BLOOD FIESTA

BLOOD FIESTA

My personal journey in Spain crossed paths with a beautiful array of kind and gentle people, so it is not my intention to vilify Spanish culture. However, I am compelled to report another provocative relationship between animals and Spanish tradition. Throughout the research I conducted on behalf of bullfighting, I noticed recurring and impassioned referral to “blood fiestas”. It was quite a remarkable discovery for me, once I delved into it, as was it nearly impossible to remain unbiased in my investigations. Blood fiestas are a private cultural practice. Those that follow the tradition prefer minimal touristic and media exposure; primarily to shield the shocking events from the unforgiving light of contemporary animal rights sentiments (my own included). So despite my efforts, I could not locate information in support of blood fiestas, nor was I able to collect any relevant historical and symbolic analysis. Therefore, all accounts provided are from sources foreign to the practice, written in protest.

Every year, thousands of blood fiestas are held in villages throughout Spain, drawing both male and female spectators of all ages.  A particularly detailed description was produced by Danny Penman, who witnessed the annual Toro de la Vega blood fiesta in Tordesillas. For this occasion, a bull is chased through the streets and into an open meadow where it faces a barrage of hungry lances, piercing him until he is weakened beyond resistance. Once he can no longer fight back, the participants engage in close-range bludgeoning and stabbing. As Penman claims, the bull was still alive when his ears were severed and awarded to the designated victor, customarily in addition to the testicles, which he may either eat or flaunt through town, according to his desire. Bull testicles are considered a gastronomical delicacy in Spain, so they are typically consumed eventually by the honored recipient. Penman was appalled at the cruel display, but further horrified by the extensive practices that accompany it. The Toro de la Vega is really only a taste of traditional bloodsport. Bulls are also frequently subjected to drowning, live castration, and darting (in this case “bull’s-eye” adopts a literal definition; I suspect this is the origin of the term). Fire bulls are a favored tradition, as well, for the spectacle of a rampaging bull with flaming horns is surely quite a thrill. Cattle are the most commonly sacrificed for the occasion, followed by chickens, but a variety of other creatures are zealously incorporated into the ritual slaughter, including donkeys, rabbits, squirrels, geese, pigeons, ducks, and pigs. Apparently the activities entail a series of simple yet inventive methods of torture and execution. In an article (FAAC), I saw a photo taken in Tordesilla of a chicken hung upside down from a line whilst a blindfolded young woman attempts to hack it to smithereens with a blunted sword. Chickens are also occasionally buried up to their necks and decapitated by blindfolded villagers. Blindfolds and chickens are a popular party combination. I saw a photo from Manganeses de la Polvorosa of a goat being thrown from the top of a church tower, after first being paraded through town wearing human underwear. Sometimes pigeons and squirrels are trapped inside of clay pots and stoned. I saw a photo of this, too, although it was a bit difficult to distinguish what was really going on. I certainly absorbed a fair share of blood from these photographic representations, specifically from the slain bulls. I can only imagine the overwhelming effect of this would have on an unfamiliar and disapproving witness. But an incredible energy can also be detected in the photographs, in the utterly consumed expressions and body language of those surrounding the animal. Blood fiestas carry centuries of history behind them. At least 300 years of cultural practice precede today’s controversial celebration of the slaughter. The older generations harbor the strongest devotion, insisting in the spiritual and artistic importance of the ritual. Of course, these passionate declarations are trampled in the debate over the cruelty of such customs. The possible corruption of funding for the events is also in fervent inquiry. So how much longer will the notorious blood fiestas rage on?

I will admit the intense repugnance these blood fiestas fill me with. I do not doubt that these celebrations were once profound, but the study of tradition creates a major rift between two disparate perspectives of change: will blood fiestas be abolished as a result of the modern corrosion of divinity, or the enlightened progress of society?

MARGUERITE

Danny Penman
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1313480/Spains-blood-fiestas-make-bullfights-tame-youre-paying-them.html
FAAC
http://www.faace.co.uk/bfiestas.htm