Secret society 164143 225358050 2008-07-13T07:29:40Z 122.53.164.114 {{dablink|For the special [[Europe (band)|Europe]] album, see [[Secret Society (Europe album)]].}} '''Secret society''' is a term used to describe a variety of organizations. Although the exact meaning of the term is disputed, several of the definitions advanced indicate a degree of [[secrecy]] and [[secret knowledge]], which might include denying membership or knowledge of the group and possibly negative consequences for acknowledging membership, strong ties between members of the organization, and frequently rites or rituals which outsiders are generally not permitted to observe. ==Definition== Several definitions for the term have been put forward. The term "secret society" is used to describe [[fraternal organization]]s that may have secret ceremonies, ranging from the common and innocuous ([[college fraternity|collegiate fraternities]]) to mythical organizations described in [[conspiracy theories]] as immensely powerful, with self-serving financial or [[New World Order (conspiracy)|political agendas]], global reach, and often [[Luciferianism|luciferian]] beliefs. [[Alan Axelrod]], author of the ''International Encyclopedia of Secret Societies and Fraternal Orders'', defines a secret society as possessing three characteristics. These are that the organization is exclusive, it claims to own special secrets, and it shows a strong inclination to favor its own. David V. Barrett, author of ''Secret Societies: From the Ancient and Arcane to the Modern and Clandestine'', uses slightly different terms to define what does and does not qualify as a secret society. He defines it as any group that possesses the following characteristics: it has "carefully graded and progressed teachings" that are "available only to selected individuals". These teachings lead to "hidden (and 'unique') truths" that bring "personal benefits beyond the reach and even the understanding of the uninitiated." Barrett goes on to say that "a further characteristic common to most of them is the practice of rituals which non-members are not permitted to observe, or even to know the existence of." Another characteristic these societies may have is that, in extreme cases, they may be required to take an oath or make some similar statement to the effect that they will conceal or deny their membership in the organization, sometimes acknowledging the indicated penalties for not doing so. The term as used in this article could include [[criminal organization]]s, such as the [[Triad (underground societies)|Triad]], [[Yakuza]] or the [[Cosa Nostra]] organizations. ==Overview== {{worldview}} Historically, secret societies have been the subject of suspicion and speculation from non-members since the time of the [[ancient Greeks]], when meetings were held "[[sub rosa]]" (Latin, "under the rose"). This phrase arises from the fact that the [[rose]] was the [[emblem]] of the god [[Horus]] in [[ancient Egypt]]{{Fact|date=February 2007}}. Later the [[Ancient Greece|Greeks]] and [[Ancient Rome|Romans]] regarded Horus as god of [[silence]]. This originates from a Greek/Roman misinterpretation of an [[Egyptian hieroglyphic]] adopting Horus along with [[Isis]] and [[Osiris]] as a god. The Greeks translated his Egyptian name Har-pa-khered to [[Harpocrates]]. The rose's connotation for [[secrecy]] also dates back to [[Greek mythology]]. [[Aphrodite]] gave a rose to her son [[Eros]], the god of love; he, in turn, gave it to Harpocrates, the god of silence, to ensure that his mother's indiscretions (or those of the gods in general, in other accounts) were kept under wraps. In the [[Middle Ages]] a rose suspended from the ceiling of a council chamber pledged all present (those under the rose) to secrecy.<ref name="Scottish">[http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Government/International-Relations/15181/18474 Scottish Executive Official Website]</ref> Today the phrases "Sub Rosa" and "under the rose" are commonly used to indicate secrecy. Since some secret societies have political aims, they are illegal in several countries. [[Poland]] has made the ban of secret political parties and political organizations a part of its constitution. Not all secret societies are perceived as a threat by the existing political establishment. The Lateral Line, a socially-reforming high-IQ society founded in the Bahamas in 1964, became increasingly connected to the US and British governments through its civil service and intelligence community membership.{{Fact|date=June 2008}} These private individuals tended to introduce new members from their own fields of work and, by 1969, non-accountable government agencies gained democratic control over the society, prompting the resignation of many founding members. The Lateral Line has, over the last two decades, become an autonomous advisory group to US, UK and Swiss government departments on such diverse subjects as the economic impact of climate change, global food and population controls and commercial globalisation.{{Fact|date=June 2008}} Many student societies established on university campuses in the United States have been considered secret societies. These such collegiate secret societies are like the [[Flat Hat Club]] (1750) and [[Phi Beta Kappa]] (1776), both founded at [[College of William and Mary|William & Mary]]. The most famous member of the FHC was [[Thomas Jefferson]], the third [[President of the United States]]. In correspondence, Jefferson noted that the Flat Hat Club served "no useful object." The nation's prestigious universities and liberal arts colleges are home to secret societies today. Perhaps one of the most famous secret college societies is the [[Skull and Bones]] club, of which both presidents [[George H.W. Bush]] and [[George W. Bush]] and Senator [[John Kerry]] are members from their college years. The United States [[National Security Agency]] has been described as a secret society, since for many years, its very existence was a secret, as was its budget. People (such as [[James Bamford]], in ''[[The Puzzle Palace]],'' 1982) used to say that the letters ''NSA'' stood for "No Such Agency" or "Never Say Anything"; and, in the early 1990s, the [[CIA]] had a website but the NSA did not. This has changed: The NSA has had a website for several years, and its activities are debated in Congress and the press. Its budget is still classified, but it officially exists. Its activities are authorized and are paid for, although the details of those activities are closely-held secrets. ==See also== *[[Secret societies in popular culture]] *[[Collegiate secret societies in North America]] ==References== *{{cite book | last = Heckethorn | first = Charles William | year = 1997 | title = 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 | publisher = Kessinger Publishing | id = ISBN 1-56459-296-0 }} *{{cite book | last = Whalen | first = William Joseph | year = 1966 | title = Handbook of secret organizations | publisher = Bruce Pub. Co. | location = Milwaukee | id = {{LCCN|66||026658}} }} *{{cite book | last = Axelrod | first = Alan | year = 1997 | title = The international encyclopedia of secret societies and fraternal orders | publisher = Facts on File | location = New York | id = ISBN 0-8160-2307-7 }} *{{cite book | last = Roberts | first = J. M. (John Morris) | year = 1972 | title = The mythology of the secret societies | publisher = Scribner | location = New York | id = ISBN 0-684-12904-3 }} *{{cite book | last = Robbins | first = Alexandra | year = 2004 | title = Pledged: the secret life of sororities | publisher = Hyperion | location = New York | id = ISBN 0-7868-8859-8 }} == Notes == {{reflist}} ==External links== <!-- All links to commercial sites will be deleted, please do not waste your time and ours. Thank you. --> *[http://www.wanttoknow.info/secretsocietiesnewsarticles Major media articles on secret societies] &mdash; Collection of one-paragraph excerpts with links to original articles *[http://www.iisg.nl/collections/secretsocieties/index.php Secret Societies: a very short history] &mdash; Documents and illustrations of Freemasons, Jesuits, Illuminati, Carbonari, Burschenschaften and other putative secret societies and clandestine organizations [[Category:Secret societies| ]] [[cs:Tajná společnost]] [[de:Geheimbund]] [[et:Salaühing]] [[es:Sociedad secreta]] [[eo:Sekreta societo]] [[fr:Société secrète]] [[ko:비밀결사]] [[it:Società segreta]] [[ja:秘密結社]] [[pl:Tajne związki]] [[pt:Sociedade secreta]] [[ru:Тайные общества]] [[sr:Тајно друштво]] [[fi:Salaseura]] [[sv:Ordenssällskap]] [[ta:இரகசிய சமூகம்]] [[zh:秘密結社]]