'Golden Bough. A Study in Magic and Religion. Part 3. The Dying God' Summary

At the heart of "The Dying God" lies the enigmatic figure of the King of the Wood at Nemi, a sacred grove in ancient Italy. Frazer unravels the mystery surrounding this figure, who was believed to embody a divine spirit and was regularly killed by his successor. Delving into the practices of human sacrifice, Frazer argues that the death of the king was a ritual reenactment of the death of a god, symbolizing the cyclical nature of life and the renewal of the divine. Frazer's analysis extends beyond Nemi, encompassing a wide range of cultures and time periods. He examines the killing of divine kings in ancient Egypt, Greece, and India, as well as the sacrificial rituals of the Aztecs and other indigenous peoples. Through these comparisons, Frazer seeks to uncover the universal patterns and beliefs that underlie human religious practices.