Shepherd

A shepherd or sheepherder is a person who tends, herds, feeds, or guards flocks of sheep. Shepherd derives from Old English sceaphierde (sceap "sheep" + hierde "herder"). Shepherding is one of the world's oldest occupations; it exists in many parts of the globe, and it is an important part of pastoralist animal husbandry.

For other uses, see Shepherd (disambiguation).

Because the occupation is so widespread, many religions and cultures have symbolic or metaphorical references to shepherds. For example, Jesus called himself the Good Shepherd,^[1] and ancient Greek mythologies highlighted shepherds such as Endymion and Daphnis. This symbolism and shepherds as characters are at the center of pastoral literature and art.

Fifth-century Ravenna mosaic illustrating the concept of The Good Shepherd

Les Bergers d'Arcadie (The Shepherds of Arcadia) by Nicolas Poussin

A Sleeping Nymph Watched by a Shepherd by Angelica Kauffman, about 1780, V&A Museum no. 23-1886

Traditional midnight mass with shepherds in Provence

The Shepherd sculpture at the Koskipuisto park in Tampere, Finland

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

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