batch.motif.comparative-golden-bough-volume-1-frazer-gutenberg-l2796-l2885
---
record_id: batch.motif.comparative-golden-bough-volume-1-frazer-gutenberg-l2796-l2885
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/comparative/project-gutenberg/golden-bough-volume-1-frazer.md
passage_locator:
label: CHAPTER I. THE KING OF THE WOOD. / MACAULAY. / CHAPTER II. THE PERILS OF
THE SOUL. / HEINE.; lines 2796-2885
start: '2796'
end: '2885'
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 introduces royal and priestly taboos by describing rulers or priests
believed to possess supernatural power, to embody deity, and to affect nature
either by will or by involuntary bodily movement. The Mikado/Dairi of Japan is
presented as a typical example: a sun-goddess incarnation whose sacred body is
subject to restrictions, whose stillness or crown preserves order, and whose vessels
and clothing are dangerous to laypersons.'
language: English
quote_policy: summarized
literal_observations:
- id: obs:1
text: The passage states that in early society a king or priest is often thought
to possess supernatural powers or to be an incarnation of a deity, so that nature
is regarded as more or less under his control.
category: attribute
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: obs:2
text: Drought, famine, pestilence, storms, and similar calamities may be attributed
to the king's negligence or guilt, leading people to punish him with stripes,
bonds, deposition, or death.
category: sequence
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: obs:3
text: The ruler's person is described as a dynamical center of the universe and
a support for the world's balance, so that even small motions may disturb nature.
category: attribute
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- id: obs:4
text: The Mikado or Dairi is described as the spiritual emperor of Japan and an
incarnation of the sun goddess, who rules the universe, gods and men included.
category: relationship
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- id: obs:5
text: Once a year all the gods are said to wait on the Mikado and spend a month
at his court; during that month the temples are believed to be deserted.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- id: obs:6
text: The Mikado is said to avoid touching the ground with his feet by being carried
on men's shoulders, and his sacred person is not exposed to open air or to the
sun shining on his head.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- id: obs:7
text: The passage reports that his hair, beard, and nails are not cut openly; if
cleaning is done at night while he sleeps, the removed matter is treated as stolen
from him and not harmful to his dignity.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- id: obs:8
text: In ancient times he was obliged to sit on the throne for hours every morning
wearing the imperial crown and remaining motionless like a statue.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
- id: obs:9
text: If the ruler turned or looked for a long time toward any part of his dominions,
war, famine, fire, or another misfortune was feared.
category: sequence
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
- id: obs:10
text: The imperial crown was later treated as the palladium capable of preserving
peace by its mobility, and it was placed on the throne for hours every morning
instead of requiring the ruler's presence.
category: object
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
- id: obs:11
text: The Mikado's food had to be prepared each time in new pots and served in new
dishes, which were set aside or broken after one use.
category: object
evidence_refs:
- ev:6
- id: obs:12
text: Laypersons were believed to suffer swelling and inflammation of the mouth
and throat if they ate from the Mikado's sacred dishes, and swelling and pains
if they wore his sacred garments without permission.
category: sequence
evidence_refs:
- ev:6
- id: obs:13
text: An earlier account repeats that touching the ground with his foot was degrading,
that the sun and moon were not allowed to shine on his head, that bodily superfluities
were not taken from him, and that his food was dressed in new vessels.
category: speech
evidence_refs:
- ev:7
figures:
- id: fig:1
name_or_label: early king or priest
description: A ruler or priest in early society thought to possess supernatural
power or to incarnate a deity and to be responsible for natural events.
role_refs:
- role:1
- role:2
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:2
- id: fig:2
name_or_label: Mikado or Dairi
description: The spiritual emperor of Japan, described as an incarnation of the
sun goddess and as a sacred person under strict bodily and ritual restrictions.
role_refs:
- role:2
- role:3
- role:4
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- ev:4
- ev:5
- ev:6
- ev:7
- id: fig:3
name_or_label: sun goddess
description: The deity said to rule the universe, gods and men included, and of
whom the Mikado is described as an incarnation.
role_refs:
- role:5
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- id: fig:4
name_or_label: all the gods
description: The gods who are said to wait annually upon the Mikado and spend a
month at his court.
role_refs:
- role:6
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- id: fig:5
name_or_label: laymen
description: Non-sacred persons who are feared to suffer bodily swelling or pains
if they use the Mikado's sacred dishes or garments without authorization.
role_refs:
- role:7
evidence_refs:
- ev:6
- id: fig:6
name_or_label: men carrying the Mikado
description: Men on whose shoulders the Mikado is carried so that his feet do not
touch the ground.
role_refs:
- role:8
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
roles:
- id: role:1
label: supernatural ruler responsible for natural events
assigned_to:
- fig:1
basis: The king or priest is described as endowed with supernatural power or divine
incarnation and held responsible for weather, crops, and calamities.
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: role:2
label: cosmic center whose body affects natural order
assigned_to:
- fig:1
- fig:2
basis: The passage describes such rulers as the dynamical center of the universe
and presents the Mikado as a typical example of this class.
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- ev:3
- id: role:3
label: spiritual emperor and divine incarnation
assigned_to:
- fig:2
basis: The Mikado is identified as spiritual emperor of Japan and incarnation of
the sun goddess.
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- id: role:4
label: tabooed sacred person
assigned_to:
- fig:2
basis: His body, movement, exposure, grooming, food vessels, and clothing are described
as subject to sacred restrictions.
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- ev:5
- ev:6
- ev:7
- id: role:5
label: universal deity
assigned_to:
- fig:3
basis: The sun goddess is described as ruling the universe, including gods and men.
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- id: role:6
label: annual divine visitors
assigned_to:
- fig:4
basis: The gods are said to wait upon the Mikado once a year and spend a month at
his court.
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- id: role:7
label: persons endangered by sacred objects
assigned_to:
- fig:5
basis: Laymen are believed to be harmed by eating from sacred dishes or wearing
sacred garments without permission.
evidence_refs:
- ev:6
- id: role:8
label: ritual carriers
assigned_to:
- fig:6
basis: The Mikado is carried on men's shoulders to avoid touching the ground.
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
symbols:
- id: sym:1
label: sacred royal body
literal_form: The body of the king or Mikado, including feet, head, hair, beard,
nails, and bodily superfluities.
associated_figures:
- fig:1
- fig:2
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- ev:4
- ev:7
- id: sym:2
label: motionless enthroned ruler
literal_form: The Mikado sitting on the throne with the imperial crown, motionless
like a statue.
associated_figures:
- fig:2
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
- id: sym:3
label: imperial crown as palladium
literal_form: The imperial crown placed on the throne and treated as preserving
peace in the empire.
associated_figures:
- fig:2
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
- id: sym:4
label: new vessels and dishes
literal_form: New pots and new dishes used for the Mikado's food and then set aside
or broken.
associated_figures:
- fig:2
- fig:5
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:6
- ev:7
- id: sym:5
label: sacred garments
literal_form: The Dairi's sacred habits, believed to cause swelling and pains if
worn by a layman without permission.
associated_figures:
- fig:2
- fig:5
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:6
- id: sym:6
label: sun and moon excluded from sacred head
literal_form: The sun, and in the earlier account the moon, not permitted to shine
upon the ruler's head.
associated_figures:
- fig:2
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- ev:7
scenes:
- id: scene:1
label: supernatural kingship and punishment for calamity
summary: The passage describes an early social belief that kings or priests with
supernatural or divine status control nature and may be punished if drought, famine,
pestilence, storms, or other calamities occur.
figure_refs:
- fig:1
symbol_refs:
- sym:1
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: scene:2
label: ruler as center of cosmic balance
summary: A class of rulers is described whose bodies and involuntary motions are
thought to radiate effects through nature and potentially upset the world's balance.
figure_refs:
- fig:1
symbol_refs:
- sym:1
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- id: scene:3
label: Mikado as divine emperor
summary: The Mikado is presented as a typical example, being identified as the sun
goddess's incarnation, visited annually by the gods while temples are believed
deserted.
figure_refs:
- fig:2
- fig:3
- fig:4
symbol_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- id: scene:4
label: bodily restrictions on the Mikado
summary: The Mikado is carried to avoid touching the ground, shielded from open
air and sun, and subject to restrictions on cutting hair, beard, and nails.
figure_refs:
- fig:2
- fig:6
symbol_refs:
- sym:1
- sym:6
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- ev:7
- id: scene:5
label: enthroned stillness and substitution by crown
summary: The Mikado formerly sat motionless on the throne with the imperial crown
to preserve peace; later the crown alone was placed on the throne as a palladium.
figure_refs:
- fig:2
symbol_refs:
- sym:2
- sym:3
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
- id: scene:6
label: dangerous sacred dishes and clothing
summary: The Mikado's food vessels are new and discarded or broken after one use,
and laypersons are feared to be harmed by using his dishes or garments without
permission.
figure_refs:
- fig:2
- fig:5
symbol_refs:
- sym:4
- sym:5
evidence_refs:
- ev:6
candidate_motifs:
- id: motif:1
label: divine ruler as world center
taxonomy_refs:
- world_center
- royal_legitimacy
basis: The ruler is described as a divine or supernatural person whose body is the
dynamical center of the universe and whose acts can affect the balance of nature.
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:2
- ev:3
confidence: high
cautions: The passage is an interpretive comparative account by Frazer, not a primary
mythic narrative.
- id: motif:2
label: tabooed sacred ruler
taxonomy_refs:
- royal_legitimacy
basis: The Mikado's sacred status is maintained by restrictions on touching ground,
exposure to sun and air, bodily grooming, stillness, vessels, and clothing.
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- ev:5
- ev:6
- ev:7
confidence: high
cautions: The motif label is descriptive; no exact supplied taxonomy reference for
taboo is available.
- id: motif:3
label: royal stillness preserving peace
taxonomy_refs:
- world_center
- royal_legitimacy
basis: The Mikado's motionless enthronement is said to preserve peace and tranquillity,
while movement or gaze toward the dominions is feared to bring war, famine, fire,
or other disaster.
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
confidence: high
cautions: The evidence concerns reported ritual practice and belief rather than
a narrative episode.
- id: motif:4
label: regalia substituted for sacred person
taxonomy_refs:
- royal_legitimacy
basis: The imperial crown is identified as the palladium that can preserve peace,
and it is placed on the throne instead of requiring the Mikado to sit there.
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
confidence: medium
cautions: The passage gives only one example of substitution by the crown and does
not elaborate a broader pattern.
- id: motif:5
label: dangerous contagion of sacred objects
taxonomy_refs: []
basis: Sacred dishes and garments associated with the Mikado are believed to harm
laypersons who use them without permission.
evidence_refs:
- ev:6
confidence: high
cautions: No supplied taxonomy reference directly corresponds to sacred contagion
or tabooed objects.
comparison_claims:
- id: claim:1
claim: The passage explicitly treats the Mikado as a typical example of a broader
class of monarchs whose person is believed to affect the order of nature and therefore
must be carefully regulated.
claim_level: same_function
target: class of monarchs whose bodies and actions are thought to maintain or disturb
cosmic and natural order
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- ev:3
- ev:4
- ev:5
counter_evidence_refs: []
confidence: high
limitations: This is a comparison made within Frazer's scholarly framing; the passage
does not provide independent primary accounts for every member of the class.
evidence:
- id: ev:1
type: summary
locator: lines 2804-2818
quote_or_summary: Kings or priests in early society are described as supernatural
or divine, as responsible for natural calamities, and as liable to punishment
for negligence or guilt.
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: quote
locator: lines 2819-2829
quote_or_summary: The ruler's person is called the "dynamical centre of the universe"
and the "point of support on which hangs the balance of the world."
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/comparative/project-gutenberg/golden-bough-volume-1-frazer.md
rights_note: Public domain source; short quotation.
- id: ev:3
type: summary
locator: lines 2830-2837
quote_or_summary: 'The Mikado or Dairi is presented as a typical example: spiritual
emperor of Japan, incarnation of the sun goddess, and host to all gods for one
month each year, during which temples are thought deserted.'
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 2840-2856
quote_or_summary: The quoted account says the Mikado is carried to avoid touching
the ground, protected from open air and sunlight, and not allowed to cut hair,
beard, or nails except by nocturnal cleaning treated as theft.
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 2856-2868
quote_or_summary: The Mikado formerly sat motionless on the throne with the imperial
crown to preserve peace; movement or prolonged gaze was feared to bring disaster,
and later the crown itself was placed on the throne as a palladium.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/comparative/project-gutenberg/golden-bough-volume-1-frazer.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized.
- id: ev:6
type: summary
locator: lines 2868-2878
quote_or_summary: The Mikado's food was prepared in new pots and dishes, which were
usually broken; lay use of dishes or garments was feared to cause swelling, inflammation,
and pains.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/comparative/project-gutenberg/golden-bough-volume-1-frazer.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized.
- id: ev:7
type: summary
locator: lines 2878-2885
quote_or_summary: An earlier account repeats that touching the ground was degrading,
sun and moon were not permitted to shine on his head, bodily superfluities were
not removed, and food was prepared in new vessels.
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: medium
notes: Literal details are explicit in the passage. Motif labels are inferred from
Frazer's comparative framing and available taxonomy, so they require review.
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: |-
Extraction uses only the supplied passage and metadata. Taxonomy references are limited to the provided lists.
batch_run_id=motif-extraction-2026-04-28-high-priority
custom_id=motif_extract:comparative-golden-bough-volume-1-frazer-gutenberg__l2796-l2885
passage_sha256=8f358dc3de613d61bfdbec4e38117560114f93d6f3c816a1141945a74a24bfe8