4 more secret societies you've probably never heard of

Unsurprisingly, throughout history countless secret societies were founded around the world, and we have even talked about several of them here at Mega Curioso. Some resisted the passage of time - as is the case with Freemasonry, for example - while others disappeared. However, it is undeniable that, regardless of their goals, peculiarities and oddities, these organizations arouse the curiosity of all.

With that in mind, we decided to put together four secret societies - selected from an article by Sayali Bedekar Patil from The Richest - that you probably never heard of. Check out:

1 - Arioi

Established in Tahiti, this secret society consisted of a religious order composed of only the most beautiful and successful members of the population. Its members - men and women - worshiped Oro, the god of war, praised the arts and sexual freedom, and were forced to refrain from having children. For this reason, it was common for Arioi members to commit abortions and even infanticides.

Members believed that their entry into the secret society guaranteed eternal youth and a pleasurable existence. Another interesting feature is that members could leave Arioi at will and start a family without any hostility from other members.

2 - Calves' Head Club

Founded in England in the 17th century shortly after the beheading of King Charles I, members of the Calves' Head Club - or “Calf's Head Club ” in free translation - used to meet to basically celebrate the execution of the monarch. This secret society was made up of members who shared the same ideas and met simply to spend time together and party.

However, every year on January 30 - the anniversary of the King's execution - there was a special celebration. The members gathered for a banquet consisting of a cod head (it must have been easier to find this rarity at the time!), Which symbolized the head of Charles I, pike, the fish that represented tyranny, and a head of a boar, which meant the king's persecution against his enemies.

In addition, calf heads were also served to represent the monarch and his followers; an ax - the weapon used for beheading - was placed in a prominent place at the table. After the banquet, Calves' Head Club members burned a copy of Carlos I's autobiography (known as Eikon BasilikeI ), and all toasted the king's death. By the way, let's match ... This Carlos I was "superquerido"!

3 - Knight's Word Society

Known by the original name of The Society of the Horseman's Word, this secret society emerged in Scotland during the 18th century and was initially believed to consist of blacksmiths and peasants who recited spells and used witchcraft to tame their horses.

However, according to historians, in fact, the Knight's Word Society was made up of men with deep knowledge of these animals who met in secret to exchange all sorts of horse-related information.

Thus, during the meetings, the members talked about how to tame the horses and which medicinal herbs would be indicated to treat certain diseases, for example. In addition, there was an initiation ritual in which novices chanted ancient chants, took oaths, read Bible passages backwards, and learned secret greetings and codes — hence the belief that knights practiced witchcraft.

4 - Les UX

Unlike the previous examples of brotherhoods that, as far as we know, no longer exist, this society we are going to talk about now was created by a group of artists in the 1980s and still in full swing.

Les UX - by U rban and X periment - is dedicated to building, upgrading and restoring inaccessible locations in Paris. Among the actions of the members of this secret society is the restoration of various medieval crypts and the Pantheon clock, the creation of a clandestine cinema in an underground gallery of the city and the organization of plays, readings and exhibitions.