The gaze-following study is really interesting and raises all kinds of questions about how that aptitude developed. Thanks for posting the link to the abstract!

Please tell me how you found this video! I wonder how many times Buttermilk gets away with jumping on top of the black goat? Love it.

The link to Satan actually came from the book, I’d be interested in finding out how gigs led to the downfall of Lower Egypt. I do remember watching a documentary about how the animals brought to the New World changed the environment down to the soil.

I actually liked the graphic descriptions of living with the goats and the kids’ births. I grew up reading James Harriot’s books, which detailed the life of a country veterinarian and contained many such descriptions. I believe my post addressed some of your topic questions, particularly the genetic and social effects of pastoralism.

I love how you covered the numerous effects pastoralism has had on cultures, language, symbols, etc. I also really like how you went one step further than Kessler and discussed how it has affected our genes.

When I was reading Goat Song, I was shocked by how many different ways one simple animal, the goat, could influence the world. What amazed me more, is how those influences have resonated through culture still today. I definitely would not have made the connection of the satyr to satan on my own, so I am glad you pointed it out.

I did discover however, that other common domestic animals have had just as great an influence on culture as has the goat. In my ongoing research concerning the domestication of pigs, I discovered that the domestic pig has “political, cultural, and ecological roots in Egypt. In fact, the domestication of pigs actually led to the break down of harsh regimes in the Lower Egypt (Brett Mizelle- Pig).

I’ve been thinking the same thing about trying to be more sustainable food-wise. While college students like us may not be able to go to extremes in becoming more self-sufficient and sustainable with food like Kessler, it’s not hard to take a few steps in the right direction, and incredibly rewarding (in my experience). A salad made from home-grown lettuce and tomatoes tastes way better than one found in a prepackaged bag. Baking your own bread is not only delicious and better for you than store-bought, it makes your house smell amazing!
Herb gardens can be small enough to thrive even in an apartment and using fresh herbs that you’ve grown yourself to spice your food makes such a difference. And trying out local farmers markets is always a good way to eat more sustainably without all the labor involved.

Kessler does seem to have a knack for getting the nitty gritty details down on paper before they slip his mind- I’ve never seen a more detailed (or eloquently written) diary that exists solely for the purpose of tracking goat milk and activity! I didn’t find the imagery as disturbing as many seem too (although the bit about drinking urine was a bit much), but I can understand Kessler’s fascination with figuring out how everything worked. He did a great job with his research and putting his factoids into his own words to make it flow with the story. I agree that the book really speaks to the interdependency and interconnectedness of natural and human history, in a better way than any of our other reading this semester (in my opinion).

I agree with pretty much everything you’ve written, as well as the connections you’ve made to the communism-capitalism debate.

I do agree that our society would be better off if people had more awareness and connection to the animals we exploit. Our mindlessness about or indifference toward how our food products come to be is a problem. However, I don’t think this awareness has much change to really come about. Documentaries and policy changes certainly help, but ultimately, in my opinion, the trend the U.S. is toward a complete separation from animal life even beyond what is currently going on. For instance, the synthetic meat we spoke about a few weeks ago. And, frankly, if new technologies like this can give us food that is healthy, I’m all for it, because that means we can let go of our exploitative practices and produce our food without harming animals.

Sorry, correction… we DO need many of the nutrients in milk.

We do not need many of the nutrients in milk, but there are other sources of these nutrients. Calcium, vitamin D, phosphorus, protein, etc. are all essential for us to survive, and milk is a great way to get them. Milk just isn’t the only way to get them. But, for cultures thousands of years ago who went through periods of struggle, having a cow to provide milk was probably life or death.