A Bibliography of Sex Rites and Customs. An Annotated Record of Books, Articles, and Illustrations in all Languages

George Routledge & Sons, Ltd, London, first edition, 1931. Cloth, large 4to,. v, 752 pp. Approximately 9,000 entries. From the blurb : "This bibliography is a collection of references gathered from books and periodicals in the principal European languages to the various rites and ceremonies connected with the idea of the sanctity of the sexual organs, especially in their relation to procreation. There are many references, too, to the rather incomprehensible and widespread custom of ritual nudity. The idea of 'good luck' seems to have been one, at least, of the ideas connected with this custom, as with the related custom of ritual obscenity, as expressed in speech or in pictorial and sculptured representations, the latter so common in Hindu temples.The phenomenon of sacred prostitution, widespread in the ancient world, and the analogous custom of ritual defloration (an echo of which possibly appears in the mediaeval jus primae noctis), is also the subject of a large number of references. Other subjects represented are the ceremonial use of human sexual excreta, ritual coitus (including pederasty), of which there arc a number of examples, curious sexual ceremonies connected with the dead, and licentious spring, harvest, other festivals and customs connected with agriculture. The bibliograpy is far from being a mere list of titles, as not only are the page references given, but also some idea of the subject treated thereon, necessarily in condensed form. These annotations are made fully accessible by means of a full and comprehensive index. The work as a whole should be of very considerable value to anthropologists, folklorists, sociologists, archaeologists (especially those interested in ceramics), orientalists, psycho-analysts, missionary students, and others desiring information concerning the manifold manifestations of the sex-idea in all climes and ages. Endpapers slightly darkened, green colouring of top edge of textblock partly faded, slight spotting to fore-edges, otherwise Near Very Good in a slightly torn and creased dustwrapper.