The Golden Bough

Frazer's innovative and controversial 1890 examination of classical religion, and of the place of human sacrifice in cultures worldwide.

This controversial work by Sir James Frazer (1854–1941) is widely considered to be one of the most important early texts in the fields of psychology and anthropology. Applying the techniques of comparative ethnography to classical religion, the 1890 first edition discusses the place of human sacrifice in cultures worldwide.This work by Sir James Frazer (1854–1941) is widely considered to be one of the most important early texts in the fields of psychology and anthropology. At the same time, by applying modern methods of comparative ethnography to the classical world, and revealing the superstition and irrationality beneath the surface of classical culture, and also by examining Christianity using the same techniques, it was extremely controversial. Frazer was greatly influenced by E. B. Tylor's Primitive Culture (also reissued in this series), and by the work of the biblical scholar William Robertson Smith, to whom the first edition is dedicated. That edition, reissued here, was published in two volumes in 1890; the third edition, greatly enlarged to twelve volumes, and published between 1911 and 1915, is also available in this series. Volume 1 considers the motif of the ritual murder of the priest/king in classical mythology.