《金枝》是一部卷帙浩繁，包罗万象的古典人类学巨著。它对早期人类巫术、宗教、仪式和思维等方面进行了全面、深入的研究。在本书中，弗雷泽表达的核心观点就是：我们目前所了解的一切人类较不错的思想活动，都经历了“巫术一宗教一科学的发展过程”。弗雷泽及其《金枝》的影响是深远和广泛的，在人类探索自身文明及其发展方面，弗雷泽永远是一座令人仰望的丰碑。

詹姆斯·乔治·弗雷泽，享誉世界的人类学家、英国民族学家、宗教史学家、早期进化学派人类学的代表人物之一。英国皇家学会会员、英国科学院院士。

导读
— 001 —
PREFACE
— 001 —
CHAPTER I THE KING OF THE WOOD
— 003 —
§1. Diana and Virbius.
— 003 —
§2. Artemis and Hippolytus.
— 014 —
§3. Recapitulation.
— 016 —
CHAPTER II PRIESTLY KINGS
— 019 —
CHAPTER III SYMPATHETIC MAGIC
— 023 —
§1. The Principles of Magic.
— 023 —
§2. Homoeopathic or Imitative Magic.
— 026 —
§3. Contagious Magic.
— 067 —
§4. The Magician’s Progress.
— 080 —
CHAPTER IV MAGIC AND RELIGION
— 086 —
……
§3. The Transference to Men.
— 913 —
§4. The Transference of Evil in Europe.
— 915 —
CHAPTER LVI THE PUBLIC EXPULSION OF EVILS
— 921 —
§1. The Omnipresence of Demons.
— 921 —
§2. The Occasional Expulsion of Evils.
— 922 —
§3. The Periodic Expulsion of Evils.
— 928 —
CHAPTER LVII PUBLIC SCAPEGOATS
— 946 —
§1. The Expulsion of Embodied Evils.
— 946 —
§2. The Occasional Expulsion of Evils in a Material Vehicle.
— 948 —
§3. The Periodic Expulsion of Evils in a Material Vehicle.
— 952 —
§4. On Scapegoats in General.
— 965 —
CHAPTER LVIII HUMAN SCAPEGOATS IN CLASSICAL ANTIQUITY
— 970 —
§1. The Human Scapegoat in Ancient Rome.
— 970 —
§2. The Human Scapegoat in Ancient Greece.
— 971 —
§3. The Roman Saturnalia.
— 979 —
CHAPTER LIX KILLING THE GOD IN MEXICO
— 986 —
CHAPTER LX BETWEEN HEAVEN AND EARTH
— 995 —
§1. Not to touch the Earth.
— 995 —
§2. Not to see the Sun.
— 999 —
§3. The Seclusion of Girls at Puberty.
— 1000 —
§4. Reasons for the Seclusion of Girls at Puberty.
— 1012 —
CHAPTER LXI THE MYTH OF BALDER
— 1019 —
CHAPTER LXII THE FIRE-FESTIVALS OF EUROPE
— 1022 —
§1. The Fire-festivals in general.
— 1022 —
§2. The Lenten Fires.
— 1023 —
§3. The Easter Fires.
— 1031 —
§4. The Beltane Fires.
— 1035 —
§5. The Midsummer Fires.
— 1042 —
§6. The Hallowe’en Fires.
— 1059 —
§7. The Midwinter Fires.
— 1065 —
§8. The Need-fire.
— 1068 —
CHAPTER LXIII THE INTERPRETATION OF THE FIRE- FESTIVALS
— 1074 —
§1. On the Fire-festivals in general.
— 1074 —
§2. The Solar Theory of the Fire-festivals.
— 1076 —
§3. The Purificatory Theory of the Fire-festivals.
— 1083 —
CHAPTER LXIV THE BURNING OF HUMAN BEINGS IN THE FIRES
— 1088 —
§I. The Burning of Effigies in the Fires.
— 1088 —
§2. The Burning of Men and Animals in the Fires.
— 1090 —
CHAPTER LXV BALDER AND THE MISTLETOE
— 1102 —
CHAPTER LXVI THE EXTERNAL SOUL IN FOLK-TALES
— 1117 —
CHAPTER LXVII THE EXTERNAL SOUL IN FOLK-CUSTOM
— 1135 —
§1. The External Soul in Inanimate Things.
— 1135 —
§2. The External Soul in Plants.
— 1139 —
§3. The External Soul in Animals.
— 1141 —
§4. The Ritual of Death and Resurrection.
— 1155 —
CHAPTER LXVIII THE GOLDEN BOUGH
— 1169 —
CHAPTER LXIX FAREWELL TO NEMI
— 1184 —
术语汇编与简释
— 1191 —