RUNNING OF THE BULLS

The 'Running of the Bulls' (in Basque, 'entzierro'; in Spanish, 'el encierro' - both 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. 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.
The origin of this custom is the transport of the bulls from the off-site corrals where they had spent the night to the bullring where they would be killed in the evening.
Youngsters would jump among them to show off their bravado. Since 1924, 15 people have been killed, the most recent an American tourist who was gored in 1995.
^[2]

Contents

Preparation for the event

Examples

Derivations

Miscellaneous

References

External links

Listening

Preparation for the event

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 six 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. 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.
The running of the bulls ends with the bulls arriving 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.

Examples

★ The Pamplona encierro is the most popular in Spain and is broadcast live by Televisión Española and Cuatro TV. It is the highest profile event of the Fiesta of San Fermin. 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. Before the run, runners sing a prayer to a statue of Saint Fermin to ask his protection. They dress in the traditional white shirt and trousers with a red waistband and neckerchief. In one hand, they hold the day's newspaper rolled to draw the bulls' attention from them if necessary. While the intention is that there is no contact with the bulls, not even tail-pulling, several unexperienced runners may try to touch them, risking everybody's life and exposing themselves to hits from the professional herders running behind the bulls. Weekends are most crowded and dangerous.

★ The ''Toro de la Vega'' — in September at Tordesillas. A bull is carried to an open area by the river. There's a crowd (both on foot and on horseback) which attempt to kill it with lances. Considered as an ''espectáculo tradicional'' (traditional entertainment) 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'').

Derivations

★ 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.

★ ''El encierro de la Burundesa'' is held the morning after the end of San Fermín. Runners missing their daily course would jokingly run before the first autobus of the day ("La Burundesa" is Pamplona's city bus company).

★ PETA activists have created the "running of the nudes", a demonstration the day before the beginning of San Fermín. By marching naked, they protest the use of the bulls for entertainment and the following corrida^[3].

★ The ''Borat'' film shows a scene in Borat's village with a "Running of the Jew"^[4]. A "Jew" wearing a big caricaturized headmask like those of the Spanish festival of Gigantes y cabezudos runs among people dressed almost as Pamplona runners.

Miscellaneous

★ Ernest Hemingway wrote several novels and stories about this festival, including ''The Sun Also Rises'' and ''Death in the Afternoon''

★ Richard Hammond of the British TV program ''Top Gear'' took part in the race during his review of the Lamborghini Murcielago

References

1. http://www.sanfermin.com/2006/guia.php?lang=eng
2. [1]
3. Running of the Nudes. PETA official site.
4. Still shot from the film at IMDB.

External links

★ Guide, photos and videos about The Running of The Bulls in Pamplona

★ 25th February 2006 - Running of the bulls in Campanar, Valencia

★ Images from the 2006 San Fermin festival in Pamplona

★ Gallery of Bull running at the Fiesta de San Fermin

★ Guide and Photos About The Running of The Bulls in Pamplona

Listening

★ Here On Earth: Radio Without Borders - Running with the Bulls