Sir James George Frazer was a Scottish social anthropologist and folklorist influential in the early stages of modern studies of mythology and comparative religion. Born on 1 January 1854 and passing on 7 May 1941, Frazer was a pioneering figure in his field.

His most famous work, The Golden Bough (1890), documents and details the similarities among magical and religious beliefs around the globe. Frazer posited that human belief progressed through three stages: primitive magic, replaced by religion, and in turn replaced by science.