I don’t want to degrade the beliefs of the nomadic people in Vitebsky’s book (or anyone else, for that matter) in any way, but I experienced the same confusion as you while reading about their religious lore. It seems to me that their beliefs contradict each other in many ways- if Bayanay presents a hunter with a lot of kills, for example, it could apparently either mean that he is blessed, or that he is going to die. I think the simplest answer to your question is that they hunted because otherwise they would die. I know that’s obvious, but in my experience religion is often superceded by the natural will to live. I would guess that the origin of beliefs of Bayanay began after hunting was already an established practice of obtaining food, so the stories about Bayanay were created to fit into the lives of the hunters, rather than direct them.

I agree with Megan about how much ground this post covers and really appreciate your thoughts about pastoralism and the alphabet. Kessler’s discussion of the development of written language and its roots in the pictograms of pastoralism is one of my favorite parts of the book. As for the “which domesticate is most important” debate, I think you can both be right. Which animal played the most significant role depended on cultural context and geography. I’m thinking that the camel and the horse were incredibly important – but not at the same time in the same place.

What a terrific post! It can be difficult for us to appreciate how the shift in human-animal relations that came with domestication informed and was shaped by the emergence of economic relationships and attitudes that remain salient today. I really appreciate how you read contemporary attitudes toward food animals back into the emergence of the commodity and capitalism. And I agree that we need to do a better job of living up to the bargain we’ve made with the domesticates we use as food.

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).