Now! Then! Under a waning gibbous moon, armed with a penknife and sticky-willy unguent, a shepherd castrates Henry Best’s lambs at Elmswell (Driffield)

6 June 1641: Under a waning gibbous moon, armed with a penknife and sticky-willy unguent, a shepherd castrates Henry Best’s lambs at Elmswell (Driffield)

Johannes Flote and Anton Reite castrating an early 20th century lamb at Folkestad, Møre and Romsdal County, northern Norway (Folkestadås 1900-1910).

Henry Best. 1857. Rural Economy in Yorkshire, in 1641. Ed. Charles Best Robinson. Durham: Surtees Society. Get it:

Excerpt

It would have been better if they had been libbed a month afore. We always lib them in the wane so soon as the moon is past full. We sent word to the shepherd to bring them down to the fold betwixt four and five of the clock. About five of the clock we went and carried our foreman to hold the lambs while they were libbed, and another of our daytal men [day labourers] to catch them in the pen and bring them to him. We carried also a penknife for the shepherd to lib them with, and a ball of wild tansy, chopped and made up with fresh butter, for anointing their cods [scrota], and keeping of flies away. We carried also a little basket and a napkin for bringing home the lambs’ stones in [to be eaten]. We carried also a little poke for putting the loose wool in. So soon as we went, we drove the sheep into the pen, and drew in the bars till we had them in as little compass as we thought good, and then knocked down the stakes and made them fast, and after that got more bars, and lined the pen quite through on the inside, turning the upside of the bars downwards; and this was because the lambs should not get forth. Then the first thing the shepherd did he went into the pen and pulled off all wool that was loose or beginning to loosen, and this was put in the poke, and brought home, and washed at the dyke, and laid out to dry in the sun, and lapped up in the fleeces when we clipped. In libbing, the shepherd that libs stands on the outside of the pen; and he that holds them within, and so turning their bellies upwards, he lets their buttocks rest on the bars and their heads lean against his breast, and putting a foreleg and a hinder leg together, he holds in either hand two feet; and so he that libs, puts the point of his knife under the cod and slits the cod upwards in two places, and then drawing or crushing down the stones to the mouth of the holes, he takes hold of the end of the stones with his teeth and draws them out, and with them comes a string which will draw out without cutting; and then, so soon as he has done, he puts a little of his tansy salve in either hole. Then one of us stands by with a piece of chalk, or else with a knife we nick on a spell how many clean wethers and how many riggons [rams with only one (descended) testicle]; and unless we can come at both the stones we let them go and never geld them at all, because that if they have both their stones they shall be able to get a lamb, and so good for something. Yet if they be dodded [dehorned] we perhaps take away that one stone, and so may they come to go off in count for wethers.

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To facilitate reading, the spelling and punctuation of elderly excerpts have generally been modernised, and distracting excision scars concealed. My selections, translations, and editions are copyright.

Abbreviations

Comment

The OED differentiates tansy from wild tansy, and suggests Potentilla anserina (aka Argentina anserina), yarrow (Achillea millefolium), and ragwort (Senecio Jacobæa aka Jacobaea vulgaris) for the latter, but I think it is Galium aparine, aka sticky willy and goosegrass, which is used in similar ways in modern folk medicine. I don’t think the willy in its name has anything to do with the poor lambs’ testicles.

Whence the idea of gelding after the full moon? Some gravitational notion of attracting spheres? Sorry.

Was it usual for castration to be undertaken by one man in 17th century Yorkshire, or was pre-WWI northern Norway quite inefficient? In other respects little appears to have changed in three centuries.

I thought there was a reference somewhere in the book to human consumption of the testicles, but now I can’t find it, though I assume that was their fate.

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Original

FOR GELDINGE OF LAMBES.

The most judicious are of opinion that lambes would allwayes bee gelded att or before the 15th of May, that they may bee sounde and whole against washinge time and clippinge time, that they come to bee pent up amongst the ewes ; besides the weather is now temperately warme, and flyes will not trouble them so much as they will doe afterwards. Aboute the 20th of May, such olde sheepe and lambes as doe shoote are to gotten and feased, i. e. : to have all the woll under theire tayle, and aboute theire fundament, clipped away, to prevent the breedinge of malkes.

CONCERNINGE SHEEPE.

Wee libbed our lambes this 6th of June, but it would have beene better if they had been libbed a moneth afore; wee allwayes libbe them in the waine soe soone as the moone is past full; wee sent word to the shepheard to bringe them downe to the folde betwixt fower and five of the clocke; aboute five of the clocke wee wente and carryed our foreman to hold the lambes whiles they weare libbed, and another of our day-tayle men to catch them in the penne and bringe them to him, wee carryed allsoe a penknife for the shepheard to libbe them with, and a ball of wild-tansey, chopped and made up with fresh butter, for anoyntinge theire coddes, and keepinge of flyes away: wee carryed allsoe a little baskette and a napkin for bringinge hoame the lambes stones in; wee carryed allsoe a little poake for puttinge the loose woll in. Soe soone as wee wente, wee drave the sheepe into the penne, and drewe in the barres till wee had them in as little compass as wee thought good, and then knocked downe the stakes and made them fast, and after that gotte more barres, and lined the penne quite through on the inside, turninge the upside of the barres downewards; and this was because the lambes should not gette forth; then the first thinge the shepheard did hee wente into the penne and pulled of all woll that was loose or beginninge to loosen; and this was putte in the poake, and brought hoame, and washed att the dyke, and layd out to dry in the sunne, and lapped up in the fleeces when wee clipped. In libbinge, the shepheard that libbeth standeth on the outside of the penne; and hee that holdeth them within, and soe turninge theire bellyes upwards, hee letteth theire buttockes rest on the barres and theire heads leane against his brest, and puttinge a forelegge and an hinder legge togeather, hee holdeth in eyther hand two feete; and soe hee that libbeth, putteth the pointe of his knife under the codde and slitteth the codde upwards in two places, and then drawinge or crushinge downe the stones to the mouth of the holes, hee taketh holde of the ende of the stones with his teeth and draweth them out, and with them commeth a stringe which will drawe out without cuttinge; and then, soe soone as hee hath done, hee putteth a little of his tansey-salve in eyther hole; then one of us standeth by with a peece of chalke, or else with a knife wee nicke on a spell howe many cleane weathers and howe many riggons; and unlesse wee can come att both the stones wee lette them goe and neaver geld them att all, because that if they have both theire stones they shall be able to gette a lambe, and soe good for somethinge; yett if they bee dodded wee perhapps take away that one stone, and soe may they come to goe of in counte for weathers. Our fold stood this yeare on the Spellowe flatte: our shepheard took three landes and an halfe downe with him att a time, and soe made an ende of the flatte att twice goinge up and twice comminge downe: this flatte was not fallowed till the middle of June, and then with sixe plowes dispatched in two dayes. Yow are neaver to hange up your skinnes one above another, but to hange them out theire full breadth with the woll downewards, and then shall yow not neede to feare the breedinge of malkes; and after they are once dry, sell them or pull them immediately, before the wooll dry in or beginne to shewe hairy. Plough folkes are not to goe with over deepe hold on such lands as are fold-mucked; for if they doe they bury the mucke deepe in fallowinge, and soe the landes are neaver better for foldinge.

779 words.