Spirits of the Corn and of the Wild, Part 2

The Golden Bough #8

by James George Frazer

This Elibron Classics book is a facsimile reprint of a 1920 edition by Macmillan and Co., Ltd., London.

Paperback

First published January 1, 1919

About the author

Sir James George Frazer was a Scottish social anthropologist influential in the early stages of the modern studies of mythology and comparative religion. His most famous work, The Golden Bough (1890), documents and details the similarities among magical and religious beliefs around the globe. Frazer posited that human belief progressed through three stages: primitive magic, replaced by religion, in turn replaced by science.
He was married to the writer & translator Lilly Grove (Lady Frazer)

Reviews

[Mac · Rating 5 out of 5]

The eighth of twelve volumes, Spirits of the Corn and the Wild, II was one of the best so far in the "Golden Bough" series. I enjoyed it more than any since the first one or two books. In this book, rather than gods associated with fertility (which were his topic in Spirits of the Corn and the Wild, I), James G. Frazer discusses how people have seen animals and plants as symbols. He stays more focused on the topic at hand, and as a result is able to develop his points more effectively.