yabbitgirl...
Posted by apstaats on May 31, 2007 · Member since Mar 2006 · 661 posts
Hi yabbitgirl. I just got an e-mail about something called "Toros de Coria" (Bull of Coria?), and is some form of entertainment in that part of Spain. According to the e-mail, a bull is publicly tortured for hours before being killed in a most unspeakable way. And, it's done in the name of the church?!?
Do you know anything about this? Please tell me this doesn't really happen. Please?
The Running of the Bulls in Pamplona. I'm sure you've heard of this. People are always upset because so many people get "gored." There is also a lot of controversy about animal cruelty versus tradition.
Los Toros de Coria has nothing to do with the running of the bulls, in which at least the bulls have a fighting chance and often "win" (not that I'm in favour of people being trampled or gored to death, but if they WILL run through narrow, walled streets in front of numerous large, angry, terrified animals with 6 ft horn spans, well, you see my point.) It's usually foreigners who don't know the territory and don't realise what they are up against, that get killed or hurt.
Los Toros de Coria is even worse. Yes, on Easter Sunday, they run a young bull or heifer through the streets until it drops from exhaustion, and then stone it to death. Charming. >:(
It really has nothing to do with Catholicism of course, going waaaay back to the days of Mithras and Demeter. The Phonecians and others of their ilk started the "bull dancing", bull fighting and general mayhem. They may pretty it up as part of the local festivals but it is NOT a "Christian" activity and never was.
Andalucia is not alone in this sort of gratuitously cruel behaviour. In Barcelona they put brass guards on a young heifer's horns and put flaming tow on the ends, and then set her loose for just anybody to "cape". She is of course terrified and runs about the plaza causing problems. They use heifers for this, and for teaching young bullfighters because, while smaller than a grown bull, they are much fiercer and nasty-tempered than their male counterparts. Well, wouldn't you be?
I just want to distance myself from this sort of "sport" and tell you that it IS dying out. Very few of the young people actually like it these days, and those who do are complete idiots. We won't go there. I hope that within another 25 yrs max, it will be a thing of the past.
Thanks for the reply. I am, of course, sorry to hear that it's true. The version I read about is worse than you describe--people throwing darts into the bull's eyes and other sensitive areas, and concluding with live castration of the bull. I sincerely hope that is not true. I'm glad to hear it's dying out at least. People never cease to amaze me with their sadistic behaviors...
Apstaats, sweetie, could you forward that email to me on yahoo? I'd like to see it. Either the message exaggerates (which happens on the Net) or I have some friends who have to answer some questions. Those particular people won't be involved (they run a Bible shop, I doubt they're into gratuitous torture of animals) but they live in Coria and will have the facts.
Sure thing!