batch.motif.comparative-golden-bough-volume-1-frazer-gutenberg-l10349-l10471
---
record_id: batch.motif.comparative-golden-bough-volume-1-frazer-gutenberg-l10349-l10471
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/comparative/project-gutenberg/golden-bough-volume-1-frazer.md
passage_locator:
label: CHAPTER II. THE PERILS OF THE SOUL. / HEINE. / CHAPTER III. KILLING THE GOD.
/ FOOTNOTES; lines 10349-10471
start: '10349'
end: '10471'
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: The passage consists chiefly of footnotes. One note explains a custom in
which people search for a sick person's missing soul, suspect that doctors or
a head-doctor may have swallowed it, hold the head-doctor upside down to empty
it out, wash his head, and pour the water on the patient to restore the soul.
Other notes cite sources for practices such as hunting souls and compare them
cautiously with Ezekiel xiii. Further notes mention beliefs about a hyaena causing
a dog to fall by treading on its moon-cast shadow, and Chinese brass mirrors hung
over idols to frighten evil spirits.
language: English
quote_policy: summarized
literal_observations:
- id: obs:1
text: A missing soul is sought in the head-doctor's box.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: obs:2
text: When the soul is not found in the box, the people consider that the head-doctor
may have swallowed it.
category: sequence
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: obs:3
text: The head-doctor is held up by the heels in order to empty out the soul.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: obs:4
text: Water used to wash the head-doctor's head is poured on the patient's head
because it may contain the missing soul.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: obs:5
text: The recovered soul is described as often conveyed into the sick person's head.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: obs:6
text: Frazer reports a suggestion that the practice of hunting souls denounced in
Ezekiel xiii. 17 sqq. was akin to the practices discussed in the text.
category: relationship
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- id: obs:7
text: A cited passage describes a hyaena treading on the moon-cast shadow of a dog
on a roof, after which the dog falls to the hyaena and is eaten.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- id: obs:8
text: Chinese brass mirrors are said to be hung over household idols so that evil
spirits entering the house will see themselves and be scared away.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
figures:
- id: fig:1
name_or_label: sick person or patient
description: The person whose missing soul is to be restored.
role_refs:
- role:1
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: fig:2
name_or_label: head-doctor
description: A doctor whose box is searched and who is suspected of having swallowed
the missing soul.
role_refs:
- role:2
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: fig:3
name_or_label: other doctors
description: Doctors who were first supposed to have swallowed the soul.
role_refs:
- role:2
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: fig:4
name_or_label: hyaena
description: An animal described as causing a dog to fall by treading on the dog's
moon-cast shadow, then devouring it.
role_refs:
- role:3
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- id: fig:5
name_or_label: dog
description: A dog on a roof whose shadow is trodden by the hyaena and who falls
to be devoured.
role_refs:
- role:4
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- id: fig:6
name_or_label: evil spirits
description: Spirits entering a house who are expected to be frightened by seeing
themselves in mirrors.
role_refs:
- role:5
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- id: fig:7
name_or_label: household idols
description: Idols over which brass mirrors are hung in Chinese houses.
role_refs:
- role:6
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
roles:
- id: role:1
label: recipient of soul restoration
assigned_to:
- fig:1
basis: The water that may contain the missing soul is poured on the patient's head
to restore the soul to him.
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: role:2
label: suspected soul-holder
assigned_to:
- fig:2
- fig:3
basis: The note says other doctors were first supposed to have swallowed the soul,
and later the head-doctor may be suspected of swallowing it.
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: role:3
label: animal predator using shadow action
assigned_to:
- fig:4
basis: The hyaena treads on the dog's shadow, the dog falls, and the hyaena devours
it.
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- id: role:4
label: animal victim linked to shadow
assigned_to:
- fig:5
basis: The dog falls after its shadow is acted on and is then devoured.
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- id: role:5
label: spirit repelled by reflection
assigned_to:
- fig:6
basis: Evil spirits entering the house and seeing themselves in mirrors are expected
to be scared away.
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- id: role:6
label: household cult object associated with mirrors
assigned_to:
- fig:7
basis: Brass mirrors are hung over idols in houses.
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
symbols:
- id: sym:1
label: missing or recovered soul
literal_form: soul
associated_figures:
- fig:1
- fig:2
- fig:3
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: sym:2
label: head-doctor's box
literal_form: box
associated_figures:
- fig:2
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: sym:3
label: head as place of soul restoration
literal_form: head
associated_figures:
- fig:1
- fig:2
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: sym:4
label: washing water possibly carrying the soul
literal_form: water
associated_figures:
- fig:1
- fig:2
taxonomy_refs:
- water
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: sym:5
label: moon-cast shadow
literal_form: shadow cast by moonlight
associated_figures:
- fig:4
- fig:5
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- id: sym:6
label: brass mirror
literal_form: brass mirror
associated_figures:
- fig:6
- fig:7
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- id: sym:7
label: reflected image
literal_form: spirits seeing themselves in mirrors
associated_figures:
- fig:6
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
scenes:
- id: scene:1
label: Testing and restoring a missing soul
summary: After failing to find the patient's soul in the head-doctor's box, people
suspect the head-doctor may have swallowed it, hold him upside down to empty it
out, wash his head, and pour the water on the patient's head to restore the soul.
figure_refs:
- fig:1
- fig:2
- fig:3
symbol_refs:
- sym:1
- sym:2
- sym:3
- sym:4
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: scene:2
label: Hyaena acts on a dog's shadow
summary: A hyaena is described as treading on the shadow of a dog cast by the moon,
causing the dog to fall and be devoured.
figure_refs:
- fig:4
- fig:5
symbol_refs:
- sym:5
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- id: scene:3
label: Mirrors frighten entering spirits
summary: Brass mirrors are hung over idols in Chinese houses so that evil spirits
entering the house see themselves and are scared away.
figure_refs:
- fig:6
- fig:7
symbol_refs:
- sym:6
- sym:7
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
candidate_motifs:
- id: motif:1
label: Hunting and restoring a lost soul
taxonomy_refs: []
basis: The note describes searching for a missing soul, testing whether a ritual
specialist has swallowed it, and returning it to the sick person through water
poured on the head.
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
confidence: high
cautions: The passage is a footnote summarizing a custom and its interpretation;
the larger narrative context is outside the supplied lines.
- id: motif:2
label: Soul or vital essence transferred through water to the head
taxonomy_refs:
- water
basis: Water used on the head-doctor's head may contain the missing soul and is
poured on the patient's head to restore it.
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
confidence: medium
cautions: The taxonomy reference is to the literal symbol water, not a specific
motif-family identifier.
- id: motif:3
label: Shadow as vulnerable extension of a being
taxonomy_refs: []
basis: The cited hyaena passage links an action on the dog's shadow with the dog
falling and being devoured.
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
confidence: medium
cautions: The note quotes or summarizes an emended ancient passage; no broader interpretation
is given in the supplied text.
- id: motif:4
label: Apotropaic mirror repels spirits
taxonomy_refs: []
basis: The note says brass mirrors are hung over idols because spirits who see themselves
in the mirrors will be scared away.
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
confidence: high
cautions: The passage gives only a brief explanatory note and no narrative elaboration.
comparison_claims:
- id: claim:1
claim: The passage reports a scholarly suggestion that the practice of hunting souls
denounced in Ezekiel xiii. 17 sqq. was akin to the soul-hunting practices described
in Frazer's surrounding text.
claim_level: same_motif
target: Ezekiel xiii. 17 sqq. and the soul-hunting practices discussed by Frazer
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
counter_evidence_refs: []
confidence: medium
limitations: The passage reports another scholar's suggestion and does not quote
Ezekiel or detail the exact practices from the surrounding text within this line
range.
evidence:
- id: ev:1
type: summary
locator: lines 10349-10360, footnote 457
quote_or_summary: Failing to find the soul in the head-doctor's box, people may
suppose he swallowed it, hold him up by the heels to empty out the soul, and pour
head-washing water on the patient's head to restore the soul.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/comparative/project-gutenberg/golden-bough-volume-1-frazer.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summary generated from supplied passage.
- id: ev:2
type: summary
locator: lines 10361-10384, footnote 458
quote_or_summary: Frazer cites many sources and notes W. Robertson Smith's suggestion
that the practice of hunting souls denounced in Ezekiel xiii. 17 sqq. must have
been akin to those described in the text.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/comparative/project-gutenberg/golden-bough-volume-1-frazer.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summary generated from supplied passage.
- id: ev:3
type: summary
locator: lines 10405-10413, footnote 467
quote_or_summary: A cited Latin passage says that when a hyaena treads on the moon-cast
shadow of a dog on a roof, the dog falls to it and is devoured.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/comparative/project-gutenberg/golden-bough-volume-1-frazer.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summary generated from supplied passage.
- id: ev:4
type: summary
locator: lines 10434-10438, footnote 475
quote_or_summary: Chinese brass mirrors are hung over household idols because evil
spirits entering the house and seeing themselves in the mirrors are thought to
be scared away.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/comparative/project-gutenberg/golden-bough-volume-1-frazer.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summary generated from supplied passage.
confidence:
extraction: medium
motif_candidates: medium
comparison_claims: medium
notes: The supplied passage is mostly footnotes, so the extraction relies on brief
explanatory notes rather than full narrative passages. Motif labels are plain
descriptive labels except where an available symbol taxonomy reference is literal
and directly supported.
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 unsupported taxonomy motif-family IDs were assigned. Comparison claims are limited to the explicit Ezekiel comparison reported in the passage.
batch_run_id=motif-extraction-2026-04-28-high-priority
custom_id=motif_extract:comparative-golden-bough-volume-1-frazer-gutenberg__l10349-l10471
passage_sha256=65ac583d2833de33ab5e78e73a72d705518f017927e5bb7fb55ae6973a4f7cda