Feria des Vendanges in Nīmes, France
Festival for the Fall Grape Harvest
Main Event:
CORRIDA! (Bullfight!)
Locals and tourists alike enjoy the Feria des Vendanges in the nearby town of
Nīmes. The festival, which lasts all weekend long, is a celebration of
the Fall grape harvest. In the background is the ancient Roman Coliseum
which will host the main event of the festival: The Corridas (bullfights)
that are held on each of Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
We
agree that bullfights in France sound a little funny. But they are a much
beloved part of the culture and tradition here in the south of France.
While they are horribly cruel, we found that the disturbing spectacle that is a
bullfight can be great theatre and terribly exciting. But the poor
bulls!
We
enter the arena with a multitude of excited others. As we do so, we are
handed a program listing the names of the matadors and the names of the bulls,
together with the bulls' weights (which generally weigh about 1200 pounds).
The
bullfight begins with all the pomp and ceremony of an event that has been held
for hundreds of years. A band plays stirring, at times wonderfully French,
music, while all the day's
participants (but for the bulls) saunter out. Leading the procession are the three matadors
who will each fight two bulls (there will be a total of six separate
bullfights). Behind the matadors are their three assistants, each of whom
plays an integral role. And behind the assistants on horseback are the
picadors, who also play a large role. Right away we realized that our
conception of a bullfight as the matador (and only the matador) against the bull
was way off base.
Before
the first bullfight, the matadors and their assistants warm up by swinging their
pink capes. Each bullfight is comprised of several distinct stages, each
with its own nuances and techniques.
Each
fight begins when the bull, wondering what in the heck is going on, is released
into the arena. The fans hope that the bull will be a good one, which is
to say aggressive and mean, and look for a bull that charges into the ring with
a fury.
At this stage, the matador's assistants wave their pink
capes at the bull, before ducking behind protective wooden blinds. In
doing so, they run the bull around the ring, burning off some of the bull's
energy and getting him accustomed to the surroundings, This goes on
for a bit and then the matador emerges, with a pink cape of his own. The
matador incites the bull to charge and, in doing so, gets a feel for the bull
and his tendencies.
Then
out come the picadors, men on large horses that are, in essence, armor
plated. The men carry large lances. They incite the bull to charge
the horse upon which they are riding and, when the bull does so, they drive
their lance into the neck/shoulders of the bull. This can be one of the
most exciting times of the match, as the bull will often be furiously digging
its horns into the horse's protected side.
After
the picadors exit, the matador's assistants are back on stage, this time armed
with long, decorated, darts called "banderillas." On
foot they race in the direction of the bull and, with their arms out-streched
over the bull's horns, will drive the banderillas into the bulls
shoulders/back.
So what's up with all the spears in
the bull's shoulders? We guess that it is all part of wearing the bull
down (it works) and, perhaps more importantly, weakening its shoulder muscles
making it very difficult for the bull to raise its head, and horns,
quickly. This makes the bull less dangerous (but still very dangerous, of
course) to the matador and allows the matador to get even closer to the
bull. But that's our guess.
So
we are finally at the "classic" part of the bullfight: the matador
with his red cape, standing perilously close to the charging bull. With
the bull bloodied and greatly weakened, the matador does his thing, playing to
the crowd with great effect. The matadors emphasize fancy moves with their
cape and proximity to the bull and its horns. Here they also look to
establish their mastery of the bull and their fearlessness of it, often walking
away from it with their back turned. When done well, this can be very
exciting and impressive.
When
the bull has little fight left, having charged the matadors red cape vainly time
and time again, the matador goes in for the kill. With his sword, he looks
to drive it (as seen here) between the bull's shoulder blades and into his
heart. But more often than not, his first attempts fail, and he must try
again (the more skilled the matador, the more likely he will drive the sword
home in the first or second attempt).
Once
the sword has been driven home, the matador's assistants join him and run the
bull around a bit--all in an effort to speed the bull's demise. If the
bull is lucky, he will stammer around for about ten seconds before bleeding to
death (internally), and collapsing to the ground in a heap.
The
"grounds crew" then emerges, raking the field and dragging the dead
bull off. Interestingly, the loudest cheers are often reserved for the
bull--a posthumous show of appreciation for a fight well fought. By the
way, while it may seem obvious now, the bull always dies in the bullfight.
Always. Kelly was not aware of this little nugget of information before
attending, so it took her a little while to get used to it.
Afterward,
if the matador has performed well, he will be applauded loudly. In
instances of exceptional performance, the crowd will wave white handkerchiefs,
imploring the judge to award to the matador the bull's ear which, once severed
from the bull, is handed to the matador and paraded around the ring. This
matador was awarded the coveted bull's ear, which he has already thrown to the
crowd. In his hands he holds flowers and a hat thrown into the ring by
adoring fans. Matadors here in Provence are very much celebrities, with
excited fans waiting outside the arena entrance hoping for a glimpse and,
perhaps, a photo and autograph.
Continue
to see more photos of the bullfights.
