Counting Sheep

Hi Everyone

The other night I was having trouble sleeping and so remembered that old idea of counting sheep to induce the zzzs. This then reminded me of some research I had been doing on Welsh numbering systems for my novel. Before long I was thinking of the Cumbrian sheep counting systems I had come across and other interesting titbits. As I am one of those people who once they have an idea in theirs heads wants to confirm the details or else keeps winding idea after speculation after mystery. So much for sleep. Eventually, I bribed my mind with more research in the morning in exchange for sleep. It worked. Sort of.

Credit: http://tlp.advancedbrain.com/a/sleep/

The first thing to realise is that apparently counting sheep may not be the best way of getting to sleep. Recent research discovered that participants imagining a ‘beach or a waterfall’ fell asleep 20 minutes faster than those asked to ‘simply distract from thoughts, worries and concerns’, which of course may involve counting sheep. The main thing to come out of the research is the idea that using the brain in complex mental activities can help induce sleep. Good to know.

With that out of the way, I want to look at the sheep counting systems I came across in my research. I was looking at Cumbrian, an extinct Brythonic language, mainly because part of my novel is set in the area in which that language evolved. It turned out that remnants of the language could be found in sheep counting systems used in the north and highlands of Britain. The numbers seemed to be a mixture of Celtic words and invented words for rhyming and memory purposes. The table below shows some of these systems:

Number	Wilts	Scots	Lakes	Dales	Welsh
1	Ain	Yan	Auna	Yain	Un
2	Tain	Tyan	Peina	Tain	Dau
3	Tethera	Tethera	Para	Edderoa	Tri
4	Methera	Methera	Peddera	Peddero	Pedwar
5	Mimp	Pimp	Pimp	Pitts	Pump
6	Ayta	Sethera	Ithy	Tayter	Chwech
7	Slayta	Lethera	Mithy	Leter	Saith
8	Laura	Hovera	Owera	Overro	Wyth
9	Dora	Dovera	Lowera	Coverro	Naw
10	Dik	Dik	Dig	Dix	Deg
11	Ain-a-dik	Yanadik	Ain-a-dig	Yain-dix	Un ar ddeg
12	Tain-a-dik	Tyanadik	Pein-a-dig	Tain-dix	Deuddeg
13	Tethera-a-dik	Tetheradik	Para-a-dig	Eddero-dix	Tri ar ddeg
14	Methera-a-dik	Metheradik	Peddaer-a-dig	Pedderp-dix	Pedwar ar ddeg
15	Mit	Bumfitt	Bunfit	Bumfitt	Pymtheg
16	Ain-a-mit	Yanabumfit	Aina-a-bumfit	Yain-o-bumfitt	Un ar bymtheg
17	Tain-a-mit	Tyanabumfitt	Pein-a-bumfit	Tain-o-bumfitt	Dau ar bymtheg
18	Tethera-mit	Tetherabumfitt	Par-a-bunfit	Eddero-bumfitt	Deunaw
19	Gethera-mit	Metherabumfitt	Pedder-a-bumfit	Peddero-bumfitt	Pedwar ar bymtheg
20	Ghet	Giggot	Giggy	Jiggit	Ugain

Source: here

Metheradik (=14) sheep in the west of Ireland (photo by Stan Carey) Source here.

See this video or this one for a folk song (‘Molly Metcalfe’) that uses the Yan-Tan-Tether-Mether-Pip system from Swaledale.

What I found of interest in this research is how the shepherds would use such a system. According to this site, a shepherd would count to twenty (for example, yan to giggot), which is a score, and then make a mark on his/her crook or put a stone in her/his pocket. The number of marks or stones would help give the final tally of the flock.

However, what if no stones were available or he/she couldn’t make a mark? Then the shepherd could do the following (found here):

Count the first score
Form a fist with the left hand
Count another score
Indicate this with a raised thumb
Continue counting scores
Five fingers raised would equal 120 sheep
If more sheep need counting, use the right hand to indicate cycles of the left hand
Total number of sheep that could be counted this way is 20 x 6 x 6 = 720 (not the 600 mentioned on the site)
No flock would likely be more than this number

Source here.

What if you want to count more than 720 things? Here’s another system (adapted from here), based on counting with the fingers, a type of binary system:

Use the left hand in a fist
One = thumb raised
Two = index finger raised
Three = thumb and index finger
Four = second finger
Five = thumb and second finger
Six = first and second finger
Seven = thumb, first and second finger
Eight = third finger
Nine to Fifteen = Third plus cycle through as above
Sixteen = Fourth finger
Seventeen to Thirty = Fourth plus cycle through as above
Thirty-one = Thumb and four fingers raised
Another thirty-one = The right hand with all fingers raised

As with the previous example, one could use the same approach with the right hand to multiply the number of items counted:

Left hand with raised fingers = 31
Right hand with raised fingers = another 31
Left hand raised and right thumb up = another 31
Left hand raised and first finger up = another 31, etc.
With each cycle of the left hand, raise the appropriate finger/s of the right hand
Counting finishes when the fingers of both hands are raised

So, with practice, you could win bets by claiming you can count with your fingers to

(31 + 31) + (31 x 31) = 62 + 961 = 1023

My mathematical mind finds all this fascinating, though I’m sure others may not, especially if you try to force them to watch while you demonstrate the counting process 🙂

As for using any of this in my novel, something may find its way in, but not as yet.

I hope you’ve enjoyed. As always, I welcome any queries or comments.

All the best

Earl