Raddled in the sense of the previous post comes from the rather crude make up worn by so many women in Restoration times.
Sometimes as make up is worn today but also to,cover up the marks left by smallpox.
It was a whitish dense ,opaque cream ,the cheeks and lips were daubed with a red cream.
Sadly lead was an ingredient especially of the white face cream.
To be raddled was to be rather old and heavily made up,the stiff cream emphasising the facial wrinkles.
Raddle is also a red wax polish used on quarry tiles,I have some.
A Cardinal red rather than crimson or scarlet.
I suppose the other meaning could have been used for well known “Ladies of the night”!
The raddle from the ram is towards the rear end of the ewe,where the rams chest ,with the raddle pad touches the ewe.
Other marks will be owners’ marking .
The shepherd needs to know how many ewes have had a visit from the ram,and calculate how many lambs are likely and also therefore ultimately how good the ram is .
Up North we say sheep are “hefted “ ,that means they were born and grew up on a particular hillside and never leave it unless sold .
They will often come down when they hear the shepherd’s whistle ,for dipping times or the dogs will go up and bring them down without the shepherd going up as the whistling carries very far, he can often control things from the valley.
Viktoria.
