James George Frazer is a famous English culturologist and ethnologist, a scientist whose work has become a real milestone in the study of myths, folklore and religions. His most famous work "Golden Bough" became a reference book for many scientists and served as inspiration for poets and writers (Thomas Eliot, H. P. Lovecraft, Robert Graves) who used the images of this wonderful work.
Original title: The Golden Bough.
First edition: 1890, London.
The name of James Frazer means no less in anthropology and folklore than the names of Edward Tylor, Carl Gustav Jung, V.Ya. Proppa, A.N. Afanasyeva. And “The Golden Bough” is, of course, a book that is impossible to do without when studying mythology, fairy tales, and fantasy. The book was first published in 1890, in London; later it was replenished with a huge amount of new materials, examples, new conclusions, and with each reprint the number of volumes of this book also grew. It is quite impossible to cover the entire corpus of information collected by Frazer, which the author himself understood, later releasing an abridged, lighter version, more accessible to the common reader. It was this edition that was taken as the basis for translation and publication in Russia; it is what is usually read (unless, of course, you have the opportunity to read the 12-volume edition in English).
“Magical thinking is based on two principles. The first of them says: like produces like or the effect is similar to its cause. According to the second principle, things that have once come into contact with each other continue to interact at a distance after direct contact has ceased."
This major scientific work was not originally conceived by Frazer; the scientist was simply trying to explain a mysterious and strange ritual associated with the priest of Diana, who lived in a sacred grove in Aricia, a picturesque town located near Rome. This priest had great power and bore the title of King of the Forest, but was forced to constantly fear for his own life, because... his successor was to be the man who killed him in duel. Sooner or later, when the strength of one priest weakened, he grew old and decrepit, and he himself was killed by a younger and stronger contender.
golden branch
Frazer's goal and plan became more and more complex, the number of materials and examples grew. To explain one ritual, he had to look very deeply, understand and generalize many principles and mechanisms that serve as the basis for various customs, and try to answer many very complex questions. The book examines a huge number of examples of the most bizarre rituals, superstitions, ideas of peoples and tribes from around the globe. There is also a description of the traditions and rituals of the Slavs, Ukrainian, Russian, and Polish peoples. Even though this edition represents only a greatly abridged version, the number of examples, the author’s erudition and his diligence are amazing.
True, James Frazer did not observe all these customs himself, nor did he himself collect information about them in the most remote corners of the earth. He was an armchair scientist, but he corresponded with a large number of correspondents, mainly with missionaries who had direct contact with traditional cultures and savage tribes. Usually, at the beginning of each chapter, a certain thesis is given, which is then confirmed and developed with many examples, and then conclusions are drawn. Each chapter is devoted to its own topic. Comparing similar customs and ideas among different peoples allows us to see the similarities between them and explain how these ideas are formed.
“Some peoples believe that a person’s soul resides in his shadow, others believe that it resides in his reflection in water or in a mirror. For example, “Andamans consider souls not shadows, but reflections (in any mirror).”
The examples given often cause a smile, surprise, and sometimes even horror. You are amazed at how strange folk beliefs can be, how stupid and cruel people can behave, and how they can so senselessly complicate their already very difficult lives. I would not recommend Fraser’s book to every person; it can definitely irritate people who are overly religious, since Fraser convincingly and consistently shows the connection and kinship of Christian ideas and rituals with pagan cults. In his opinion, having become convinced that one’s own human strengths and abilities are not enough to change the world, to create favorable living conditions, man moved from magic to belief in the supernatural, a higher being, and to religion, which should then be replaced by science. Any society goes through all these stages, but this does not mean that the birth of a new type of knowledge completely excludes the existence of the previous one, which we see in the modern world. This diagram, of course, is conventional, but it is very interesting and useful as a model for explaining many processes. Moreover, Frazer notes that magic did not play only a negative role, that at a certain stage its existence was necessary for the development of humanity, because magicians were in many ways the first scientists who tried to understand the world, to explain natural phenomena, only their science was imperfect, and their conclusions were erroneous. But they gave impetus to human development, the most perspicacious of them actually made certain discoveries, noticed the real connection of things, only disguising their real knowledge with the help of bizarre and absurd rituals. The ancient priest was endowed with special power, sometimes exceeding even the power of the king, the secular ruler. And often these two titles were borne by the same person.
golden branch
When you read Frazer, a lot becomes clear to you: the roots of many modern superstitions that still survive, the symbolism and real meaning of some religious sacraments, their origin. You begin to look at the world a little differently, more meaningfully, you arm yourself with this new knowledge. And, seeing how strange, incomprehensible, meaningless beliefs can be, you realize what a long way human thought has come, what an insurmountable gap distinguishes us from the Carthaginians, ancient Greeks, Egyptians and other peoples, from our predecessors and ancestors. And at the same time, you see that something common remains between us, only changing over time.
Frazer's book, despite the fact that it is a scientific work, is written in a beautiful, precise, bright and poetic language; it is no coincidence that the author's first specialty is literary criticism, and he himself wrote poetry. Fraser is not just a scientist, he is a real dreamer, a poet, he is endowed with the gift of speech and persuasion. His thought is clear, it is easily digestible and does not cause rejection, there is no need to wade through the labyrinths of meaningless lines, empty phrases and rantings - every page is valuable. This is perhaps one of the most amazing science books I have ever read. And one of the few scientific books that you want to re-read more than once and have in your collection. We are going through a long but very interesting path with Fraser and he, like a talented guide, takes us through the centuries, introducing us to a variety of ideas and traditions, explaining ourselves to us.
It is worth saying that, since the book was written at the end of the 19th century, it contains those scientific ideas, including in the natural sciences, that dominated at that time. Some place names will seem unfamiliar or outdated because much of the world map has changed during this time. However, this book, despite the fact that some conclusions can now be questioned and that at that time unified, thoroughly thought-out methods for studying folklore and myths did not yet exist, retains its significance to this day.
And I would say that a person who has read Frazer and The Golden Bough will always be different from a person who has not read it. Reading The Golden Bough, you can probably begin to doubt many religious dogmas and ideas; they will receive a scientific, understandable and logical explanation. Some people will probably think that this is bad. For me, reading ethnography and cultural studies always conveys the feeling of a discovery made, it inspires me and helps me look at the world and everything that exists in it with interest, awakens thought and cultivates observation. The Golden Bough promotes a deeper understanding of the world, culture and man himself.
“The progress of knowledge is an endless advance towards an ever-elusive goal. And it’s hardly worth grumbling that this search has no end...”
From the editor
The “Golden Bough” of the famous English religious scholar and ethnologist James Frazer (1854–1941) is one of those fundamental studies that are of lasting value for many generations of scientists. Having devoted his life to the study of folkloristics and the history of religion, J. Frazer collected a wealth of factual material, which allowed him, using the comparative historical method, to show the connection between modern religions and primitive beliefs, and to identify the earthly sources of the religious worldview. […]
The first edition of The Golden Bough was published in London in 1890 in two volumes, and then the book was reprinted in various versions, sometimes more extensive, sometimes abridged. The work has been translated into many languages. It was first published in Russian in 1928 (issues 1–4). However, the translation was made from an authorized abridged French edition prepared by J. Frazer's wife.
This edition is the first translation of The Golden Bough into Russian from the English abridged edition prepared by the author himself (Freser J. J. The Golden Bough. London, 1923)... The text of the book contains footnotes compiled by Professor S. A. Tokarev. He also carried out the general scientific editing of the publication.
The main purpose of this book is to explain the curious rule that determined the order of succession to the office of priest of Diana in Aricia. When I first began studying this problem more than thirty years ago, I believed that a solution could be found very quickly. However, it soon became clear that in order to find a plausible (and even understandable) solution, it was necessary to discuss a number of more general issues, some of which had hardly been raised before. In subsequent editions, the discussion of these and related issues took up more and more space, the study expanded in many directions until the two initial volumes turned into twelve. During this time, readers often expressed a desire to reprint The Golden Bough in a more condensed form. The publication of this abridged edition was dictated by the desire to satisfy this wish and make the book accessible to a wider circle of readers. Although the volume of the book has been significantly reduced, I have tried to keep its main ideas intact and provide a sufficient number of examples to illustrate them. Despite the conciseness of the presentation, for the most part the language of the full edition was preserved. To accommodate as much text as possible, I have sacrificed notes and precise citations. Therefore, to verify the source of a statement, readers should consult the full edition, complete with a detailed bibliography.
In the abridged edition I did not introduce new material and did not change the views expressed in the last, full edition. In general, the data that I was able to get acquainted with during this time either confirmed my conclusions or illustrated old principles in a new way...
Whether my theory is correct or should be abandoned, the future will show. I am always ready to abandon it in favor of a better theory. In presenting the new version of the book to the public, I would like to warn against misunderstandings of its purpose, which continue to occur, despite the fact that I have already spoken out against them in the past. If in this work I dwell in detail on the cult of trees, it is not because I exaggerate its importance in the history of religion, and still less because I derive all mythology from it. It’s just that, trying to explain the meaning of the position of the priest who bore the title of King of the Forest, I could not pass over this cult in silence. After all, the duty of this priest was to pluck the Golden Branch - a branch from a tree in a sacred grove. But I am far from attributing to the worship of trees a primary importance in the development of religious consciousness, and, in particular, I consider it subordinate to the fear of the dead, which seems to me the most powerful factor in the formation of primitive religion. I hope that now I will not be accused of being a supporter of a mythology that I consider not only false, but ridiculous and absurd. However, I am too intimately familiar with the hydra of delusion to be able to cut off one of its heads and expect to be able to prevent the growth of another (or even the same) head. Nevertheless, I trust in the sincerity and intelligence of my readers: let them correct this serious error.
James George Fraser
London, June 1922
DIANA AND VIRBIUS
Who hasn’t seen Turner’s painting “The Golden Bough”? A landscape filled with the golden glow of a dream, into which Turner’s divine spirit plunged, transforming the most beautiful of natural landscapes, the small forest lake Nemi, seen in a fit of inspiration, “the mirror of Diana,” as the ancients called it. The calm water surface, bordered by the green chain of the Alban Mountains, is unforgettable. The seclusion of the area is not disturbed by two typically Italian villages, immersed in slumber on the shore of the lake, and a palace - also in the Italian style - with gardens that descend in sharp ledges to the lake. It seems as if Diana did not want to leave this lonely shore and continues to live in the thicket of the forest!
In ancient times, against the backdrop of this forest landscape, the same strange and tragic event played out repeatedly. On the northern shore of the lake, directly below the steep cliffs against which the village of Nemi nestled, there was a sacred grove and sanctuary of the Nemi, or Forest, Diana. The lake and the grove were then known under the name Aritsiysky. But the city of Aricia (now called La Riccia) was located almost five kilometers away, at the foot of the Alban Mountain, and separated by a steep descent from the lake, located in a small funnel-shaped depression on the mountainside. A tree grew in a sacred grove, and around it all day long until late at night a gloomy figure of a man walked with a stealthy gait. He held a naked sword in his hand and looked around carefully, as if he expected an enemy attack at any moment. It was a murderous priest, and the one for whom he was waiting would sooner or later also kill him and take his place. This was the law of the sanctuary. A contender for the position of priest could achieve it in only one way - by killing his predecessor, and he held this position until he was killed by a stronger and more dexterous competitor.
This position, the possession of which was so precarious, brought with it the royal title. But no crowned person was tormented by darker thoughts than the Nemien priest. From year to year, winter and summer, in good and bad weather, he carried out his lonely watch and only at the risk of his life fitfully sank into a restless sleep. The slightest weakening of vigilance, the manifestation of bodily weakness and the loss of the art of wielding a sword put his life in danger: gray hair meant a death sentence for him. Just the sight of it made the lovely landscape fade in the eyes of the meek and pious pilgrims. The dreamy blue of the Italian sky, the play of chiaroscuro in the summer forests and the shine of the waves in the sun did not fit well with the stern and ominous figure of the Nemien priest.
Let us better imagine the Nemian landscape as it might have appeared to a belated traveler on one of those stormy autumn nights, when withered leaves fall like thick rain and the wind sings a funeral song for the passing year. What a gloomy picture set to melancholy music! In the background, a torn forest darkens against a low, cloudy sky, the sighs of the wind in the branches, the rustle of withered leaves underfoot and the splash of cold water on the shore. And in the foreground at dusk is the dark figure of a man walking back and forth; and when, emerging from a running cloud, the pale moon peers at him through the braided branches, steel flashes brightly on his shoulder.
The law of inheritance of the title of priest in Nemi has no parallels in classical antiquity. In order to find an explanation for it, one should look further into the depths of centuries. No one, apparently, will deny that such a custom smacks of a barbaric era and, like a primeval rock on a smoothly trimmed lawn, stands in complete solitude in the midst of the refined Italian society of the Empire. But it is precisely the crude, barbaric character of this custom that gives us hope for its explanation. Research into the earliest history of mankind has discovered that, with many superficial differences, the first crude philosophical systems developed by the human mind are similar in their essential features. Therefore, if we can prove that such a barbaric custom as the inheritance of the title of priest in Nemi existed in other societies, if we can reveal the reasons for the existence of such an institution and prove that the same reasons were operative in most (if not all) human societies, under different circumstances giving rise to a multitude of institutions differing in detail, but on the whole similar, finally, if we can demonstrate that the same causes, together with the institutions derived from them, were actually at work in classical antiquity - then we can rightly conclude that in a more distant era the same causes gave rise to the rules of succession of priesthood in Nemi. Lacking direct information about how this institution arose, our conclusions will never reach the status of evidence, but they will be more or less probable depending on the completeness with which the specified conditions can be fulfilled. To offer a reasonably plausible explanation of the priestly institution at Nemi that satisfies these conditions is the purpose of this book.
“The Golden Bough” by the famous English religious scholar and ethnologist James Frazer (1854-1941) is one of those fundamental studies that are of lasting value for many generations of scientists. Having devoted his life to the study of folklore and the history of religion, J. Frazer collected a wealth of factual material, which allowed him, using a comparative historical method, to show the connection between modern religions and primitive beliefs, and to identify the earthly sources of the religious worldview. [...]
The first edition of The Golden Bough was published in London in 1890 in two volumes, and then the book was reprinted in various versions, sometimes more extensive, sometimes abridged. The work has been translated into many languages. It was first published in Russian in 1928 (issues 1-4). However, the translation was made from an authorized abridged French edition prepared by J. Frazer's wife.
This edition is the first translation of “The Golden Bough” into Russian from the English abridged edition prepared by the author himself (Freser J.J. The Golden Bough. London, 1923)... The text of the book contains footnotes compiled by Professor S.A. Tokarev. He also carried out the general scientific editing of the publication.
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THE GOLDEN BRANCH I. Chapters I-XXXIX. GODS AND SCIENTISTS.
CONTENT. 2
EDITORIAL.. 2
FROM THE AUTHOR'S PREFACE TO THE Abridged EDITION OF THE GOLDEN BRANCH. 2
Chapter I. DIANA AND VIRBIUS.. 2
Artemis and Hippolytus. 2
Summary. 2
Chapter II. KING-PRIESTS.. 2
Chapter III. SYMPATHETIC MAGIC.. 2
Principles of magic. 2
Homeopathic or imitative magic. 2
Contagious magic. 2
Stages of becoming a magician. 2
Chapter IV. MAGIC AND RELIGION.. 2
Chapter V. MAGICAL CONTROL OVER THE WEATHER.. 2
A sorcerer in the service of society. 2
Controlling rain with magic. 2
Magical control of the sun. 2
Controlling the wind with magic. 2
Chapter VI. WIZARD RULERS.. 2
Chapter VII. INCARNATED GODS IN THE IMAGE OF HUMANS.. 2
Chapter VIII. KINGS OF SEPARATE NATURAL ELEMENTS.. 2
Chapter IX. WORSHIP OF TREES... 2
Tree spirits. 2
Beneficial abilities of tree spirits. 2
Chapter X. SURVIVALS OF THE CULT OF TREES IN MODERN EUROPE. 2
Chapter XI. SEX RELATIONSHIP AND ITS INFLUENCE ON VEGETATION. 2
Chapter XII. SACRED MARRIAGE.. 2
Diana is the goddess of fertility. 2
Chapter XIII. KINGS OF ROME AND ALBA.. 2
Numa and Egeria. 2
The king as the personification of Jupiter. 2
Chapter XIV. SUCCESSION IN ANCIENT LATIMUM. 2
Chapter XV. OAK WORSHIP.. 2
Chapter XVI. DIANU AND DIANA.. 2
Chapter XVII. BURDEN OF SUPREME POWER.. 2
Taboos relating to kings and priests. 2
Separation of spiritual and secular power. 2
Chapter XVIII. DANGERS THREATENING THE SOUL. 2
The soul is like a small person. 2
Chapter XIX. PROHIBITED ACTIONS.. 2
Taboo on communicating with foreigners. 2
Taboos on food and drink. 2
Taboo on nudity. 2
Taboo on leaving the home. 2
Taboo on leftover food. 2
Chapter XX. TABOO ON PEOPLE.. 2
A taboo that applies to leaders and rulers. 2
Taboos imposed on warriors. 2
Taboo on killers. 2
Taboos imposed on hunters and fishermen. 2
Chapter XXI. TABOO ON OBJECTS.. 2
The meaning of taboo. 2
Taboo on iron. 2
Taboo on sharp weapons. 2
Blood taboo. 2
Taboo on the head. 2
Hair taboo. 2
Rituals observed when cutting hair. 2
Removal of cut hair and nails. 2
Spitting taboo. 2
Taboo on food. 2
Taboo on knots and rings. 2
Chapter XXII. FORBIDDEN WORDS.. 2
Taboo on proper names. 2
Taboo on the names of relatives. 2
Taboo on the names of the dead. 2
Taboo on the names of rulers and other sacred persons. 2
Taboo on the names of gods. 2
Chapter XXIII. OUR DUTY TO PRIMITIVE MAN.. 2
Chapter XXIV. TREATMENT OF THE DIVINE LORD TO DEATH.. 2
Mortal gods. 2
The killing of rulers due to their senility. 2
Rulers put to death after a specified period. 2
Chapter XXV. TEMPORARY KINGS.. 2
Chapter XXVI. SACRIFICE OF THE RULER'S SON.. 2
Chapter XXVII. SOUL INHERITANCE.. 2
Chapter XXVIII. KILLING THE TREE SPIRIT.. 2
Trinity masks. 2
Burial of Maslenitsa. 2
Banishing Death. 2
Bringing in Summer. 2
The struggle between Summer and Winter. 2
Death and resurrection of Kostrubonko. 2
Death and rebirth of vegetation. 2
Similar Indian rituals. 2
Magical spring. 2
Chapter XXIX. MYTH ABOUT ADONIS. 2
Chapter XXX. ADONIS IN SYRIA.. 2
Chapter XXXI. ADONIS ON THE ISLAND OF CYPRUS. 2
Chapter XXXII. RITUAL OF ADONIS.. 2
Chapter XXXIII. "GARDENS OF ADONIS". 2
Chapter XXXIV. MYTH ABOUT ATTIS AND HIS RITUAL.. 2
Chapter XXXV. ATTIS - GOD OF VEGETATION.. 2
Chapter XXXVI. HUMAN INcarnations of Attis.. 2
Chapter XXXVII. EASTERN RELIGIONS IN THE WEST. 2
Chapter XXXVIII. MYTH ABOUT OSIRIS. 2
Chapter XXXIX. RITAL CYCLE ASSOCIATED WITH OSIRIS... 2
Folk rituals. 2
State ceremonies. 2
SUBJECT INDEX. 2
CONTENT. 2
GOLDEN BRANCH. II. Chapters XL-LXIX. GODS AND SCIENTISTS.
CONTENT. 2
Chapter XL. ATTRIBUTES OF OSIRIS.. 2
Chapter XLI. ISIS..2
Chapter XLII. OSIRIS AND THE SUN. 2
Chapter XLIII. DIONYSUS..2
Chapter XLIV. DEMETER AND PERSEPHONE.. 2
Chapter XLV. THE MOTHER OF BREAD AND THE VIRGIN OF BREAD IN NORTHERN EUROPE. 2
Chapter XLVI. THE MOTHER OF BREAD IN DIFFERENT COUNTRIES.. 2
Chapter XLVII. LITIES..2
The chants of the reapers. 2
Mortification of the spirit of bread. 2
Making human sacrifices for the sake of crops. 2
The mortification of the spirit of bread in the person of the person who embodies it. 2
Chapter XL VIII. ANIMALS REPRESENTATIVES OF THE SPIRIT OF BREAD.. 2
Incarnations of the grain spirit in animal images. 2
The grain spirit in the form of a wolf or in the form of a dog. 2
Corn spirit in the form of a rooster. 2
Bread spirit in the form of a hare. 2
Bread spirit in the form of a cat. 2
Bread spirit in the form of a goat. 2
The spirit of bread in the form of a bull, ox or cow. 2
A grain spirit in the guise of a horse or mare. 2
The spirit of bread in the guise of a pig (hog, wild boar). 2
Incarnations of the spirit of bread in animal form. 2
Chapter XLIX. ANIMAL IMAGES OF ANCIENT VEGETATION GODS.. 2
Dionysus in the form of a goat and in the form of a bull. 2
The attitude of Attis and Adonis towards the pig. 2
Osiris in the form of a pig and a bull. 2
Virbius's attitude towards the horse. 2
Chapter L. COMMUNION WITH THE BODY OF GOD.. 2
The sacrament of eating the first fruits. 2
Communion with the body of God among the Aztecs. 2
"There are many Manias in Aritzia." 2
Chapter LI. HOMEOPATHIC MAGIC OF MEAT FOOD.. 2
Chapter LII. KILLING A SACRED ANIMAL.. 2
Putting the sacred buzzard to death. 2
Putting the sacred ram to death. 2
Putting the sacred snake to death. 2
Putting the sacred turtles to death. 2
Putting the sacred bear to death. 2
Chapter III. PUPILATION BY WILD ANIMALS HUNTERS.. 2
Chapter LIV. TYPES OF COMMUNION WITH ANIMAL MEAT.. 2
Egyptian and Ainu type of communion. 2
Processions with sacred animals. 2
Chapter LV. TRANSFERING THE FORCES OF EVIL.. 2
Transferring the forces of evil to inanimate objects. 2
Transferring evil to animals. 2
Transferring misfortunes to people. 2
Transference of evil in Europe. 2
Chapter LVI. PUBLIC EXORCTION OF EVIL FORCES.. 2
The omnipresence of evil spirits. 2
Episodic expulsion of evil spirits. 2
Periodic expulsion of evil spirits. 2
Chapter LVII. CREATURES SACRIFICED FOR THE GOOD OF SOCIETY.. 2
Expulsion of evil spirits in the person of their representatives. 2
Episodic expulsions of evil spirits into a material object. 2
Expulsion of evil forces into material bodies, performed regularly. 2
About the redeemers of sins in general. 2
Chapter LVIII. PEOPLE IN THE ROLE OF REDEEMES OF OTHERS' SINS IN CLASSICAL ANTIQUITY.. 2
Redeemers of other people's sins in Ancient Rome. 2
Redeemers of other people's sins in Ancient Greece. 2
Roman Saturnalia. 2
Chapter LIX. THE PRACTICE OF KILLING GOD IN MEXICO. 2
Chapter LX. BETWEEN HEAVEN AND EARTH.. 2
Don't touch the ground. 2
Don't see the sun. 2
Imprisonment of girls during puberty. 2
Reasons for isolation of girls who have reached puberty. 2
Chapter LXI. MYTH ABOUT BALDER. 2
Chapter LXII. EUROPEAN FIRE HOLIDAYS.. 2
General characteristics of fire festivals. 2
Lights of Lent. 2
Easter lights. 2
Beltane fires. 2
Summer solstice lights. 2
Lights of All Hallows' Eve. 2
Lights of the winter solstice. 2
Need-fire. 2
Chapter LXIII. INTERPRETATION OF FIRE HOLIDAYS.. 2
About fire festivals in general. 2
Solar theory of fire festivals. 2
Purification theory of fire festivals. 2
Chapter LXIV. BURNING PEOPLE AT THE POINT.. 2
Burning of images. 2
Burning of people and animals at the stake. 2
Chapter LXV. BALDER AND MISTLETOLE.. 2
Chapter LXVI. THE SOUL RESIDING OUTSIDE THE BODY AND ITS ROLE IN FOLK TALES.. 2
Chapter LXVII. DISCOLORAL SOUL IN FOLK CUSTOMS.. 2
The soul residing in inanimate objects. 2
The soul residing in plants. 2
The soul residing in animals. 2
The ritual of death and resurrection. 2
Chapter LXVIII. GOLDEN BRANCH. 2
Chapter LXIX. FAREWELL TO HIM.. 2
SIR JAMES GEORGE FRASER: AN ESSAY OF LIFE AND WORK1 2
1. PARADOX OF FRAZER’S PERSONALITY AND HIS WORKS.. 2
2. FRAZER’S PLACE IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF ETHNOLOGICAL THEORY.. 2
BRIEF GEOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION... 2
SUBJECT INDEX. 2
CONTENT. 2
GOLDEN BRANCH. ADDITIONAL VOL.
CONTENT. 2
EDITORIAL.. 2
CHAPTER I. MAGIC.. 2
CHAPTER II. MAGICAL CONTROL OVER NATURE.. 2
CHAPTER III WIZARDS AS RULERS.. 2
CHAPTER IV. GODS EMBODIED INTO HUMANS.. 2
CHAPTER V. KINGS OF SEPARATE NATURAL ELEMENTS.. 2
CHAPTER VI. WORSHIP OF TREES... 2
CHAPTER VII. SURVIVALS OF THE TREE CULT IN MODERN EUROPE. 2
CHAPTER VIII. SEX RELATIONSHIP AND ITS INFLUENCE ON VEGETATION. 2
CHAPTER IX. SACRED MARRIAGE.. 2
CHAPTER X. ROYAL FIRE. 2
CHAPTER XI. STICKS FOR MAKING FIRE.. 2
CHAPTER XII FATHER JUPITER AND MOTHER VESTA.. 2
CHAPTER XIII ORIGIN OF ETERNAL LIGHTS.. 2
CHAPTER XIV SUCCESSION IN LATIMUM. 2
CHAPTER XV. SAINT GEORGE AND PARILLA.. 2
CHAPTER XVI WORSHIP OF THE OAK.. 2
CHAPTER XVII. DIANU AND DIANA.. 2
CHAPTER XVIII. TABOO OF KINGS AND PRIESTS.. 2
CHAPTER XIX. DANGERS THREATENING THE SOUL1 2
CHAPTER XX. PROHIBITED ACTIONS.. 2
CHAPTER XXI. TABOO ON PEOPLE.. 2
CHAPTER XXII. TABOO ON OBJECTS.. 2
CHAPTER XXIII. TABOO ON WORDS.. 2
CHAPTER XXIV. KILLING THE DIVINE RULER TO DEATH.. 2
CHAPTER XXV. FANTASTIC WIFE.. 2
CHAPTER XXVI. TEMPORARY KINGS.. 2
CHAPTER XXVII. SACRIFICE OF THE RULER'S SON.. 2
CHAPTER XXVIII. KILLING THE TREE SPIRIT.. 2
CHAPTER XXIX. SWINGING AS A MAGICAL RITE.. 2
CHAPTER XXX. MYTH ABOUT ADONIS. 2
CHAPTER XXXI. SANCTIFICATION BY ANOINTING... 2
CHAPTER XXXII. REINcarnation of the DEAD.. 2
CHAPTER XXXIII. VOLCANIC RELIGION.. 2
CHAPTER XXXIV. GARDENS OF ADONIS.. 2
CHAPTER XXXV. RITUAL OF ATTIS.. 2
CHAPTER XXXVI. ATTIS AS GOD THE FATHER.. 2
CHAPTER XXXVII. BOUNTY HUNT.. 2
CHAPTER XXXVIII. TEARS OF ISIS.. 2
CHAPTER XXXIX. STAR OF ISIS.. 2
CHAPTER XL. HOLIDAYS OF ALL SOULS... 2
CHAPTER XLI. RELATIONSHIP BY MOTHER AND MOTHER GODDESS.. 2
CHAPTER XLII. MARRIAGE OF BROTHERS AND SISTERS. 2
CHAPTER XLIII. CHILDREN OF LIVING PARENTS IN RITUAL. 2
CHAPTER XLIV. BLIND VICTIMS IN SACRIFICES.. 2
CHAPTER XLV MEN DRESSED AS WOMEN.. 2
CHAPTER XLVI. CHILDREN ON FANS FOR WINNING GRAIN.. 2
CHAPTER XLVII. THE MAGICAL SIGNIFICANCE OF GAMES IN PRIMITIVE AGRICULTURE.. 2
CHAPTER XLVIII. THE ROLE OF WOMAN IN PRIMITIVE AGRICULTURE.. 2
CHAPTER XLIX. PERSONALIZATION OF THE SPIRIT OF GRAIN DURING THE HARVEST.. 2
CHAPTER L. HUMAN SACRIFICES FOR THE HARVEST.. 2
CHAPTER LI. THE SPIRIT OF GRAIN IN THE FORM OF AN ANIMAL.. 2
CHAPTER LII. PLEIADES IN PRIMITIVE CALENDARS.. 2
CHAPTER LIII. PRIMITIVE METHOD OF CLEANSING.. 2
CHAPTER LIV. MANIA IN ARITIA.. 2
CHAPTER LV. ATTEMPTS TO DECEPTION THE DEMONS.. 2
CHAPTER LVI. SACRIFICE OF FIRSTFRUITS1 2
CHAPTER LVII. HOMEOPATHIC MAGIC OF MEAT FOOD.. 2
CHAPTER LVIII. PAPATION BY WILD ANIMAL HUNTERS1 2
CHAPTER LIX. TRANSMISSION OF HUMAN SOULS INTO ANIMALS1 2
CHAPTER LX. TRANSFER OF THE FORCES OF EVIL.. 2
CHAPTER LXI. Omnipresence of Demons1 2
CHAPTER LXII. PUBLIC EXORIZATION OF EVIL FORCES1 2
CHAPTER LXIII. PUBLIC "SCAPEAGOATS"1 2
CHAPTER LXIV. SATURNALIAS AND SIMILAR CELEBRATIONS1 2
CHAPTER LXV TABOO TO TOUCH THE EARTH.. 2
CHAPTER LXVI. TABOO TO SEE THE SUN. 2
CHAPTER LXVII. ISOLATION OF GIRLS AT PUBERTY.. 2
CHAPTER LXVIII. FIRE HOLIDAYS IN EUROPE. 2
CHAPTER LXIX. WEREWOLVES..2
CHAPTER LXX WALKING ON BURNING COALS... 2
CHAPTER LXXI. MAGICAL FLOWERS ON THE EVE OF THE SUMMER SOLSTICE.. 2
CHAPTER LXXII. THE SOUL LOCATED OUTSIDE THE BODY IN FOLK TALES.. 2
CHAPTER LXXIII THE SOUL OUTSIDE THE BODY IN FOLK CUSTOMS.. 2
CHAPTER LXXIV. RITUAL OF DEATH AND RESURRECTION1 2
CHAPTER LXXV. MISTLETOLE..2
James George Fraser
GOLDEN BRANCH
STUDY OF MAGIC AND RELIGION
From the editor
“The Golden Bough” by the famous English religious scholar and ethnologist James Frazer (1854-1941) is one of those fundamental studies that are of lasting value for many generations of scientists. Having devoted his life to the study of folkloristics and the history of religion, J. Frazer collected a wealth of factual material, which allowed him, using the comparative historical method, to show the connection between modern religions and primitive beliefs, and to identify the earthly sources of the religious worldview. [...]
The first edition of The Golden Bough was published in London in 1890 in two volumes, and then the book was reprinted in various versions, sometimes more extensive, sometimes abridged. The work has been translated into many languages. It was first published in Russian in 1928 (issues 1-4). However, the translation was made from an authorized abridged French edition prepared by J. Frazer's wife.
This edition is the first translation of “The Golden Bough” into Russian from the English abridged edition prepared by the author himself (Freser J.J. The Golden Bough. London, 1923)... The text of the book contains footnotes compiled by Professor S.A. Tokarev. He also carried out the general scientific editing of the publication.
The main purpose of this book is to explain the curious rule that determined the order of succession to the office of priest of Diana in Aricia. When I first began studying this problem more than thirty years ago, I believed that a solution could be found very quickly. However, it soon became clear that in order to find a plausible (and even understandable) solution, it was necessary to discuss a number of more general issues, some of which had hardly been raised before. In subsequent editions, the discussion of these and related issues took up more and more space, the study expanded in many directions until the two initial volumes turned into twelve. During this time, readers often expressed a desire to reprint The Golden Bough in a more condensed form. The publication of this abridged edition was dictated by the desire to satisfy this wish and make the book accessible to a wider circle of readers. Although the volume of the book has been significantly reduced, I have tried to keep its main ideas intact and provide a sufficient number of examples to illustrate them. Despite the conciseness of the presentation, for the most part the language of the full edition was preserved. To accommodate as much text as possible, I have sacrificed notes and precise citations. Therefore, to verify the source of a statement, readers should consult the full edition, complete with a detailed bibliography.
In the abridged edition I did not introduce new material and did not change the views expressed in the last, full edition. In general, the data that I was able to get acquainted with during this time either confirmed my conclusions or illustrated old principles in a new way...
Whether my theory is correct or should be abandoned, the future will show. I am always ready to abandon it in favor of a better theory. In presenting the new version of the book to the public, I would like to warn against misunderstandings of its purpose, which continue to occur, despite the fact that I have already spoken out against them in the past. If in this work I dwell in detail on the cult of trees, it is not because I exaggerate its importance in the history of religion, and still less because I derive all mythology from it. It’s just that, trying to explain the meaning of the position of the priest who bore the title of King of the Forest, I could not pass over this cult in silence. After all, the duty of this priest was to pluck the Golden Branch - a branch from a tree in a sacred grove. But I am far from attributing to the worship of trees a primary importance in the development of religious consciousness, and, in particular, I consider it subordinate to the fear of the dead, which seems to me the most powerful factor in the formation of primitive religion. I hope that now I will not be accused of being a supporter of a mythology that I consider not only false, but ridiculous and absurd. However, I am too intimately familiar with the hydra of delusion to be able to cut off one of its heads and expect to be able to prevent the growth of another (or even the same) head. Nevertheless, I trust in the sincerity and intelligence of my readers: let them correct this serious error.
James George Frazer London, June 1922
DIANA AND VIRBIUS
Who hasn't seen Turner's painting "The Golden Bough"? A landscape filled with the golden glow of a dream, into which Turner’s divine spirit plunged, transforming the most beautiful of natural landscapes, the small forest lake Nemi, seen in a fit of inspiration, “the mirror of Diana,” as the ancients called it. The calm water surface, bordered by the green chain of the Alban Mountains, is unforgettable. The seclusion of the area is not disturbed by two typically Italian villages, immersed in slumber on the shore of the lake, and a palace - also in the Italian style - with gardens that descend in sharp ledges to the lake. It seems as if Diana did not want to leave this lonely shore and continues to live in the thicket of the forest!
In ancient times, against the backdrop of this forest landscape, the same strange and tragic event played out repeatedly. On the northern shore of the lake, directly below the steep cliffs against which the village of Nemi nestled, there was a sacred grove and sanctuary of the Nemi, or Forest, Diana. The lake and the grove were then known under the name Aritsiysky. But the city of Aricia (now called La Riccia) was located almost five kilometers away, at the foot of the Alban Mountain, and separated by a steep descent from the lake, located in a small funnel-shaped depression on the mountainside. A tree grew in a sacred grove, and around it all day long until late at night a gloomy figure of a man walked with a stealthy gait. He held a naked sword in his hand and looked around carefully, as if he expected an enemy attack at any moment. It was a murderous priest, and the one for whom he was waiting would sooner or later also kill him and take his place. This was the law of the sanctuary. A contender for the position of priest could achieve it in only one way - by killing his predecessor, and he held this position until he was killed by a stronger and more dexterous competitor.