Secret Societies

Secret societies are organized conspiracies working in secret to achieve a hidden agenda. Members use secrecy to protect themselves and their movement. Critics view secret societies as malevolent organizations that are working against the general will of mankind.

Members may be required to conceal or deny their membership, and they are often sworn to hold the society's secrets by an oath. Violating the oath may result in the application of severe sanctions.

Like the most successful forgeries, the most effective secret societies are unknown beyond their adherents. Members may be required to deny the organization itself exists.

Pseudohistories[]

A portion of secret societies make pseudohistorical claims- claims of a very old origin and direct descent from a fabled founder or group of founders.

For example, The Horseman's Word claims to have been founded by the character Cain from the book of Genesis. The rosicrucians claim direct descent from Christian Rosenkreuz (1378 - 1484; who was himself a made-up character who was invented in the early 1600s by a pamphleteer), when in fact the first rosicrucian group was created in the 1700s. The Odin Brotherhood claims that it was established in 1421, when in fact it was invented by Mark Mirabello in 1992. Gerald Gardner claimed that Wicca was a survival of a pre-christian "witch cult", when in fact it was invented in England in the late 1930s and 1940s, in large part by Gerald Gardner himself.

Function[]

Secret societies have many functions. Some, such as the Odin Brotherhood, the Rosicrucians, or the Thelemic societies, exist to maintain, spread, and practice their esoteric or occult knowledge. Others, while they have esoteric philosophies, are social organizations, such as Greek Fraternities or Elk Lodges. Others were created to provide benefits and charity to members, such as the Knights of Columbus or Woodsmen.

Some secret societies have been considered dangerous by their enemies. Freemasonry, especially irregular masonry, was highly political in the past and involved in radical movements. The Carbonari of Italy were an outright revolutionary, anti-monarchist movement. The Ancient Illuminated Seers of Bavaria (Illuminati) were so considered so dangerous that they were crushed and suppressed by the State. The Sons of Liberty were also a secret society which helped launch the American Revolution.

One especially provocative secret society was the Black Hand of Serbia. Organized in 1911 as a secret society of Serb assassins, its purpose was to use targeted killings to liberate Serbian lands held by other nations. Dmitrievich recruited assassins who were young and were suffering from terminal diseases. A member of the Black hand, Gavrilo Princip, was 19 years of age when he sparked World War I by firing 2 shots–with a pistol–and killed an heir to the Austrian throne and his wife. When recruited Princip was dying of tuberculosis.

Initiation[]

Admittance into a secret society often begins with an initiation ritual. That initiation ritual may involve darkness, blindfolds, blood oaths, and/or symbolic icons such as skulls, daggers, or sacred texts. The candidate may undergo some kind of ordeal, such as a symbolic death and resurrection.

According to the historian Ronald Hutton, initiation into The Horseman's Word involves reading the bible backwards three times over three years, indulging in a mock eucharist (with bread, jam, and whiskey), and, at the climax of the initaition, "shaking the devil's hand". On the last point, the blindfolded initiate had to grasp a heated spade.

According to Kenneth J. Beatty, initiation into the Human Leopards of west africa involved murder, cannibalism, and cutting permanent markings onto the body.

Many secret societies will have layers of membership, with a person entering first as a neophyte of some sort, and then advancing through the ranks as he participates more in the organization. These ranks are very often called "degrees". Some organizations have as few as one or three degrees, others as many as thirty-three (namely, scottish-rite Freemasonry).

As the applicant advances through the ranks, he may learn new passwords, hand grips, or other modes of recognition during the rituals.

International or non-governmental organizations[]

These groups are often considered and talked about in the context that they are secret societies.

The Trilateral Commission
Pilgrims Society
Le cercle
Bilderberg Group
Council on Foreign Relations
Edelweiss
Thule Gelleschaft
Land and Liberty
Royal Institute of International Affairs (also known as Chatham House)
The Club of Rome

Student societies[]

Anak Society (1908) at Georgia Institute of Technology
Berzelius (1848) at Yale University
Bishop James Madison Society (1812) at the College of William and Mary
Book and Snake (1863) at Yale University
Cambridge Apostles (1820) at the University of Cambridge
Flat Hat Club (1750) at the College of William and Mary
Order of the Greek Horsemen at the University of Georgia
Phi Beta Kappa (1776) at the College of William and Mary, began as a secret society, but eliminated secrecy in 1831 and is now national
Quill and Dagger (1893) at Cornell University
Scroll and Key (1842) at Yale University
Seven Society at the University of Virginia
Skull and Bones (1832) at Yale University
Society of the Pacifica House (1824) at Brown University
Sphinx Head Society (1890) at Cornell University
St. Anthony Hall (1847) at Columbia University
Juris confraternity (1991) at Auchi Polytechnic

Fraternal organizations[]

Freemasonry
Order of DeMolay
Order of the Eastern Star
AMORC (Ancient Mystical Order Rosae Crucis)
Confraternity of the Rose Cross
Rosicrucians
SRIA (Societas Rosicruciana in Anglia )
Knights of Columbus
National Society of Pershing Rifles
Order Militia Crucifera Evangelica
Order of the Solar Temple
Ordo Templi Orientis
Order of the Arrow

Historical secret societies[]

Beati paoli
Illuminati
Knights of the Golden Circle
Know-Nothings
Ku Klux Klan (exists at present with very small membership)
Gladio Society of the Elect
Thule Society
Tiandihui
Wide Awakes

Revolutionary or underground organizations[]

Black Hand
Carbonari
Fenian Brotherhood
Germanenorden
Katipunan
Mau Mau
Muslim Brotherhood
Narodnik
Red Turbans
Righteous Harmony Society
Sons of Liberty
Tongmenghui
Vihan Veljet
Walhalla-orden
White Rose Society

Secret society - Alleged secret societies[]

Either existence, or secret society status, is subject to significant doubt

The Elders of Zion
The Green Man
Order of the Raven
Majestic 12
Priory of Sion
Tydamonic Alliance
Vril Society

Religious[]

The Assassins
Bwiti
Cathars
Compagnie du saint sacrement
The Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith
Knights of Columbus
Knights of Malta
Knights Templar
Odin Brotherhood
Ordo Templi Orientis
Order of the Solar Temple
Scientology
Sufism
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints

References[]

Alan Axelrod. The International Encyclopedia of Secret Societies and Fraternal Orders. ISBN 0-8160-2307-7
David V. Barrett. Secret Societies. From the Ancient and Arcane to the Modern and Clandestine. ISBN 0713727721
Kenneth J. Beatty Human Leopards * ISBN 0766161218
Jean Chesneaux (Editor), Lucien Bianco Popular Movements and Secret Societies in China, 1840-1950. ISBN 0804707901.
Arkon Daroul. A History of Secret Societies. ISBN 0806508574
Charles William Heckethorn. The Secret Societies of all Ages and Countries, Embracing the Mysteries of Ancient India, China, Japan, Egypt, Mexico, Peru, Greece, and Scandinavia, the Cabbalists, early Christians, heretics, Assassins, Thugs, Templars, the Vehm and Inquisition, mystics, Rosicrucians, Illuminati, Freemasons, Skopzi, Camorristi, Carbonari, nihilists, and other sects. ISBN 1-56459-296-0
Bernard E. Jones. Freemasons' Guide and Compendium. ISBN 1581825609
Thomas Keightley. Secret Societies of the Middle Ages. ISBN 140216355X
John Lawrence Reynolds. Secret Societies: Inside the World's Most Notorious Organizations. ISBN 1559708263.
John Morris Roberts. The Mythology of the Secret Societies. ISBN 0-684-12904-3
Steven Sora, Secret Societies of America's Elite: From the Knights Templar to Skull and Bones, Destiny Books (February 24, 2003), ISBN 0892819596, ISBN 978-0892819591
Herbert Vivian. Secret Societies Old and New. ISBN 1417979526
Arthur Edward Waite The Real History of the Rosicrucians: Founded on their own manifestoes, and on facts and documents collected from the writings of initiated Brethren ISBN 1402197691