A History of Secret Societies
by Arkon Daraul
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Description
Almost every social system throughout history has produced its secret societies. Here is a unique study of such societies from earliest recorded times to the present, along with an analysis of their forms, rituals, and beliefs. The author has traveled extensively to gather documentation. The Charcoal Burners of Italy, the Castrators of Russia, the Old Man of the Mountains, and the Gnostics are but a few of the many described.Tags
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More a study of religion than societies, I think; most were really more what I would call mystery cults. And not terribly secret, most of them I found the Sufi and the followers of the Peacock Angel the most interesting. I could imagine joining them.In the chapter on witchcraft I started wondering, though. He complained that other researchers of the phenomenon picked and chose what evidence to base their conclusions on, then went ahead and did the same thing. "Disregarding, this, this and this, we can see that what really happened was in accordance with my own pet theory..."Why do so few scholars properly cite their material?
Dumb but fun.
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Author Information
94+ Works 7,041 Members
Idries Shah, whose full name is Nawab-Zaba Sayed Idries Shah el-Hashimi, is Grand Sheikh of the Sufis and the eldest son of the Nawab (the Mohammedan equivalent of Maharajah) of Sardana, near Delhi in India. His family originates from the principality of Paghman in the Hindu Kush, where his ancestors have reigned since 1221, and claims the senior show more descent from Mohammed in Islam. Idries Shah was born at Simla in the Himalayas and lives in London show less
Common Knowledge
- Canonical title
- A History of Secret Societies
- Original publication date
- 1961
Classifications
- Genres
- Nonfiction, History, General Nonfiction, Religion & Spirituality
- DDC/MDS
- 366 — Society, government, & culture Social problems and social services Clubs, Associations, Insurance
- LCC
- HS125 .D3 — Social sciences Societies: secret, benevolent, etc. Societies: secret, benevolent, etc. Secret societies
- BISAC
Statistics
- Members
- 537
- Popularity
- 55,641
- Reviews
- 2
- Rating
- (3.57)
- Languages
- English
- Media
- Paper, Ebook
- ISBNs
- 11
- ASINs
- 15
