Volume I. Introductory: Method of inquiry ; Typical problems ; Primitive thought and culture ; Religion in the relations of the sexes, both in ordinary life, marriage ceremonial and sexual crises. The taboo imposed. Taboo: Taboo ; Social and sexual taboo ; Evil influences ; The abnormal and the new ; The supernatural character of emotions, of pain, of sickness, and of death ; Supernatural danger in human relations

Sexual taboo: The relations of man and woman ; Sexual taboo ; Sexual solidarity and sexual antagonism ; Sexual taboo in religion ; Sex and occupations ; Sexual taboo at sexual crises ; The influence of sexual taboo on language ; Preliminary analysis of sexual taboo

Human relations: Evil spirits and material evil influences not distinguished ; Anthropomorphism ; Possession ; Personification and the memory-image ; The real and the ideal not distinguished ; In sexual and social relations human influence underlies spiritual.

Human relations (continued): Contact the test of human relations, both sexual and social ; Substance and accidents ; Material transmission of states and properties, the basis of sexual and social taboo ; Contagion of various human qualities and states ; Contagion of degradation, dullness, timidity, stupidity, weakness, effeminacy, pain, sin and crime, sickness and disease, death, beneficence, love, friendship, strength and courage ; Contagion by means of parts or properties of the body, clothes, food, various forms of contact, stepping over the shadow, sight or mere proximity ; The intention ; Oaths and ordeals ; The method of ngadhungi

Human relations (concluded): Care of functions and organs ; The mutilation of organs ; Disgust, uncleanness and shame in connection with sexual and social taboo ; Summary of the conceptions which underlie human relations ; Their result in primitive morality and etiquette

Commensal relations: Contact by means of food ; Importance of nutrition ; Fasting ; Forbidden food ; Transmission of properties by food ; Magic by means of food ; Eating in solitude ; Taboos against eating with others ; Taboos against eating with the opposite sex at sexual crises ; The same in ordinary life.

Sexual relations: Contact by sexual intercourse ; Intercourse in secret ; Obscenity ; Modesty ; Fear in sexual intercourse ; Magic and the sexual organs ; Love-charms ; Contagion of weakness and effeminacy ; Sexual intercourse regarded as enervating and weakening ; The rupture of the hymen ; Beliefs concerning the origin of menstruation ; The serpent ; Seduction by evil spirits in human form ; Sun-taboos and their origin ; Sexual taboo and purification

Sexual relations (continued): Transmission of male and female properties ; Women of masculine temperament in male clothes ; Women regarded as weak and timid ; Priests dressed in women's clothes ; Transmission of female weakness by contact ; Customs of dressing weak, effeminate and impotent men in women's clothes ; Transmission by blood cannot account for all the phenomena ; Summary of sexual taboo ; Its results in separating the young, both within and without the house ; Incest and promiscuity.

The taboo removed. The breaking of taboo: The breaking of taboo ; Avoiding the dangers of taboo by the use of barriers, veils, dummies, and substitutes ; The sacrifice of a part to preserve the whole ; Fasting ; Purification from taboo ; Methods of removing taboo ; Inoculation

Theory of union: Mutual inoculation and union ; The relation of ngia ngiampe ; Its use in love, hospitality, friendship, artificial brotherhood, the making of peace and in settling disputes ; Exchange of wives ; Guilds ; Its results in mutual respect and assistance ; The taboo resulting from it ; Summary of the ngia ngiampe relation ; The categories of union and identity ; The primitive conception of relationship ; Bars to marriage

Theory of change and exchange: Disguise ; Wearing the dress of the opposite sex ; Change of name and of identity ; The idea of new life at initiation, at puberty and at periodic festivals ; New food ; Representatives and substitutes ; New dress ; Disguise and change pass into exchange ; Saturnalia ; Exchange of wives ; The nature of the kiss ; Its history ; The breaking of taboo ; Union ; Duplicates and proxies ; Promiscuity ; Funeral observances ; Scapegoats ; Wardances ; The nature of the dance ; The principle of make-believe in custom, etiquette and punishment.

Volume II. Confirmation and engagement: Puberty and initiation ; The dangers of puberty ; Taboos against the opposite sex ; Change of identity ; Initiation ; The gift of strength ; Food-taboos and fasting ; Tutelar deities or guardian spirits ; The use of the bullroarer ; Moral and physical preparation for marriage ; Inoculation and introduction to the other sex ; Sympathetic practices ; Connection of initiation and marriage ; Taboos between betrothed persons ; Betrothal by proxy

Marriage and ceremonies: The meaning and origin of marriage ceremonies ; Marriage not a tribal or communistic act but an individualistic one ; Neutralisation of danger ; Purification ; Ordeals ; Exposure to the sun ; Weddings at night ; Customs of hiding and seclusion ; The bridal veil ; Protecting the head ; Seclusion of the bride and groom, and from each other ; Sympathy between those of the same sex ; Disguise and change of identity ; The false bride ; Doubles ; Groomsmen and bridesmaids ; Marriage by proxy ; Marriage to trees and the like ; Various forms of abstinence ; Deferring of consummation ; Ceremonial defloration ; The carrying of bride and bridegroom ; Sexual antagonism ; Sexual resistance and complementary violence the basis of connubial and formal capture ; The flight and return ; Destruction of property ; Criticism of the theory of marriage by capture ; Assimilation ; Mutual inoculation and union ; Joining hands and the like ; Eating and drinking together ; Bridal gifts ; Criticism of marriage by purchase.

Secondary taboo. Husband, wife and mother-in-law: Marriage as a state of ngia ngiampe ; Analysis of its duties and their sanctions ; The custom of avoidance between a man and his mother-in-law ; Criticism of theories ; Analysis of avoidances between persons related by marriage ; Meaning and origin of the mother-in-law avoidance

Parents and child: Sexual taboo at child-birth ; Saturnalia ; Twins ; The couvade ; True and false couvade ; Criticism of theories ; Meaning and origin of the custom ; Connected customs ; Teknonymy ; Criticism of theories ; Meaning and origin of the custom ; Renewal of marriage ; Customs allied to teknonymy ; The giving of the name ; Taboos between father and mother and child ; Godparents ; Other people's children

The marriage system: The marriage system ; Exogamy ; The marriage of near kin ; Criticism of theories ; Prohibition of incest the origin of exogamy ; Historical reconstruction of the origin of exogamy ; Terms of relationship ; Relationships ; The matriarchal theory ; Temporary residence with the wife's family ; The bride-price ; Classificatory systems ; Criticism of the theory of group-marriage ; Individual marriage ; Summary ; Deities of marriage.