Encierros, abrivados, bandidos & co...

Encierros, abrivados, bandidos & co... What is that ?

All these words are part of the universe of the bull, but each has its own meaning !
We decrypt for you the vocabulary of the bullfighting culture and its festivals, which take place during the summer and gather young and old in the villages’ streets. Each village has its own arena. Abrivados, encierros, freestyle races and other equestrian shows are popular traditional events in Terre d’Argence and surrounding areas.

The Encierro, the “o” is not pronounced !

The Encierro is a Spanish word evoking confinement. It is a release of Camargue bulls in an enclosed course (a closed street at both ends with carts or gates, or a closed square). Bulls are free, gardians do not lead them.

The Encierro is a show where bulls are the main actors and the villagers are the secondary actors, young men most often, also called “atrapaïres”.

Locals play with bulls, approach them and even sometimes touch them. When the bull gets upset, you must be quick and escape by taking refuge behind the gates or climbing on bales of straw.

The Abrivado, there also no “o” !

It's a Provencal word that means “momentum, haste”.
Originally, the bulls walked from the manade (farm) to the arenas, or from the chariot (livestock truck), which was left at the entrance of the village, to the arenas, to participate in the Camargue race. These long abrivado are now rarer and rarer (Beaucaire holds at least one, that of the 'Fer à cheval à l'ancienne' on the Monday of the fair of the Madeleine, that is once a year).
Today, they take place more from chariot to chariot over short distances.

Bulls are released in the streets of the city, they are surrounded by gardians on horseback forming a V around the herd.

The young people of the village try to escape the bulls. Gates are installed along the streets to allow spectators to protect themselves during the passage of the bulls.

The Bandido (pronounced Bandide)!

Bandido is a Provencal word that comes from the verb 'bandi' meaning to expel, banish. Unlike abrivado, it is the return of bulls to the fields. Today the bandido takes place after the race on a closed circuit; the bulls pass several times alone, led by two or three gardians, and are the target of “atrapaïres”.

Today the bandido often takes place in the evening and spectators are rewarded with several passages of bulls, one by one, two by two and then in groups supervised by the gardians !

The work of the gardian has, in all these traditions, has a great importance as he channels the bull, he must show a perfect mastery of his horse. The man and the Camargue horse are as one!

Gaze or Gaso in Provencal

Gaze is related to the transhumance of livestock from summer to winter pastures. Since Camargue is located inside the Rhone delta, between the two arms of the Rhône, there are numerous wetlands. It was not uncommon for manades to move bulls from one area to another by crossing rivers. The crossing was a risky step and the manadiers would help each other. Gardians on both sides of the river accompanied the passage of the bulls.

Today, gaze amazes locals and visitors of the area, it is a real demonstration of skills and self-control on behalf of the gardians.

You now know all the nuances of our traditions and festivities ! During the summer, you will surely be able to attend one of these nice traditional parties. There are regularly some in our villages and all generations happily participate in the event, women are often  in traditional costumes and this is an opportunity to meet the people  from here !