The Golden Bough: A Study in Magic and Religion (Third Edition, Vol. 04 of 12)

"The Golden Bough: A Study in Magic and Religion" by James George Frazer is a deep dive into ancient religious ideas, looking at how they all connect, especially the idea of divine kings. The book explores how old cultures thought about death and rebirth in myths. It focuses on the idea that kings were sometimes killed as part of religious rituals to keep things prosperous for their people, exploring the belief that a king's energy was directly tied to everyone's success. Frazer begins by considering the idea of gods dying and the tradition of killing kings, suggesting it was all about renewing power. Through examples such as the Shilluk people's beliefs, he shows how ideas about magic and kingship shaped societies in the ancient world, setting the stage for a broader look at these practices across different civilizations.