Buen trabajo (Nice work), Vicky!
Un cambio de tercio... (Changing the subject…)
Friday was our trip to Ronda (one of the oldest towns in Spain) with the program. Ana and Manolo were SO excited I was going-- for the first time, Manolo got really passionate about talking about this ciudad preciosa (marvelous city), and started telling me about stories from when they visited! So, it was up to me to wake up to the 7:20AM alarm. Yuck. And it was the same drill: be at ICS by 8:15 because the bus rolls at 8:30... So I rolled out of la cama (bed), scarfed a banana, grabbed the classic bocadillos (sandwiches) that Vicky prepared, and hit the road. And we were off to Ronda, an Andalusian city about 1.5 hours south of Sevilla (not too far from Málaga). It's a bit colder, and a lot windier, than Sevilla-- it's located high in the mountains. At first glance, I knew I would LOVE this city... some of the older parts were really reminiscent of Toledo. Immediately, I was captivated by the high cliffs that overlook the 500 foot famous gorge, El Tajo, bathed in the Guadalevín River.
First, we made our way through the older section of the city, the Moorish and Aristocratic quarter. We navigated the narrow, winding cobblestone streets, passing many restaurants and shops,and arrived at el Palacio de Mondragón-- the Mondragón Palace. Although we weren't really there to tour the Palace, we were given about 10 minutes to explore it while our teacher, Judy, set up for the main afternoon activity. We took some pictures in the inner courtyards and out in the water gardens. The gardens are on the very edge of the city cliffs, so the view was amazing. When the time came, we all gathered in the main conference hall for Judy's presentation: La corrida de toros (the bullfight). Ronda is definitely the appropriate setting for such a conference, as it is known for being the "cradle of modern bullfighting."
Judy was probably the best person to lead a lecture on La Fiesta Nacional, another name for the bullfight. She drove in the point that it really is a celebration of "the life/death drama," NOT a sport or recreational spectacle. She was so passionate about this topic because she dated the United States' first matador (bullfighter) in Spain (he stayed and fought in Sevilla until his death). It is from her years of studying the bullfight and immersing herself in Fulton's passion for his work that she became so knowledgeable. Here's a link to his site if you are interested: http://johnfultonmatador.com/about.html
To kick off the lecture, we dove into some history about bullfighting. What better way to really appreciate bullfighting as an important celebration than to understand its cultural evolution... The respect for bison (the ancestor of the present day fighting bull) as "the supreme G-d of nature" dates back to 15,000 BC with the discovery of the Cave of Altamira. Prehistoric man painted bison on the cave walls, using the blood and fat of sacrificed animals, with the hope that these paintings would bring renewed life and a good hunt. La sangre (blood) was considered the soul of the animal, and so these paintings took on a true spiritual meaning. Judy then jumped around in time to talk about the Roman Empire, describing Mithraism, an ancient religion based on the g-d Mithra. When the Mysteries of Mithra are described, the g-d is depicted as ritually killing a bull. And when this happens, the tail turns into maíz (corn), the blood turns into grapes, and the seed of the bull represents life and the world. Therefore, we have the rebirth of life from the slaying of this animal... (I'm sure this was really poorly simplified, but it's what I got from her talk). Basically, Julius Caesar, among others, were greatly "enamored" (Judy's words) by the bull, and ordered for bulls to be taken back to Italy for ceremonies.....
Skipping some more history, we moved onto the Reconquest: the Moors and Christians (711-1492). Obviously the two groups were not fighting constantly for 800 years... a lot of time was spent training and keeping in shape! The knights would find a herd of bulls (usually very still and minding their own business as long as they're together) and coger un toro (pick out and isolate one bull). To attract their attention, the knights would prance around on horseback.
NOTE: it is in the bull's "DNA" to charge and catch ANYTHING that moves, regardless of size and color. This is important because it betrays any myth that bulls are only charge the color red (they are COLOR BLIND). They are also nearsighted, so they can only run after a threat if it is literally in their face.
Back to the knights... so upon getting the bulls' attention from their caballos (horses), they would thrust a lance through the meaty part of the bulls' neck... this does not immediately kill the bull (sometimes, it only does minor damage) because of the thickness of the neck and the position in which the lance makes contact. Also good to note: this means of "fighting" foreshadowed part of the modern day bullfighting procession, known as the Tercio de Picadores (the people who carry the lances).
We then discussed the further evolution of this tradition, from noble "caballero" (bullfighter on horseback) to "peón" (bullfighter on foot). In fact, the word "pie," which means "foot," is related to the word "peón," the stable boys from the lower class. This is important because it represents man's direct contact with the horned beast, as opposed to approaching and fighting from a horse. De hecho (in fact), the first modern day matadors were usually butchers! Interesting, right? These men wore special capes to distract the bull and give the caballero some time to recover from a slip and regain composure to make the next move.
The actual name, "La corrida," today is derived from the word "correr," which means "to run." It stems from when los peones would run backwards with the cape. It's important to line the cape up perfectly, dipping it low to the ground because the bulls see best when the cape is literally in front of their snout. The bullfight takes place in each city's designated "Plaza" because these celebrations would occur right in the town square. And these plazas were not naturally designed bullrings; instead, the people would actually board up sections of the square for the event.
THE PARTICIPANTS:
Obviously, we have the bull. Specifically, it is known as "el toro bravo," the Iberian fighting bull. These brave bulls are uniquely bred for the corrida. He is not tortured during his life or anything like that... the matadors actually DEPEND on knowing that the bulls have been raised to roam free-range because they need to trust what they know about a bull's nature and anatomy in order to fight it. Judy described the two characteristics of brave bulls: stupidity and nobility. By stupid, she meant that they must be able to be easily tricked by the matador into following his passes with his cape. The second the bull suspects that the matador may be a moving target is the second it all ends. As they scream in the stands, “ese toro sabe Latín!” (that bull knows Latin!)-- in the sense that he’s got wit and has figured it all out. In terms of being a noble bull, he’s got to submit to the momentum put in place by the matador leading the passes-- he must move in a straight line and end up where the matador wants, giving him time to turn around and readjust himself before the next trick.
And then the big question, "Does the bull feel pain?" Well, Judy's chose to respond to this question based on Fulton's accounts. He used to describe the fighting lifestyle of a matador as an aphrodisiac, an experience that gives man a fiery sense of life. During the bullfight, both human and animal experience a HUGE rush of adrenaline, as described as being in "hot blood." There are stories that describe athletes who incur an injury while being in the midst of this rush, who carry the event through to finish in spite of a broken ankle because they simply don't realize their injury until after the fact. For the bull in la corrida, there is no "after the fact." After the final sword thrust, they are still in hot blood, charging and doing what their DNA tells them to do until they drop. Take this explanation or leave it, it's just what we were told. After actually seeing a corrida, I have my doubts, convinced it is a justification that we sensitive humans make to excuse the bloody truth. We just have to hope the bulls are not suffering...
And we have the matador, decked out in his traje de luces (suit of light). These suits are known to cost between $4-$5,000, and they are never repeated by the matador after a fight... this is why novices can usually buy them "cheaper," as they have been recycled. The suit consists of britches (taleguilla) and a stunning jacket (chaquetilla)-- you'll have to see my pictures for the full effect. Matadors also wear a special hat, called a montera, classic pink stockings (medias), and shoes that looks like they could be worn for ballet! They also wear a little pigtail in their hair, called a coleta or añadillo. Judy said it takes a matador about 2 hours to get dressed, with the help of a crew! And I believe it after she showed us some of Fulton's gear. Not only are the suits OUTRAGEOUSLY extravagant, shimmering with gold and jewels, they are also SKIN TIGHT (you can see my pictures when they're posted). They have to be tight, to avoid leaving ANY chance that the bull's horns can catch on the articles. The style is purposely reminiscent of clothing worn by men during the time of the American Revolution, if you can imagine... There is really no protection built into these uniforms, not even in the groin area (a metal suit would weight too much, making it most difficult for the matador to maneuver)... which is why Judy described the two principal emotions experienced by the matador: Bravery and Fear. They are valientes (brave) because they are essentially going against human nature, fighting the urge to move a muscle (even suck in their gut), let alone run away when the bull charges. The slightest movement on the matador's part can distract the bull and result in the matador being gored. Timing is everything: if he moves even an inch while standing with the cape, the nearsighted bull may divert its attention and charge the matador! They typically begin training as early as 4-years-old, to literally ignore every human instinct. And so they obviously tienen miedo, a fear so intense it can't be described because these corridas literally symbolize a cita (appointment) with death. A matador is also considered loco, completely CRAZY in the Don Quixote sense of the word, as they are overcome by an addiction and idealism... At almost every point during the bullfight, there is nothing between a matador's vital organs and the bull's horns, capable of ripping through a train wall.
Although we didn't get to actually see a corrida in Ronda, Judy went through the details (which will be more fun to talk about when I describe the bullfight we saw the next day in Sevilla!). After the lecture, we were able to try on some of John Fulton’s accessories: hat, cape, el estoque (the killing sword).
After the lecture, we were led through the “New Section” of town to La Plaza de Toros, the first purpose-built space for bullfighting in the world! It is known the Real Meastranza de Caballería de Ronda (RMR), and its main activities are horse riding and bullfighting, of course. The sandstone-built ring has two stories, highlighted by Tuscan columns. We got to stand in the very center and climb the stands. We learned that the very first fight took place in 1785 (now you know why the matador’s costumes are fashioned the way they are). Connected to the bullring is the Bullfighting Museum, which guides you through more history and the culture of bullfighting. We saw some costumes of the leading matadors, oil paintings from the 17th-19th centuries, and original posters announcing old corridas.
Abby (Cornell) and I were pretty hungry after all this, so we took our bocadillos out to El Puente Nuevo, one of the bridges spanning the 500-foot gorge. When we were finished, we decided to brave the path down to the gorge. Every now and then, we stopped along the winding stone/dirt path to take a breather and snap some photos. We REALLY wanted to make it all the way down, but the path just seemed like it wasn’t going to end-- every time we turned a corner, it seemed like there was still a long way to go. It was also rather daunting to look back and see that we’d have to make the hike all the way up again. So we picked a spot where we could sit and dangle our feet and just bonded for a while…. The walk back up was pretty hard, so we rewarded ourselves with some helado (ice cream). For the first time, no importaba (it didn’t matter) that CCIS gave us excessive amounts of free time, because Ronda is the perfect city to just enjoy. By the time we had lapped the “New Section,” it was time to head back to the bus station and go home.
Friday night, we made it a mission to revisit that discoteca called Boss, the one that NEVER lets Americans in. We had to heed Iago’s advice and give it a go because “la marcha de Boss es lo mejor durante los viernes” (the scene at Boss is the BEST on Fridays). So after a little warm-up at good old Big Ben, our reliable bar, we walked down Calle Betis and got on la cola (the line). And we got in!! It was wild in there!! And for the first time, we found people OUR AGE!!! While there were definitely people in their late 20s, it was so nice to finally find the crowd that can relate to being in the University. And I’m really happy because I met Alfonso, my new “intercambio” because my assigned one never followed through. It’s so much easier to meet people naturally and decide you want to keep talking than to just be assigned because it usually means you have something in common off the bat. So this boy is in his last year at la Universidad de Sevilla, and although his English is pretty good, he wants to keep improving… I think he said something along the lines of needing to no more to understand a “Congress” he’ll be entertaining… Anyway, he’salready added me on Facebook and we’re going to meet for coffee and an hour of talking-- he’ll speak in English and I’ll speak in Spanish. What a great concept! But back to the club-- one of the reasons it was so great was the music! They had a great playlist, mixing both American and Spanish music that we obviously came home and tried to simulate. Not sure where I was at the time, but Laura even ran into Iago!!!! He didn’t stick around for more than 2 minutes (so embarrassing to see your cousins out, right!?) but it’s something we’ll always have on him! I may or may not have blabbed about it to Cristina and Patricia after the fact-- they thought it was hilarious. We ended up staying until 5… the scary thing is that we probably could have stayed longer but Jon reminded us that we needed to wake up for the soccer tickets on Saturday. Sad to say, we STILL didn’t get up for them, but no pasa nada (no worries)… we had big plans to see la corrida de toros later that afternoon!
When we first bought our tickets, we didn’t realize just how close we’d be sitting to the bullring! Even though we were in seats not considered “the greatest,” because we were in the sun, we could see everything up close-- maybe TOO close at some points. We were scheduled to see 3 different fighters: Salvador Vega, Miguel Ángel Delgado and Miguel Tendero. They all fought twice, for a total of 6 processions, in order of least to most skilled. The fight was scheduled to start at 6:30 on the dot, and it sure did-- the ONLY thing in Seville loyal to time out of respect to the matadors. And so at 6:30, the band hit a few notes and some men on horses came onto the bullring and did a lap, followed by the stars of the bullfight and their assistants. The uniforms were absolutely beautiful and it was so cool that we were close enough to see all the details. Then, most of the crew emptied the ring, save the few that were to be involved in the first corrida. In Judy’s words, it is “a Tragic Drama in 3 Acts,” and so began Act One: El Tercio de Picadores.
To announce the beginning of El Tercio de Picadores, the band blasted its signature salute. Then, the 3 or 4 matador’s assistants, serving the same function as los peones--known as los banderillos-- took their places in the bullring. Each banderillo had his own large magenta and yellow cape, called a capote (they held it exactly the way Judy described-- and it’s heavy too, about 12 pounds). Then, all went quiet and we heard the crash of the gate dropping, and in ran the toro! Pobrecito (the poor thing) looked so confused… one of the toros from a subsequent corrida even tried running back through the gates! But before the bull could really fathom anything, the banderillos began to cape him, calling out to the bull (ACHA!) and waving the cape. Some of the bulls we saw charged immediately, while others were a little slow on the uptake. But once the action started, movement was in full swing. So while the banderillos warmed up the bull, the matador stood off to the side, checking out the bull and, perhaps, mentally preparing (he stood very still and focused). Once he was ready, the main matador took over and began his opening passes with the capote.
Then, we heard the sound of the trumpets and in entered the picadors (like the ancient Knights) for the picking of the bull. It was cool because this gate was not too far from where we were sitting, so we could see the facial expressions of the men on horseback really clearly. When the gate dropped, two men on horseback entered the ring with their long lances and took their respective positions. The horses were blindfolded and wrapped in a uniform of their own: a mattress with a metal mesh interior. This is to prevent the horse from getting gored when the bull strikes. I learned in my Culture and Society class that the horses are also tranquilized before the event, to keep them calm and obedient. I cant even imagine… And so, the 3 matadors (all are in the ring at this point), performed alternating passes, called “Quites,” from the Spanish verb “quitar.” They got into position (a strategic lunge) and presented the capote. When the bull charged, they performed a variety of different graceful moves (depending on their level of skill), twisting so steadily and carefully. The idea is to have the bull pass through with the perfect momentum to glide into the picador on horseback, so the lance can strike. Some people were really having heart attacks (“Ay, por Dios!” screamed the lady behind us) because the horses were getting charged, but the metal mattress is so thick it cannot be penetrated. The purpose of this part of la corrida is to serve as final test of the bull’s bravura (willingness to charge at anything). It also gives the bull confidence, while tempering his charges for work with the smaller red cloth (la muleta) later on. This went on for less than 10 minutes.
At the sound of the trumpets, the picadores disappeared and El Tercio de Banderillas began. The assistants returned with their banderillas (different word than the name for assistant, which is banderillO). These are short wooden dowels with sharp points at the end, decorated with streamers and crepe paper. So while some of the assistants performed moves with the capotes, one man was getting prepared to place la banderilla. When the time was right, the bull and man ran at each other-- right when the bull ducked his head, as if to make contact with the man, the banderillo jumped up and placed the two pegs into the bull’s neck on the way down, running out of the way as the bull was recovered by the assistants holding the capotes. This went on until all three were placed-- some of them missed, but it was OK, the crowd was on the forgiving side. But you don’t get a second chance. Why do they place the banderillas? Two reasons, really, according to Judy. She said that not only to the jabs bring the bull back to life, they also give the bull a sense of decoration-- the thought is that they should be bejeweled before the sacrifice.
By the end of this round, I faced my personal challenge, my issues trying to reconcile watching the bullfight. On the one hand, it was really really hard to see the animal running around, because even though he was in the heat of an adrenaline rush, the bloody site became very vivid and real. We were close enough to see his face, his eyes… But on the other hand, this Drama was one of the most fascinating things I’ve ever seen, and I knew the climax was to come in the next procession. So I kept my eyes open and listened for the trumpets announcing the final act: El Tercio de la muleta y la muerte (the death of the bull). Each corrida was about 30 minutes.
This third part, the sacrifice of the bull, is where the “life/death” drama really comes to play: it is only matador versus bull. Before he began his performance, the matador walked to the center of the ring and removed his hat, panning the crowd in a circle. He then put his down on el suelo (the floor), a superstition for good luck. And then he began his first passes with the little red cloth in one hand, guided and stabilized by the sword with the other hand-- it was especially tricky because he was fighting on a pretty windy evening. As time progressed, the matador started passing off the cloth between hands, showing off a bit by doing some moves behind his back and around his body. The first two we saw are considered “novices,” so they’re known to try a little harder in front of the crowd. Before I learned about this procession, I thought the matadors were CRAZY for turning their backs on the bulls after a set of successful passes, but now I understand that at a certain distance, the bull can’t see man. When a series of passes were done really well, the crowd chanted “Olé!” The matadors were all working really hard during their respective turns, chanting “Acha!” “Vámonos!” and “Toro!” to get the bulls’ attention and complete their passes. We were all kind of swaying the to music being played for the senior matador. During this part of la corrida, the Matador is judged by:
-his bravery: keeping feet still once he has begun the pass
-his ability to temper each pass, keeping the muleta close enough for the bull to follow, but NOT so close that the bull will catch it
-his technique in sending the bull where he wants it to go after each pass, allowing him to link his passes thoughtfully.
There was ONE point of commotion where the matador set up a pass but didn’t get his body out of the way soon enough… The bull got right to him, sending him in the air, tumbling back to the ground. I literally JUMPED into the lap of the German boy sitting to my right!! Immediately prepared, the assistants ran into the bullring-- some distracted the bull with the capotes, while others could hoist the matador back to his feet. The poor guy was noticeably limping in pain, grabbing his side and thigh. And, like at a baseball game, the crowd cheered as he rose up from his crouched position and picked his head up, walking back to finish his job. His passes were significantly more cautious, understandably, but he still won everyone’s heart. These matadors, as people apparently say, really “put their cajones on the line,” literally AND figuratively!
After a few more minutes, the trumpets blared, and the matador went back to the side and made a sword exchange-- I’m just venturing a guess, but I think the initial sword is just for decoration, considering the heavy weight of the actual estoque. His return to the bullring signified the beginning of the end, the third act: La Hora de la Verdad,” the actual “Moment of truth.” The matador did a few more passes, intending to line up the bull for the sword thrust, cuadrar para la estocada. And with la muleta (held in his left hand) placed at a precise angle, and the sword in his right hand (held out in front of him, in line with his shoulder, the matador crossed over, thrusting the sword between the bony projections of the hump of neck muscle (aiming for the aorta). This was definitely the most difficult part to watch… 2 of the 3 matadors managed to do it right-- the sword goes in, and that is that. 1 of them just COULD NOT get it in (4, 5, 6 tries… for BOTH of his performances), causing a disaster of cringing and even “boo”-ing from everyone. Some people even got up and left! The German boy taught me the word for “fail,” but I obviously forgot… the problem is that when the sword doesn’t go in, he has to try again! Who KNOWS what kind of pain this causes, how much it prolongs the death…
But focusing on the ones who did it right… once the sword went in, the assistants immediately charged the ring with their capotes, giving the bull its last target to run into. Slowly, you saw the bull fatigue-- his run faded to a gallop, which faded to a walk. There was silence, and the assistants and matador made way for the bull to walk on its own, no longer a threat. Finally, the bull’s legs caved and he was just laying there. His head was the last thing to go down. In more cases than not, the matador approached with one final thrust with a smaller sword, to completely end the bull’s life and any suffering. In the exceptional case, however, there was a bull that just did NOT give in! He went down after the "final thrust," but got back up at the site of the capotes! And so he would tire out again and fall, but when no one was expecting it, the resilient bull got back to his feet! He even rose TWICE after two failed attempts with the smaller dagger. I got the sneaking suspicion that this wasn’t supposed to happen, especially judging by the crowd’s reaction… The bull’s ultimate death elicited huge pangs of mixed feelings of confusion, anger and hatred toward the matador for his poor performance, nausea, sympathy for the bull, excitement…
Once the bull was pronounced dead, the horses from the very beginning of the ceremony came back out and the bull was tied to a rope extension. Then, a victory lap is done by the matador and the bull, dragging the bull along until everyone makes a grand exit. Typically, we learned that a true triumph of a matador is celebrated by awarding him with 1 and sometimes both bull’s ears… sometimes, he is even given the tail! We didn’t see that for any of the matadors this time… We also learned that ALL parts of the 6 sacrificed bulls are used (fighting bull stew, bull’s tail, etc.)
I would say that I am SO glad I experienced this… people say you can’t come to Spain and NOT see a corrida de toros because it is such a tremendous part of their culture. I understand the arguments that have been heating up (in Cataluña), especially “in this century,” by people who want to put an end to this ceremony. These are people who view it as cruel and inhumane, but the people from Cataluña are also causing a riot for political reasons… I know Ana, and most of HER family is really against it, but they were still interested in all the details and wanted to hear our opinions: “Niñas, cuéntame una cosa. Qué tal las corridas?”
All I really know is that this was certainly a once in a lifetime experience for me… it impacted me greatly, and I’ll never forget it…
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