The Golden Bough: A Study in Magic and Religion (Third Edition, Vol. 02 of 12)

[Sidenote: The Vestal fire and the great priesthoods appear to have been institutions common to the whole Latin race.] Thus it appears that a variety of considerations combined...

[Sidenote: Great forests of ancient Europe.] In the religious history of the Aryan race in Europe the worship of trees has played an important part. Nothing could be more natura...

[Sidenote: Dramatic marriages of gods and goddesses as a charm to promote vegetation.] In the last chapter we saw that according to a widespread belief, which is not without a f...

[Sidenote: Recapitulation.] In this chapter I propose to recapitulate the conclusions to which the enquiry has thus far led us, and drawing together the scattered rays of light,...

[Sidenote: May-trees in Europe.] From the foregoing review of the beneficent qualities commonly ascribed to tree-spirits, it is easy to understand why customs like the May-tree...

[Sidenote: The Latin kings represented Jupiter, the god of the oak, the sky, the thunder, and the rain.] In a preceding chapter some reasons were given for thinking that the ear...

[Sidenote: Similarity between the fire-customs of the Herero and the ancient Latins.] The reader may remember that the preceding account of the fire-customs of the Herero was in...

[Sidenote: Egeria at Nemi a nymph of water and of the oak, perhaps a form of Diana.] From the foregoing survey of custom and legend we may infer that the sacred marriage of the...

[Sidenote: The early Italians were as much a pastoral as an agricultural people, and their kings would be expected to ensure the safety and fecundity of the flocks and herds.] I...

[Sidenote: The marriage of the King and Queen of May intended to promote the growth of vegetation by homoeopathic magic.] From the preceding examination of the spring and summer...

[Sidenote: Mode of rekindling the Vestal fire at Rome by means of the fire-drill.] In historical times, whenever the Vestal fire at Rome happened to be extinguished, the virgins...

[Sidenote: The custom of maintaining a perpetual fire probably originated in the difficulty of making fire by friction.] Whatever superstitions may have gathered about it in the...

[Sidenote: Sacred Marriage of the Fire-god with a woman.] Thus far we have dealt mainly with those instances of the Sacred Marriage in which a human being is wedded to the divin...

The preceding investigation has proved that the same [Sidenote: Departmental kings of nature.] union of sacred functions with a royal title which meets us in the King of the Woo...

Stones tied to trees to make them bear fruit, i. 140; oaths upon, 160 _sq._; homoeopathic magic of, 160 _sqq._; employed to make fruits and crops grow, 162 _sqq._; precious, hom...

Twins, i. 145; in war, 49 _n._ 3; taboos laid on parents of, 262, 263 _sq._; supposed to possess magical powers, especially over the weather and rain, 262-269; supposed to be sa...

_TIMES._—“The verdict of posterity will probably be that _The Golden Bough_ influenced the attitude of the human mind towards supernatural beliefs and symbolical rituals more pr...

Witches raising the wind, i. 322, 326; buried under trees, ii. 32; steal milk on May Day or Walpurgis Night, 52 _sqq._; steal milk on Midsummer Eve, 127; steal milk on Eve of St...

§ 1. _Diana as a Goddess of Fertility_—Dramatic marriages of gods and goddesses as a charm to promote vegetation; Diana as a goddess of the woodlands; sanctity of holy groves in...

The sacred functions of Latin kings in general probably the same as those of the Roman kings; question of the rule of succession to the Latin kingship; list of Alban kings; list...

§ 1. _The Diffusion of the Oak in Europe_—Jupiter the god of the oak, the sky, and thunder; of these attributes the oak is probably primary and the sky and thunder secondary; Eu...

The early Italians a pastoral as well as agricultural people; the shepherds’ festival of the Parilia on 21st April; intention of the festival to ensure the welfare of the flocks...

§ 1. _Tree-spirits_—Great forests of ancient Europe; tree-worship practised by all Aryan races in Europe; trees regarded as animate; tree-spirits, sacrifices to trees; trees sen...

§ 1. _Numa and Egeria_—Egeria a nymph of water and the oak, perhaps a form of Diana; marriage of Numa and Egeria a reminiscence of the marriage of the King of Rome to a goddess...

May-trees in Europe, especially England; May-garlands in England; May customs in France, Germany, and Greece; Whitsuntide customs in Russia; May-trees in Germany and Sweden; Mid...

Similarity between the fire-customs of the Herero and the ancient Latins; rites performed by the Vestals for the fertility of the earth and the fecundity of cattle; the Vestals...

The marriage of the King and Queen of May intended to promote the growth of vegetation by homoeopathic magic; intercourse of the sexes practised to make the crops grow and fruit...

Recapitulation: rise of sacred kings endowed with magical or divine powers; the King of the Wood at Nemi seems to have personified Jupiter the god of the oak and to have mated w...

Vestal fire at Rome rekindled by the fire-drill; use of the fire-drill by savages; the fire-sticks regarded by savages as male and female; fire-customs of the Herero; sacred fir...

Sacred marriage of the Fire-god with a woman; legends of the birth of Latin kings from Vestal Virgins impregnated by the fire; Vestal Virgins as wives of the Fire-god; the Vesta...

Custom of perpetual fires probably originated in motives of convenience; races reported to be ignorant of the means of making fire; fire probably used by men before they knew ho...