Bullfighting ~ Corridas
Bullfighting is called a sport, or sometimes even an art. It is neither.
It is animal cruelty disguised as entertainment.
It is animal cruelty disguised as entertainment.
INTRODUCTION
Spain’s history is not written in ink, but in bull’s blood. The shadow of the black beast with sharpened horns has spread over the Iberian peninsula for thousands of years and extended to Latin America.
Anyone who goes to see the Altamira cave paintings in northern Spain will note the presence of a figure that looks tranquil in some poses and aggressive in others. These images depict—dating back to some 1,500 years ago—the ancestors of the protagonists of bullfighting.
According to some historians, the Roman conquerors brought their circus celebrations to Spain 23 centuries ago. These public spectacles quite often could be cruel. The genesis of bullfights can be traced back to these events, which immediately became hugely popular.
In the 11th century, the epic poem of Rodrigo Díaz de Vivar (Mio Cid) recounts a famous episode in which the hero, enemy of the invading Arabs, speared a bull from his horse. Seven centuries later, the painter Francisco de Goya depicted this scene in one of his drawings.
For centuries, bullfighting was a form of combat in which a horseback rider attacked a bull with spears. But, the story goes, at the beginning of the 18th century, a man by the name of Francisco Romero got off his horse, took up a cape and a sword and confronted the bull, face-to-face, body-to-body, inch-by-inch in a battle to the death and in clearly disadvantageous conditions. Romero was a young carpenter from Ronda, the legendary Spanish city where Ernest Hemingway wrote novels and Rainer Maria Rilke poetry. Orson Welles is buried there. And it was there that the Romero family established bullfighting as it is known today.
From then until now - for almost 300 years - bulls have evolved a lot more than bullfighters. [1]
Perhaps surprisingly in the 21st Century, bullfights still exist in several countries of the world, much to our shame in what we commonly regard as an "enlightened" era.
These are barbaric shows, and relics of the Dark Ages.
Nevertheless, these spectacles still exist due to the powerful lobbies that support them. These lobbies maintain this bloody business for profit, at the cost of animals' pain, torment and death. They have the support of national and local governments, and receive backing from financial enterprises keen to promote their brands as having a "cultural" flavour, and from the fashion media who like to display "chic" images, regardless of the suffering involved. Despite the increase in public awareness in recent years (opinion polls show that the great majority of citizens all over the world are opposed to this brutality), this minority continues to get rich by torturing bulls and horses. Several attempts to expand their dirty business to other countries are well known. Charitable bullfights to raise money for starving children of third world countries, and to fund research into serious diseases, etc, are blatant attempts to popularise their "sport" and give it a veneer of respectability. If this were not enough, even the Catholic Church does not condemn these acts. It's common to see bullfights in "honour" of saints carried out with the blessings of the clergy. [2]
Pope Pius V issued a bill titled De Salute Gregis in November 1567 which forbid fighting of bulls and any other beasts. This was eradicated eight years later by his successor, Pope Gregory XIII, at the request of King Philip II. In the 18th and 19th centuries there were attempts to ban bullfighting but it never was actuated. [4]
Spanish bullrings have a chapel where a matador can pray before the corrida and where a priest can be found in case an emergency sacrament of extreme unction (also known as Anointing of the Sick or Last Rites) is needed. [3]
The truth is, if a creature suffers then there can be no moral justification for refusing to take that suffering into consideration. All animals are sentient beings that experience joy, happiness, fear and pain, in the same way that human beings do. We can have no right whatsoever to make them suffer for our "enjoyment". If any torture inflicted to an animal deserves condemnation, bullfights are the worst kind of torture since they are performed solely in the name of entertainment. We must end the animals' torture and stop these shows of brutality and violence. It is too small a step from the intentional infliction of pain on an animal to the torture and killing of human beings.[2]
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Ever wonder why the bull never wins? Spectators are led to believe the matadors are actually risking their lives. In reality, the bull has already been crippled and subdued in several ways and doesn't stand a chance against its opponents.
Several hours before the fight, the bull is kept in a stall, deprived of light and water. They are separated from other bulls. This is traumatic for them as bulls are naturally herd animals.
Many bullfighters have reported that the bulls are also beaten and injured prior to being released into the ring.
Their horns are also sometimes shaved. This involves sawing off a few inches of the horns. Bulls depend on their horns to help them navigate and shaving impairs their ability to do this. Shaving is illegal, but many get away with it.
Bulls are sometimes stabbed and wounded before being released in the ring. After being released, he may be taunted by a group of humans who will frustrate him by forcing him to run in circles and collide.
Several hours before the fight, the bull is kept in a stall, deprived of light and water. They are separated from other bulls. This is traumatic for them as bulls are naturally herd animals.
Many bullfighters have reported that the bulls are also beaten and injured prior to being released into the ring.
Their horns are also sometimes shaved. This involves sawing off a few inches of the horns. Bulls depend on their horns to help them navigate and shaving impairs their ability to do this. Shaving is illegal, but many get away with it.
Bulls are sometimes stabbed and wounded before being released in the ring. After being released, he may be taunted by a group of humans who will frustrate him by forcing him to run in circles and collide.
Men called picadors approach the exhausted bull on horseback.
These men drive lances into the bull's neck and back, resulting in more injuries and blood loss and disabling him from lifting his neck or head.
Picadors are usually not injured. Any injuries inflicted by the confused, exhausted bull are usually to the picador's horse.
These men drive lances into the bull's neck and back, resulting in more injuries and blood loss and disabling him from lifting his neck or head.
Picadors are usually not injured. Any injuries inflicted by the confused, exhausted bull are usually to the picador's horse.
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The matador appears next and provokes the injured, dying bull in to weak charges.
He will attempt to kill the bull with a sword but it usually only results in injuring him and resulting in more pain and blood loss.
He will attempt to kill the bull with a sword but it usually only results in injuring him and resulting in more pain and blood loss.
During the final stage, an executioner is called in to kill the bull by slashing his spinal cord.
This is for the benefit of the audiences, and sometimes the effort is not enough to kill the bull. It's not uncommon for a tortured, paralyzed, conscious bull to be tied by his horns and dragged from the ring.
This is for the benefit of the audiences, and sometimes the effort is not enough to kill the bull. It's not uncommon for a tortured, paralyzed, conscious bull to be tied by his horns and dragged from the ring.
Horses - the forgotten victims
Sevilla - April 29, 2012
Maestranza bullring
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Xelin, the horse of a rojeneador
gored by the bull and later put to sleep
What you can do
Boycott countries where bullfighting is legal.
Contact government officials in countries where bullfighting is legal. If you are a resident, let them know you're opposed to bullfighting.
If you're not a resident, let them know you are a potential tourist and will not be visiting their country until this cruel practice is outlawed.
Make sure they are aware of the cruelties involved in bullfighting. Let them know that it disturbs you enough that you will not visit these countries until this "sport" is outlawed.
If you must visit countries where bullfighting is legal, do not attend bullfights. Not even once. If you go to these cruel events, your money and presence supports this bloody industry.
Ask other people to follow your example.
Do not buy any bullfighting souvenirs, especially not at bullrings.
Do not eat or drink in bars and restaurants that promote bullfighting.
Sign the PETITION to UNESCO against the declaration of bullfights as World Intangible Cultural Heritage. This petition is in Spanish, English and French.
Thank you!
Contact government officials in countries where bullfighting is legal. If you are a resident, let them know you're opposed to bullfighting.
If you're not a resident, let them know you are a potential tourist and will not be visiting their country until this cruel practice is outlawed.
Make sure they are aware of the cruelties involved in bullfighting. Let them know that it disturbs you enough that you will not visit these countries until this "sport" is outlawed.
If you must visit countries where bullfighting is legal, do not attend bullfights. Not even once. If you go to these cruel events, your money and presence supports this bloody industry.
Ask other people to follow your example.
Do not buy any bullfighting souvenirs, especially not at bullrings.
Do not eat or drink in bars and restaurants that promote bullfighting.
Sign the PETITION to UNESCO against the declaration of bullfights as World Intangible Cultural Heritage. This petition is in Spanish, English and French.
Thank you!
Torture is no Culture!
Bullfighting is one of the most cruel forms of animal abuse.
Every year, more than 250,000 bulls and cows are tortured and killed
worldwide during bullfights and similar events.
Please SIGN the PETITION to UNESCO
against the declaration of bullfights as World Intangible Cultural Heritage.
This petition is in Spanish, English and French
Thank you!
Every year, more than 250,000 bulls and cows are tortured and killed
worldwide during bullfights and similar events.
Please SIGN the PETITION to UNESCO
against the declaration of bullfights as World Intangible Cultural Heritage.
This petition is in Spanish, English and French
Thank you!
For more facts about bullfighting,
please visit StopBullfighting.org
Sources & references
1. http://www.drclas.harvard.edu/publications/revistaonline/spring-2012/bullfights
2. http://www.iwab.org/
3. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spanish-style_bullfighting
4. http://www.totalspain.org/bullfighting.htm
