Guarding the Cedars: Gilgamesh, and John Perlin's "A Forest Journey"

Gilgamesh, the Sumerian king of Uruk, threatens to cut down the sacred Cedar Forest and claim its wood for his people. First, he must kill the terrifying guardian of the forest, Humbaba. Can he do it? What will the gods think, and what will it mean for humanity? The story's message is central to John Perlin's republished book, A Forest Journey: The Role of Trees in the Fate of Civilization. Forests, and the wood they provide, have been crucial to human society since the beginning of recorded time, and now the fight against climate change. But what does history tell us about how we treat them?
Guest
John Perlin
Historian, author of A Forest Journey: The Role of Trees in the Fate of Civilization
Patagonia Books
john-perlin.com
Voice Dramatization
Martha Douglas-Osmundson
LinkedIn
Consulting Editor
David Still, II
Special Thanks to:
My father, David Still, for his advice and interpretation of The Epic of Gilgamesh
All readings from the Epic of Gilgamesh translated by Andrew George.

Theme Music
Diccon Lee, www.deeleetree.com
Artwork
Dahn Hiuni, www.dahnhiuni.com/home
Website
thisoldtree.show
Transcripts available.
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This episode was written in part at LitArts RI, a community organization and co-working space that supports Rhode Island's creators.
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