WI: Richard the Lionheart popularizes Bullfights in England

[kasumigenx]

What if Richard the Lionheart popularizes Bullfights in England, since Richard the Lionheart is from the Bullfighting country could he had popularized Bullfighting in England?

[KillerT]

ahem, bullfighting WAS popular in England but done with dogs-bullbaiting- hence the bulldog....far far more violent and bloody. There's also several places with old names alluding to it.

[kasumigenx]

ahem, bullfighting WAS popular in England but done with dogs-bullbaiting- hence the bulldog....far far more violent and bloody. There's also several places with old names alluding to it.

But how to keep it's popularity in England?

[carlton_bach]

Bullfighting as we know it today is a modern phenomenon. As late as the seventeenth century, Spanish bullfights were more like a ritzy version of the Pamplona running than like a modern corrida. So Richard, assuming he had wanted to, could at best have popularised the idea of 'Let's Do Crazy Shit That Could Kill Us'.

I think the English did enough of that already.

[kasumigenx]

Bullfighting is from Occitans and Basques that became a symbol of Spain but could England have this as a sport since the English kings had Aquitaine..

[The Professor]

What type of bullfighting are you asking about?

1) Baiting - dogs vs bulls
2) Running - men compete on foot, running between the bulls using them as obstacles, often involving taking rosettes or coiled ropes
3) Horse - a man or team, all on horseback, fight the bull
4) Foot - a man or team, all on foor, fight the bull
5) Mixed

I've put these in rough order of ancient-modern.

Mediaeval England practised Type 1 (as already mentioned), Roman Hispania Types 2 & 3, Modern Spain Types 3,4, & 5.

The little I can find suggests that Type 3 was popular in West Occitania but Type 2 in East (ie Provence etc).

[kasumigenx]

What type of bullfighting are you asking about?

1) Baiting - dogs vs bulls
2) Running - men compete on foot, running between the bulls using them as obstacles, often involving taking rosettes or coiled ropes
3) Horse - a man or team, all on horseback, fight the bull
4) Foot - a man or team, all on foor, fight the bull
5) Mixed

I've put these in rough order of ancient-modern.

Mediaeval England practised Type 1 (as already mentioned), Roman Hispania Types 2 & 3, Modern Spain Types 3,4, & 5.

The little I can find suggests that Type 3 was popular in West Occitania but Type 2 in East (ie Provence etc).
I want both type 2 and 3 popular in england in the present.

[The Professor]

I want both type 2 and 3 popular in england in the present.

That's a tall order in England since we lacked the arenas - all our Roman ampitheatres had been pretty much destroyed.
You basically need Richard enjoying the sport enough to set aside the money to build bullfighting arenas AND get BOTH nobles and peasants willing to take part.

[carlton_bach]

That's a tall order in England since we lacked the arenas - all our Roman ampitheatres had been pretty much destroyed.
You basically need Richard enjoying the sport enough to set aside the money to build bullfighting arenas AND get BOTH nobles and peasants willing to take part.

Bullfights routinely took place in urban squares in Spain well into modern times wherever arenas were unavailable. The flexibility of urban spaces in pre-automobile days tends to be underestimated. Set up some barriers and you're good to go.

[Thande]

Richard Coeur de Lion was never in England long enough to popularise anything. And has others have said, historically bear-baiting was the urban bloodsport of choice for the English.

[Tocomocho]

Bullfighting as we know it today is a modern phenomenon. As late as the seventeenth century, Spanish bullfights were more like a ritzy version of the Pamplona running than like a modern corrida. So Richard, assuming he had wanted to, could at best have popularised the idea of 'Let's Do Crazy Shit That Could Kill Us'.

I think the English did enough of that already.

Ehh no. Running is the way you take the bulls to the square. The fighting, if it existed at all in the time period we are talking about (I'm not even sure) was about a knight that attacked the bull with a lance while on horseback, jousting style.

Coming to think about that, it wouldn't that hard to export the thing to Englad. As long as Richard somehow managed to get a stock of bulls who charge rather than flee.

Bullfighting is from Occitans and Basques that became a symbol of Spain

No, it isn't.