The Golden Bough. Magic and Religion from Ancient Myths to the Celebration of Death

In 1890, British anthropologist James George Frazer published a study that immediately became a global sensation. The scholar systematized a vast amount of folklore and mythological material and made an invaluable contribution to the study of totemism, nature worship, and beliefs in the afterlife. What was the worldview of primitive man like? What unites the ancient customs, rituals, and superstitions of different peoples? How have burial practices and attitudes toward death changed over the centuries? In the first part of his famous work, Frazer unfolds a tapestry of beliefs from around the world – from the cult of the goddess Diana to the worship of death, constructing a fundamental theory of magic and religion.

"Engaging in public magic contributed to the liberation of humanity from the enslaving power of tradition and led to a freer life, to a broader view of the world. Magic paved the way for science; it was the child of delusion and at the same time – the mother of freedom and truth." (James George Frazer)