Much of the information on the symbolism and mythology of bullfighting came from the excellent book El Simbolismo del Toro by Mariate Cobaleda, with additional details from Ritos y Juegos del Toro, by Angel Alvarez de Miranda.
Miles and Ingrid Roddis have an encyclopaedic knowledge of Valencia and were kind enough to pass on their comments and offer much valued support. Gisela Dombek helped with a number of details, while Vicky gave much assistance at home.
Alex, Vicentín, Txarli and Tiziano of the Grupo Chiau filled me in on the finer points of Fallas and firecracker appreciation. Muchas gracias, chicos.
Thanks also to Mariajo Soriano and José Crespo; to Mike Ivey, for his encouragement and generosity; and to Rob, for reading an early draft and passing on much appreciated advice.
My agent, Peter Robinson, has been a stalwart throughout, supportive, generous and thoughtful, and this book owes much to him.
Thanks to Alison Samuel at Chatto & Windus, to Mary Chamberlain, for her excellent copy-editing and to Sandra Oakins for the map. Once again, it has been an enormous privilege and pleasure to work with Jenny Uglow; her contribution, not only to the book but to my own development as a writer, has been inestimable.
Lastly, thanks to Salud, for so much that cannot be expressed here.
Note
There are several police forces in Spain. Chief Inspector Max Cámara works for the Cuerpa Nacional de Policía, which deals with major crimes in the larger towns and cities. The Guardia Civil is a rural police force, or gendarmerie, covering the countryside and smaller towns and villages, as well as carrying out border duties and sea patrols. Both the Policía Nacional and Guardia Civil report to the Interior Ministry, although the Guardia Civil is paramilitary and has links with the Defence Ministry.
In addition to these national forces, towns and cities tend to have a local police force – the Policía Local, also known as the Policía Municipal. This deals with smaller crimes, official engagements and traffic duties, and is under the control of each respective Town Hall. A member of the Policía Local may sometimes be referred to as a ‘Municipal’.
Glossary
Alamares Adornaments on a traje de luces (q.v.)
Albufera Wetland area and beauty spot south of Valencia
Anti-taurino Anti-bullfighting
Apoderado A matador’s manager
Banderillas Colourful darts used in bullfighting
Barraca A traditional thatched house in the Albufera (q.v.)
Bravo ‘Brave,’ a bull with fighting spirit
Burladero Entrance/exit into the bullring and safety barrier
Cabrón Slang insult, ‘bastard’
Callejón Passageway around the bullring, separating the bulls from the spectators
Capote Large, usually pink and yellow, cape used by bullfighters
Carajillo Coffee laced with liquor
Chapero Slang for male prostitute
Chicuela A bullfighting move
Chino A small firecracker
Copla Traditional Spanish folk song
Cremà The mass burning of the Valencia Falla (q.v.) statues on the night of 19th March
Criminalistas Guardia Civil (q.v.) crime-scene investigators
Cuadrilla A matador’s team of bullfighters and assistants
Cuerpo Nacional de Policía Spanish National Police (Max Cámara’s police force)
Un Nacional A member of the national police
Depósito Impounded goods depot
Embarcadero Jetty
Estoque Matador’s sword
Fallas The main fiesta in Valencia, held in March
Una falla A statue made of wood and papier mâché for Fallas, which is burnt down on 19th March
Fallero An active member of the Fallas (q.v.) fiesta
Feria Fair, bullfighting fiesta/meeting
Fiambre Slang for ‘corpse’
GEO Grupo Especial de Operaciones: Elite police force (SWAT team)
Gilipollas Slang insult, ‘prick’
Golfo A hedonistic rogue
Grupo de Homicidios Homicides unit
Guardia Civil Civil Guard paramilitary police force
Un Guardia A member of the Civil Guard
Huerta Market gardening area around the city of Valencia
Juez de Guardia Duty investigating judge
La Puerta Grande ‘The Main Gate’ of a bullring
Manso Docile, a bull with no fighting spirit
María Slang for marihuana
Maricón Slang for homosexual
Marrón Slang for ‘corpse’
Masclet A kind of firecracker
Mascletá A firecracker display held every afternoon during Fallas (q.v.)
Mayoral A herdsman
Mechero A cigarette lighter
Médico Forense Medical examiner
Montera A bullfighter’s hat
Muleta Red cape used by matador
Ninot One of the figures making up a Falla (q.v.) statue
Novillero Apprentice bullfighter
Petardo A kind of firecracker
Policía Científica Criminalists, crime-scene investigators: part of the national police
Policía Judicial ‘Judicial’ police, policemen working under the orders of an investigating judge
Policía Local/Municipal Local police force, controlled by the Town Hall
Un Municipal A member of the local police
Porro A joint (marihuana, not meat)
Prensa Rosa The gossip press
Sangría Oh, come on, you know what sangría is
Secretaria judicial Court clerk
Seguirilla A kind of song, or style, in Flamenco
Sol literally: ‘sun’: the sunny, cheaper seats in a bullring
Sombra literally: ‘shade’: the shady, more expensive seats in a bullring
Tercio ‘Third,’ a section of the bullfight
Tertulia A discussion, often held by aficionados after a bullfight
Torero A bullfighter
Toro A bull
Los Toros Bullfighting
Toro de lidia A bullfighting bull
Traje de Luces ‘Suit of Lights,’ a matador’s outfit
Tricornio Traditional hat worn by members of the Guardia Civil (q.v.)
Verónica A bullfighting move
This is a work of fiction. All of the characters, organizations, and events portrayed in this novel are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.
OR THE BULL KILLS YOU. Copyright © 2011 by Jason Webster. All rights reserved. For information, address St. Martin’s Press, 175 Fifth Avenue, New York, N.Y. 10010.
www.minotaurbooks.com
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
ISBN: 978-1-4299-4985-9
First published in Great Britain by Chatto & Windus