The whole rump. More accurately, “the tail,” that is, of the broadtail sheep (Ovis laticaudata). The tail of this sheep usually weighs from 10 to 15 lb., and may weigh as much as 50 lb. or more. Because of its weight the tail drags on the ground, and the result is painful sores that lessen the value of the sheep. In olden times, as today, shepherds tied light boards to the tails or made small carts on which the tail could ride.
The tail itself was composed of a mixture of fat and marrow, which, blended with other things, was used as a substitute for butter by those who were not inhibited by God’s command not to eat the fat. In some Eastern countries the tail is still so used.