or to the public in general.
After this the matador is left alone with the bull in the
ring. The faena begins with a few passes to weigh up the
bull and test its reaction. The matador then carries out
a variety of passes depending on his inspiration, with emphasis
,amongst the great many in existence, on the natural (a
left-handed pass using the muleta without the sword being
used), el trincherazo (A right-handed muleta pass), el molinete
(muleta pass where the matador spins round after the horns
of the bull have passed), la monoletina (the muleta is held
over the matador’s back and lifted over the bull’s
head), or the pase de pecho (the muleta is held at chest
height as the bull passes).
The death of the bull.
The fourth part of the fight: la suerte de matar
This is the moment of truth. It is the most important moment
when the bullfighter, positioned in front of the bull with
the muleta lowered and gathered up the estoque in his right
hand waits for the bull to charge the muleta enabling him
to stab the beast in the back of the neck. Knowing how to
wait for the bull’s charge is the key to success in
this act. After this, the bull, mortally injured, approaches
the barrier before finally falling, beaten, onto the sand.
Epilogue
El arrastre (the mules removing the dead bulls from the
ring).
The arrastre concludes the fight. The mulilleros tie the
dead bull to a team of three mules and it is dragged out
to the slaughterhouse. If the bull has shown particular
ferocity and breeding the presidente may grant him the honour
of a lap of the ring before being dragged out.
The trophiesIt is also at this moment when
the presidente, in accordance with public opinion, may award
the matador a trophy (one or two of the bull’s ears).
At the end of the fight, if the matador has had a resounding
triumph, he will be carried from the Maestranza on the shoulders
of the public through the Puerta del Principe.
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