batch.motif.comparative-golden-bough-volume-1-frazer-gutenberg-l1007-l1027
---
record_id: batch.motif.comparative-golden-bough-volume-1-frazer-gutenberg-l1007-l1027
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/comparative/project-gutenberg/golden-bough-volume-1-frazer.md
passage_locator:
label: PREFACE. / J. G. FRAZER. / CHAPTER I. THE KING OF THE WOOD. / MACAULAY.;
lines 1007-1027
start: '1007'
end: '1027'
translation: 'The Golden Bough: A Study in Comparative Religion (Vol. 1 of 2)'
notes: Generated from OpenAI Batch run motif-extraction-2026-04-28-high-priority;
human review required.
canonical_text:
quote: ''
summary: Frazer describes an early religious notion in which gods and humans are
viewed as beings of similar order. In this framework a human may be regarded as
divine or supernatural, either through temporary inspiration or possession, associated
with divination and prophecy, or through permanent divine indwelling, associated
with expected miracle-working. He adds that miracles are here understood not as
violations of natural law but as unusually striking manifestations of a common
power.
language: English
quote_policy: summarized
literal_observations:
- id: obs:1
text: The passage states that the notion of a man-god or human being with divine
or supernatural powers belongs to an earlier stage of religious history.
category: other
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: obs:2
text: The passage contrasts an earlier view in which gods and humans are of much
the same order with a later view that separates them by an impassable gulf.
category: relationship
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: obs:3
text: The passage says incarnate gods are common in what it calls rude society.
category: other
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- id: obs:4
text: The passage distinguishes temporary incarnation from permanent incarnation.
category: sequence
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- ev:4
- id: obs:5
text: Temporary incarnation is identified with inspiration or possession and is
said to reveal itself chiefly through supernatural knowledge.
category: attribute
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- id: obs:6
text: Divination and prophecy are named as usual manifestations of temporary incarnation.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- id: obs:7
text: Permanent incarnation is described as a divine spirit taking up its abode
in a human body.
category: relationship
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- id: obs:8
text: A permanently incarnate god-man is said to be expected to work miracles.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- id: obs:9
text: The passage says miracles, at this stage of thought, are not understood as
breaches of natural law.
category: other
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
- id: obs:10
text: The passage defines a miracle for primitive man as an unusually striking manifestation
of a common power.
category: other
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
figures:
- id: fig:1
name_or_label: man-god or god-man
description: A human being regarded as endowed with divine or supernatural powers,
or as a god incarnate in human form.
role_refs:
- role:1
- role:3
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:2
- ev:4
- id: fig:2
name_or_label: early man
description: The generalized human subject who views gods and humans as beings of
similar order and accepts the idea of a god incarnate in human form.
role_refs:
- role:2
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:2
- id: fig:3
name_or_label: divine spirit
description: The divine presence that may permanently take up abode in a human body.
role_refs:
- role:4
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- id: fig:4
name_or_label: primitive man
description: The generalized human subject who does not conceive natural law and
therefore does not understand miracles as breaches of it.
role_refs:
- role:5
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
roles:
- id: role:1
label: incarnate divine human
assigned_to:
- fig:1
basis: The passage describes a man-god, god-man, or god incarnate in human form.
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:2
- id: role:2
label: acceptor of human-divine continuity
assigned_to:
- fig:2
basis: Early man is described as seeing a man-god as having a higher degree of powers
also attributed to humans.
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:2
- id: role:3
label: miracle-working god-man
assigned_to:
- fig:1
basis: When the incarnation is permanent, the god-man is expected to vindicate his
character by working miracles.
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- id: role:4
label: indwelling divine presence
assigned_to:
- fig:3
basis: The divine spirit is said to take up abode permanently in a human body.
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- id: role:5
label: non-natural-law interpreter of miracles
assigned_to:
- fig:4
basis: Primitive man is said not to conceive natural law and therefore not to conceive
a breach of it.
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
symbols: []
scenes:
- id: scene:1
label: Human-divine continuity in early religious thought
summary: The passage describes an early religious outlook in which gods and humans
are not sharply separated, allowing the idea of a human with divine or supernatural
powers.
figure_refs:
- fig:1
- fig:2
symbol_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:2
- id: scene:2
label: Temporary incarnation as inspiration or possession
summary: Temporary incarnation is described as inspiration or possession, manifested
mainly in supernatural knowledge, divination, and prophecy.
figure_refs:
- fig:1
symbol_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- id: scene:3
label: Permanent incarnation and miracles
summary: Permanent incarnation is described as the divine spirit dwelling in a human
body, with the god-man expected to work miracles.
figure_refs:
- fig:1
- fig:3
symbol_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- id: scene:4
label: Miracle understood without natural-law violation
summary: The passage explains that miracles are not understood as breaches of natural
law in this stage of thought, but as striking displays of a common power.
figure_refs:
- fig:4
symbol_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
candidate_motifs:
- id: motif:1
label: Human being endowed with divine or supernatural power
taxonomy_refs: []
basis: The passage explicitly describes a man-god or human being endowed with divine
or supernatural powers.
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:2
confidence: high
cautions: The passage is Frazer's comparative-theoretical description rather than
a narrative example from a specific tradition.
- id: motif:2
label: Temporary divine possession producing prophecy or divination
taxonomy_refs: []
basis: Temporary incarnation is identified with inspiration or possession and linked
to supernatural knowledge, divination, and prophecy.
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
confidence: high
cautions: The passage gives a general typology and does not describe a specific
possession episode.
- id: motif:3
label: Permanent indwelling of a divine spirit in a human body
taxonomy_refs: []
basis: Permanent incarnation is described as a divine spirit taking up abode in
a human body.
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
confidence: high
cautions: The passage does not name a specific deity, ritual office, or tradition.
- id: motif:4
label: Miracle as proof of divine-human status
taxonomy_refs: []
basis: The god-man with permanent divine indwelling is expected to vindicate his
character by working miracles.
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- ev:5
confidence: medium
cautions: Frazer immediately qualifies that miracles are not framed here as violations
of natural law.
comparison_claims: []
evidence:
- id: ev:1
type: summary
locator: lines 1007-1012
quote_or_summary: The passage states that the notion of a man-god or human with
divine powers belongs to an earlier religious period when gods and humans are
viewed as beings of much the same order.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/comparative/project-gutenberg/golden-bough-volume-1-frazer.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized.
- id: ev:2
type: summary
locator: lines 1012-1016
quote_or_summary: The passage says early man does not find divine incarnation in
human form startling and that incarnate gods are common in rude society.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/comparative/project-gutenberg/golden-bough-volume-1-frazer.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized.
- id: ev:3
type: summary
locator: lines 1016-1021
quote_or_summary: Temporary incarnation, called inspiration or possession, reveals
itself through supernatural knowledge, especially divination and prophecy rather
than miracles.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/comparative/project-gutenberg/golden-bough-volume-1-frazer.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized.
- id: ev:4
type: summary
locator: lines 1021-1024
quote_or_summary: Permanent incarnation is described as the divine spirit dwelling
in a human body, and the god-man is expected to demonstrate his character by working
miracles.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/comparative/project-gutenberg/golden-bough-volume-1-frazer.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized.
- id: ev:5
type: summary
locator: lines 1024-1027
quote_or_summary: The passage says miracles are not understood as breaches of natural
law, because primitive man does not conceive natural law; a miracle is treated
as a striking manifestation of a common power.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/comparative/project-gutenberg/golden-bough-volume-1-frazer.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized.
confidence:
extraction: high
motif_candidates: medium
comparison_claims: high
notes: Extraction is based directly on the supplied passage. Motif candidates are
conceptual because the passage is comparative theory rather than a discrete mythic
narrative. No comparison claims were added beyond the passage.
reviewer_status:
status: needs_review
reviewer: ''
reviewed_at: ''
notes: Machine-generated draft from OpenAI Batch; not human-reviewed.
extracted_by: openai_batch:gpt-5.5
extracted_at: '2026-04-28'
notes: |-
No available symbol taxonomy item is directly present as a literal symbol in the passage; symbols left empty.
batch_run_id=motif-extraction-2026-04-28-high-priority
custom_id=motif_extract:comparative-golden-bough-volume-1-frazer-gutenberg__l1007-l1027
passage_sha256=3b1374340e3902fdf6a02036b2465cd49375d4fd7e1c23a8cf0242a0fd781d36