Swiss Cow Fighting.
Throughout the world people hold events that to some of the world might be considered rather violent. Take for example, bull fighting in Spain. To Spaniards, the sport has been a centuries long tradition that showcases bravery and honor for both the bull and the fighter. To the rest of the world, this tradition can seem barbaric and cruel for the animals involved.
When one hears the phrase "Swiss Cow Fighting", images can be conjured of cows running around in a violent display of gore and stampede. At least that is what I thought when I first heard the term. But to my surprise, the tradition is safe and displays the heart of Swiss culture and tradition.Once, sometimes twice a year, villagers from several different locations along the Valaisian Alps bring their cow herds down from the high lush green pastures into the lower farmland valleys of these Alps. From the heard, the villagers examine all of their pregnant cows to see which one is the strongest and most angry. The villagers use pregnant cows because they are very territorial and are protective of their unborn calfs. Then they take that cow to compete in the ring.
The villagers join together in a paradisiacal like valley surrounded by lush green alp mountainside and flowing clear waterfalls and streams. The head of the competition creates an arena which is mostly a circle made with some twine and sticks formed like a fence. Then the regalia starts. Amidst some pomp, the pregnant bow vines are proudly lead one by one towards the bout by their owners down towards the arena. Each cow is painted with a number so that people can begin to bet on which one will win the day.
The objective of the cow fight is no more than pride, and little money for the winner. The winning cow is the one that out lasts all other cows that challenge it. The villagers compete for bragging rights about who has the strongest cow that will be the most dominate that year. That cow and owner becomes the pride of their corresponding village.
As the cows spread across the pastoral circle, 5 or 6 different "referees" step into the arena carrying large willow sticks. As the the time draws near to the beginning of the fight, the cows are extremely restless and already growling and stomping up the turf. With a blow of a whistle the villagers leave the circle and with a thundering vibration, the cows charge. A ruckus of Swiss cow bells erupt as the alphas begin to mark their territory.
As the cows lock horns across the arena, the referees use their sticks to whack any cows that look like they are going to double team a cow while it is fighting another. This is one of the rules, it is strictly a one on one battle.
Tourists, city folk, and villagers alike line the roped circle cheering on their favorite steer. Cows lock horns and throw each other around sometimes outside of the arena. Observing from afar, I witnessed a pair of cows locked in a heated battle push themselves unexpectedly towards the crowd and straight towards an older Swiss woman. As the cows came dangerously close to her, she, obviously a veteran spectator, slapped the cow on the hind end and shook her find while saying "No". The cows must have heard her because they began to push the fight away from her.
One by one, each cow, after being tested, began to bow out of the competition relinquishing its ground to the more dominate of the beasts.
The finale of the fight saw two cows that had been locked in a gruesome battle for over 45 minutes and had pushed themselves up a hill well out of the arena boundaries. Each cow had been the winner of the fights the two past years and they were at it again. When one of the cows finally gave up and trotted down the hill, the crowd erupted in cheers adulation as villagers hugged, shook hands, gave each other the customary Swiss double kiss and poured each other a stein of stout. It was another glorious victory for the two year reigning champion in setting of one of the most picturesque valleys in Switzerland.
These cow fights are just another example of why I love to travel. Discovering different cultures and their traditions fascinates me to no end. These traditions motivate me to explore other lesser known traditions not only of Swiss culture but of cultures all across the globe. These traditions teach us not only to honor the traditions from our own country but to learn more about ourselves from the world around us.
In your travels, what are some of your favorite lesser known cultural traditions that you have discovered?
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