Victorian comparative religion

The Golden Bough: A Study of Magic and Religion

Name: The Golden Bough: A Study of Magic and Religion
Author: James George Frazer

complete

Monumental work of comparative anthropology examining magic, religion, and mythology across cultures. Begins with question of why priest of Diana at Aricia had to kill predecessor to assume office. Explores vegetation spirits, dying gods, fertility rites, taboos, sacrifice, scapegoats, fire festivals, and external soul concepts. Argues for evolutionary progression from magic to religion to science. Profoundly influenced study of mythology, folklore, and anthropology.

Also known asFrazer's Golden Bough · Magical Origins

This edition1922

EditionAbridged edition. Project Gutenberg #3623. Original 2-volume work (1890) expanded to 12 volumes in 3rd edition, this is the one-volume abridgment preserving main principles with illustrative evidence.

Comparative MythologyAnthropologysympathetic magicComparative ReligionAnthropology of ReligionMythologyCross-CulturalComparative folklore studiestaboo systemsfolk customsritual documentationFolklore StudiesFolklore & SuperstitionAnthropological analysisritual sacrifice

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Comparative Religion

Comparative religion texts on ritual, myth, sacrifice, belief, ancient religion, and cross-cultural theories of sacred practice.

Comparative Mythology

Comparative mythology texts on gods, hero cycles, symbolic patterns, classical myth, Indo-European myth, and cross-cultural mythic structures.

Folklore Studies

Folklore studies texts on folk tales, fairy belief, superstition, regional customs, oral tradition, and the collection of vernacular belief.

Anthropology of Religion

Anthropological texts on ritual, animism, totemism, taboo, early religion, culture, and theories of belief formation.

Contents243 chapters

01The Golden Bough : a study of magic and religion
02Sir James George Frazer
03CONTENTS
04Preface Subject Index Chapter 1. The King of the Wood
05Chapter 2. Priestly Kings Chapter 3. Sympathetic Magic
06Chapter 4. Magic and Religion Chapter 5. The Magical Control of the Weather
07Chapter 6. Magicians as Kings Chapter 7. Incarnate Human Gods Chapter 8. Departmental Kings of Nature Chapter 9. The Worship of Trees
08Chapter 10. Relics of Tree Worship in Modern Europe Chapter 11. The Influence of the Sexes on Vegetation Chapter 12. The Sacred Marriage
09Chapter 13. The Kings of Rome and Alba
10Chapter 14. Succession to the Kingdom in Ancient Latium Chapter 15. The Worship of the Oak Chapter 16. Dianus and Diana Chapter 17. The Burden of Royalty
11Chapter 18. The Perils of the Soul
12Chapter 19. Tabooed Acts
13Chapter 20. Tabooed Persons
14Chapter 21. Tabooed Things
15Chapter 22. Tabooed Words
16Chapter 23. Our Debt to the Savage Chapter 24. The Killing of the Divine King
17Chapter 25. Temporary Kings Chapter 26. Sacrifice of the King's Son Chapter 27. Succession to the Soul Chapter 28. The Killing of the Tree-Spirit
18Chapter 29. The Myth of Adonis Chapter 30. Adonis in Syria Chapter 31. Adonis in Cyprus Chapter 32. The Ritual of Adonis Chapter 33. The Gardens of Adonis Chapter 34. The Myth and Ritual of Attis Chapter 35. Attis as a God of Vegetation Chapter 36. Human Representatives of Attis Chapter 37. Oriental Religions in the West Chapter 38. The Myth of Osiris Chapter 39. The Ritual of Osiris
19Chapter 40. The Nature of Osiris
20Chapter 41. Isis Chapter 42. Osiris and the Sun Chapter 43. Dionysus Chapter 44. Demeter and Persephone Chapter 45. Corn-Mother and Corn-Maiden in N. Europe Chapter 46. Corn-Mother in Many Lands
21Chapter 47. Lityerses
22Chapter 48. The Corn-Spirit as an Animal
23Chapter 49. Ancient Deities of Vegetation as Animals
24Chapter 50. Eating the God
25Chapter 51. Homeopathic Magic of a Flesh Diet Chapter 52. Killing the Divine Animal
26Chapter 53. The Propitiation of Wild Animals By Hunters Chapter 54. Types of Animal Sacrament
27Chapter 55. The Transference of Evil
28Chapter 56. The Public Expulsion of Evils
29Chapter 57. Public Scapegoats
30Chapter 58. Human Scapegoats in Classical Antiquity
31Chapter 59. Killing the God in Mexico Chapter 60. Between Heaven and Earth
32Chapter 61. The Myth of Balder Chapter 62. The Fire-Festivals of Europe
33Chapter 63. The Interpretation of the Fire-Festivals
34Chapter 64. The Burning of Human Beings in the Fires
35Chapter 65. Balder and the Mistletoe Chapter 66. The External Soul in Folk-Tales Chapter 67. The External Soul in Folk-Custom
36Chapter 68. The Golden Bough Chapter 69. Farewell to Nemi
37Preface
38I. The King of the Wood
391. Diana and Virbius
402. Artemis and Hippolytus
413. Recapitulation
42II. Priestly Kings
43III. Sympathetic Magic
441. The Principles of Magic
452. Homoeopathic or Imitative Magic
463. Contagious Magic
474. The Magician’s Progress
48IV. Magic and Religion
49V. The Magical Control of the Weather
501. The Public Magician
512. The Magical Control of Rain
523. The Magical Control of the Sun
534. The Magical Control of the Wind
54VI. Magicians as Kings
55VII. Incarnate Human Gods
56VIII. Departmental Kings of Nature
57IX. The Worship of Trees
581. Tree-spirits
592. Beneficent Powers of Tree-Spirits
60X. Relics of Tree Worship in Modern Europe
61XI. The Influence of the Sexes on Vegetation
62XII. The Sacred Marriage
631. Diana as a Goddess of Fertility
642. The Marriage of the Gods
65XIII. The Kings of Rome and Alba
661. Numa and Egeria
672. The King as Jupiter
68XIV. The Succession to the Kingdom in Ancient Latium
69XV. The Worship of the Oak
70XVI. Dianus and Diana
71XVII. The Burden of Royalty
721. Royal and Priestly Taboos
732. Divorce of the Spiritual from the Temporal Power
74XVIII. The Perils of the Soul
751. The Soul as a Mannikin
762. Absence and Recall of the Soul
773. The Soul as a Shadow and a Reflection
78XIX. Tabooed Acts
791. Taboos on Intercourse with Strangers
802. Taboos on Eating and Drinking
813. Taboos on Showing the Face
824. Taboos on Quitting the House
835. Taboos on Leaving Food over
84XX. Tabooed Persons
851. Chiefs and Kings tabooed
862. Mourners tabooed
873. Women tabooed at Menstruation and Childbirth
884. Warriors tabooed
895. Manslayers tabooed
906. Hunters and Fishers tabooed
91XXI. Tabooed Things
921. The Meaning of Taboo
932. Iron tabooed
943. Sharp Weapons tabooed
954. Blood tabooed
965. The Head tabooed
976. Hair tabooed
987. Ceremonies at Hair-cutting
998. Disposal of Cut Hair and Nails
1009. Spittle tabooed
10110. Foods tabooed
10211. Knots and Rings tabooed
103XXII. Tabooed Words
1041. Personal Names tabooed
1052. Names of Relations tabooed
1063. Names of the Dead tabooed
1074. Names of Kings and other Sacred Persons tabooed
1085. Names of Gods tabooed
109XXIII. Our Debt to the Savage
110XXIV. The Killing of the Divine King
1111. The Mortality of the Gods
1122. Kings killed when their Strength fails
1133. Kings killed at the End of a Fixed Term
114XXV. Temporary Kings
115XXVI. Sacrifice of the King’s Son
116XXVII. Succession to the Soul
117XXVIII. The Killing of the Tree-Spirit
1181. The Whitsuntide Mummers
1192. Burying the Carnival
1203. Carrying out Death
1214. Bringing in Summer
1225. Battle of Summer and Winter
1236. Death and Resurrection of Kostrubonko
1247. Death and Revival of Vegetation
1258. Analogous Rites in India
1269. The Magic Spring
127XXIX. The Myth of Adonis
128XXX. Adonis in Syria
129XXXI. Adonis in Cyprus
130XXXII. The Ritual of Adonis
131XXXIII. The Gardens of Adonis
132XXXIV. The Myth and Ritual of Attis
133XXXV. Attis as a God of Vegetation
134XXXVI. Human Representatives of Attis
135XXXVII. Oriental Religions in the West
136XXXVIII. The Myth of Osiris
137XXXIX. The Ritual of Osiris
1381. The Popular Rites
1392. The Official Rites
140XL. The Nature of Osiris
1411. Osiris a Corn-god
1422. Osiris a Tree-spirit
1433. Osiris a God of Fertility
1444. Osiris a God of the Dead
145XLI. Isis
146XLII. Osiris and the Sun
147XLIII. Dionysus
148XLIV. Demeter and Persephone
149XLV. The Corn-Mother and the Corn-Maiden in Northern Europe
150XLVI. The Corn-Mother in Many Lands
1511. The Corn-mother in America
1522. The Rice-mother in the East Indies
1533. The Spirit of the Corn embodied in Human Beings
1544. The Double Personification of the Corn as Mother and Daughter
155XLVII. Lityerses
1561. Songs of the Corn Reapers
1572. Killing the Corn-spirit
1583. Human Sacrifices for the Crops
1594. The Corn-spirit slain in his Human Representatives
160XLVIII. The Corn-Spirit as an Animal
1611. Animal Embodiments of the Corn-spirit
1622. The Corn-spirit as a Wolf or a Dog
1633. The Corn-spirit as a Cock
1644. The Corn-spirit as a Hare
1655. The Corn-spirit as a Cat
1666. The Corn-spirit as a Goat
1677. The Corn-spirit as a Bull, Cow, or Ox
1688. The Corn-spirit as a Horse or Mare
1699. The Corn-spirit as a Pig (Boar or Sow)
17010. On the Animal Embodiments of the Corn-spirit
171XLIX. Ancient Deities of Vegetation as Animals
1721. Dionysus, the Goat and the Bull
1732. Demeter, the Pig and the Horse
1743. Attis, Adonis, and the Pig
1754. Osiris, the Pig and the Bull
1765. Virbius and the Horse
177L. Eating the God
1781. The Sacrament of First-Fruits
1792. Eating the God among the Aztecs
1803. Many Manii at Aricia
181LI. Homeopathic Magic of a Flesh Diet
182LII. Killing the Divine Animal
1831. Killing the Sacred Buzzard
1842. Killing the Sacred Ram
1853. Killing the Sacred Serpent
1864. Killing the Sacred Turtles
1875. Killing the Sacred Bear
188LIII. The Propitiation of Wild Animals By Hunters
189LIV. Types of Animal Sacrament
1901. The Egyptian and the Aino Types of Sacrament
1912. Processions with Sacred Animals
192LV. The Transference of Evil
1931. The Transference to Inanimate Objects
1942. The Transference to Animals
1953. The Transference to Men
1964. The Transference of Evil in Europe
197LVI. The Public Expulsion of Evils
1981. The Omnipresence of Demons
1992. The Occasional Expulsion of Evils
2003. The Periodic Expulsion of Evils
201LVII. Public Scapegoats
2021. The Expulsion of Embodied Evils
2032. The Occasional Expulsion of Evils in a Material Vehicle
2043. The Periodic Expulsion of Evils in a Material Vehicle
2054. On Scapegoats in General
206LVIII. Human Scapegoats in Classical Antiquity
2071. The Human Scapegoat in Ancient Rome
2082. The Human Scapegoat in Ancient Greece
2093. The Roman Saturnalia
210LIX. Killing the God in Mexico
211LX. Between Heaven and Earth
2121. Not to touch the Earth
2132. Not to see the Sun
2143. The Seclusion of Girls at Puberty
2154. Reasons for the Seclusion of Girls at Puberty
216LXI. The Myth of Balder
217LXII. The Fire-Festivals of Europe
2181. The Fire-festivals in general
2192. The Lenten Fires
2203. The Easter Fires
2214. The Beltane Fires
2225. The Midsummer Fires
2236. The Hallowe’en Fires
2247. The Midwinter Fires
2258. The Need-fire
226LXIII. The Interpretation of the Fire-Festivals
2271. On the Fire-festivals in general
2282. The Solar Theory of the Fire-festivals
2293. The Purificatory Theory of the Fire-festivals
230LXIV. The Burning of Human Beings in the Fires
2311. The Burning of Effigies in the Fires
2322. The Burning of Men and Animals in the Fires
233LXV. Balder and the Mistletoe
234LXVI. The External Soul in Folk-Tales
235LXVII. The External Soul in Folk-Custom
2361. The External Soul in Inanimate Things
2372. The External Soul in Plants
2383. The External Soul in Animals
2394. The Ritual of Death and Resurrection
240LXVIII. The Golden Bough
241LXIX. Farewell to Nemi
242THE FULL PROJECT GUTENBERG LICENSE
243"Cover"