Making Sense of Bullfighting

Bullfighting evokes mixed feelings and many may feel hesitant to explore the subject. Whoever came up with such an idea? Surely they could have thought of easier and safer ways to entertain themselves. Also, why fight a bull as opposed to any other animal? Why pick on the bovine species that has been so useful to man since time immemorial? What is the cultural value and significance of such an act? How can one justify inflicting pain on the bull? Furthermore, why kill the animal? Why not carry out all the acts but let the animal live at the end? What is so special and necessary about killing? What are the roots and raison d’être of the bullfighting ritual? Why do bullfighters dress up in such an ornate manner? Where does all this pageantry come from? Why don’t we see more women bullfighters? Does bullfighting have a future? These are the questions that came to Reza Hosseinpour’s mind when he first moved to Spain and was exposed to bullfighting. For him the search was, and continues to be, a journey full of surprises. Perhaps the biggest surprise was to realise how revered the bull is. Unfortunately, this does not come across on television or in pictures. According to him, you really need to go to the arena to experience the public veneration for the bull. Respect for the bull is the most fundamental aspect, and lies at the very core of bullfighting. Bullfighting is a profoundly misunderstood subject, and in this book Reza Hosseinpour shares his insights in search of the answers to the many questions the subject raises.