batch.motif.comparative-golden-bough-volume-2-frazer-gutenberg-l14524-l14701
---
record_id: batch.motif.comparative-golden-bough-volume-2-frazer-gutenberg-l14524-l14701
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/comparative/project-gutenberg/golden-bough-volume-2-frazer.md
passage_locator:
label: CONTENTS / NOTE. OFFERINGS OF FIRST-FRUITS. / INDEX. / FOOTNOTES; lines 14524-14701
start: '14524'
end: '14701'
translation: 'The Golden Bough: A Study in Comparative Religion (Vol. 2 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 mainly of footnotes citing sources on Germanic, British,
Irish, Scottish, Swedish, Russian, East Prussian, Masurian, Bohemian, Italian,
and other folk customs. Two notes give brief descriptive information: one says
squirrels were hunted in the woods before certain fires were kindled, and another
refers to the custom of burning a tree in midsummer bonfires.'
language: English
quote_policy: summarized
literal_observations:
- id: obs:1
text: The passage is a sequence of numbered scholarly footnotes, mostly bibliographic
citations.
category: other
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: obs:2
text: One note states that before fires were kindled it was customary to hunt squirrels
in the woods.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- id: obs:3
text: One note refers to a custom of burning a tree in midsummer bonfires.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- id: obs:4
text: The cited materials include works on German mythology, popular antiquities,
festivals, folk belief, and customs from multiple European regions.
category: other
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
figures:
- id: fig:1
name_or_label: squirrels
description: Animals said to be hunted in the woods before fires were kindled.
role_refs:
- role:1
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
roles:
- id: role:1
label: hunted animals before fire-kindling
assigned_to:
- fig:1
basis: The note says squirrels were hunted in the woods before the fires were kindled.
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
symbols:
- id: sym:1
label: fires
literal_form: fires kindled in connection with a custom mentioned in a note
associated_figures: []
taxonomy_refs:
- fire
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- id: sym:2
label: midsummer bonfires
literal_form: bonfires associated with midsummer
associated_figures: []
taxonomy_refs:
- fire
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- id: sym:3
label: tree burned in bonfire
literal_form: tree burned in midsummer bonfires
associated_figures: []
taxonomy_refs:
- tree
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- id: sym:4
label: woods
literal_form: woods where squirrels were hunted
associated_figures:
- fig:1
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
scenes:
- id: scene:1
label: Squirrel hunt before fire-kindling
summary: A note reports a custom in which squirrels were hunted in the woods before
fires were kindled.
figure_refs:
- fig:1
symbol_refs:
- sym:1
- sym:4
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- id: scene:2
label: Tree burned in midsummer bonfire
summary: A note refers to a custom of burning a tree in midsummer bonfires.
figure_refs: []
symbol_refs:
- sym:2
- sym:3
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
candidate_motifs:
- id: motif:1
label: midsummer bonfire custom
taxonomy_refs:
- seasonal_cycle
basis: The passage explicitly mentions a custom involving midsummer bonfires.
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
confidence: medium
cautions: The passage is a footnote and does not describe the custom in detail.
- id: motif:2
label: burning a tree in seasonal fire
taxonomy_refs: []
basis: The passage refers to burning a tree in midsummer bonfires.
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
confidence: medium
cautions: The meaning or ritual function of the tree-burning is not explained in
this excerpt.
- id: motif:3
label: animal hunt preceding fire-kindling
taxonomy_refs: []
basis: The passage notes that squirrels were hunted in the woods before fires were
kindled.
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
confidence: low
cautions: The excerpt does not identify the festival, region, or intended significance
of the hunt.
comparison_claims: []
evidence:
- id: ev:1
type: summary
locator: 14524-14701
quote_or_summary: The line range consists largely of numbered footnotes citing works
on mythology, folklore, superstition, festivals, and popular customs from several
European regions.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/comparative/project-gutenberg/golden-bough-volume-2-frazer.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized.
- id: ev:2
type: quote
locator: footnote 677; lines within 14524-14701
quote_or_summary: "“before the fires were kindled it was customary to hunt squirrels
in the woods.”"
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/comparative/project-gutenberg/golden-bough-volume-2-frazer.md
rights_note: Public domain source; short quotation.
- id: ev:3
type: quote
locator: footnote 686; lines within 14524-14701
quote_or_summary: "“For the custom of burning a tree in the midsummer bonfires,
see vol. i. p. 79.”"
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/comparative/project-gutenberg/golden-bough-volume-2-frazer.md
rights_note: Public domain source; short quotation.
confidence:
extraction: medium
motif_candidates: low
comparison_claims: uncertain
notes: The passage is mostly bibliographic footnotes rather than a full mythic or
ritual description. Motif candidates are limited to the few explicit custom descriptions
in the notes.
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 comparison claims were added because the passage provides citations and brief custom references but does not itself make a substantive comparative argument in this excerpt.
batch_run_id=motif-extraction-2026-04-28-high-priority
custom_id=motif_extract:comparative-golden-bough-volume-2-frazer-gutenberg__l14524-l14701
passage_sha256=ab810967ee6acee0de1f22f748d23f7339724d1af8a16fff6677907f6eefbca8