Iceland review - 2013, Síða 44

42 ICELAND REVIEW
beeFy bullS and dairy
QueenS
icelandic cattle originate in norway from
where they were brought more than a
millennium ago. the small multicolor
breed has remained isolated in iceland, in
spite of suggestions to crossbreed it with
foreign cattle to increase milk production.
Critics point out the qualities of the milk.
For example, a 1998 study found that it
may decrease the likelihood of developing
diabetes.
guttormur, the famous bull at the
reykjavík Zoo and Family park, which
passed in 2005, weighed 942 kilos in
its prime, well above the average 600
kilos. the country’s highest-yielding
cow of all time is Blúnda from helluvað
in rangárvellir, south iceland, which
produced 13,327 kilos of milk in 2006,
around double the average production.
icelandic cows and bulls of yore boasted
stately horns but now farmers prefer them
to be hornless.
in iceland, cows are considered wise
creatures—hence the saying margt býr
í kýrhausnum (‘there are many thoughts
inside a cow’s head’)—and are thought to
speak their minds on new year’s Eve, the
last day of Christmas and on
Midsummer night.
priCk-eared Cur oF iCeland
like other domesticated animals, the icelandic sheepdog, which is
related to the Karelian Bear dog, was brought to the country in the
settlement era. the breed has been preserved despite fluctuations
in stock size and import of other breeds.
the dogs have pointy ears and a curled tail and the thick coat is
often bi- or tricolor in shades of white, tan, brown, grey and black.
there are 725 purebred icelandic sheepdogs in iceland, but they
number as many as 5,000 outside the country.
as the breed’s name indicates, dogs were trained to herd sheep,
as well as cattle and horses, and are still used for such purposes.
described as smiley, friendly and playful, they weren’t considered
indispensible: during a famine in 990 it was suggested that all dogs
be put down so that food wouldn’t be wasted on them.
But the icelandic sheepdog survived and in the Middle ages the
breed proved popular for export to great Britain where the dogs
became favored pets among the aristocracy. the canine is even
mentioned in William shakespeare’s henry V where one of the
characters exclaims: “pish for thee, iceland dog! thou prick-eared
cur of iceland!”
fAUNA
Number of dogs: 725. Average weight: 12 kg (26 lb)
Number of cattle: 72,773
Average weight: 450 kg (992 lb)
for cows and 600 kilos (1,323 lb)
for bulls