Horses
  For this last discussion post, I read about the Pazyryk culture and what they specifically believe about horses. I think this topic is really interesting when you compare it to how we view the relationship between horses and humans today. Gala Argent, the author of this paper write: âWithin this belief system, animals are tied to the unseen world in that they may undergo transformations themselves, and it is only through animals that humans may move between the three levels of the seen and unseen worlds,â (187). In todayâs world, we are drifting further away from the spiritual belief or mindset that would have shaped these peoplesâ worldviews. This lack of emphasis on the afterlife or spiritual things I think is a cause in the mindset that there is nothing too special about animals, as they donât have a spirit and we donât really need them anymore to move between the seen and unseen worlds. Instead, we focus less on nature and more on the self, and how we function as humans in society, which is now totally separate from the animal kingdom or nature. I suspect this is all because we depend on animals much less in modern times than we did when Pazyryk was around, when they would use animals for transportation, crops ,etc.; all tasks we now use human made mechanisms, like cars and machines, for now. This interdependency and emphasis on the spiritual realm is most likely what made the Pazyryks idolize horses so much, and why they were such a huge part of their culture and deaths.
Interesting points! I think human society has certainly drifted in the direction of the individual taking precedent over all else (especially Western society). There are benefits and drawbacks to this change in culture, and I don't think either end is necessarily right. I like your point on how we have less of a reliance on animals. Or at least it seems that way. Most people eat animals, but in Western society it's rare to actually see the animals you eat. I'd argue this makes food seem further removed from animals.


















