About the author
Sir James George Frazer was born on January 1, 1854, in Glasgow, Scotland. Educated at the University of Glasgow and Trinity College, Cambridge, he dedicated his life to the study of anthropology, comparative religion, and folklore. Frazer became a Fellow of Trinity College in 1879 and remained associated with Cambridge throughout his career, eventually becoming a professor of social anthropology. His magnum opus, "The Golden Bough: A Study in Magic and Religion," first published in two volumes in 1890, grew into a sprawling twelve-volume work by 1915. This monumental study meticulously cataloged and analyzed a vast array of myths, rituals, and magical practices from cultures across the globe, seeking to identify universal patterns in human belief systems. Frazer's work explored themes such as sympathetic magic, the dying and rising god motif, and the evolution of religious thought from magic to religion and finally to science. Frazer's influence was profound, shaping the fields of anthropology, comparative religion, and literary criticism for decades.
💬 What our editors say about James George Frazer's books
“Frazer’s monumental study fundamentally reshaped anthropology by tracing the evolution from archaic magic to scientific reasoning. This Oxford University Press edition is particularly valuable for its restoration of omitted…”
Esoterica Books editorial team, Occult literature desk · on The Golden Bough: A Study in Magic and Religion
