Yan tan tethera

Yan Tan Tethera is a sheep-counting rhyme/system traditionally used by shepherds in Northern England and earlier in some other parts of England and the British Isles.

Until the Industrial Revolution, the use of traditional number systems was common among shepherds, especially in the dales of the Lake District.

The Yan Tan Tethera system was also used for counting stitches in knitting. The words derive from a Brythonic Celtic language.