The Golden Bough

The Golden Bough, the monumental study of religious rites and practices in ‘primitive’ societies, was one of the earliest influential texts in anthropology. Its author, Sir James Frazer, surveyed the wide range of cultural habits, taboos and beliefs in communities across the world concluding that there was an observable pattern in the way magic developed into religion, though formal expression emerged in different ways.  It was a study that he continued for many years, with initial volumes appearing in 1890 and growing in size until the 12-volume edition was published in 1915. In 1922, Frazer produced his own single volume edition which is presented here. His starting point was the ‘remarkable rule which regulated the succession to the priesthood of Diana at Aricia’, where the incumbent would remain in position until slain in combat by his successor. Further study showed Frazer that this was a familiar pattern in both religion and rule.  The more he compared unconnected early