Sir James George Frazer originally set out to discover the origins of one ancient custom in Classical Rome - the plucking of the Golden Bough from a tree in the sacred grove of Diana, and the murderous succession of the priesthood there - and was led by his invetigations into a twenty-five year study of primitive customs, superstitions, magic and myth throughout the world. The monumental thirteen-volume work which resulted has been a rich source of anthropological material and a literary masterpiece for more than half a century. Both the wealth of his illustrative material and the broad sweep of his argument can be appreciated in this very readable single volume.

Autorentext

SIR JAMES GEORGE FRAZER (1854-1941) was one of the arly pioneers in the sociological study of religion. He began his career as a classicist but it is for his work in social anthropology that he is best remembered. His most famous work, The Golden Bough first appeared in 1890 in a two-volume edition but was twice revised and expanded, the third edition appearing in twelve volumes in 1911-15. Frazer's other works include Psyche's Task, Totemism and Exogamy, The Belief in Immortality and The Worship of the Dead and Folklore in the Old Testament.

Inhalt

The King of the Wood Priestly Kings Sympathetic Magic Magic and Religion The Magical Control of the Weather Magicians as Kings Incarnate Human Gods Departmental Kings of Nature The Worship of Trees Relics of Tree-Worship in Modern Europe The Influence of the Sexes on Vegetation The Sacred Marriage The Kings of Rome and Alba The Succession to the Kingdom The Worship of the Oak Dianus and Diana The Burden of Royality The Perils of the Soul Tabooed Acts Tabooed Persons Tabooed Things Tabooed Words Our Debt to the Savage The Killing of the Divine King Temporary Kings Sacrifice of the King's Son Succession to the Soul The Killing of the Tree-Spirit The Myth of Adonis Adonis in Syria Adonis in Cyprus The Ritual of Adonis The Gardens of Adonis The Myth and Ritual of Attis Attis as a God of Vegetation Human Representatives of Attis Oriental Religions in the West The Myth of Osiris The Ritual of Osiris The Nature of Osiris Isis Osiris and the Sun Dionysus Demeter and Persephone The Corn-Mother and the Corn-Maiden in Northern Europe The Corn-Mother in Many Lands Lityerses The Corn-Spirt as an Animal Ancient Deities of Vegetation as Animals Eating the God Homoeopathic Magic of a Flesh Diet Killing the Devine Animal The Propitiation of Wild Animals by Hunters Types of Animal Sacrament The Transference of Evil The Public Expulsion of Evils Public Scapegoats Human Scapegoats in Classical Antiquity Killing the God in Mexico Between Heaven and Earth The Myth of Balder The Fire-Festivals of Europe The Interpretation of the Fire-Festivals The Burning of Human Beings in the Fires Balder and the Mistletoe The External Soul in Folk-Tales The External Soul in Folk-Custom The Golden Bough Farewell to Nemi Index