Almost every social system throughout history has produced its secret societies. This 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 widely to track down the large number of surviving organizations, all of them strange, many of them evil, dangerous and subversive and he has attended ceremonies held by them.

Among many of the secret societies he includes are The People of the Peacock of Britain and Iraq, the fearsome ecstatics of Russia and the dreaded Assassins of Persia and Arabia.

Arkon Daraul is a pen name for the author and teacher of the Sufi tradition Idries Shah. Shah wrote over three dozen books ranging from psychology and spirituality to travelogues and culture studies.

Category: Paleolithic Beginnings

Subjects: cultural history, rituals, secret societies