Name: The Golden Bough: A Study of Magic and Religion
SKU: 56544510
Price: 631.00 ZAR
Availability: InStock
Author: James George Frazer

portada The Golden Bough: A Study of Magic and Religion

The Golden Bough: A Study of Magic and Religion

Type

Physical Book

Author

James George Frazer

Publisher

Createspace

Language

English

Pages

768

Format

Paperback

Dimensions

22.9x15.2x3.9 cm

Weight

1.01 kg.

ISBN13

9781514252697

Synopsis "The Golden Bough: A Study of Magic and Religion"

Before Joseph Campbell became the world's most famous practitioner of comparative mythology, there was Sir James George Frazer. The Golden Bough was originally published in two volumes in 1890, but Frazer became so enamored of his topic that over the next few decades he expanded the work sixfold, then in 1922 cut it all down to a single thick edition suitable for mass distribution. The thesis on the origins of magic and religion that it elaborates "will be long and laborious," Frazer warns readers, "but may possess something of the charm of a voyage of discovery, in which we shall visit many strange lands, with strange foreign peoples, and still stranger customs." Chief among those customs--at least as the book is remembered in the popular imagination--is the sacrificial killing of god-kings to ensure bountiful harvests, which Frazer traces through several cultures, including in his elaborations the myths of Adonis, Osiris, and Balder.

James George Frazer

(Author)

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James George Frazer (1854–1941) was an influential Scottish anthropologist and folklorist, a pioneer in the comparative studies of mythology and religion. He was born in Glasgow and studied at the universities of Glasgow and Cambridge. His most notable work, The Golden Bough, initially published in 1890 and expanded into twelve volumes between 1906 and 1915, analyzes the similarities between myths, rites, and beliefs from various cultures, proposing an evolution from magic to religion and, finally, to science.

Frazer was a professor at the University of Liverpool and a member of the Royal Society. Despite his partial blindness from 1930, he continued his academic work. His methodological approach was based on the collection of historical data and testimonies, without conducting direct fieldwork, which has been subject to criticism.

His legacy endures in the influence that The Golden Bough had on literature and modern thought, inspiring writers like T.S. Eliot. Although his evolutionary theory has been questioned, his ability to identify common patterns across different cultures remains a significant contribution to the study of comparative religions.

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