網誌分類:葡萄牙,我嘅國家 |

Hi everyone
Here i am again, talking about Portugal AGAIN!!!! I hope nobody thinks i'm being boring or brainwashing my blog readers. It's just that my country isn't exactly what i would consider as popular, when compared to such countries as France, Spain, Italy, Germany, UK, Greece, well... it seems most of them,
. So the purpose for these articles is to give a bit of Portugal for everyone in this side of the world to know more about this country where i live. Not just cities, but cuisine and even traditions. So today, i want to write about the Portuguese bullfighting, not extensively because i already wrote about it last year but another component of the bullfighting practiced here, and it is called Tourada à corda, translated to english means bullfighting on a rope.

This unique event has been practiced in Portugal and islands ( Madeira and Azores ) since the 16th century. The bull is let loose with a very long rope around its neck, usually at the main road of a village. Before every bull is getting out of a wooden crate, a small rocket which makes a loud noise is launched. This signal indicates, that there is a bull on the streets, and the game is ready to begin. The bull is guided by several experienced men ( and women too ), keeping a grip at the rope. The whole idea is, that the local young men now try to get as close to the bull as they dare, teasing the bull which is getting agitated by all the movements. This game is very amusing but dangerous too, and in a way, it is also an attempt for the local boys to impress the local girls. I also did this once, but not to impress any girl at all. It's a very scary experience to see a bull running towards you, i even lost a shoe when i tried to escape from the bull ![]()

After a while the bull is taken back to the wooden crate as it arrived in, and another rocket will be launched, announcing a break in the game. Now it's time to move around, have something to eat, a drink ( or several drinks ), or simply go back home.
This is an outstanding local event, and attracts many many people. As a tourist you should arrive in due time.
Find a secure place with a good view. Usually there are a total of 3-4 bulls at any event. To find out where and when this event take place, ask at any tourist office about the bullfighting season, which usually starts at every April and ends at October. Every local knows, excluding myself...i know nothing about these events ![]()
If there is any bullfighting show in any arena when you are here, you should really get a ticket and watch a bullfighting show, although i'm against these kind of shows where animals are tortured, but i also understand it's an important part of the Iberian tradition. There is a bullfight arena in Lisbon and plenty others in surrounding regions such as Moita or Vila Franca de Xira. It's a great opportunity to watch bullfight in another way than the Spanish. The bull is not meant to be killed. The Toreador will place small " blades " on the back of the bull like in Spain, but only until a certain point in the game. Like mentioned previously, the bull isn't killed in the arena.
Then 6-7 other men enter the arena, known as Forcados. One of them walks bravely and slowly towards the bull. Now the bull starts running fast directly against this man to attack him. Just before the bull is hitting the man , he grabs around the bulls neck with both arms, trying to stop the bull. Now the other men standing behind him, are going to prevent him from falling. One man grabbing the bull's tail, forcing the bull turning round, and making the bull stand still.

That's all. Hard to understand?. Well, it's hard to explain ! One thing is certain, while bullfighting is known to be cruel for the bulls, the same can't be said about bullfights on a rope, in which the bull is the cruel element
, do you have any doubts, then watch some of the following videos. You'll know what i mean...and following the title of my article, you really do need balls of steel to stand in front of a bull!!!









I have not updated this blog for quite some time now. Partly because I'm a bit busy (taking French clas......


馬仔 2009-11-05 18:24
wow...bullfighting...what an excting game...
but the Portugese style bullfighting seems to be less cruel...unlike the Spanish...
I have watched the Spanish bullfighting once on TV...It is extremely cruel...
I saw that the bull bleed a lot...so I cannot withstand to watch this...
But if the bull is running on the big road...will the people easy to get hurt???
Bonequinho2009-11-06 08:05
Thoughts 2009-11-05 11:44
You tried that before? Did your mommy know that?
Good that you were able to go home in one piece.
Bonequinho2009-11-06 08:06
元寶 2009-11-05 08:24
好文不寂寞,推一把!
..................................................................................................GarY 2009-11-03 15:07
Y!BLOG人員處事不知所謂!系統無故發生故障而未有通告,繼而又修改什麼SPAWN內容,與民為敵!垃圾廣告垃圾廢人留言不斷發表廣告而Y!BLOG無以視之!
..................................................................................................josephine 2009-11-03 13:09
Bonequinho2009-11-06 08:07
雨人 2009-10-31 23:31
Y!BLOG人員處事不知所謂!系統無故發生故障而未有通告,繼而又修改什麼SPAWN內容,與民為敵!垃圾廣告垃圾廢人留言不斷發表廣告而Y!BLOG無以視之!
..................................................................................................活力夏天 2009-10-29 14:48
Ta 2009-10-29 10:52
But.... a bull is still taken into a slaughter house after a show (did I misunderstand what you said?). That means a bull still ends of going to the heaven after a show, the only difference being that in Spain they kill the bull right in the arena but in Portugal, they kill it beyond the sights of the audience... in this sense, yes, the Portuguese way is a little bit less cruel... hahahaha...
oh yea, a bull, if hasn't got diarrhea after drinking Red Bull, could create really big problems for the audience ....haha..
世界中心 2009-10-28 20:23
請繼續發表好文!加油加油加油
Ta 2009-10-28 16:31
Bonequinho2009-10-29 05:23
小寶 2009-10-28 00:22
期待你發表的新文章!
Ta 2009-10-27 22:08
Bullfighting is cruel, but is this probably the Spanish way of the game? I guess the Portuguese have a much less voilent form of bullfighting!! I watched the video clips and I kept laughing and laughing
!!
Is it true that the audience won't be seriously hurt by the bull? that's becoz I saw there's a rope round the bull and somebody would pull the rope to avoid a particular person from being hurt badly by a bull. Also, I don't see a bull being stabbed with an arrow or whatever by the bullfighters in the bullring. That's my guessing though (and also from what you have told me before).
Bonequinho2009-10-28 04:25
Well,,,do you really think the audience is not going to be seriously hurt by the bull?? hahaha, some of the footage i've seen in the videos is kind of cruel to the audience, hahaha. The rope is only to prevent the bull from running away and cause much more damages, not only to people but properties as well. Portuguese bullfighting is similar to the Spanish way, with the only exception of not killing the bull in the arena, well i'm not sure but in the Portuguese way, the bulls are taken to a slaughter house after the show. So it's basically the same i guess.
呷郎告告 2009-10-27 02:39
令人心動的好文章~~
Retard Babe 2009-10-27 02:17
well it's kinda cruel to animal.... but it's exciting to human~~
Bonequinho2009-10-27 03:50
蜻蜓 2009-10-26 12:40
加油啦!要繼續發表好文章喔!!
Special Family 2009-10-25 22:15
Happy halloween!
long time no see so miss u!and thanks for your sharing,funny!(but i feel so scared!haha)
Bonequinho2009-10-27 03:52
玄仔 2009-10-25 21:51
I'm always happy when readding~
小弟 2009-10-25 05:12
安...一路走來辛苦了!祝福你在各個方面都愈來愈好!
Teamaster 2009-10-24 22:55
Bonequinho2009-10-27 03:51
ophelia 2009-10-24 19:36
Bonequinho2009-10-27 03:52
ophelia 2009-10-24 13:51
Bonequinho2009-10-24 19:23
鹹蝦叔 2009-10-24 11:20
keep sharing with us, please....I will waiting your update everyday!!Have a nice and relax day!
ophelia 2009-10-23 23:16
Bonequinho2009-10-24 03:54
雪雪 2009-10-23 19:30
一定要保持最佳狀況呦,加油!!!期待你發表的新文章!
世界之王 2009-10-23 06:44
這麼優的部落格一定要持續下去!
噢! 地利 ..Oh!tria 2009-10-23 04:30
Bonequinho2009-10-23 05:59
噢! 地利 ..Oh!tria 2009-10-23 04:29
Bonequinho2009-10-23 06:01