Shepherd in Făgăraş Mountains, Romania. Făgăraş Mountains (Munţii Făgăraşului Fogarasi-havasok are the highest mountains of the Southern Carpathians, in Romania. Romania ( dated: Rumania, Roumania

A shepherd is a person who tends to, feeds, or guards sheep, especially in flocks. The word may also refer to one who provides religious guidance, as a pastor.

History

Shepherding is one of the oldest professions, beginning some 6,000 years ago in Asia Minor. Anatolia (Anadolu Ανατολία Anatolía) or Asia minor, comprising most of modern Turkey, is the geographic region bounded by the Black Sheep were kept for their milk, meat, and especially their wool. Milk is an opaque white liquid produced by the Mammary glands of female Mammals (including Monotremes. In modern English usage meat most often refers to Animal tissue used as food mostly Skeletal muscle and associated Fat, but it may also refer Wool is the fiber derived from the specialized skin cells called follicles of animals in the Caprinae family principally sheep, but the hair of certain species Over the next millennia sheep and shepherding spread throughout Eurasia. For the superstate in George Orwell 's novel see Nations of Nineteen Eighty-Four.

Some sheep were integrated in the family farm along with other animals such as pigs and chickens. Pigs, also called hogs or' swine', are Ungulates which have been domesticated as sources of food leather and similar products since ancient times The chicken ( Gallus gallus, sometimes G gallus domesticus) is a domesticated Fowl which is traditionally believed to have descended from To maintain a large herd, however, the sheep must be able to move from pasture to pasture, this required the development of a profession separate from that of the farmer. The duty of shepherds was to keep their flock intact and protect it from wolves and other predators. The grey wolf or gray wolf ( Canis lupus) also known as the timber wolf or simply wolf, is a Mammal of the order Carnivora The shepherd was also to supervise the migration of the flock and ensured they made it to market areas in time for shearing. Sheep shearing, shearing or clipping is the process by which the woollen fleece of a Sheep is cut off In ancient times shepherds also commonly milked their sheep, and made cheese from this milk; only some shepherds still do this today. Cheese is a Food made from Milk, usually the milk of cows, Buffalo, Goats or sheep, by coagulation.

Les Bergers d’Arcadie (The Shepherds of Arcadia) by Nicolas Poussin. "Et in Arcadia ego" is a Latin phrase that most famously appears as the title of two paintings by Nicolas Poussin ( 1594 &ndash 1665) Arcadia or Arkadía ( Greek Αρκαδία is a region of Greece in the Peloponnesus. Nicolas Poussin (15 June 1594 – 19 November 1665 was a French painter in the classical style

In many societies shepherds were an important part of the economy. A society is a Population of Humans characterized by patterns of relationships between individuals that share a distinctive Culture and Institutions An economy is the realized social system of production exchange distribution and consumption of goods and services of a country or other area Unlike farmers, shepherds were often wage earners, being paid to watch the sheep of others. Shepherds also lived apart from society, being largely nomadic. It was mainly a job of solitary males without children, and new shepherds thus needed to be recruited externally. Shepherds were most often the younger sons of farming peasants who did not inherit any land. Still in other societies, each family would have a family member to shepherd its flock, often a child, youth or an elderly who couldn't help much with harder work; these shepherds were fully integrated in society. CHILD syndrome (or congenital hemidysplasia with ichthyosiform erythroderma and limb defects) is a genetic disorder Youth is the period from infancy or childhood to maturity Usage Around the world the terms "youth" " Adolescent " "teenager" and

Shepherds would normally work in groups either looking after one large flock, or each bringing their own and merging their responsibilities. They would live in small cabins, often shared with their sheep and would buy food from local communities. Less often shepherds lived in covered wagons that traveled with their flocks.

Shepherding developed only in certain areas. In the lowlands and river valleys, it was far more efficient to grow grains and cereals than to allow sheep to graze, thus the raising of sheep was confined to rugged and mountainous areas. In the pre-modern times shepherding was thus centred on regions such as the Land of Israel, Greece, the Pyrenees, the Carpathian Mountains, and Scotland. For other uses see Israel (disambiguation The Land of Israel ( Hebrew: אֶרֶץ יִשְׂרָאֵל Eretz Yisrael) is Greece (Ελλάδα transliterated: Elláda, historically, Ellás,) officially the Hellenic Republic (Ελληνική Δημοκρατία The Pyrenees (Pirineos French: Pyrénées; Catalan: Pirineus; Occitan: Pirenèus; Aragonese: Perinés The Carpathian Mountains or Carpathians (Carpaţi Czech, Polish and Slovak: Karpaty; Ukrainian: Карпати Scotland ( Gaelic: Alba) is a Country in northwest Europethat occupies the northern third of the island of Great Britain.

The shepherd's work in modern times

Shepherd with his horse and dog on Gravelly Range Madison County, Montana, August 1942. Madison County is a County located in the US state of Montana. Montana ( is a state in the Western United States. One-third of the state in the western part contains numerous mountain ranges (approximately 77 named of the northern Year 1942 ( MCMXLII) was a Common year starting on Thursday (the link will display the full 1942 calendar of the Gregorian calendar.

In modern times shepherding has changed dramatically. The abolition of common lands in Europe in the eighteenth and nineteenth century moved shepherding from independent nomads to employees of massive estates. Common land (a common) is a piece of land owned by one person but over which other people can exercise certain traditional rights such as allowing their livestock to graze European expansion spread sheep around the world, and shepherding became especially important in Australia and New Zealand where flocks of 4000, or more, were tended by one person. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Australia topics. New Zealand is an Island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses (the North Island and the South Island While originally shepherding in those countries was done on unfenced land, many shepherds left to try their luck on the goldfields. Shepherds are no longer used in Australia and New Zealand. Some families in Africa and Asia have their wealth in sheep, so a young son is sent out to guard them while the rest of the family tend to other chores.

Wages are higher than was the case in the past. Keeping a shepherd in constant attendance can be costly. Also, the eradication of sheep predators in parts of the world have lessened the need for shepherds. In countries like Britain hardy breeds of sheep are frequently left alone without a shepherd for long periods of time. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located More productive breeds of sheep can be left in fields and moved periodically to fresh pasture when necessary. Hardier breeds of sheep can be left on hillsides. The sheep farmer will attend to the sheep when necessary at times like lambing or shearing.

Further information: Sheep husbandry

Shepherds in religion

The 5th-century Ravenna mosaic illustrates the concept of The Good Shepherd. Sheep husbandry is the raising and breeding of Domestic sheep, and a subcategory of Animal husbandry. Ravenna is a City and Comune in the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy. The Good Shepherd is a Pericope found in in which Jesus is depicted as the Good Shepherd who lays down his life for the sheep

Traditional Midnight Mass with Shepherds in Provence

Metaphorically, the term is used for God, especially in the Judeo-Christian tradition (e. Provence ( Provençal Occitan: Provença in classical norm or Prouvènço in Mistralian norm is a region of southeastern France God is the principal or sole Deity in Religions and other belief systems that worship one deity. Judeo-Christian (or Judaeo-Christian, sometimes written as Judæo-Christian) is a term used to describe the body of concepts and values which are thought to be held g. Psalm 23), and in Christianity especially Jesus, who is called Good Shepherd. The theme of the 23rd Psalm ( Greek numbering Psalm 22) in the Bible casts God in the role of protector and provider Jesus of Nazareth (7–2 BC / BCE —26–36 AD / CE) The Good Shepherd is a Pericope found in in which Jesus is depicted as the Good Shepherd who lays down his life for the sheep The Ancient Israelites were a pastoral people and there were many shepherds among them. See also History of ancient Israel and Judah According to the Bible, the Israelites were the dominant group living in the Land of Israel. A herder is a worker who lives a possibly semi- Nomadic life caring for various domestic Animals in places where these animals wander Pasture lands It may also be worth noting that many Biblical heroes were shepherds, among them the Old Testament prophet Amos, who was a shepherd in the rugged area around Tekoa, as well as the patriarchs Abraham and Jacob, the twelve tribes, the prophet Moses, and King David. In Western Christianity, the Old Testament refers to the books that form the first of the two-part Christian Biblical canon. In Religion, a prophet (or prophetess) is a person who has encountered the Supernatural or the divine and serves as an intermediary … Amos ( is one of the twelve Minor prophets in the Hebrew Bible, and putative author of the speeches reported in the Book of Amos. Tuquʿ (تقوع תקוע is a Palestinian town in the Bethlehem Governorate, located 12 km southeast of Bethlehem in the West Bank Abraham ( Ashkenazi   Avrohom or Avruhom; ابراهيم, {{Unicode|Ibrāhīm}}; Ge'ez: Jacob ( Hebrew: יַעֲקֹב, Standard   Yaʿaqov Tiberian   Yaʿăqōḇ; Moses ( Latin: Moyses,; Greek: grc Mωυσής in both the Septuagint and the New Testament; Arabic: ar موسىٰ David, Arabic: داوود or داود dawud, "beloved" was the second king of the united Kingdom of Israel according to the Hebrew Bible In the New Testament angels announced the birth of Jesus to shepherds.

The same metaphor is also applied to priests, with Roman Catholic and Church of England bishops having the shepherd's crook among their insignia (see also Lycidas). A priest or priestess is a person having the authority or power to administer religious rites in particular rites of sacrifice to and propitiation of a deity or deities The Church of England is the officially established Christian church in England, the Mother Church of the worldwide Anglican A bishop is an ordained or consecrated member of the Christian clergy who is generally entrusted with a position of authority and oversight "Lycidas" is a poem by John Milton, written in 1637 as a Pastoral Elegy, first appearing in a 1638 collection of elegies entitled In both cases, the implication is that the faithful are the "flock" who have to be tended. This is in part inspired by Jesus's injunctions to Peter, "Feed my sheep," which is the source of the pastoral image in Lycidas.

The Great Shepherd is one of the thrusts of Biblical scripture. This illustration encompasses many ideas, including God's care for his people, His discipline to correct the wandering sheep, as well as the tendency of humans to put themselves into danger's way and their inability to guide and take care of themselves apart from the direct power and leading of God. [1]

Muhammad, the Prophet of Islam, prided himself in being part of a rich tradition of prophets who found their means of livelihood as being shepherds. IMPORTANT PLEASE READ ##### For all questions relating to the addition of (pbuh peace be upon him or other honorifics

Lord Krishna was also a Shepherd.

See also Pashupati, Dhangar, Kuruba. Pashupati ( Sanskrit: Paśupati) "Lord of cattle" is an epithet of the Hindu deity Shiva. Jejuri Jejuri is one of the famous temples in Maharashtra. The God of Jejuri - Khandoba ( Lord Shiva) the husband of Banai (from the Dhangar Kurubas or Kurumas are Hindus concentrated mainly in the southern states of Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh, India.

Shepherd in popular culture

"The Shepherdess" by William-Adolphe Bouguereau; note that the bare feet are clean, despite her occupation. William-Adolphe Bouguereau (November 30 1825 – August 19 1905 was a French academic painter.

The shepherd, with other such figures as the goatherd, is the inhabitant of idealized Arcadia, which is an idyllic and natural countryside. A goatherd (ˈgoʊtˌhɜrd or a goatherder is a person who herds Goats for a living This page is about the proverbial land of Arcadia for the province in modern Greece see Arcadia; for other uses see Arcadia (disambiguation These works are, indeed, called pastoral, after the term for herding. Pastoral, as an adjective refers to the lifestyle of Shepherds and Pastoralists moving livestock around larger areas of land according to seasons and availability The first surviving instances are the Idylls of Theocritus, and the Eclogues of Virgil, both of which inspired many imitators such as Edmund Spenser's The Shepheardes Calender. Theocritus ( Greek: Θεόκριτος the creator of Ancient Greek Bucolic Poetry, flourished in the 3rd century BC Publius Vergilius Maro ( October 15, 70 BCE &ndash September 21, 19 BCE later called Virgilius, and known in English as Virgil or Edmund Spenser (c 1552 &ndash 13 January, 1599) was an important English Poet and Poet Laureate best known for The The Shepheardes Calender was Edmund Spenser 's first major poetic work published in 1579 The shepherds of the pastoral are often heavily conventional and bear little relation to the actual work of shepherds.

Shepherds and shepherdesses have been frequently immortalised in art and sculpture. Among the best known is the neoclassical Danish sculptor Bertel Thorvaldsen's Shepherd Boy with Dog. Neoclassicism (sometimes rendered as Neo-Classicism or Neo-classicism) is the name given to quite distinct movements in the decorative and The Kingdom of Denmark ( ˈd̥ænmɑɡ̊ (archaic ˈd̥anmɑːɡ̊ commonly known as Denmark, is a country in the Scandinavian region of northern Europe (Albert Bertel Thorvaldsen ( November 19, 1770 – March 24, 1844) was a Danish / Icelandic sculptor

The shepherd, in such works, appears as a virtuous soul because of his living close to nature, uncorrupted by the temptations of the city. So Edmund Spenser writes in his Colin Clouts Come home againe of a shepherd who went to the city, saw its wickedness, and returned home wiser, and in The Faerie Queen makes the shepherds the only people to whom the Blatant Beast is unknown. Edmund Spenser (c 1552 &ndash 13 January, 1599) was an important English Poet and Poet Laureate best known for The The Faerie Queene is an English epic poem by Edmund Spenser, published first in three books in 1590 and later in six books in 1596

Many tales involving foundlings portray them being rescued by shepherds: Oedipus, Romulus and Remus, the title characters of Longus's Daphnis and Chloe, and The Winter's Tale by William Shakespeare. Child abandonment is the practice of abandoning offspring outside of legal Adoption. Oedipus (pronounced /ˈɛdəpəs/ in American English or /ˈiːdəpəs/ in British English; Greek: Oidípous meaning "swollen-footed" Romulus (c 771 BC– c 717 BC and Remus (c 771 BC–c 753 BC are the traditional founders of Rome, appearing in Roman mythology Longus, sometimes Longos (Λόγγος was a Greek Novelist and romancer and author of Daphnis and Chloe. The Winter's Tale is a play by William Shakespeare, first published in the First Folio in 1623 William Shakespeare ( baptised These characters are often of much higher social status than the characters who save and raise them, the shepherds themselves being secondary characters. Similarly, the heroes and heroines of fairy tales written by the précieuses often appeared as shepherds and shepherdesses in pastoral settings, but these figures were royal or noble, and their simple setting does not cloud their innate nobility. A fairy tale or fairy story is a fictional Story that may feature folkloric characters (such as fairies, enchantments]] often involving The literary style called préciosité ("preciousness" arose from the lively conversations and playful word games of les précieuses, the witty and educated ^[1] In Hans Christian Andersen's "The Shepherdess and the Sweep" (1845), the porcelain shepherdess carries a gilt crook and wears shoes of gilt as well. Hans Christian Andersen (ˈhanˀs ˈkʰʁæʂd̥jan ˈɑnɐsn̩ in Danish or simply H "The Shepherdess and the Chimney Sweep" ( Hyrdinden og Skorstensfejeren) is a Fairy tale by the Danish Poet and Author Her lover is a porcelain chimney sweep with a princely face "as fair and rosy as a girl's", completely unsmudged with soot.

The Shepherd by Frederick Forsyth is the story of a flight from Germany to England undertaken by a young Vampire pilot one Christmas Eve. Frederick Forsyth, CBE (born August 25, 1938) is an English author and occasional political commentator Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany ( ˈbʊndəsʁepuˌbliːk ˈdɔʏtʃlant is a Country in Central Europe. England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout

Shepherd communities

The Tirthap community which is basically found in the north Maharashtra (Khandesh), i. Maharashtra ( Marathi: mahārāṣṭra, IPA) is a state located on the western coast of India. Khandesh (Marathi खानदेश is a region of central India, which forms the northwestern portion of Maharashtra state e. Dhule, Jalgaon are also Dhangars they are said to originated from the Ahirs of Northern India. WikipediaWikiProject Indian cities for details --> Dhule (धुळे is a city and a Municipal council in Dhule district in northwestern part Jalgaon (जळगाव is a city in western India to the north of the Maharashtra state in Jalgaon District, which itself is located on the northern Deccan Jejuri Jejuri is one of the famous temples in Maharashtra. The God of Jejuri - Khandoba ( Lord Shiva) the husband of Banai (from the Dhangar Origin of Ahir The Ahirs today claim descent from Krishna. Their origin however is controversial Geography Northern India lies mainly on continental India and a very small part of it lies on the Indian peninsula Shepherds are found in the name of Kurubas in South India mainly in Karnataka

See also

• Dhangar
• Sheepdog
• Animal husbandry
• Goatherd
• Swineherd
• Camel herding
• Llama herding
• Yak herding
• Reindeer herding
• Transhumance
• Kuruba

References

• A Beginner's Guide to Raising Sheep
• A Shepherds Songbook
• American Karakul Sheep Registry
• American Livestock Breeds Conservancy
• Rare Breeds Conservation Society of New Zealand
• Scottish Blackface Sheep Breeders Association