Problem
What's the difference between Spanish and Portuguese bullfighting?
Answer
I was under the impression that Spanish style bull fighting took place in Spain and involved killing the bull, and that Portuguese style bull fighting took place in Portugal where it was forbidden to kill the bull.
Story
However, a member of my family has just returned from seeing a bullfight at the arena in Dax in the South West of France, near the border with Spain. It is inland but near the coast. You can see the Pyranees.
At the event, you can watch both Spanish and Portuguese style bull fighting which took place at the same venue on the same day, one event.
This is what he told me:
The main difference is that the highlight of the Spanish bull fight is a man with a cloak on foot fighting the bull. The Portuguese bull fight features mostly riders on horseback.
Three terms you need to know
MATADOR (From Wiki:) A torero (matador de toros) is the central bullfighter who must kill the bull.
Dictionary:
PICADOR/someone who pushes sharp sticks into bulls (= male cows ) during a bullfight
TOREADOR -
You may recall the song: "Toreador ..." from the opera Carmen by Bizet.
HORSES
PORTUGUESE
The Portuguese make the horses dance and jump on their hind legs. "The Portuguese horses (with riders) are charged by the bull. The horses are blindfolded!"
The horses sense the approach of the bull. (They must hear it and maybe feel the vibrations underfoot.)
"The horses don't turn tail and run. They don't retreat. They react by moving sideways, walking sideways, I say walking, but it is so fast, that they escape being attacked even when the bull is inches away, so close - two inches from the horse.
It's is the skill of the rider, the co-ordination of the rider and his horse.
SPANISH
The Spanish version also has two mounted picadors at the start of each event. The picadors wave cloaks to attract the bull. (Bulls are colour blind. Red is simply for the human audience.)
The horses are protected with padding, canvas reinforced, which drapes. One engages the bull briefly. The bull tries to lift the horse, but can't. The horses are blindfolded. The other doesn't engage with the bull. The idea is to weaken the bull.
A Spanish horseman, a mounted picador, plants a pick from above into the bull's back.
After the picadors have waved their cloaks, for about six or seven minutes, they withdraw to let the matador take over. The final fight takes about twenty minutes.
Once the bull is weakened, the toreador puts his hand on the head of the bull.
FEMALE BULL FIGHTER
One bull fighter was a woman. A famous female bull fighter. She fought two of the bulls. She as awarded the highest honour for one of her two fights. Her name is Léa.
JUDGING
The Portuguese judging panel can grant or award nothing, one ear, two ears, or two ears and the tail.
THE END
The fight consisted of six bulls being killed in two and a half hours. The bull falls on its side, twitching, with blood falling out of the mouth.
The 'coup de grace' - not just my name, that's the official name for it, is from a dagger. The man cuts the bull's throat from behind, until the animal stops moving. Two horses with wooden frames drag the bull off.
At the end of each fight there's a red trail of blood. Workers come in to re-dress the sand.
I asked,
"Would you go to a bull fight again?"
"No. I saw 12 bulls killed. It was gruesome."
"Did you see any signs of opposition to the bullfight?"
"No. It's part of the local celebration, the local annual fair, like ours in Pinner. (The annual Pinner fair in London when Pinner is closed to traffic for a fun fair and market stalls.) It's their tradition. If you don't like bull fights, you don't go."
What are the souvenirs?
You can buy posters from previous years and books in French and Spanish on famous bull fights and full fighting in general.
Dax in France
The bull fight took place in Dax. (D not B. D for Delta.) The bull fight is part of the events organised for the annual August fair, in French fête, or in Spanish feria. The festivities include street food and a funfair for children.
Websites For Tourist Boards and Information
FRANCE
http://uk.france.fr/en/information/
http://www.dax-tourisme.com/en/discover-dax/party-town.php
https://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Tourism-g196507-Dax_Landes_Nouvelle_Aquitaine-Vacations.html
SPAIN
http://www.spain.info/en_GB/informacion-practica/oficinas-turismo-embajadas/turismo-exterior/oficina_de_turismo_en_londres.html
PORTUGAL
https://www.visitportugal.com/en
BULL FIGHTING
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bullfighting
Author
Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer, author and speaker.
What's the difference between Spanish and Portuguese bullfighting?
Answer
I was under the impression that Spanish style bull fighting took place in Spain and involved killing the bull, and that Portuguese style bull fighting took place in Portugal where it was forbidden to kill the bull.
Story
However, a member of my family has just returned from seeing a bullfight at the arena in Dax in the South West of France, near the border with Spain. It is inland but near the coast. You can see the Pyranees.
At the event, you can watch both Spanish and Portuguese style bull fighting which took place at the same venue on the same day, one event.
This is what he told me:
The main difference is that the highlight of the Spanish bull fight is a man with a cloak on foot fighting the bull. The Portuguese bull fight features mostly riders on horseback.
Three terms you need to know
MATADOR (From Wiki:) A torero (matador de toros) is the central bullfighter who must kill the bull.
Dictionary:
PICADOR/someone who pushes sharp sticks into bulls (= male cows ) during a bullfight
toreador Meaning in the Cambridge English Dictionary
dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/toreador
toreador meaning, definition, what is toreador: a person, usually a man, who takes part in a bullfight riding a horse. Toreador | Define Toreador at Dictionary.com
www.dictionary.com/browse/toreador
noun. 1. a bullfighter. Word Origin. C17: from Spanish, from torear to take part in bullfighting, from toro a bull, from Latin taurus; compare steer.HORSES
PORTUGUESE
The Portuguese make the horses dance and jump on their hind legs. "The Portuguese horses (with riders) are charged by the bull. The horses are blindfolded!"
The horses sense the approach of the bull. (They must hear it and maybe feel the vibrations underfoot.)
"The horses don't turn tail and run. They don't retreat. They react by moving sideways, walking sideways, I say walking, but it is so fast, that they escape being attacked even when the bull is inches away, so close - two inches from the horse.
It's is the skill of the rider, the co-ordination of the rider and his horse.
SPANISH
The Spanish version also has two mounted picadors at the start of each event. The picadors wave cloaks to attract the bull. (Bulls are colour blind. Red is simply for the human audience.)
The horses are protected with padding, canvas reinforced, which drapes. One engages the bull briefly. The bull tries to lift the horse, but can't. The horses are blindfolded. The other doesn't engage with the bull. The idea is to weaken the bull.
A Spanish horseman, a mounted picador, plants a pick from above into the bull's back.
After the picadors have waved their cloaks, for about six or seven minutes, they withdraw to let the matador take over. The final fight takes about twenty minutes.
Once the bull is weakened, the toreador puts his hand on the head of the bull.
FEMALE BULL FIGHTER
One bull fighter was a woman. A famous female bull fighter. She fought two of the bulls. She as awarded the highest honour for one of her two fights. Her name is Léa.
JUDGING
The Portuguese judging panel can grant or award nothing, one ear, two ears, or two ears and the tail.
THE END
The fight consisted of six bulls being killed in two and a half hours. The bull falls on its side, twitching, with blood falling out of the mouth.
The 'coup de grace' - not just my name, that's the official name for it, is from a dagger. The man cuts the bull's throat from behind, until the animal stops moving. Two horses with wooden frames drag the bull off.
I asked,
"Would you go to a bull fight again?"
"No. I saw 12 bulls killed. It was gruesome."
"Did you see any signs of opposition to the bullfight?"
"No. It's part of the local celebration, the local annual fair, like ours in Pinner. (The annual Pinner fair in London when Pinner is closed to traffic for a fun fair and market stalls.) It's their tradition. If you don't like bull fights, you don't go."
You can buy posters from previous years and books in French and Spanish on famous bull fights and full fighting in general.
The bull fight took place in Dax. (D not B. D for Delta.) The bull fight is part of the events organised for the annual August fair, in French fête, or in Spanish feria. The festivities include street food and a funfair for children.
Websites For Tourist Boards and Information
FRANCE
http://uk.france.fr/en/information/
http://www.dax-tourisme.com/en/discover-dax/party-town.php
https://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Tourism-g196507-Dax_Landes_Nouvelle_Aquitaine-Vacations.html
SPAIN
http://www.spain.info/en_GB/informacion-practica/oficinas-turismo-embajadas/turismo-exterior/oficina_de_turismo_en_londres.html
PORTUGAL
https://www.visitportugal.com/en
BULL FIGHTING
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bullfighting
Author
Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer, author and speaker.
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