Running of the Bulls
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- For the American location, see Bull Run.
The Running of the bulls (in Spanish, el encierro - literally, "the enclosing") involves running in front of bulls that have been let loose on a course of a sectioned-off subset of a town's streets. The most famous running of the bulls[1] is that of the nine-day festival of San Fermín in Pamplona, although they are held in towns and villages across Spain during the fiesta season, usually in the run-up to the corrida, or bull-fight, and in some cities in southern France, most notably Bayonne. Unlike bull fights, which are performed by professionals, anyone may participate in an encierro, and there is never violence towards the bulls — even tail-pulling is frowned upon. Injuries are common, both to the participants who may be gored or trampled, and to the bulls, whose hooves grip poorly on the paved or cobbled street surfaces.
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[edit] Preparation and Execution
Prior to the running of the bulls, wooden or iron barricades are erected along the route that the bulls will follow to block off side streets. To allow runners to quickly enter or exit, the gaps are narrow enough to block a bull but wide enough for a person to slip through.
A rocket is set off to alert townsfolk that the bulls have been released, though shouts of "¡Ahí va! ¡Ahí va!" (There it goes, there it goes) farther up the street indicate the bulls are near. Those not intending to run quickly head for the barricades or climb onto balconies.
The bulls often become separated and stop running, preferring instead to charge goading spectators. For this reason, a herd of steers are released in a second wave to collect strays. A run is considered good if the bulls flow swiftly.[citation needed] When bulls are distracted along the way, the run gets more dangerous. While many think it is good luck to touch a bull, aficionados frown upon this as it can distract the bull.[citation needed]
The running of the bulls ends with the bulls returning to the bullring. The bulls are then guided out and some of the runners remain in the ring. Usually bulls or calves are released back into the ring and the remaining runners tease and goad the bulls for the amusement of the crowd.
[edit] Examples
- The Pamplona[2] encierro is the most popular in Spain and is broadcast live by Televisión Española. It is the highest profile event of the Fiesta of San Fermin.[3] The length of the run is some 800 meters (about half a mile). Merely entering into the run and choosing a street to run in is all that is required.
- An enciero in the town of Zahara, located in Southern Spain, became infamous due to 142 fatalities in a single run, because of lack of preparation for an unpredictably large turnout.{{
- The Toro de la Vega — in September at Tordesillas. A bull is carried to an open area by the river. There a crowd (on foot and on horseback) attempts to kill it with lances. Considered as an espectáculo tradicional (traditional spectacle) by the government of Castilla y León.
- The vaquillas (sokamuturra, "rope-muzzle" in Basque) — A young cow is freed in a small ring (often built for the festival then dismantled) among local youths who tease her. The cow may have a dangling rope to aid recapture. This is also practiced in Pamplona after the traditional running of the bulls.
- A Mediterranean variation is placed on a dock. When youths are cornered, they jump into the water.
- Another variation is the nightly toro de fuego ("fire bull"). Balls of flammable material are placed on the horns, frightening the bull. Nowadays the bull is often replaced by a runner carrying a frame on which fireworks are placed. Dodgers run to avoid the sparks. It usually takes place at midnight, providing a pause in the open-air ball (verbena).
- A San Miguel beer advertisement displayed a "Manhattan" version with New Yorkers in the traditional Pamplona clothes running before American bison. In 2006, a proposal to create a "buffalo run" in Deadwood, South Dakota was denied by the Deadwood City Commission.
[edit] Miscellaneous
- Ernest Hemingway wrote several novels and stories about this festival, including The Sun Also Rises.
[edit] References
- ^ http://www.sanfermin.com/2006/guia.php?lang=cas
- ^ http://www.sanfermin.com/2006/guia.php?lang=cas
- ^ http://www.sanfermin.com/2006/guia.php?lang=eng
