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The Illuminati -

Founded in 1776 in Bavaria by Adam Weishaupt (1748–1830), the Illuminati remains one of the most discussed and controversial clandestine groups ever created. Over the course of its near 250-year history, the Illuminati have been at the center of numerous global conspiracy theories and been dubbed the society of secrets. The Illuminati is generally credited with devising the famous pyramid-and-eye symbol known as the Christian Eye of Providence, later a symbol of Freemasonry, and recognized on the Great Seal of the United States and printed on American paper currency.

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Ancient Mystical Order Rosae Crucis -

Also known as the Rosicrucian Order, this worldwide brotherhood is a community of mystics who study and practice the metaphysical laws governing the universe. Members claim to possess esoteric wisdom handed down from ancient times. A spiritual and cultural movement, Rosicrucianism has its origins in early 17th-century Europe.

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The Knights Templar -

The secretive and shadowy Catholic military order founded in 1119 known as the Knights Templar were warriors dedicated to protecting Christian pilgrims to the Holy Land during the Crusades. The order was active until 1312 when it was perpetually suppressed by Pope Clement V after its wealth and power was perceived as a threat. Illustrated is an 1180 Knights Templar Seal.

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International Order of St. Hubertus -

Founded in Bohemia by Count Franz Anton von Sporck in 1695, the International Order of St. Hubertus is a worldwide organization and knightly order of hunters and wildlife conservationists. Members of the worldwide, male-only society wear dark-green robes emblazoned with a large cross and the motto Deum Diligite Animalia Diligentes, which means "Honoring God by honoring His creatures." The order gained media attention in February 2016, when US Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia died while staying at a ranch owned by a high-ranking member of the organization.

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The Freemasons -

Much has been written about Freemasonry. These fraternal organizations trace their origins to the Middle Ages in Europe and local guilds of stonemasons, who identified one another via signs of their trade, like the builder’s square and compass in Freemasonry’s now-iconic symbol. Since its establishment, Masonic temples and secret passwords and rituals have brought Freemasons into conflict with the Catholic Church. Furthermore, Freemasonry has been the subject of numerous conspiracy theories throughout the years. Famous Freemasons included George Washington, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, and Winston Churchill.

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Skull and Bones -

Founded in 1832, Skull and Bones is an undergraduate senior secret student society at Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut. The Skull and Bones lodge is otherwise known as the "tomb" (pictured). Both John Kerry and George Bush were members of Yale's secretive Skull and Bones society. Many other members have also risen to powerful positions.

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The Patriotic Order of Sons of America -

Established in Philadelphia in 1847, the Patriotic Order of Sons of America (P.O.S. of A.) is a fraternal organization that dates back to the early days of the American Republic. Once one of the most popular and influential orders in the United States—but like many fraternal organizations of its time, a "whites only" organization—the P.O.S. of A. today is open to all native-born or naturalized American male citizens.

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The Improved Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks of the World -

Established in 1897 in the United States, the Improved Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks of the World (IBPOEW) is an African-American fraternal order modeled on the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks. The secretive order was formed after two Black men were denied admission to the latter, which is still thriving today. They took the order's name and founded their own club around it. During the era of segregation, the IBPOEW lodge was one of the few where Black men and Black women could socialize. Today the once secretive order is far more open and its historical importance as a place of activism continues to be a central aspect of its public image. Pictured: IBPOEW members march on Boston Common in a 1963 civil rights rally.

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The Independent Order of Odd Fellows -

Founded in 1819 in Baltimore, Maryland, though with several unofficial Odd Fellows Lodges recorded as early as 1812 in New York City, the Independent Order of Odd Fellows (IOOF) in fact has its roots in early 18th-century England. The IOOF, which is still around today, is a non-political and non-sectarian international fraternal order, grounded in the ideals of friendship, love, and truth.

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The Grand Orange Lodge -

Named in tribute of William III, the Prince of Orange, the Grand Orange Lodge, or "Orange Order," was established in 1798 ostensibly to protect Protestants. Deemed an illegal society at a time when secret societies were banned in Ireland, the Grand Orange Lodge still functions today and is best known for its yearly marches.

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The Knights of Pythias -

A fraternal organization and secret society founded in 1864 in Washington, D.C. by Justus H. Rathbone (1839–1889), the Knights of Pythias was established on the ideals of loyalty, honor, and friendship. The still-active order is named after the Greek legend 'Damon and Pythias,' the Pythagorean ideal of friendship.

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The Molly Maguires -

The Molly Maguires were an Irish 19th-century secret society active in Ireland, Liverpool, and parts of the Eastern United States, notably Pennsylvania. The society was notorious for its activism and the violent conflicts between its members and the state's coal-mining officials. In the 1870s, 24 foreman and supervisors were assassinated, after which 20 Maguires were sentenced to death by hanging. The group fractured and eventually disbanded after being infiltrated by an agent working for the Pinkerton Detective Agency. 

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P2 Lodge -

Propaganda Due, or P2, was a Masonic lodge founded in Italy in 1877. After its Masonic charter was revoked in 1976, P2 developed into a a clandestine, anti-communist, anti-Soviet, anti-leftist, radical right organization that was later headed by Licio Gelli. P2 was an influential secret network implicated in numerous Italian crimes and mysteries, including the collapse of the Vatican-affiliated Banco Ambrosiano, and the death of banker Roberto Calvi. P2's shadowy activities were exposed in 1981. Gelli (pictured in a court drawing) was arrested and eventually jailed, and the lodge disbanded.

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Bilderberg Group -

While not strictly a secret society like the Illuminati or Freemasons, the Bilderberg Group has raised plenty of eyebrows over its strict adherence to privacy. Bilderberg gets its name from the Hotel de Bilderberg in the Netherlands, where the first Bilderberg Meeting was held in 1954 when politicians from North America and Europe gathered to foster warmer relations between the two continents. An annual conference, attendees are not allowed to share information from a Bilderberg Meeting, journalists are barred from reporting on it, and minutes are not released. Pictured is the 1966 Bilderberg Conference in Wiesbaden, West Germany. Guests included NATO Secretary General Manilo Brosio (left).

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The Black Hand -

The secret military society known as the Black Hand, formed in 1901 by officers in the Army of the Kingdom of Serbia, was allegedly involved in the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife in Sarajevo in 1914. Shot by Bosnian Serb Gavrilo Princip (pictured after his arrest), this act set into motion the events that would directly lead to the First World War.

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Thule Society -

The Thule Society was a clandestine German occultist organization founded in Munich in the wake of the First World War. Credited with being the progenitor of Nazi ideology, members included Hans Frank, who became Adolf Hitler's personal legal advisor, and Deputy Führer Rudolf Hess (pictured).

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The Ancient Order of Foresters -

Established in Great Britain in 1834 as the Ancient Order of Foresters, this friendly society—a mutual association for the purposes of insurance, pensions, savings or cooperative banking—was created before state health insurance began in England. The order therefore offered sick benefits to its mostly working class and under-privileged members. In 1874, the American and Canadian branches seceded from the Ancient Order and set up the Independent Order of the Foresters. Pictured taking place at Surrey Zoological Gardens in 1850 is a fete organized on behalf of the Ancient Order Of Foresters.

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The Eleusinian Mysteries -

Described as the "most famous of the secret religious rites of ancient Greece," the Eleusinian Mysteries were initiations held every year that focused upon the cult of Demeter, the goddess of agriculture and the wife of Zeus, and their daughter Persephone. Initiates were sworn to secrecy to never speak about what they had undergone or the knowledge they had gained. The rites were observed regularly from c. 1600 BCE–392 CE.

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Bohemian Club -

Founded in San Francisco in 1872, the Bohemian Club is an elite invitation-only social club whose membership include some of the world's wealthiest and most powerful individuals, past members of which included Richard Nixon and Ronald Reagan. The club is known especially for its annual summer retreat at what is known as Bohemian Grove in the redwood forest of California’s Sonoma county. Pictured: "Not a through road" signs line the road leading to the exclusive Bohemian Grove.

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Klu Klux Klan -

Emerging in the wake of the American Civil War, the Ku Klux Klan initially suppressed and victimized newly freed slaves, but later targeted Jews, immigrants, homosexuals, and other minority groups. The Klan's first Grand Wizard was Confederate Army general Nathan Bedford Forrest Seeking (1821–1877). Klan members adopted masks and robes that hid their identities and permitted large-scale public activities, especially parades and cross-burning ceremonies, while keeping the membership rolls a secret. The Ku Klux Klan is the oldest American hate group, and while the number of active KKK chapters has declined, there are still between 5,000 and 8,000 Klan members nationwide.

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Ancient Order of United Workmen -

Set up in 1868 with the aim of providing mutual social and financial support for the working class after the American Civil War, the Ancient Order of United Workmen (AOUW) began operating out of Meadville, Pennsylvania. By 1885, the order was the largest fraternal benefit group in the United States. The AOUW was dissolved in 1952. Pictured in 1909 is a Seattle lodge in a former church.

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Wolf's Head -

The Wolf's Head, founded in 1883, is another secret society based at Yale University, one of the three most prominent along with Skull and Bones and Scroll and Key. Pictured is the society's building.

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Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn -

Founded by Freemasons William Robert Woodman (1828–1891), Samuel Liddell MacGregor Mathers (1854–1918), and, pictured before 1897, William Wynn Westcott (1848–1925), the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn was a secret society based in England devoted to the study and practice of the occult, metaphysics, and paranormal activities during the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

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Ordo Templi Orientis -

Founded in the early years of the 20th century, the occult initiatory organization known as Ordo Templi Orientis was intended to be modeled after and associated with European Freemasonry. However, the order's best-known and most influential member, English author and occultist Aleister Crowley (1875–1947), freely encouraged the practice of sex magic and effectively turned Ordo Templi Orientis into a club for aging swingers.

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Cicada 3301 -

The movie 'Dark Web: Cicada 3301' (2021) does a pretty good job at delving into the background of enigmatic Cicada 3301, an organization that recruits, with internet-based puzzles placed online on 4Chan with clues dropped on Twitter, "highly intelligent individuals," although the ultimate purpose remains unknown.

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Tong -

A Tong refers to a hall or meeting place where Chinese immigrants congregate as sworn brotherhoods or secret societies. Tongs originated in 17th-century China, but spread to the United States with the influx of Chinese immigrants. There they are known as Hop Sing Tong. Tongs still exist as fraternal organizations, but so too as criminal outfits affiliated with Chinese organized crime. Pictured is the dedication in 1951 of a new Hop Sing Tong building in the US.

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Odin Brotherhood -

The Odin Brotherhood is a secret society for men and women who value "knowledge, freedom, and power," according to their website.

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Scotch Cattle -

The oddly named Scotch Cattle movement first appeared in Wales in the early 1820s and was the description adopted by bands of coal miners who, in disguise, would visit the homes of other local miners moonlighting during strikes and ransack their properties or attack them physically. The highly secretive movement got its name from the habit of painting the head of a bull in red paint on targeted premises, and the cowskins worn as disguises by some members of the group. It may have also been meant to evoke the fierceness of certain breeds of actual Scottish cattle, such as Highland cattle (pictured).

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Hiéron du Val d'Or -

Translating to English as "Sanctuary of the Golden Valley," Hiéron du Val d'Or was a Catholic esoteric secret society in France founded in 1873. Culturally conservative and allied to concepts of royalism, Hiéron du Val d'Or sought to establish a Catholic hermetic freemasonry in Burgundy, and developed a museum and research center in 1877, which still exists to this day as the Musée du Hiéron (pictured). The society was dissolved in 1926.

Sources: (National Geographic) (The Seattle Times) (History) (The Guardian) (Britannica) (Financial Times) (CBS News) (The Telegraph)

See also: Britain's secret societies

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