A new abridgement
From the second and third editions
Edited with an introduction by
Robert Frazer
Editorial matter copyright © Robert Frazer 1994
Oxford University Press,
Walton Street
Oxford OX2 6DP
The blurb on the back of the book:
James George Frazer The Golden Bough A new abridgement with an Introduction and Notes by Robert Frazer
A classic study of the beliefs and institutions of mankind, and the process through magic and relogion to scientific thought, The Golden Bough has a unique status in modern anthropology and literature.
First published in 1890, The Golden Bough was eventually issued in a twelve-volume edition (1906-15) which was abridged in 1922 by the author and his wife. That abridgement has never been reconsidered for a modern audience. In it some of the more controversial passages were dropped, including Frazer's daring speculations on the Crucifixion of Christ. This one-volume edition restores Frazer's bolder theories for the first time, setting them within the framework of a valuable introduction and notes.
A seminal work of anthropology, The Golden Bough also influenced many twentieth-centurey writers, including D. H. Lawrence, T. S. Eliot, and Wyndham Lewis. Its discussion of magical types, the sacrificial killing of kings, the dying god, and the scapegoat is given fresh pertinence in this new edition.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Frazer, James George, Sir, 1854-1941
The golden bough: a study in magic and religion / Sir James George Frazer
a new abridgement from the second and third editions;
edited with an introduction by Robert Frazer
p. cm.--(The World's classics)
Includes bibliographical references (p. xliv-xlvi) and index.
1. Mythology. 2. Religon, Primitive.
3. Magic. 4. Superstition
I. Frazer, Robert, 1947- II. Title. III. Series.
BL310.F7 1993 291--dc20 93-36189
ISBN 0-19-282934-3
5 7 9 10 8 6
Printed in Great Britan by
Biddles Ltd
Guildford and King's Lynn
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