LPPM MMV "Sharp Horns, Charging In"

[Dave Monroe]

"Espada broken, muleta lost, horse disembowelled,
picadors sick with fear. Five in the afternoon, crowd
screaming. Miura bull, sharp horns, charging in."
(MMV, p. 12)


So what happens during a bullfight?:

[...]

The faena which is the most beautiful and skillful
section of the fight and where the matador must prove
his courage and artistry. The faena consists of a
running at the Matador carrying a muleta. This is a
piece of thick crimson cloth draped over a short
stick, which can be held in either the left hand or
draped over the espada, the killing sword, which is
always held in the right hand. Usually the muleta, in
left or right hand, is first held in front of the
matador to make the bull charge and is then swung
across and away from the matador's body hopefully
taking the bull with it.

This is a show, basically a dance with death - one
wrong move and the Matador could become impaled on the
horns of the bull. It is the Matador's job to make
this dance dramatic and enjoyable for the audience. 

The faena continues until the Matador has demonstrated
his superiority over the bull. Once this is achieved
the bull is ready to be killed.

The matador stands some ten feet from the bull,
keeping the bull fixated on the muleta and aims the
espada between the shoulder blades. The matador
attacks pushing the espada over the horns and deep
between the shoulder blades. If the sword goes in to
the hilt it is an estocada but if it hits bone it is a
pinchazo or media-estocada. An estocada usually
results in the bull dropping immediately to its knees
and dying, but if the bull fails to die the matador
may take the descabello (a sword with a short cross
piece at the end) which he stabs into the bull's neck
severing the spinal cord. The fight is over.

http://www.spain-info.com/Culture/bullfighting.htm

8. What is a picador ? 
In the first tercio, the picador uses a pica (also
known as a vara) which is a lance with a steel point
(puya) from on horseback to weaken the bull's neck
muscles so that its head is lowered for the kill.
Picadors are not used in some novilladas which are
referred to as "novilladas sin picadores" (novilladas
without picadors). 

[...]

10. What is the difference between a capote and a
muleta ?
A capote is a big work cape, magenta on the outside
and yellow (sometimes blue) on the inside. It is used
by all the toreros but in the final tercio the matador
or novillero will change it for the muleta, made from
red flannel on a wooden stick, which he will use for
the faena. 

11. What is a faena ? 
A faena is all the work done with a muleta by a
matador or novillero in the final and most important
tercio of the bullfight....

[...]

Occasionally a matador or novillero will appear alone
(en solitario/unica espada) and fight all six bulls

[...]

24. Why does the bull have a "rosette" on its back
when it enters the ring ? 
All bulls are bred on ganaderias (ranches) which
specialise in fighting bulls (toros de lidia). Each
rancher (ganadero) makes his own distinctive notches
in the bulls' ears, has his own branded insignia and
his own colours. The rosette (divisa) shows the
colours of the ranch which bred the bull and has a
small barb on it. Just before the bull enters the ring
via the toril gate, it is inserted into its hide using
a long spring-loaded pole. The most famous ganaderia
is that of the infamous Miura bulls from Seville.

http://mundo-taurino.org/toro_faq.html

http://users.erols.com/mcarrion/epfaques.htm

And see as well, esp., ...

http://www.lhs.liverpool.k12.ny.us/lhslib/projects/Hewko/Los%20Toros.htm

http://www.idealspain.com/Pages/Information/Bullfighting.htm


"five in the afternoon"

“La corrida,” or bullfight begins at 5 o’clock sharp. 
So says Garcia Lorca dramatically in the “Llanto por
Ignacio Sanchez Mejias”:  “At 5 o’clock in the
afternoon.  It was exactly 5 o’clock in the
afternoon…”  The bullfight is the only event that
begins with any punctuality in Spain....

http://www.lhs.liverpool.k12.ny.us/lhslib/projects/Hewko/Los%20Toros.htm


Federico García Lorca, "Llanto per Ignacio Sanchez
Mejias" (1935)

http://home.tiscali.be/ericlaermans/cultural/lorca/llanto_por_ignacio_sanchez_mejias/la_cogida_y_la_muerte.html

http://home.tiscali.be/ericlaermans/cultural/lorca/llanto_por_ignacio_sanchez_mejias/indice.html



	
		
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