batch.motif.comparative-golden-bough-volume-2-frazer-gutenberg-l8289-l8376
---
record_id: batch.motif.comparative-golden-bough-volume-2-frazer-gutenberg-l8289-l8376
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/comparative/project-gutenberg/golden-bough-volume-2-frazer.md
passage_locator:
label: 'The Golden Bough: A Study in Comparative Religion (Vol. 2 of 2) / CONTENTS
/ NOTE. OFFERINGS OF FIRST-FRUITS.; lines 8289-8376'
start: '8289'
end: '8376'
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: Frazer describes offerings of first-fruits as later or sacrificial forms
related to earlier sacramental eating of new corn. He lists examples in which
first grain, yams, rice, sugar-cane, cotton, or other crops are presented to gods,
ancestors, kings, chiefs, or ritual recipients before ordinary consumption is
permitted.
language: English
quote_policy: summarized
literal_observations:
- id: obs:1
text: The passage states that new fruits may be presented as thank-offerings to
divine beings believed to have produced them, rather than being eaten sacramentally
as the body and blood of a god.
category: sequence
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: obs:2
text: The passage states that people are not at liberty to eat new crops until first-fruits
have been offered to the deity or the king.
category: sequence
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: obs:3
text: Among the Basutos, corn is left on the threshing-floor, some grain is boiled
in a new vessel, handfuls are thrown on the heap with thanks to the gods, and
the rest is then eaten.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- id: obs:4
text: The Basutos keep defiled persons away from exposed corn and restrict their
contact with harvested grain and storage baskets.
category: attribute
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- id: obs:5
text: In Ashantee, the king eats the new yams during a September harvest festival,
while the people may not eat them until the festival ends.
category: sequence
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- id: obs:6
text: The Hovas of Madagascar and people in Burma present ripening first crops or
fruits to the sovereign or king before others may partake of them.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- id: obs:7
text: The Kochs of Assam offer first-fruits to ancestors, calling them by name and
clapping their hands.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- id: obs:8
text: The Hos offer new rice to Sing Bonga, who dwells in the sun, along with a
sacrificed white cock; no one may eat the new rice until the sacrifice is offered.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- id: obs:9
text: Among hill tribes near Rajamahall, thanksgiving festivals before eating new
grain involve sacrifices, offerings to named gods, libations to gods and the dead,
blessings by the chief, communal feasting, and fines for premature eating.
category: sequence
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
- id: obs:10
text: In the Central Provinces of India, the first grain of the season is offered
to Bhímsen or Bhím Deo.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:6
- id: obs:11
text: In the Punjaub, sugar-cane planting and cutting include ritual actions with
necklace, thread, spindle, an altar near the press, first-fruit offerings, and
later presentation to Brahmans.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:6
- id: obs:12
text: In the Punjaub cotton rite, women go round the field eating rice-milk, spit
the first mouthful toward the west, and exchange the first cotton picked for salt
that is prayed over and kept until picking is finished.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:6
figures:
- id: fig:1
name_or_label: Agricultural communities described in the passage
description: Groups cultivating or harvesting crops and performing first-fruits
rites, including Basutos, Ashantee, Hovas, Kochs, Hos, hill tribes near Rajamahall,
and Punjaub cultivators.
role_refs:
- role:1
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- ev:3
- ev:4
- ev:5
- ev:6
- id: fig:2
name_or_label: Basuto gods
description: Divine recipients thanked with boiled grain thrown onto the heap of
corn.
role_refs:
- role:2
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- id: fig:3
name_or_label: Ashantee king
description: Royal figure who eats the new yams before the people during the harvest
festival.
role_refs:
- role:3
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- id: fig:4
name_or_label: Hova sovereign and Burmese king
description: Royal recipients to whom first sheaves or ripened fruits are brought
before others may eat them.
role_refs:
- role:3
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- id: fig:5
name_or_label: Koch ancestors
description: Named ancestral recipients of first-fruits offerings by the Kochs of
Assam.
role_refs:
- role:2
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- id: fig:6
name_or_label: Sing Bonga
description: A being said to dwell in the sun and receive the Hos' first-fruits
of rice with a white cock sacrifice.
role_refs:
- role:2
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- id: fig:7
name_or_label: Chief of the hill tribes near Rajamahall
description: A chief who appoints the festival day, sacrifices a fowl, receives
offerings, blesses vassals, exhorts them, and fines premature eaters.
role_refs:
- role:4
- role:5
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
- id: fig:8
name_or_label: Chitariah Gossaih
description: Named god to whom a goat is sacrificed and to whom a white cock may
be sacrificed as a fine for eating too early.
role_refs:
- role:2
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
- id: fig:9
name_or_label: Kull Gossaih
description: Named deity receiving thanksgiving and sacrifice in field rites among
the hill tribes near Rajamahall.
role_refs:
- role:2
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
- id: fig:10
name_or_label: Bhímsen or Bhím Deo
description: God to whom the first grain of the season is offered in the Central
Provinces of India.
role_refs:
- role:2
evidence_refs:
- ev:6
- id: fig:11
name_or_label: Sugar-cane god
description: Deity associated with an altar close to the sugar-cane press where
first-fruits are offered.
role_refs:
- role:2
evidence_refs:
- ev:6
- id: fig:12
name_or_label: Women in the Punjaub cotton rite
description: Women who go around the cotton field eating rice-milk and spit the
first mouthful toward the west.
role_refs:
- role:1
evidence_refs:
- ev:6
roles:
- id: role:1
label: ritual offerers or participants
assigned_to:
- fig:1
- fig:12
basis: These figures perform harvest, planting, cutting, or first-fruits actions.
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- ev:3
- ev:4
- ev:5
- ev:6
- id: role:2
label: divine or ancestral recipients
assigned_to:
- fig:2
- fig:5
- fig:6
- fig:8
- fig:9
- fig:10
- fig:11
basis: These figures receive first-fruits, sacrifices, thanksgiving, libations,
or offerings.
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- ev:4
- ev:5
- ev:6
- id: role:3
label: royal first recipient or first eater
assigned_to:
- fig:3
- fig:4
basis: The passage says crops or fruits are brought to kings or sovereigns, or eaten
by the king before others may eat them.
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- id: role:4
label: ritual officiant and blesser
assigned_to:
- fig:7
basis: The chief appoints the festival day, sacrifices, receives offerings, blesses
vassals, exhorts them, and makes libations.
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
- id: role:5
label: ritual enforcer
assigned_to:
- fig:7
basis: The chief fines a person who eats the new grain or corn before the festival
and public thanksgiving.
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
symbols:
- id: sym:1
label: first-fruits or new crops
literal_form: new corn, grain, yams, rice, kosarane, Indian corn, sugar-cane, cotton,
and other first produce
associated_figures:
- fig:1
- fig:2
- fig:3
- fig:4
- fig:5
- fig:6
- fig:7
- fig:8
- fig:9
- fig:10
- fig:11
- fig:12
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:2
- ev:3
- ev:4
- ev:5
- ev:6
- id: sym:2
label: threshing-floor heap and hollow of grain
literal_form: heap of corn on the threshing-floor and a little hollow filled with
grain
associated_figures:
- fig:1
- fig:2
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- id: sym:3
label: sacrificial animals
literal_form: white cock, goat, fowl, and hog used in harvest rites
associated_figures:
- fig:6
- fig:7
- fig:8
- fig:9
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- ev:5
- id: sym:4
label: king's palace
literal_form: palace to which first sheaves or fruits are carried
associated_figures:
- fig:4
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- id: sym:5
label: altar by the sugar-cane press
literal_form: altar built close to the press and sacred to the sugar-cane god
associated_figures:
- fig:11
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:6
- id: sym:6
label: necklace, thread, and spindle
literal_form: necklace worn by a woman and thread wound onto a spindle while walking
round a sugar-cane field
associated_figures:
- fig:1
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:6
- id: sym:7
label: rice-milk
literal_form: rice-milk eaten by women in the cotton field, with the first mouthful
spat toward the west
associated_figures:
- fig:12
taxonomy_refs:
- milk
evidence_refs:
- ev:6
- id: sym:8
label: prayed-over salt
literal_form: salt received in exchange for first cotton picked, prayed over and
kept in the house
associated_figures:
- fig:12
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:6
scenes:
- id: scene:1
label: General explanation of first-fruits offerings
summary: The passage frames first-fruits offerings as thank-offerings to divine
beings or kings, often required before people may eat new crops.
figure_refs: []
symbol_refs:
- sym:1
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: scene:2
label: Basuto threshing-floor rite
summary: Basutos boil grain in a new vessel, throw some onto the corn heap with
thanks to the gods, then eat the rest after the provision is considered pure;
defiled persons are kept away from exposed corn.
figure_refs:
- fig:1
- fig:2
symbol_refs:
- sym:1
- sym:2
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- id: scene:3
label: Royal first-fruits in Ashantee, Madagascar, and Burma
summary: New yams, sheaves, or fruits are eaten by or presented to kings and sovereigns
before ordinary people may eat them.
figure_refs:
- fig:1
- fig:3
- fig:4
symbol_refs:
- sym:1
- sym:4
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- id: scene:4
label: Assam and Hos offerings
summary: Kochs offer first-fruits to named ancestors, while the Hos offer new rice
and a white cock to Sing Bonga before anyone may eat the new rice.
figure_refs:
- fig:1
- fig:5
- fig:6
symbol_refs:
- sym:1
- sym:3
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- id: scene:5
label: Rajamahall harvest festivals
summary: The hill tribes near Rajamahall hold thanksgiving festivals before eating
new crops, with sacrifices to Chitariah Gossaih and Kull Gossaih, libations to
gods and the dead, chief's blessing, feasting, and fines for premature eating.
figure_refs:
- fig:1
- fig:7
- fig:8
- fig:9
symbol_refs:
- sym:1
- sym:3
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
- id: scene:6
label: Central Provinces and Punjaub crop rites
summary: First grain is offered to Bhímsen or Bhím Deo; sugar-cane and cotton rites
in the Punjaub involve an altar, offerings, Brahmans, necklace, thread, spindle,
rice-milk, first cotton, and prayed-over salt.
figure_refs:
- fig:1
- fig:10
- fig:11
- fig:12
symbol_refs:
- sym:1
- sym:5
- sym:6
- sym:7
- sym:8
evidence_refs:
- ev:6
candidate_motifs:
- id: motif:1
label: first-fruits withheld until ritual offering
taxonomy_refs:
- sacred_exchange
- sacrifice
- seasonal_cycle
basis: Across the passage, new crops are not eaten until a portion is offered to
divine, ancestral, or royal recipients.
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:2
- ev:3
- ev:4
- ev:5
- ev:6
confidence: high
cautions: The specific recipients and ritual forms vary by example.
- id: motif:2
label: royal first eater or royal recipient of first-fruits
taxonomy_refs:
- royal_legitimacy
- sacred_exchange
basis: The passage describes first-fruits being eaten by the Ashantee king or carried
to Hova and Burmese sovereigns before others may partake.
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
confidence: medium
cautions: The passage suggests the king may receive first-fruits in the character
of a god, but this is stated cautiously as probable.
- id: motif:3
label: purification and exclusion around sacred crop
taxonomy_refs:
- sacrifice
basis: The Basuto example treats the yearly provision as becoming pure and fit to
eat after the offering, while defiled persons are kept from exposed corn and storage
handling.
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
confidence: medium
cautions: The taxonomy reference is approximate; the passage emphasizes sanctity
and purity more than a named sacrifice alone.
- id: motif:4
label: harvest offering to ancestors and the dead
taxonomy_refs:
- sacred_exchange
- sacrifice
basis: The Kochs offer first-fruits to ancestors, and the Rajamahall chief makes
libations in the names of gods and the dead.
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- ev:5
confidence: medium
cautions: The passage gives brief examples and does not elaborate ancestral theology.
- id: motif:5
label: seasonal harvest festival with temporary license
taxonomy_refs:
- seasonal_cycle
basis: The Ashantee harvest festival occurs when yams are ripe, lasts a fortnight,
and is described as a time when theft, intrigue, assault, and sexual license go
unpunished.
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
confidence: medium
cautions: Only one example in this passage explicitly includes festival license,
so it should not be generalized to all first-fruits rites here.
comparison_claims:
- id: claim:1
claim: 'The passage itself compares multiple cultures'' practices as examples of
the same ritual function: first produce is offered to a divine, ancestral, royal,
or sacred recipient before ordinary consumption of the new crop is allowed.'
claim_level: same_function
target: first-fruits offering pattern across the Basuto, Ashantee, Hova, Burmese,
Koch, Hos, Rajamahall, Central Provinces, and Punjaub examples in the passage
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:2
- ev:3
- ev:4
- ev:5
- ev:6
counter_evidence_refs: []
confidence: high
limitations: The passage is a comparative synthesis by Frazer; it establishes functional
similarity in the selected examples but does not by itself demonstrate historical
contact or common inheritance.
evidence:
- id: ev:1
type: summary
locator: lines 8289-8302
quote_or_summary: Frazer states that new fruits may be offered as thank-offerings
to divine beings or kings, and that people may not eat new crops until first-fruits
have been offered.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/comparative/project-gutenberg/golden-bough-volume-2-frazer.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summary supplied.
- id: ev:2
type: summary
locator: lines 8303-8324
quote_or_summary: Among the Basutos, boiled grain is thrown on the corn heap with
thanks to the gods; the remaining grain is then eaten and the year's provision
is treated as pure, while defiled persons are kept away from exposed corn and
storage handling.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/comparative/project-gutenberg/golden-bough-volume-2-frazer.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summary supplied.
- id: ev:3
type: summary
locator: lines 8325-8337
quote_or_summary: In Ashantee the king eats new yams before the people may do so;
Hova first sheaves and Burmese pangati fruits are brought to the sovereign or
king before others partake.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/comparative/project-gutenberg/golden-bough-volume-2-frazer.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summary supplied.
- id: ev:4
type: summary
locator: lines 8338-8343
quote_or_summary: The Kochs offer first-fruits to named ancestors with clapping;
the Hos offer new rice and a white cock to Sing Bonga before anyone eats the new
rice.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/comparative/project-gutenberg/golden-bough-volume-2-frazer.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summary supplied.
- id: ev:5
type: summary
locator: lines 8344-8367
quote_or_summary: Hill tribes near Rajamahall hold thanksgiving festivals before
eating new kosarane or Indian corn, with goat, fowl, or other sacrifices, offerings
to Chitariah Gossaih and Kull Gossaih, libations to gods and the dead, blessings
by the chief, feasting, and fines for premature eating.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/comparative/project-gutenberg/golden-bough-volume-2-frazer.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summary supplied.
- id: ev:6
type: summary
locator: lines 8368-8376
quote_or_summary: In the Central Provinces first grain is offered to Bhímsen or
Bhím Deo; in the Punjaub sugar-cane and cotton rites involve a field circuit with
necklace, thread, and spindle, an altar to the sugar-cane god, Brahmans, rice-milk,
first cotton exchanged for prayed-over salt, and related offerings.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/comparative/project-gutenberg/golden-bough-volume-2-frazer.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summary supplied.
confidence:
extraction: high
motif_candidates: medium
comparison_claims: high
notes: The passage is explicit and enumerative, supporting high confidence in literal
extraction. Motif labels are cautious and based on the provided taxonomy; some
ritual details do not map exactly to available taxonomy categories.
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 historical-contact or common-inheritance claims are made; the comparison claim is limited to functional similarity explicitly framed by the passage.
batch_run_id=motif-extraction-2026-04-28-high-priority
custom_id=motif_extract:comparative-golden-bough-volume-2-frazer-gutenberg__l8289-l8376
passage_sha256=d54119b31b38b80bbac13c14b3ee9b582fe9b2a0a34ab406776acb7b28cc1b86