La course landaise - "Bull dancing" in Vieux-Boucau.

There's something really typical and amazing in French south-west traditions: "la Course Landaise" -bulldancing, which has nothing to do with bullfighting. It consists for young men to jump over a cow ("les sauteurs" leapers; they wear white shirts) or to swerve at the very last moment in front of the cow, nearly without moving feet ("les écarteurs" dodgers, they wear embroidered jackets). They make various acrobatics, turn, fly, sometimes with legs tied. It's spectacular. And the animal, cow or more rarely bull, is never killed; it's just a game.
It reminds me of some practices in Cretan antiquity. As we can see on frescas from Knossos palace, young people also used to jump over a bull; boys and girls, with an enormous bull.
This video was in filmed in Vieux-Boucau, south-ouest of France, a region rich in nice traditions.
Even if it's very spectacular and entertaining, the course landaise is a sport with competitions. Boys and girls need courage, composure and agility to participate in it.
There's a festive music played by a "banda", which gives a joyful note to the event.

The cows (or coursayres in Gascon) all have their own name and are classified for pugnacity. Before the game starts they are all put in their own private cabin, called loge. A rope is fixed around their horns in order to be able bring them during the game in their starting position.

During the course the cows leave their loge in a predetermined order and are manoeuvred by the cordier, the man who holds the rope and two entraîneurs,to the position in front of the torero placed roughly in the middle of the arena. The torero challenges the cow and to allow her to attack the cordier gives space to the rope thus enabling the cow to attack.

The enthusiastic public continuously gives financial premiums for courage and audacity; these are announced between the festive music which is constantly playing.

The toreros are divided in two categories: * the écarteurs or dodgers, which avoid the cow charging at full speed at the very last moment with a feint and a gracious movement. This is done with and sometimes without the protection of the rope. Judges are well placed to appreciate how close to the cow the écarteurs remain and reward them for their elegance, panache, composure and courage. * the sauteur or leaper, also waits for the charging cow and vaults at the very last moment over the wild animal in ways reminiscent of the ancient games of Crete and similar to the vaults practiced in modern gymnastics. Tradition also requires the sauteurs to tie their legs together and stuff their feet in a beret (the traditional hat native to this part of France) to perform some of the leaps.

The cows are judged on their enthusiasm for the fight, agility and reliability to produce spectacular charges and the ganaderos compete for the honor of producing the best coursayres.

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Entertainment

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• La course landaise

[LeBeauStanislas]

Bonne idée ces sous-titres. Cà permet de suivre. C'est mieux que la première que tu avais faite sur le même sujet.