Showing 54 results

Aldeburgh - His wife [Phyllis] is reading the second edition of 'The Golden Bough' which prompts him to recall hearing stories of the 'burning of Judas' custom by Spanish and Portuguese ship crews at Bow.

1 Marloes Road, Kensington, W. Dated June 22, 1895 - Refers to a sacrifice being commuted; a 'regular' fire walk in Bulgaria; mentions sulfuric acid 'would do it': this from [Edward] Clodd, who heard it from Sir R. Richardson.

Aldeburgh - Has been to Rome with his wife, went to the Mithraic Temple at San Clemente, had many talks with Father Delaney; writes of the state of religion: thinks the church is stagnating; thinks politicians should take a course in the study of anthropology, adding the study of heredity; thinks Dean Inge in his 'Outspoken Essays' understands the times, and admires his 'Idea of Progress'; Bury's book of the same name claims that 'the number of civilizations which have reached a given stage and gone under, is beyond compute'; agrees that Germany should pay for her 'brigandage' but thinks money should be advanced to pay the miners to dig the coal that France needs; Frazer writes of [Oliver] Lodge and [Arthur Conan] Doyle, and Clodd quotes Sir Bryan Donkin that he classes Doyle among the 'mentally defective'; he is publishing a book 'Magic in Names'; wonders if Frazer is going to supplement 'Folk-Lore in the Old Testament' as Frazer has said that it hung on the issue of a book by a French scholar on the early history of Christianity; asks if Frazer has examined the evidence advanced by Prof. Elliot Smith on the origin of Pre-Columbian civilization, backed by [W. H. R.] Rivers in [A. H.] Keane's Man Past and Present' and quotes [A.C.] Haddon; finds as he gets older the more he values an open mind; the servant problem not helped by the promising house maid who hid her pregnancy and gave birth in the middle of the night.

Aldeburgh - Has been reading ['The Belief in Immortality'?] and comments on the pathetic procession of humanity to the grave in vain hopes of immortality. Thanks them for their visit and hopes to see them in 1925.

Aldeburgh - Agrees that Frazer should be in London; is angry America refused to cancel war debts, gives his low opinion of that country; urges him to complete 'The Worship of Nature'; has just read 'The Pagan Background of Christianity' by [Sir William Reginald] Halliday, has seen a review of [Edward Gordon Selwyn's] 'Essays Catholic and Critical' in which Stanhope calls Catholicism a ‘treacherous institution’; is critical of the Anglo-Catholics as well; says Inge in his 'Outspoken Essays' isn’t clear enough on whether he believes in personal survival; Thomas Hardy writes that Radiant Religion is entering a back current; for himself the only child of his elder daughter has died and there is no consolation to the sorrow.

Strafford House, Aldeburgh, Suffolk - Thanks him for his copy 'The Gorgon's Head', is looking forward to light reading during his convalescence; has given Marett's 'The Diffusion of Culture' to Sir Hugh Clifford, who rejects Elliot Smith's 'wild theory'; Elliot Smith has resigned from Folklore Society because President Myers attacked his theory.

Aldeburgh - Shares his thoughts on reading 'The Worship of Nature': muses on the universe in his breakfast egg, refers to Barcroft’s lecture on the mystery of how eggs came into being; quotes the 'Punch' Einstein limerick; refers to Dr Gann’s discovery in the Yucatan, and Sir Aurel Stein’s excavations in Central Asia; doesn’t think they will strengthen Elliot Smith and Perry’s diffusion theory; refers to the festival of Ucharal as described in [Edgar] Thurston’s 'Omens and Superstitions of Southern India' and ‘droit du Seigneur’ in Coulton’s 'Medieval Village'. Mentions a fierce storm in November and subsequent flooding in Aldeburgh.

Aldeburgh - Is surprised to hear he has never been to Brussels; comments on the political situation, thinks the League of Nations, like Socialism can only succeed when human nature alters; worries about unrest in the East after the defeat of Russia by Japan; saw [W. H. R.] Rivers while he was at [A. C.] Haddon's, and mentioned his championship of Elliot Smith's theory of diffusion; gets much attention from spiritualists sending brochures, etc., has agreed to review a 'huge and repellent book' of exudations of 'psychic matter'; wishes Frazer could have noticed his book ['Magic in a Name'] in the 'Observer'.

Highgarth, Gloucester - Received his letter [raising points in his review of GB], and admits that he was working from faulty memory as well; discusses religion vs magic in Australia, quoting [Alfred] Howitt who quotes [Samuel] Gason; has no wish for controversy with Frazer; 'mildly protests' that he did not question the authenticity of the Acts of St Dasius gratuitously, if it is established then the Abruzzian custom mentioned by Canon Pullen to Grant Allen, for which [Edward] Clodd got into hot water for repeating would be corroborated; doesn't think it would be wise to memorialize the Queensland Government to publish [Henry] Roth's collections, suggest [Alfred] Haddon phrase it in the most general terms.

Aldeburgh - Thanks him for the copy of the translation of Apollodorus, and admires it; gives some information on the 'canker', a field-poppy in Suffolk dialect; is not working on anything at the moment.

Aldeburgh - Thanks him for [Paul-Louis] Couchoud's pamphlet ['L'Énigme de Jésus']; has been reading 'The Melody of God' [by Desmond Chapman-Huston] containing an alternate life of Jesus, reflects that [J. M.] Robertson, [A.] Drews, and W. B. Smith leave him unconvinced about the historical Jesus, and quotes Salomon Reinach on the point; will talk over the Couchoud pamphlet and Flinders Petrie's 'Social Life in Ancient Egypt' with [George] Whale; have just returned from Italy; [A. C.] Haddon sails for Australia on 30 June.

Aldeburgh, Suffolk - Concerning the translation of Paul Couchoud's 'L'Énigme de Jésus': Mrs Whale has agreed to translate it and the Rationalist Press Association will publish it if Frazer will write the introduction.

Aldeburgh - Thanks him for 'Selected Passages from his Works'; reminisces about Frazer meeting [Sir Alfred] Lyall, Ray Lankester, [Sir Frederick] Pollock and [James Allanson] Picton in 1905 when they rowed to Oxford; and a visit the Frazers paid in 1910 in company with [Thomas] Hardy 'and his present wife' [Florence], [John Bagnell] Bury, and Sutherland Black, and when he was summoned to town on Holman Hunt's death; the 'Literary Review' has a review of Paul Couchoud's book ['L'Énigme de Jésus'?] by Thomas Whittaker; quotes the Einstein limerick starting, 'There was a young lady named Bright'.

Strafford House, Aldeburgh, Suffolk - Thanks him for the poem he sent with his Christmas card.

Trinity College, Cambridge. Dated 25th July 1924 - Thanks him for his [published Frazer] lecture ['Immigrants and their Influence in the Lake Region of Central Africa']; Edward Clodd suggested seeing if the Geographical Expedition would fund a second expedition, and saw [Arthur] Hinks, who also mentioned the Boundary Commission going to Lake Rudolph and Abyssinia; mentions that Lilly has eagerly taken up the idea for another expedition and should not be surprised if she succeeds in organizing and financing it 'as well as she did the first; for we owe the Mackie fund entirely to her'; they have sold Lanfine.

19 Carleton Road, Tufnell Park, N. Dated 31/10/96 - Quotes a letter from Thomas Hardy about a bit of 'Wessex' folklore, causing a tree to wither by looking at it on an empty stomach.

Strafford House, Aldeburgh, Suffolk. Dated 5/11/05 - Thanks him for 'Lectures on the Early History of the Kingship', and makes suggestions for further sources to consult, concerning rain charms and love-philtres.

Strafford House, Aldeburgh, Suffolk. Dated 30/9/06 - Thanks him for 'Adonis, Attis and Osiris', and makes suggestions for further sources to consult, concerning examples of dismembered gods and the propitiation of slain animals; quotes a letter from Edwin Pears about Rhodes; remarks on the interpretation of data in and through the processes of spiritual Evolution; [Henry Thomas?] Buckle had glimmerings but was 'just pre-Darwinian, and there lies the dividing line marking the profound Revolution'; found [E. B.] Tylor in broken health two months back.

Strafford House, Aldeburgh, Suffolk. Dated 10/7/10 - Describes his travels: particularly enjoyed Rothenberg, and cities in southern Spain; sent one of his copies of 'Totemism' to Sir Hugh Clifford; his review in the 'Nation' contained discussion of the sub-incision to stop procreation but was censored; hears [N. W.] Thomas will review the book in 'Folk-Lore'; promises to not send any more letters from [Andrew] Lang, but defends him as lacking malice; Clifford said he enjoyed 'Adonis, Attis' and would like them to meet.

Strafford House, Aldeburgh, Suffolk. Dated 12/3/11 - Thanks him for the new instalment of 'The Golden Bough', third edition; has written an article on 'Totemism' for the 'Quarterly' and has given his opinion that Andrew Lang's theories are more satisfactory than others.

Strafford House, Aldeburgh, Suffolk. Dated 21 May 1911 - Thanks him for part II of the third edition of 'The Golden Bough'; regrets the death of Sir Alfred Lyall.

Strafford House, Aldeburgh, Suffolk. Dated 23/6/12 - Thanks him for Cowper's 'Letters'; has not read Robertson Smith's 'Life' [by J. S. Black and G. W. Chrystal] in detail but thinks too much space is given to the heresy-hunting story.

Strafford House, Aldeburgh, Suffolk [dictated to his wife Phyllis] - Is glad to hear that all went well [at the gathering in Frazer's honour in the Old Combination Room at Trinity College] and that they included Theodore Morison, wishes them good luck on the trip to Switzerland, his recovery is a tedious business.

Thanks him for 'The Gorgon's Head', notes that [Edwin Sidney] Hartland's death was a release from three years of paralysis.

Strafford House, Aldeburgh, Suffolk. Dated 14/7/12 - Thanks him again for a volume from the third edition of 'The Golden Bough'; [John Bagnell?] Bury was to visit when Sir Edwin Pears was there but was too unwell to come.

Strafford House, Aldeburgh, Suffolk. Dated 21/3/13 - Thanks him for ['The Belief in Immortality'] and suggests another map of the land of shades, and cites Duncan MacDougall's work on the weight of the soul in a book by Edward Carpenter; suggests he meet Sir Mortimer Durand while he visits, an authority on Oriental customs and ideas; was pleased to see his tribute to [Andrew] Lang.

St. Keyne's Cambridge. Dated 23 March 1913 - Thanks him for his kind letter [about 'The Belief in Immortality'], which will help him 'bear with equanimity the thunder of the theological guns when they open fire on me'; declines the offer to send the book with the statistics of the weight of the soul [Duncan McDougall quoted in Edward Carpenter's 'Drama of Love and Death']; declines the invitation to visit, does not want to leave his wife. With a typescript footnote identifying Frazer's book.

Strafford House, Aldeburgh, Suffolk. Dated 28/9/13 - Thanks him again for the book, picks up on the significance of questioning the authority of Jesus in demonology; [John Bagnell] Bury's health is bad, recommends his 'History of the Freedom of Thought', particularly the sentence 'the Greeks, fortunately, had no Bible.'

Strafford House, Aldeburgh, Suffolk. Dated 21/12/13 - Is happy Grant Allen commanded him to read 'The Golden Bough' and values not only the book but the author; thanks him for ['The Serpent and the Tree of Life']. Accompanied by a typed footnote identifying the book.

Strafford House, Aldeburgh, Suffolk. Dated 3/4/15 - Thanks him for the Addison book; encloses a cutting on 'Adonis, Attis and Osiris' [not transcribed] and suggests Frazer send a correction to 'The Times'.