Fencing in the bull

Ratna Raman

THE bull is an energetic and powerful animal. It has ploughed not only through endless furrows across the world, but also through the lines of language. ‘Boustrophedon’ (Greek) translates as ‘ox-turning’ and indicates inscriptions  in stone where the writing is bi-directional; to be read from left to right in the first line and then right to left in the next line; with the  pattern of reading extending over alternate lines. 

 ‘Bous’ (Greek) stands for the bull, and it is from here we get the zodiac sign of Taurus,the sturdy, belligerent animal rooted firmly to the earth.  The shift in usage to ‘bull’ has taken a little time and another language. However, the bull has been an object of sustained exploitation in all languages and cultures.Despite modern transport and tractors, the bull continues to be used as a ‘beast of burden’.

Bull calves are viewed as surplus, confined to crates and slaughtered for meat (veal) and hide. This is the only instance in culture where the male of the species is less privileged than the heifer (large female). Modern technology ensures the breeding of the solitary bull to impregnate large herds of cows.

The average bull is routinely castrated to reduce aggression and channelise its energies as a draught animal. This barbarous practice continues even if the animal is bred only for its meat. Castration (neutering) is far more violent than fixing blinkers and shoes on horses. It maims bulls, leaving them vulnerable to infections and disease. Castrated bulls are termed ‘oxen’ or ‘steer’ (American usage).

Mythological Zeus and Jehova take on the shape of the bull. The celestial bull Nandi, an important member of Shiva’s household, is immortalised in temple friezes and sculpture. It is no exaggeration to say that humans conscript (forcibly enrol) bulls into barbaric bullfights (Spain) and Jallikattu (Tamil Nadu). Animations of matadors waving red cloth have popularised the inaccurate expression, “show a bull a red rag” to provoke it.  In reality, bullfights and ‘bull runs’ remain instances of goading them into brutal acts termed ‘blood-sports’.  

‘A bull run’ records the forced release of bulls into a public street to pursue demented humans who term this sport. It also tracks the increased levels of adrenaline resulting from an increase in stock prices on  stock markets. 

‘Bull’s eye’ is a hard round mint sweet and the black centre of the circular black and white disc used in archery and darts. The expression is  a metaphor, indicating the attaining of a goal.

The adage “bull in a china shop” once graphically demonstrated the amount of damage that a bull could inflict when breaking out of constricting space, housing delicate porcelain. 

With the introduction of melamine and steel tableware, the proverbial bulls have stepped out of the china shops. They can now be seen running amok on public platforms. ‘Locking horns’ (inflexible) overmatters of policy, the bulls are on the rampage. They bear down upon personal preferences, beliefs, freedoms and choices and trample them underfoot.  It is time to rescue the bruised indices of human development and corral marauding bulls, thereby restoring social composure and sanity.