Sunday 18 August 2013

The History Of Bullfighting In Spain Goes Back Many Centuries

By Helga Stokes


When a person goes to visit Spain, an event that they always want to see is a bullfighting. It is a part of the country's history and an event will usually go on for about 20 minutes. When a matador claims his victory, the arena of fans will erupt with applauds for the show he has put on. The history of bullfighting in Spain has some interesting facts that many people may not know.

Although most people think of Spain when they think of this sport, similar spectacles have existed in many civilizations before. Historians have discovered wall paintings that depict similar acts that date back to 2000 BC. The pictures have a bull with people grabbing its horns and doing leaps over it.

The bull has been a sacred animal in many religions. It was used as a sacrifice for many ancient religions to worship their gods. There were also religions that thought of the bull as a god and held worship ceremonies toward it. Even in the holy Bible, the bull is mentioned many times and is always refereed to as a powerful beast. The Bible will usually use analogies and idioms about a bull to show the power and strength of it.

Even ancient Rome had a form of bullfighting that they practiced. It did not gain the popularity though that later civilizations would bring to it. In the 1700s, Spaniards began to use capes to control the movements of the bull. This gave them more control of the spectacle and gained the interest of more fans as it became more entertaining to watch.

Ancient Spain, like many other countries at the time, went through many wars. Most notably, the Spanish War of the Reconquesta between 711 and 1492. This war had many breaks, and during peace time many soldiers would look for something to pass time. They would hunt animals that were easy prey like a deer. Sometimes, they would feel that that was too easy so they would hunt animals like bears that wold make things a bit more challenging.

Spanish soldiers who took on the bull realized that they were not hunting an animal that would run from them. Instead, the fearless beast would challenge them to a fight and only the bravest soldier would dare put their life on the line. Many soldiers sought to capture the beast and take it back to their subjects to gain respect and honor. This can be viewed as the beginning of bullfighting for Spaniards.

Many people today think that those who battle a bull in this sport are not too wise. Instead of seeing it as bravery, they see it as foolishness. They don't even consider it a sport and view it more as an entertainment venue. Sport or not, the fans always like to see a good bullfight.

When learning about the history of bullfighting in Spain, the way it came to be surprises many. During the 1700s is when fans started to appreciate the showmanship put on by the matador's. Putting their life at risk just to entertain others was something only few people had the courage to do. Even though it is a sport unlike any other, it certainly is loved by fans just as much.




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