US television network ABC was in Iceland last weekend filming ‘réttir’, the annual sheep round-up. RÚV interviewed the ABC reporter, who spoke fondly of the country and this tradition.
“I had been to Iceland before and I always thought it was beautiful and
the people are interesting,” ABC reporter told RÚV, “but we were looking
for something that was very authentic, maybe something dating back to
the time of the Vikings. And this whole tradition of the herding of the
sheep, I thought it would be fun not only to come to a pretty place, but
also to go to a place with a real sense of community where people are
helping one another as neighbours.”
After the summer, farmers all over Iceland ride their horses into the mountains to round up their sheep for the winter. The farmers heard the sheep into a fold, and from there the sheep are sorted to their owners. While some farmers recognise their sheep by looks, the sheep’s ears are marked for identification.
If you have the patience to skip through the Icelandic to find the interview with the ABC reporter, have at it (it’s roughly midway):
http://http.ruv.straumar.is/static.ruv.is/vefur/12092011_sdu_rettir.mp3
Stay tuned for ABC’s forthcoming programming from the Holtsréttir.
Buy subscriptions, t-shirts and more from our shop right here!
