Project Gutenberg 2003-01-01 Public domain in the USA. 3261 Frazer, James George 1854 1941 Frazer, Sir James George Frazer, J. G. (James George) The Golden Bough: A Study of Magic and Religion 1922 Abridged edition Wikipedia page about this book: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Golden_Bough This etext was produced by David Reed "The Golden Bough: A Study of Magic and Religion" by Sir James George Frazer is an anthropological study written in the late 19th century. The text explores the intricate relationships between magic, religion, and the customs of ancient peoples, particularly focusing on the rituals and beliefs surrounding the priesthood of Diana at Aricia in Italy. Frazer aims to understand how these practices contributed to the structure of ancient societies, thereby revealing broader patterns within human culture and thought. The opening of the work serves to introduce Frazer's central aim: to elucidate the peculiar customs regarding the succession to the priesthood of Diana, known as the King of the Wood. He describes the violent ritual whereby the current priest must be slain by his successor, highlighting the barbaric and almost primal nature of the practice. This exploration is framed within a wider context of magical practices and beliefs, suggesting that such customs are not only historical anomalies but representative of universal themes in human society. Frazer further contextualizes this narrative within legendary accounts, notably those of Orestes and Hippolytus, setting the stage for his examination of the fundamental principles underlying magic and religion. (This is an automatically generated summary.) Reading ease score: 58.2 (10th to 12th grade). Somewhat difficult to read. en Religion Magic Superstition Mythology BL Text Paganism Mythology Anthropology Category: Mythology, Legends & Folklore Category: Archaeology & Anthropology Category: Religion/Spirituality 2381331 2025-08-02T08:22:51.182435 text/html 2389506 2021-01-08T21:41:50 text/html 1060329 2025-08-02T08:23:11.263771 application/epub+zip 1070494 2025-08-02T08:22:55.372329 application/epub+zip 1053265 2025-08-02T08:22:53.595334 application/epub+zip 1660782 2025-08-02T08:23:25.941696 application/x-mobipocket-ebook 1545130 2025-08-02T08:23:10.013738 application/x-mobipocket-ebook 1463716 2022-09-02T10:54:06.403381 application/x-mobipocket-ebook 2331510 2025-08-02T08:22:49.439368 text/plain; charset=us-ascii 2326409 2021-01-08T21:41:50 text/plain; charset=us-ascii 20284 2025-08-02T08:23:26.100668 application/rdf+xml 17229 2025-08-02T08:22:54.275321 image/jpeg 4055 2025-08-02T08:22:53.896309 image/jpeg 857864 2021-01-08T21:41:50 application/octet-stream application/zip 869000 2021-01-08T21:41:50 application/octet-stream application/zip 954674 2025-08-02T08:22:51.397336 application/octet-stream application/zip Archives containing the RDF files for *all* our books can be downloaded at https://book.klll.cc/wiki/Gutenberg:Feeds#The_Complete_Project_Gutenberg_Catalog en.wikipedia