Rettir (Réttir) – The September Sheep Round-up
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Rettir (Réttir) – The September Sheep Round-up
Sheep pens like these can be seen all over the country. The older ones are made of stone and turf, but cement, wood and metal are used on the modern versions.
Farmers use the sheep pens in early September when they round up the sheep that have been roaming wild in the highlands during the summer months and bring them down to the lowlands. Farmers join forces for the round-up, combing the hillsides on horseback with the aid of a sheepdog.
To work the roundup - in Icelandic ‘Réttir’- is a privilege even though it takes many days of hard work and living rough.
When the flock of sheep has been brought down, it is corralled into the central chamber of the sheep pen. From there each farmer identifies his sheep by markings on the ears or by electronic tags. The sheep are herded into the segments around the central pen. When each owner has found his sheep, they are taken back to the farm. In the old days, every sheep had a name and the farmer knew each and every one - this is still true for some farmers today.
On the evening marking the end of the round-up, there is usually a celebration – Rettarball – an event with singing and dancing, that nobody wants to miss.