Réttir - Annual Sheep Round-up

 

September and October bring the annual autumn ritual of sheep round-up, one of Iceland’s oldest cultural events. Icelandic sheep roam free throughout the summer and will graze anywhere wild grass grows, which in Iceland can be pretty much everywhere but on the glaciers. There are few restricted pastures, so everyone’s flocks may become intermingled or wander far and wide. Sheep do not have migratory instincts and they don’t know when the cold is coming and shelter is needed. So, at the end of the summer, a country-wide round-up is held to bring them in to the barns for winter. All the farmers head out on horseback (although today ATVs are also used), accompanied by sheepdogs, and spend up to a week getting the sheep to corrals for sorting. During round-up, participants stay in tents or mountain huts, using temporary pens to hold the sheep collected, then add to the flock as they work towards the corral. There are many sorting corrals throughout Iceland used for this annual event. The sorting process separates out the lambs, ewes, and rams belonging to each farmer based on the unique notches cut in the ears, which are put there shortly after birth. Each farmer keeps a tally of their sheep beginning with spring birth records, so they know if a second-search, or “eftirleitir” is needed. After the round-up, a large party with lots of singing and dancing, known as ‘Réttaball’, is traditionally held to celebrate the completion of the work. Dishes such as black-pudding blóðmör and liver sausage lifrapylsa are often served.

In the early days, the shearing would follow the round-up. Everyone who helped in the round-up and shearing would be rewarded with a bag of wool. That wool was then worked into cloth and would become sweaters, socks, or cloth by Christmas. Legend deems that anyone who does not have new clothes for Christmas would become the prey of Jólakötturinn, the Christmas Cat. The tradition continues today that clothes or at least a pair of socks is always on the Christmas list of every Icelander. Just in case.