"Dalla straordinarietà degli effetti certo può indursi la straordinarietà, la grandezza, l' insistenza delle cagioni; ma l' intreccio e l' alterno prevalere di queste, l'attrazione che esercitano, sfuggono all' analisi. Il mistero precinge la notturna fecondazione. Dai più disparati sentimenti trae vigore la setta. Le materie più preziose ed insieme le meno elette concorrono a formare questo gigante, rifusione ciclopica e tetra di quanto s'agita, ribolle e schiuma nelle viscere sociali."-G. DE CASTRO.

From the extraordinary nature of the effects we may infer the extraordinary nature, grandeur, and permanency of the causes; but their connection, varying predominance, and mutual attraction, escape all analysis. Mystery surrounds the obscure fecundation. Sects draw vigour from the most opposite sentiments. The most exalted as well as the meanest elements concur in forming this giant, a cyclopean and black fusion of all that seethes, boils, and ferments in the social viscera.

THE

SECRET SOCIETIES

OF ALL AGES AND COUNTRIES

A Comprehensive Account of upwards of One Hundred
and Sixty Secret Organisations-Religious, Political,
and Social-from the most Remote Ages
down to the Present Time

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, Free-
masons, Skopzi, Camorristi, Carbonari, Nihilists,
Fenians, French, Spanish,

ANALYTICAL TABLE

VOL. I.

OF CONTENTS

PAGES

xiii

XV

xix

The numbers preceding analytical headings refer to the sections.

/PREFACE TO THE NEW EDITION

PREFACE TO FIRST EDITION

/AUTHORITIES CONSULTED

INTRODUCTION.-1. Intelligibility and Nature of Secret Societies. 2. Classi-
fication of Secret Societies. 3. Religious Societies. 4. Political
Societies. 5. Aims of Political Societies. 6. Religious Secret
Societies. 7. Most perfect human Type. 8. Causes of high Mental
Development. 9. Primitive Culture. 10. The true Doctrines of
Nature and Being. 11. Fundamental Principles of true Knowledge
possessed by the Ancients. 12. Key to Mystic Teaching. 13. Mystic
Teaching summarised. 14. How true Knowledge came to be lost.
15. Original Spirit of the Mysteries, and Results of their Decay.
16. The Mysteries under their Astronomical Aspect. 17. Astronomical
Aspects continued-The Mysteries funereal. 18. Uniformity of
Dogmas. 19. Most Ancient Secret Society. 20. Secret Societies no
longer needed

BOOK I

ANCIENT MYSTERIES

1-19

.

23-29

I. THE MAGI.-21. Derivation of the term Magus. 22. Antiquity of the
Magi. 23. Zoroaster. 24. Doctrine of Zoroaster. 25. The Light wor-
shipped. 26. Origin of the word Deus, God. 27. Mode of Initiation.
28. Myth of Rustam
II. THE MITHRAICS.-29. Mysteries of Mithras. 30. Origin of Mithraic
Worship. 31. Dogmas, &c. 32. Rites of Initiation. 33. Thammuz 30-33
III. BRAHMINS AND GYMNOSOPHISTS. 34. Vulgar Creed of India. 35.
Secret Doctrines. 36. Hindoo Cosmogony. 37. Buddhism. 38. Budd-
histic Teaching. 39. Asceticism. 40. Gymnosophists. 41. Places for
celebrating Mysteries. 42. Initiation. 43. The ineffable name Aum.
44. The Lingam. 45. The Lotus. 46. The Jains

34-4I

99032

48.

50.

IV. EGYPTIAN MYSTERIES.-47. Antiquity of Egyptian Civilisation.
Temples of Ancient Egypt. 49. Egyptian Priests and Kings.
Exoteric and Esoteric Doctrines. 51. Egyptian Mythology. 52. The
Phoenix. 53. The Cross. 54. Places of Initiation. 55. Process of
56. Mysteries of Serapis. 57. Mysteries of Osiris.

PAGES

42-50

Initiation.
58. Isis.
V. CRATA REPOA, OR HIGHEST DEGREE OF EGYPTIAN INITIATION.-59.
Preparation. 60. First Degree. 61. Second Degree. 62. Third De-
gree, or the Gate of Death. 63. Fourth Degree, or the Battle of the
Shades. 64. Fifth Degree: Balahate. 65. Sixth Degree: Astronomers
at the Gate of the Gods. 66. Seventh Degree: Propheta. 67. Con-
cluding Remarks .
51-56

VI. METAMORPHOSIS OF THE LEGEND OF ISIS.-68. Spread of Egyptian
Mysteries. 69. Dionysiac or Bacchic Mysteries. 70. Sabazian
Mysteries. 71. Mysteries of the Cabiri. 72. Eleusinian Mysteries.
73. Doors of Horn and Ivory. 74. Suppression of Eleusinian
Mysteries. 75. The Thesmophoria. 76. Aim of Grecian Mysteries
more Moral than Religious .

VII. CHINESE AND JAPANESE MYSTERIES. -77. Chinese Metaphysics.
78. Introduction of Chinese Mysteries. 79. Parallel between Budd-
hism and Christianity. 80. Lau-Tze. 81. Japanese Mysteries. 82.
Japanese Doctrines. 83. The Lama

VIII. MEXICAN AND PERUVIAN MYSTERIES.-84. American Aborigines.
85. Mexican Deities. 86. Cruelty of Mexican Worship. 87. Initia-
tion into Mysteries. 88. The Greater Mysteries. 89. Human Sacrifices.
90. Clothing in Bloody Skins. 91. Peruvian Mysteries. 92. Quiches
Initiation

IX. THE DRUIDS.-93. The Druids, the Magi of the West. 94. Temples.
95. Places of Initiation. 96. Rites. 97. Doctrines. 98. Political and
Judicial Power. 99. Priestesses. 100. Abolition

57-62

63-66

67-72

73-77

I. THE CABBALA.-104. Its Origin. 105. Date of Cabbala. 106. The Book
of the Creation. 107. Different Kinds of Cabbala. 108. Visions of
Ezekiel. 109. The Creation out of Nothing. 110. Revival of Cabba-
listic Doctrines

II. SONS OF THE WIDOW.-111. Origin of Religion of Love. 112. Manes.
113. Manichæism. 114. Life of Manes. 115. Progress of Mani-
chæism. 116. Doctrines. 117. Spread of Religion of Love

83-88

89-93