From the 9th century onwards, texts (1) mention equestrian games intertwined with popular celebrations. These games and spectacles revolved around the toros de vida (bulls of life) and the toros de muerte (bulls of death ). The toro de vida was intended for the general public on foot. The aim was to manage to touch the animal despite its attacks. Although chaos reigned in the arena (town or village square), at the end of the games the bull was released. It symbolized strength and fertility. It embodied the mythical, almost supernatural being found in a considerable number of mythologies. The toro de muerte , on the other hand, was reserved for the local nobility, who fought it from horseback using their military equipment. The supreme act, the lanzada (the final thrust with a long lance), ended the fight and the animal's life.
To assist them from the ground, these riders have footmen at their disposal. These men, of humble origins, make extensive use of their capes, their garment, to attract the animal's attention. They position the bull correctly for the rider and can intervene in case of emergency. Finally, it is also their task to end the life of the bull pierced by the lance, to finish it off. Among them, some are true specialists. They are called matatoros, the bull killers.
As for the cattle used in the bullfights, their origin remains unclear. It would appear that the fighting bulls come from captures within the last remaining wild, native herds. Another source of supply is local breeders whose cattle are still raised in semi-freedom, much like they were in the Camargue until recently.
The end of the Reconquista in Spain transformed these games into a spectacle. These jousts marked the birth of the so-called "chivalric" bullfight, where lords themselves competed in displays of courage in the arena.
The shift from a "bridle" riding style to a technique known as " ginete ," along with improvements in mounts through crossbreeding with Arabian horses, among others, allowed for a significant evolution in the technique of the caballeros toreadores (cavalry bullfighters ). It became possible to get much closer to the bull, to circle around it rather than facing it head-on as in the lanzada (the first lunge). Thus, in order to demonstrate ever greater courage, the riders abandoned the lance in favor of the rejon . This is a short javelin used here for thrusting. Its use requires greater proximity to the bull and therefore greater equestrian finesse and composure. This chivalrous bullfight finds its most accomplished expression today in the Rejoneo , an equestrian bullfight practiced as a major art form by Portuguese cavaleiros (cavalrymen ). (2)
At the beginning of the 18th century , the history of bullfighting was intertwined with the history of men. In 1714, the end of the War of the Spanish Succession placed the Bourbon family on the Iberian throne, deposing the Habsburgs. While the Austrians were great lovers of bullfighting, the French were far from it.
Born in Versailles and Duke of Anjou, the new monarch did not really grow up in an environment steeped in bullfighting culture. While the presence of bullfighting has been documented since time immemorial in the south of France, beyond a line running from Bordeaux to Fréjus, bulls did not take root.
Thus, Philip V cordially detested bullfighting. The aristocrats, eager to please the new king, ceased participating in these now barbaric games. The Bourbon king was not solely responsible for the aristocracy's disenchantment with bullfighting. However, he became its symbol and enshrined this abandonment by decree. In 1723, the caballeros were legally compelled to abandon the bullring. Courtiers were henceforth forbidden from practicing bullfighting.
This situation is fundamental to the evolution of bullfighting.
At this moment, two constituent elements of modern spectacle coincide.
On the one hand, the emergence of the matador on foot as a protagonist and on the other hand the existence of the toro bravo as a dedicated breed.
While the nobility abandoned bullfighting, the common people did not see things the same way.
As these rejoneadores caballeros retire from the arena, they are replaced by non-noble horsemen. Often from the countryside —small farmers, cattle herders, cowherds—they do not use the rejon , this noble weapon, but the vara , the long lance, their tool of the trade. They will be called varilargueros , those of the long lance.
Just like the lords before them, they practiced the suerte, the action , in motion, and owned their horses. However, while the rejon was used as an attacking weapon, with the rider lunging towards the bull, the vara de detener was used defensively. The rider absorbed the bull's attack and transferred the force to the horse's forehand. This method foreshadowed the modern picador's lance, which was then developing. These suertes were always intended to be spectacular. They were sometimes performed with the horse raised , for example, with the horse already standing while awaiting the bull, and of course, without the bull touching the mount. The men on foot then intervened with the quite , with varying degrees of elegance, and ultimately took over to kill the bull with the sword. They no longer intervened to compensate for the lord's shortcomings, but rather as full-fledged participants.
The mounted bullfighters still hold center stage, but the pedestrians are gaining importance, and this is only the beginning. For beyond the technical changes specific to bullfighting , a new social order is taking shape in the sand of the arena.