The Golden Bough. A Study in Magic and Religion. Part 2. Taboo and the Perils of the Soul


Read by Leon Harvey

(5 stars; 1 review)

The third volume of The Golden Bough. The term Taboo is one of the very few words which the English language has borrowed from the speech of savages. This volume examines the underlying moral code of many societies, both primitive and medieval, and with modern analogies. The reader is encouraged to contemplate the contradictions, inconsistencies, and absurdities, not merely between different people of different countries and ages, but also between similar people within the same countries. Frazer presents extensive evidence that the laws of morality slowly, but subtly, are in an ever changing state. - Summary by Leon Harvey (14 hr 17 min)

Chapters

PREFACE 7:44 Read by Leon Harvey
I - THE BURDEN OF ROYALTY - 1. Royal and Priestly Taboos, Life of divine kings and priests regulated by minute rules, rules of life observed by the Mikado, and by kings and priests in Africa and America, intention of these rules, taboos observed by African kings and others, by Irish kings, by Egyptian kings, by chiefs in Burma, by the Flamen Dialis at Rome, by the Bodia of Sierra Leone, and by sacred milkmen among the Todas. 2. Divorce of the Spiritualfrom the Temporal Power, Reluctance to accept sovereign… 49:29 Read by Leon Harvey
II - THE PERILS OF THE SOUL - PART 1. 1.The Soul as a Mannikin. Primitive conception of the soul as a mannikin, in Australia, America, and among the Malays, in ancient Egypt, in Nias, Fiji, and India. 2. Absence and Recall of the Soul. Attempts to prevent the soul from escaping from the body, Tying the soul in the body, The soul as a bird ready to fly away, The soul absent from the body in sleep and prevented from returning, Danger of suddenly awaking a sleeper or altering his appearance, Absence of the so… 1:02:51 Read by Leon Harvey
II - THE PERILS OF THE SOUL - Part 2. Abduction of souls by demons and gods, Lost souls brought back in a visible form, Soul recovered from the earth, Recovery of the soul in ancient Egypt, Souls stolen or detained by sorcerers, Souls taken by head-hunters, Abduction of souls by Malay wizards, Souls extracted from the stomachs of doctors. 37:17 Read by Leon Harvey
II - THE PERILS OF THE SOUL - Part 3. 3. The Soul as a Shadow and a Reflection, A man's soul conceived as his shadow, so that he can be injured through it, Animals also injured through their shadows, Danger of being overshadowed by certain persons, The savage's dread of his mother-in-law, Health and strength supposed to vary with the length of the shadow, Fear of the resemblance of a child to its parents, Shadows of people built into foundations to strengthen them, Foundation sacrifices, Deification of a m… 43:48 Read by Leon Harvey
III — TABOOED ACTS - 1. Taboos on Intercourse with Strangers, Rules of life observed by sacred kings are based on primitive conceptions of the soul, Effect of these rules to isolate the king, Savage dread of the magic arts of strangers, Various modes of disenchanting strangers, Disenchantment effected by stinging ants, pungent spices, and cuts with knives, Ceremonies observed at the reception of strangers perhaps intended to counteract their enchantments, Ceremonies at entering a strange land to disenchant… 57:40 Read by Leon Harvey
IV — TABOOED PERSONS - PART 1. 1. Chiefs and Kings tabooed, Disastrous results supposed to follow from usin^the dishes of a sacred personage, Sacred persons regarded as a source of danger to others, Taboo of chiefs and kings in Tonga, Touching for the King's Evil, Fatal effects of contact with Maori chiefs, Other examples of death by imagination. 2. Mounters tabooed, Taboos observed by sacred persons resemble those observed by unclean persons, such as manslayers and menstruous women, Taboos laid on persons… 1:05:31 Read by Leon Harvey
IV — TABOOED PERSONS - PART 2. 5. Manslayers tabooed, Taboos laid on warriors who have slain foes, Seclusion of manslayers in the East Indies and New Guinea, The manslayer unclean, The ghosts of the slain driven away, Precautions taken by executioners against the ghosts of their victims, Seclusion and purification of manslayers in African tribes, Precautions taken by Australian manslayers against the ghosts of their victims, Seclusion of manslayers in Polynesia, Seclusion and purification of manslayers amo… 50:13 Read by Leon Harvey
IV — TABOOED PERSONS - PART 3. 6. Hunters and Fishers tabooed, Taboos observed by hunters and fishers probably dictated by a fear of the spirits of the animals or fish, Taboos observed as a preparation for whaling, fishing, and hunting, Taboos observed at the hatching and pairing of silkworms, Taboos observed by fishermen in Uganda, Taboos observed by hunters in Nias, Continence observed by fishers and hunters apparently based on a fear of offending the fish and animals, Chastity observed by American India… 1:14:00 Read by Leon Harvey
V — TABOOED THINGS. PART 1. 1. The Meaning of Taboo. Taboos of holiness agree with taboos of pollution Because the savage does not distinguish between holiness and pollution, The principles of taboo to be further illustrated by tabooed things and tabooed words. 2. Iron tabooed. The bodies of kings not to be touched, especially with iron, The use of iron forbidden to kings and priests, Use of iron forbidden at circumcision, childbirth, and other rites and seasons, Use of iron forbidden in building, The tabo… 1:04:28 Read by Leon Harvey
V — TABOOED THINGS. PART 2. 6. Hair tabooed. Hair of kings, priests, and other tabooed persons kept unshorn, Hair kept unshorn on various occasions, such as a wife's pregnancy, a journey, and war, Hair unshorn during a vow, Nails of children not pared, Children's hair left unshorn as a refuge for their souls. 7. Ceremonies at Hair-cutting. Ceremonies at hair-cutting in Fiji, New Zealand, and Cambodia, Ceremonies at cutting the hair of Siamese children. 8. Disposal of Cut Hair and Nails. Belief that people … 58:37 Read by Leon Harvey
V — TABOOED THINGS. PART 3. 9. Spittle tabooed. Belief that people maybe bewitched through their spittle, Hence precautions taken by persons, especially by chiefs and kings, to prevent their spittle from falling into the hands of sorcerers, Use of spittle in making a covenant. 10. Foods tabooed. Certain foods tabooed to sacred persons, such as kings and priests, These taboos probably based on the same motive which underlies the whole system of taboo.11. Knots and Rings tabooed. Knots and rings not worn by … 1:03:34 Read by Leon Harvey
VI — TABOOED WORDS. PART 1. 1. Personal Names tabooed. The personal name regarded by the savage as a vital part of himself through which he can be magically injured, Personal names kept secret from fear of sorcery among the Australian aborigines, In Egypt, Africa, Asia, and the East Indies, And among the American Indians, Some savages, though they will not mention their own names, will invite others to do so for them, The prohibition to mention personal names is sometimes only temporary, In order to avoid … 1:02:54 Read by Leon Harvey
VI — TABOOED WORDS. PART 2. 3. Names of the Dead tabooed. Names of the dead not mentioned by the Australian aborigines, the American Indians, and other peoples, The taboo based on a fear of the ghosts, From a like fear namesakes of the dead change their names, Sometimes all the near relations of the deceased change their names, When the name of the deceased is that of a common object, the word is often dropped in ordinary speech and another substituted for it, Modification of savage languages produced by t… 51:33 Read by Leon Harvey
VI — TABOOED WORDS. PART 3. 4. Names of Kings and other Sacred Persons tabooed. Birthnames of kings tabooed, Names of Zulu chiefs and kings tabooed, Names of living kings and chiefs tabooed in Madagascar, Names of dead kings and chiefs tabooed in Madagascar, Names of chiefs tabooed in Polynesia, Names of Eleusinian priests tabooed, Names of members of the Yewe order in Togo tabooed, The utterance of the names of gods and spirit supposed to disturb the course of nature, Winter and summer names of the Kwakiu… 38:01 Read by Leon Harvey
VI — TABOOED WORDS. PART 4. 6. Common Words tabooed. Common words tabooed by Highland fowlers, fishermen, and others, Common words, especially the names of dangerous animals, tabooed in various parts of Europe, Names of various animals tabooed in Siberia, Kamtchatka, and America, Names of animals and things tabooed by Arabs, Africans, and Malagasy, Names of animals tabooed in India, Names of animals and things tabooed in Indo-China, The camphor language in the East Indies, Special language used by Malay mi… 58:01 Read by Leon Harvey
VII — OUR DEPT TO THE SAVAGE. General conclusion. Human gods obliged to observe many taboos for their own good and that of their people, These taboos identical with those observed by common people from motives of prudence, A study of these rules afford an insight into the philosophy of the savage, our debt to our savage forefathers. 7:52 Read by Leon Harvey
Note — Not to step over Persons and Things. 4:11 Read by Leon Harvey