Sheep of Near-Harad

This animal is the focus of life among the urdwan, the first thought to trouble the nomad's mind on waking and the last blessing he thanks the gods for at night. The utarf are only slightly less obessed with their sheep, having to devote part of their time to fussing over their grain and melons. Sheep of one or more of a dozen breeds are found in every village and encampment in Harad. On shearing or drover's days in Bozishnarod towns, sheep may outnumber the human population by a factor of five or more. At these festivals the oily reek from the wool and waste of thousands of ewes and rams is said to make the air shimmer, to curl the leaves of date palms, and to drive off evil spirits. It certainly keeps the sensitive noses of magistrates and sihad away from the shepherds as they dance, gamble, and revel. Haradon sheep have shorter and finer wool than those from Gondor and the northern land. The urdwan breeds sometimes boast patches of straight hair, mottled coats, and an emaciated look that belies the enduring, stoic, toughness that allows them to survive the harshness of desert grazing.