Spain brings to mind, among other things, the image of a bullfighter, hands raised over the bull and holding a short sword. The dusty arena, the cheering crowds shouting olé with each pass and finally, the quiet just before the bullfighter turns to face the crowd and salutes it.

The Beginning

What is now a part of Spanish culture began as a part of the sacrifice to the Iberian gods before the Christianization of Spain. The local heroes would play with the bull before dispatching it to show their courage and their worthiness to rule and soon the tradition of baiting the bull became a part of the culture of the people.

The Caballeros

At first only nobles were allowed to fight the bulls on horseback but an edict of King Philip V forbade the aristocrats from taking part in this show of bravery. This was probably due to the fact that bravery was not often evidenced in the performances of the pampered nobles. The common people then began to take an interest in the sport but adapted it to their own circumstances. Instead of facing the bulls mounted on horses, which were the property of the nobles or caballeros, men on horses, they fought them on foot.

Much more than Bravery

Facing a raging bull on foot needs much more than bravery. It also needs cool thinking to escape the horns at just the right moment and certain techniques were soon invented to allow the bullfighter to do just that. The veronica, a coordinated movement of cape and sword gives the fighter a way to distract the bull just enough to make him move the tip of his horns an inch or two from the fighter's body.

Famous Names

The names of brave bullfighters have gone down in history. Names such as Manolete, El Cordobes, Joselito and Francisco Romero are as well-known to fans of bull-fighting as are the names of famous soccer players today. Ernest Hemingway did much to popularize bull-fighting in the US.

Bullfighting Today

Today, the sport of bullfighting has become formalized with each team member assigned a task to perform. The duty of the bullfighter is still the same, however, and he still has to face the charging bull armed with his courage, his swift feet and his short sword. If he is successful and has given a laudable performance, he is rewarded with an ear of the bull. If his performance has been exceptional, he is given both ears and if he has performed extravagantly well, he is rewarded with both ears and the tail of the bull.

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