The Golden Bough - a Study in Magic and Religion JG Frazer, 1933 w Illustr JMW Turner Early copy

The Golden Bough: A Study in Magic and Religion is a well-known book by the Scottish anthropologist Sir JG Frazer, who attempted to define the shared elements of religious belief and scientific thought, discussing fertility rites, human sacrifice, the dying god, the scapegoat, and many other symbols and practices whose influences had extended into 20th-century culture.^[2] He believed that old religions were fertility cults that revolved around the worship and periodic sacrifice of a sacred king. Frazer proposed that mankind progresses from magic through religious belief to scientific thought.

Frontispiece by JMW Turner - Frazer's thesis was developed in relation to J. M. W. Turner's painting of The Golden Bough, a sacred grove where a certain tree grew day and night. It was a transfigured landscape in a dream-like vision of the woodland lake of Nemi, "Diana's Mirror", where religious ceremonies and the "fulfillment of vows" of priests and kings were held.^[3]Publisher: Macmillan, 1933 The book's title was taken from an incident in the Aeneid, illustrated by Turner, in which Aeneas and the Sibyl present the golden bough to the gatekeeper of Hades to gain admission. (Wiki) Very good condition! Feel free to make any offer that suits you. See other exciting books from Safari Obscura.