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FRAZ/4/2 · Item · 2 Aug. 1940
Part of Papers of Sir James Frazer

Moor Park Hotel, Chagford, Devon - An 11 pp. letter offering some notes from his researches in philology, considering how primitive speakers contrived to express ideas and things; has recently concluded a study of 1000 Indo-European roots; believes that all of the terms of sorcery fall into three categories: of 'binding', of constraining 'inducement', and of 'manifestations'; goes into detail about each of these categories. He also discusses why he refuses to connect the word Druid with oak, discusses the words uttered in the Eleusinian mysteries, and speculates that the Philistines named cities which the Hebrews then modified; apologises for the 'outrageously long letter', and adds a postscript discussing whether nectar was the drink and ambrosia the food of the gods or vice versa.