I recently read The Lady Matador’s Hotel, a very disjointed story
revolving around a specific time and place but with no real plot. However, I
should have expected this because the author Christina Garcia writes in a very
non-linear style.
The word “matador” refers to a man who fights bulls. The female version
of this word is actually “matadora.” Bullfighting a male-dominated sport and
the few women who have participated often face resistance and hostility from
male fans. In The Lady Matador’s Hotel, the matadora is a formidable foe in the
arena, and has a commanding presence in her day-to-day life as well. Many of
the men in the novel view her as both intimidating and a challenge or desired
conquest.
Originating in the 1670s, “matador”
is derived from the Spanish “matador,” meaning “killer” from “matar” meaning “to
kill or wound” and the Arabic “mata,” meaning “he died.”
In Spain, a matador is actually called a “toreador.” This is derived
from “torear,” meaning “to fight bulls” and toro “bull,” from the Latin “Taurus.”
One of the implied definitions of matador involves the idea of honoring
the bull, or sacrificing it through death. The Latin word “mactare” means "to
kill or honor by sacrifice", from “mactus,” meaning “honored.”
There are also several levels of bullfighters. The matador is the one
who kills the bull, but he has many people who assist him as well. A picador uses a lance while on horseback to
test the bull’s strength before the matador begins. The banderillero places
little flags (colorful sticks with a barbed point) in the top of the bull’s
shoulder while running as close to the bull as possible.
Brave commoners (a.k.a. poor people) would also jump into the ring to
show their own prowess. These maletillas or espontaneos would be taken away,
but some legitimate bullfighters also began their careers in this way.
Sources
