Meaning & Analysis
The phrase literally describes the act of chasing or pursuing sheep, an action typically associated with a predator like a wolf or a herding dog.
Insights
Illicit Sexual Pursuit
The proverb is a euphemism for promiscuous or predatory sexual pursuit, specifically a man ('wencher') seeking out women, often prostitutes. The 'sheep' symbolize women who are perceived as vulnerable or easily preyed upon.
Uncontrolled Instinct
Chasing sheep is a chaotic and pointless act for a human. Metaphorically, it represents engaging in unruly, undisciplined, and socially unacceptable behavior driven by base instincts rather than reason or decorum.
Predatory Behavior
The imagery evokes a predator hunting its prey. It characterizes the 'wencher' not merely as amorous but as predatory, highlighting a dangerous and potentially harmful aspect of lust.
Historical Symbolism
The proverb uses pastoral imagery to describe urban vice. Sheep, traditional symbols of innocence and vulnerability, are ironically cast as objects of illicit sexual pursuit. This reflects a cynical worldview, framing the 'wencher' as a predator disrupting the social flock.
Cultural Context
The citations from the 1660s and 1670s place the proverb squarely in the Restoration period, an era known for its libertine culture and witty, often coarse, slang. The phrase is a colloquial euphemism for visiting brothels or promiscuous behavior, reflecting the social realities of the time.
Psychological Dimension
By framing sexual pursuit in terms of animal behavior—a predator 'running at' prey—the proverb reduces a complex human interaction to base instinct. It dehumanizes both the pursuer (as an uncontrolled animal) and the pursued (as passive, defenseless 'sheep'), revealing a cultural bias that normalizes predatory male sexuality.
Rhetorical Devices
Euphemistic Metaphor
The entire phrase is a metaphor, using 'sheep' to represent women and 'running at' to signify sexual pursuit. It functions as a euphemism to discuss a socially coarse topic indirectly.
Animal Imagery
The proverb relies on potent animal imagery to frame human behavior. This stylistic choice emphasizes the base, instinctual, and predatory nature of the action described.
Irony
A subtle irony exists in applying a rustic, pastoral image (chasing sheep) to describe a typically urban form of vice (wenching or visiting brothels), creating a jarring and memorable effect.
Transcription
Quotations
To hunt after Bawdy-houses .. The English to this purpose say, to run after sheep.
He'll run at sheep.
Annotations
- A wencher.
Related Proverbs
Original Scan
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