This work is meant as both introductory and cautionary. I do not intend it to be the final say on the matter of secret societies, my own or anyone else’s; far from it, I believe that as more information is made readily available to the general public, the need for more specialized works will be in higher demand. It is not intended to promote fear or prejudice, but to instill vigilance and critical thought towards established narratives of both history and legend. The truth may indeed be the strongest sword of all. And if I have done anything to sharpen that sword, then my task is complete.
Chapter One: THE HASHSHASHINS
Alamut. There isn’t much bustle these days in this fertile valley nestled among the Elburz mountain range of northern Iran, overlooking the capital city of Tehran. Nestled as it is by the province of Qazvin—known for its history as a center of trade, calligraphy and culture—to the south, and the Mazandaran province—known for its forests, bridges and as the birthplace of the last shah of Iran—to the north, it’s as if the region is frozen in time. Sure, there are slightly more modern roads that steer through here, curving through the imposing crags, gullies and hills; but even these seem foreboding in comparison to the densely huddled villages you leave as you make your ascent through the vastly impenetrable boulders and hills. Even the rivers, ravines and lakes seem to hum more like a funeral chant than a natural, gurgling stream. The preternatural silence that crowns these stones, punctuated by the occasional lone cry of an eagle, is less a welcome solace than an omen warning to the unwary visitor that there are secrets drenched in blood and viscera buried deep within the ruins and rubble. Frozen in time, the first impression you get upon taking in the surrounding mountains and boulders is that not very much has changed since the early 12th century. And for all ostensible purposes, it hasn’t. After all, bones have their secrets to keep as well.
It’s perhaps ironic that we begin our review of secret societies at what has been popularly dubbed the very cradle of civilization. Perhaps not so ironic, after all. Perhaps secrecy is fundamental to the human condition. And perhaps the whole of the collective human experience as we know it is marked to some degree by the twin hands of manipulation and bloodshed. Cain and Abel. Master and servant. Tyrant and subject. Perhaps when we learn how deeply ingrained these processes are within us, we can begin to see them as obsolete mechanisms that have far outlived their usefulness. Distant relics of an unfortunate past. As distant as—Alamut.
Though the time of the Hashashins is long past, their relevance is still integral to our study. Though the last of the Hashashins died over six hundred years ago, their presence still lives on to this day, embodied in modern terrorist organizations, rogue mercenaries and military juntas—embodied in the very heart, brains and sinews of anyone who would seek to control, dominate and tyrannize through the means of force, bloodshed and menace to pursue any political, religious or economic agenda, regardless of faction or sect. In fact, their very name lives on to this day, entered into everyday language: assassin.
And without a thorough knowledge of the origin of the tactics secret societies have developed throughout history, those who refuse to remember the past are condemned to repeat it.
Origins of the Hashashin
Perhaps the blueprint for all secret societies, an understanding of the role the Hashashin played is impossible without understanding the context in which they developed. By the 12th century, Islam had splintered into several distinct branches, two of whom are still locked in a bitter conflict to this day: The Shia and the Sunni. The Sunni, who represent the largest denomination of Muslims in the world, maintain that Abu Bakr, the father-in-law of the prophet Muhammad, is the first and rightful caliph—the direct political and religious successor to the prophet—of the Muslim community. In distinction, Shi’ite philosophy declares that the prophet’s son-in-law and cousin Ali holds rightful claim to the title of caliph. Within this divide, numerous sub-divisions occur, each claiming distinct lineages and successions as varied and conflicting as their tenets. Within the Shi’ite branch, the three largest subdivisions are recognized as the Imamiyyah, the Ismaili, and the Zaidi.
There is not enough space to detail the specific differences between various branches and divisions of faith. Suffice to say, that by 1090, much of the Middle East was largely under the rule of the Fatimid Caliphate, who claimed direct origin from Fatima, the first daughter of the Prophet. The caliphate itself was explicitly Shi’ite in scope, with the cast majority of rulers being adherents of Ismailism. One of the most visible branches of Ismailism at that time was the Nizari branch, which flourished throughout Persia and Syria in the 11th Century. And it is directly to the Nizari branch that the Hashashin developed and flourished, under the stern and all-watching leadership of its founder and visionary, Hassan-i-Sabbah.
The Old Man of the Mountains
There is no accurate date or records for the birth of Hassan-i-Sabbah, and what little we know about his upbringing and early life stems from an allegedly autobiographical account quoted in the anonymously penned Ismaili chronicle Sarguzasht-e Sayyidnā. The account states that Hassan was born in Persia in the 1050s to a Imamiyi family, and was raised with the tenets of that faith in the city of Rey, where the future Grandmaster also studied alchemy, philosophy, astronomy—and it is rumored, certain occult doctrines practiced by renegade Muslim imams.
Rey was home to a burgeoning movement of Ismaili missionaries, and the young Hassan was converted to the doctrine at the age of 17, eventually swearing allegiance that same year to the Fatimid Caliphate in Cairo. It was in Cairo that Hassan studied in-depth with leading missionaries and clerics of Ismailism, eventually earning a reputation as one of the most fervent and devoted disciples of the Ismaili creed. Accounts vary as to his journeys from the age of 17 until his return to Persia in 1081. Was he imprisoned? Persecuted? One account tells of Hassan’s meetings with a group of heterodox Muslims in Syria, where he was trained in the principles of magic and sorcery. One thing is for certain; upon his return, Hassan settled within the Elburz mountain range where, after establishing several Ismaili communities, he drew the ire of Nizam-al-Mulk, grand vizier of the Seljuq empire, prompting his retreat deep into the mountains of Alamut in 1088.
It was at Alamut in 1090 that Hassan formulated his grand strategy; to formulate a clandestine army and religious order of fedayin (in Arabic, literally ‘the Men who accept Death’) devoted to the expansion of the Nizari Ismaili creed, structured in a hierarchal and initiatory structure. Hassan served as the secretive and omniscient Grandmaster of the order for 35 years until his death in 1124, during which time it is said he only left his quarters twice to observe from his impenetrably constructed fortress (known as ‘the Eagle’s Nest’) the heavens from its rooftop.
Below the Grandmaster served several of his trusted chiefs and strategists known as the Grand Propagandists, charged with disseminating the Grandmaster’s orders; beneath these, served the Propagandists, who were charged with recruiting men from outlying villages into both the Nizari Ismaili creed and, should their devotion be loyal enough, the Order itself; the Rafiqs, or companions of the Order; and finally, the Lasiqs, or adherents themselves. It is from the Lasiqs that the Grand Propagandists personally elected to train in order to become the most feared and reviled assassins of their times, targeting not only rival Muslim sects (including the Sunni Seljuq empire, who were all but decimated by Hassan and his Order, who swore an oath to revenge the Grandmaster’s persecution,) but also invading Christians and allies during the First Crusade (it is worth noting that there is strong evidence that the Hashashin made direct contact with the Knights Templar, of whom we will discuss in the following chapter.)
Each convert to the Order was expected to go through a series of nine initiatory degrees. In the first, the pupil was thrown into a state of confusion, through analogy and teaching, towards the tenets of his previous religious and political convictions. This is the source of the maxim “Nothing is True, All is Permitted” often at
tributed to Hassan (although there is no documentation stating that Hassan uttered these words, its popularization is largely due to the writings of countercultural icon WIlliam S. Burroughs.) At this point, the pupil was so disoriented by the dissection of his beliefs that he had no point but to submit to the blind obedience of his teacher.
In the second, he was taught that God’s approval cannot be won except through the allegiance to his imam, or teacher, viewed as the guardian of God’s word. In the third, he is instructed into the nature of his imam. In the fourth he is taught that Mohammed was not the last of the Prophets, and that the Qur'an is not God's final revelation to man—an implicit breach with the teachings of the Qur’an. The fifth and sixth elaborate on the allegorical nature of the outward practices and customs of Islam. The seventh held that both humanity and creation were one, with all phenomena existing as a fraction of the whole, including both creative and destructive power. The eighth taught that all religion and ideology was fraudulent—including Islam; preparing the initiate for the ninth and final secret: that the student was now freed from belief, acting as a purified philosopher in the knowledge that “nothing” literally was true, and that the only permissible “belief” was action, and furthermore that the only possessor of the reasons for carrying out any action whatsoever was the mysterious Grandmaster of the Order—Hassan-i-Sabbah himself.
How were so many impressionable young men so easily swayed to renounce their upbringing and the beliefs of conventional Islam and plunge headfirst into nihilism and martyrdom for the sake of one man’s lust for omnipotence and revenge?
Deep within the maze-like fortress of Alamut, Hassan had constructed a lavish artificial paradise, replete with beautiful gardens, music, flowing rivers and ravishing dancing houris to bedazzle the eyes of would-be converts, unwittingly drugged with liberal amounts of hashish (from where the Order derived their namesake.) With his Propagandists leading them through a tour of this paradise, the pilgrims either became so entranced by the visions before them that they converted on the spot, begging to while away their time in this Eden; or became so frightened that they begged to flee, swearing that their hosts must be sorcerers or magicians. In either case, it was only through obedience to divine will of Hassan-i-Sabbah that entrance or exit was permitted. Only by swearing their fealty to this mysterious Master were these senseless young men granted access to paradise on earth; or return to their former lives. Few refused.
And how successful was this tactic, which marks the first historical instance of brainwashing?
The influence of Hassan swept not only through Persia, but Egypt, Syria, Azerbaijan and much of the Arab world—rumored to reach as far as France. Acting upon the Grandmaster’s orders, his faithful fedayin gained entrance into courts, villages and camps, often disguised in local garb and speaking in local dialects. After gaining the trust of those rivals they were ordered to infiltrate, they assassinated each target by dagger, always in full public view and always in daylight (it is worth noting that the Hashishin were never permitted to murder a civilian.) Their first target was Hassan’s old rival, Nizam-al-Mulk. Their network of fear and stealth soon spread throughout Persia and Syria, with hundreds—perhaps thousands—of assassinations being committed before the eyes of a quivering public, who no longer knew which stranger to trust. Nor did neither the Order nor their campaign of terror end with the death of Hassan-i-Sabbah. Over time, new Grandmasters were selected, each swearing to uphold the legacy begun by this mysterious Old Man of the Mountains. Countless regions and properties were brought under their command. Crusading knights spun endless tales regarding their ruthless and mercenary foes, giving rise to the eventual adoption and latinization of the term, “assassin.” And then—it came to a halt.
The fall of the Hashishin empire came about with a Mongol attack at Alamut in 1256. Their fortress and paradise, seized. Their spirits and numbers, diminished substantially. The few remaining members spread out into Syria, where they acted as mercenaries for hire by local sultans and emirs. There is some speculation that they continued their teachings and practices well into the fourteenth and perhaps even early fifteenth centuries. And there is even some speculation that the influence of their internal teachings lives on to this very day, embodied in certain sects of the Iranian Mandaean faith and Kurdish Yezidi religion. But the prestige that the Hashishin enjoyed for almost two hundred years is now a fleeting memory. Or is it?
Legacy of the Hashishin
As stated earlier, the Hashishin fell in the thirteenth century, yet their ethos of carnage and terror continues to this day. It was felt in the Duvalier regime of the 1960s and 1970s with the secret police of his elite Tonton Macoute corps. It was in the killing fields of Cambodia of Pol Pot’s Khmer Rouge party and the unspoken corpses that lay buried in Chile as a result of the Pinochet administration. And it is embodied in the more recent brutalities committed worldwide by such outfits as Al Qaeda, the Islamic State and Boko Haram. It is not exclusive to Islam—by and large, a peaceful religion—and claims allegiance to neither sect nor country. It is in the hearts of those who willingly perpetrate evil under the guise of an ulterior agenda; and therein lays its strength. It is perhaps, the ultimate secret of any secret society. Power. At any given cost.
Chapter Two: THE KNIGHTS TEMPLAR
Perhaps no other secret society is enjoying a greater resurgence in popularity currently than the Order of the Knights Templar. From Dan Brown’s best-selling novel the Da Vinci Code to countless Hollywood blockbusters, numerous theories and speculation surrounds this pre-Medieval phenomena, and it’s easy to see why. With their colorful hybrid of valiant chivalry, unanswered mysteries and unmitigated bravado, the historical Knights Templar cut a broad swath through the collective unconscious, at once evoking the gallantry of the Crusades, the exotic mystique of journeys into foreign lands and pathos for their ultimate demise. Apologists for the Knights Templar portray them as misunderstood martyrs, whose self-sacrifice at the behest of imperial conquest forever altered the course of history. Hardly a bad reputation for an order that was disbanded and burned at the stake over seven hundred years ago.
Yet the Templar mystique has continued to filter, often times unseen, not only into popular lore but through the underground stream of secret societies. In this chapter, I hope to examine not only the history of the order as well as their mysteries, but their influence in more shadowy undertakings as well. An influence that may indicate not only the undying love for the Templar mystique and the continuation of their ideals, but perhaps a continuation of their very existence itself.
Origins of the Knights Templar
The Poor-Fellow Soldiers of Christ and of the Temple of Solomon, more commonly referred to as the Knights Templar, came about in 1120 at the urging of French knight Hugues de Payens, who had approached both the King and Patriarch of Jerusalem to grant an official monastic Order for the protection of pilgrims visiting the Holy City of Jerusalem. At the time of their inception, the Templars only numbered nine in their ranks, all of whom had sworn a specific vow of poverty. Just thirty years later, their numbers had swollen to the thousands and were prosperous enough to lend money and credit to both citizens and government figures alike.
During the time of the Crusades, the Templars were often a key military component for the expansion of the Holy Roman Empire, being utilized as advanced shock troops in some of the most decisive battles of the conquest—including the battle of Montgisard, where some 500 knights helped defeat the legendary sultan Saladin’s troops, which numbered over 26,000 combatants. Both their reputation as fearless and feckless warrior-monks as well as the uncouth lore surrounding them (a regular euphemism of the time was “to drink and swear like a Templar”) helped establish the reputation of the Knights Templar as one of the most elite and fearsome scourges to attack the Middle East; a reputation they shared with the Hashishins of the previous chapter (of whom, the Templars undoubtedly came into contact with, and it is rumored, integrated certain phil
osophical tenets and mysteries into their secret initiation rites.)
By 1307, both the wealth, reputation and arrogance of the Templars had fallen into negative favor, particularly with the newly elected Pope Clement V (who sought to merge the order with another Christian military council, the Order of the Hospitallers, granting him benefit and power over both) as well as King Philip IV of France (who was in debt to the Templars as a result of his war with England.) Rumors began to abound about the Templars “secret” teachings; they were reputed to regularly engage in homosexuality, both denying the divinity of Christ and both trampling and spitting on the cross as part of their initiation rites, and worshipping a strange “bearded” idol of a head (alternately, the head of a goat) they referred to as “Baphomet.”
These charges, along with others that constitute what was unquestionably heretical in 14th century France, have never been proven. But they have also never been disproven. Homosexuality has been a common practice among soldiers who, traveling long distances of many years without wives, seek some form of gratification, and may have been more prevalent among warrior-monks sworn to uphold a vow of celibacy. Denying and insulting the divinity of Jesus may seem like an unusual practice among sworn defenders of Christendom; but what better way to instill fear and test a potential recruits’ bravado than attacking the general tenets of their sworn allegiance?
The World's Most Dangerous Secret Societies: The Illuminati, Freemasons, Bilderberg Group, Knights Templar, The Jesuits, Skull And Bones And Others Page 2