The Golden Bough: a study of magic and religion

Sir James George Frazer's 'The Golden Bough' was first published in 1890 and gradually expanded into an enormous (and almost unreadable) 12-volume work over the next 20 years. Hailed as "a milestone in the understanding of man's cultural past, and a profoundly significant contribution to the history of ideas" Frazer's study is a fascinating overview of mythology and 'primitive' cultures, encompassing such disparate subjects as The Priest-King, the Dying God, Taboos, the Scapegoat, Saturnalia and 'days of Misrule', and Killing the Divine King. 'The Golden Bough' established a framework for classifying and understanding the myriad variations of human social and religious behavior. Its influence extends far beyond the merely anthropological -the book is known to have influenced such literary classics as 'Finnegan's Wake' and 'The Wasteland'. This edition introduces 'The Golden Bough' in an accessible and readable form while retaining Frazer's original engaging prose.