Taking his comprehensive material from ethnological reports and studies, Frazer concentrated on the preliminary stage. The study of sacred kingship, however, was introduced when the British anthropologist Sir James Frazer published The Golden Bough (1890вЂ“1915). The phenomenon of sacred kingship was known and described in ancient times by various travelers, including Aristotle in the 4th century bc and the 1st-century- bc Greek geographers and historians Strabo and Diodorus Siculus. Between these three forms there are many transitional types.

The secondary form occurred in the Persian, Hellenistic (Greco-Roman cultural), and European empires. The primary form was the god-kingdom of the large empires of the ancient Middle East and East Asia, of ancient Iran, and of pre-Columbian Mesoamerica and South America.

The preliminary form exists in cultures in which the chieftain is regarded as divine. At one time, when religion was totally connected with the whole existence of the individual as well as that of the community and when kingdoms were in varying degrees connected with religious powers or religious institutions, there could be no kingdom that was not in some sense sacral.ДЄmong the many possible kinds of sacral kingdoms, there was a special type in which the king was regarded and revered as a god-the god-kingdom, a polity of which there were three forms: preliminary, primary, and secondary. The concept originated in prehistoric times, but it continues to exert a recognizable influence in the modern world. Sacred kingship, religious and political concept by which a ruler is seen as an incarnation, manifestation, mediator, or agent of the sacred or holy (the transcendent or supernatural realm). Britannica Explains In these videos, Britannica explains a variety of topics and answers frequently asked questions.This Time in History In these videos, find out what happened this month (or any month!) in history.#WTFact Videos In #WTFact Britannica shares some of the most bizarre facts we can find.Demystified Videos In Demystified, Britannica has all the answers to your burning questions.Britannica Classics Check out these retro videos from Encyclopedia BritannicaвЂ™s archives.

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