Notes

Live Cockfighting in Puerto Rico
A cockfight takes place in a small arena where an assortment of spectators watch the birds attack each other with their beaks and legs. Bloody feathers float in the air and the crowd cheers. Then, at the end of a set of three or four matches, the handlers and hangers-on scour the area to find opponents for the next match. This goes on all afternoon until dark, the crowd never thinning until it is over. Cockfights are held during temple anniversary festivals, as well as at regular gatherings that take place in the countryside.

Rooster fighting is a popular pastime in the rural mountains of central Puerto Rico, where it took root during Spanish colonial times. It survived a three-decade ban by the United States and a decade of economic collapse that has hollowed out many of the region’s towns. But it remains a ritual that brings together families and communities, a part of island culture that is as much about pride in one’s heritage as it is about money or prestige.

The island’s cockfighting community is organized, with several gangs that control their own fighting arenas. Several people make their living as craftsmen who create the sharp steel spurs, known as gaffs, that are tied to each cockfighter’s leg before a fight. They once used broken automobile springs, but now the raw material is industrial-size hacksaw blades. There are also smiths who specialize in sharpening the blades and removing the nicks from the previous battles.

In addition to the gaffs, there are other implements for fighting cocks, including knives and sticks. đá gà , however, is the roosters themselves. While the cocks may be injured—punctured lungs, pierced eyes, broken bones and other abrasions are common—they usually live long enough to be cocked again and continue the fights.

Despite the brutality of the sport, many people attend and bet on the fights. A typical bet is 1 ceng, which is about $0.25 US. Those who bet frequently visit arenas for several hours at a time and bring friends to help them make their bets.

While the Balinese feel no guilt about cockfighting, it may be difficult for outsiders to understand their attitude. To them, it is a spectacle that provides entertainment and social connection, a far better alternative to sitting in front of a slot machine at the local casino. The blood and the frenzied action provide an escape from the monotony of everyday life. It is not the same as tossing Christians to the lions in Rome, but it provokes similar elementary instincts.
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