Sale Price:
£325.00
Original Price:
£360.00
1887 1st Edition With Provenance
MYTH RITUAL AND RELIGION TWO VOLUMES
An appealing first edition of Andrew Lang’s important comparative study of mythology, ritual and the origins of religious belief, complete in two volumes and preserved in the publisher’s original blue cloth with gilt spine lettering and gilt devices to the upper boards.
This copy has notable Gathorne-Hardy family provenance. Volume I bears the armorial bookplate of Alfred Erskine Gathorne-Hardy, with the family motto “Arme de foi hardi.” Both volumes also bear a bold “Cranbrook” ownership inscription on the initial blank. Alfred Gathorne-Hardy was a politician, barrister, railway executive and writer, and a son of Gathorne Gathorne-Hardy, 1st Earl of Cranbrook.
First published in 1887, Myth, Ritual, and Religion was one of Lang’s principal contributions to Victorian anthropology and comparative mythology. Lang rejected exclusively linguistic or solar interpretations of myth and instead examined myths, rituals and religious beliefs through comparison across cultures. The original 1887 text is of particular bibliographical interest because Lang substantially revised the work for its second edition of 1899.
By Andrew Lang
Provenance: Alfred Erskine Gathorne-Hardy (1845–1918) was a British Conservative politician, barrister, railway executive and writer. He represented Canterbury and East Grinstead in Parliament and was a son of Gathorne Gathorne-Hardy, 1st Earl of Cranbrook. His bookplate displays the Gathorne-Hardy arms and the motto “Arme de foi hardi.”
Format: Hardcover, Octavo (Standard) (8vo 6 × 9 in 152 × 229 mm )
Note: Binding/size selection follows standard bibliographic conventions and is approximate; exact measurements may vary.
Language: English
Published By: Longmans, Green, and Co, London
Condition Report:
Dust Jacket: No Jacket, Dust Jacket Condition: No Jacket
Good - A complete two-volume set in the publisher’s original blue cloth, with gilt lettering to the spines and gilt devices to the upper boards.
Bindings with rubbing, marking and handling wear consistent with age. Corners bumped and rubbed. Spines noticeably sunned, with fraying and small areas of cloth loss at the heads and tails. Gilt lettering remains clear and legible. Volume II has a conspicuous pale area of abrasion or discolouration to the upper board. Patterned endpapers with some marking and small areas of surface abrasion.
Armorial bookplate and ownership inscriptions as described above. Text generally clean and bright, with light scattered spotting, foxing and age-toning, principally to the endpapers and preliminary leaves. Bindings firm and text blocks sound.
Both volumes retain their original errata slips, enhancing the bibliographical completeness and collector appeal of this first-edition set.
A sound and historically interesting first edition with attractive family provenance. The external wear prevents a higher condition grade, but the original cloth, firm bindings, clean text and documented Gathorne-Hardy ownership give the set considerable appeal to collectors of mythology, folklore, anthropology and comparative religion.
Collation: Volume I: xvi, 340 pp., errata slip present
Volume II: viii, 374 pp. errata slip present
Please see Photos as part of condition report.
References:
WorldCat, OCLC 1211857
Digitised 1887 edition
Weiser Antiquarian Books, bibliographical description of the 1887 first edition
Author Bio: Andrew Lang FBA (1844–1912) was a Scottish poet, novelist, literary critic, classicist, folklorist and contributor to the developing field of anthropology. He wrote extensively on mythology, religion, psychical research and literary history, and is now particularly remembered for editing the celebrated Fairy Book series. The Andrew Lang Lecture at the University of St Andrews commemorates his contribution to literature and scholarship.
Synopsis: Myth, Ritual, and Religion investigates why the mythologies of highly developed societies preserve stories involving animal transformations, magic, violence, irrational divine behaviour and other apparently archaic features.
Lang compares Greek, Indian, Egyptian, Australian, African, American, Pacific and other mythological traditions, examining such subjects as totemism, sorcery, nature myths, creation narratives, divine mythology and the transmission of heroic and popular tales. He argues that many puzzling elements of classical mythology represent survivals from earlier modes of human thought and belief.
Volume I introduces Lang’s comparative method and considers systems of mythology, totemism, magic, nature myths, creation stories and Greek cosmogony. Volume II examines divine myths from a range of cultures before turning to Greek gods, heroic narratives, romantic tales and theories concerning the international diffusion of folklore.
An influential document in the history of mythology and anthropology, the work also reflects the terminology and evolutionary assumptions of its Victorian period.
SKU: BTETM0002153
Shipping Info: Approximate Package Dimensions H: 60, L: 60, W: 60 (Units: cm), W: 2Kg
Tracked Shipping, Insurance Coverage as per Customer Request
1887 1st Edition With Provenance
MYTH RITUAL AND RELIGION TWO VOLUMES
An appealing first edition of Andrew Lang’s important comparative study of mythology, ritual and the origins of religious belief, complete in two volumes and preserved in the publisher’s original blue cloth with gilt spine lettering and gilt devices to the upper boards.
This copy has notable Gathorne-Hardy family provenance. Volume I bears the armorial bookplate of Alfred Erskine Gathorne-Hardy, with the family motto “Arme de foi hardi.” Both volumes also bear a bold “Cranbrook” ownership inscription on the initial blank. Alfred Gathorne-Hardy was a politician, barrister, railway executive and writer, and a son of Gathorne Gathorne-Hardy, 1st Earl of Cranbrook.
First published in 1887, Myth, Ritual, and Religion was one of Lang’s principal contributions to Victorian anthropology and comparative mythology. Lang rejected exclusively linguistic or solar interpretations of myth and instead examined myths, rituals and religious beliefs through comparison across cultures. The original 1887 text is of particular bibliographical interest because Lang substantially revised the work for its second edition of 1899.
By Andrew Lang
Provenance: Alfred Erskine Gathorne-Hardy (1845–1918) was a British Conservative politician, barrister, railway executive and writer. He represented Canterbury and East Grinstead in Parliament and was a son of Gathorne Gathorne-Hardy, 1st Earl of Cranbrook. His bookplate displays the Gathorne-Hardy arms and the motto “Arme de foi hardi.”
Format: Hardcover, Octavo (Standard) (8vo 6 × 9 in 152 × 229 mm )
Note: Binding/size selection follows standard bibliographic conventions and is approximate; exact measurements may vary.
Language: English
Published By: Longmans, Green, and Co, London
Condition Report:
Dust Jacket: No Jacket, Dust Jacket Condition: No Jacket
Good - A complete two-volume set in the publisher’s original blue cloth, with gilt lettering to the spines and gilt devices to the upper boards.
Bindings with rubbing, marking and handling wear consistent with age. Corners bumped and rubbed. Spines noticeably sunned, with fraying and small areas of cloth loss at the heads and tails. Gilt lettering remains clear and legible. Volume II has a conspicuous pale area of abrasion or discolouration to the upper board. Patterned endpapers with some marking and small areas of surface abrasion.
Armorial bookplate and ownership inscriptions as described above. Text generally clean and bright, with light scattered spotting, foxing and age-toning, principally to the endpapers and preliminary leaves. Bindings firm and text blocks sound.
Both volumes retain their original errata slips, enhancing the bibliographical completeness and collector appeal of this first-edition set.
A sound and historically interesting first edition with attractive family provenance. The external wear prevents a higher condition grade, but the original cloth, firm bindings, clean text and documented Gathorne-Hardy ownership give the set considerable appeal to collectors of mythology, folklore, anthropology and comparative religion.
Collation: Volume I: xvi, 340 pp., errata slip present
Volume II: viii, 374 pp. errata slip present
Please see Photos as part of condition report.
References:
WorldCat, OCLC 1211857
Digitised 1887 edition
Weiser Antiquarian Books, bibliographical description of the 1887 first edition
Author Bio: Andrew Lang FBA (1844–1912) was a Scottish poet, novelist, literary critic, classicist, folklorist and contributor to the developing field of anthropology. He wrote extensively on mythology, religion, psychical research and literary history, and is now particularly remembered for editing the celebrated Fairy Book series. The Andrew Lang Lecture at the University of St Andrews commemorates his contribution to literature and scholarship.
Synopsis: Myth, Ritual, and Religion investigates why the mythologies of highly developed societies preserve stories involving animal transformations, magic, violence, irrational divine behaviour and other apparently archaic features.
Lang compares Greek, Indian, Egyptian, Australian, African, American, Pacific and other mythological traditions, examining such subjects as totemism, sorcery, nature myths, creation narratives, divine mythology and the transmission of heroic and popular tales. He argues that many puzzling elements of classical mythology represent survivals from earlier modes of human thought and belief.
Volume I introduces Lang’s comparative method and considers systems of mythology, totemism, magic, nature myths, creation stories and Greek cosmogony. Volume II examines divine myths from a range of cultures before turning to Greek gods, heroic narratives, romantic tales and theories concerning the international diffusion of folklore.
An influential document in the history of mythology and anthropology, the work also reflects the terminology and evolutionary assumptions of its Victorian period.
SKU: BTETM0002153
Shipping Info: Approximate Package Dimensions H: 60, L: 60, W: 60 (Units: cm), W: 2Kg
Tracked Shipping, Insurance Coverage as per Customer Request
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