Books by J.G. Frazer

Frazer set out to discover the origins of one ancient custom in ancient Rome - the plucking of the Golden Bough from a tree in the sacred grove of Diana - and was led by his investigations into a twenty-five year study of primitive customs, superstitions, magic and myth throughout the world.

Published originally in two volumes in 1890, this extraordinary study of primitive myth and magic, collected from sources around the world, led Frazer to identify parallel patterns of ritual, symbols and belief across many centuries and many different cultures.