A secret society is a social organization that requires its members to conceal certain activities—such as rites of initiation or club ceremonies—from outsiders. Members may be required to conceal or deny their membership, and are often sworn to hold the society's secrets by an oath. This term is often used to describe fraternal organizations (i.e. Freemasonry) that may have secret ceremonies.
Secret societies are often the subject of suspicion and speculation from non-members, and as such have aroused nervousness from outsiders since at least the time of the ancient Greeks. Often, secret societies are featured in Conspiracy theories that ascribe to them immense power and ill-intentions and accuse them of harboring secret (and often satanic) beliefs and either self-serving financial or political agendas. While some conspiracy theorist claim secret societies desire to institute a "New World Order," others claim that these organizations are harmless or overestimated, dismissing them as over-glorified fraternities.
Some—though certainly not all—secret societies may strive for secrecy for reasons of illegal activity. This is an unfortunate label, however, since numerous societies exist and are struggling due to their "bad name" which is not deserved.
Secret societies are illegal in several countries. In the European Union, Poland has made the ban a part of its constitution. Article 13 of the Constitution of the Republic of Poland states:
"Political parties and other organizations whose programmes are based upon totalitarian methods and the modes of activity of nazism, fascism and communism, as well as those whose programmes or activities sanction racial or national hatred, the application of violence for the purpose of obtaining power or to influence the State policy, or provide for the secrecy of their own structure or membership, shall be prohibited."
List of Secret Societies
Business, International or Non-Governmental Organizations
While these following groups do not style themselves as secret societies, they qualify through a quantative denotative interpretation.
If such secretsociety has higher and lower degrees, the members of the higher degree must be equally careful to conceal their secrets from their brethren of a lower degree.
certain secretsocieties, the members are not allowed to know even the names of their highest officers.
Based on the same principles as the secret order to which they are affiliated are the women-auxiliary lodges, of which almost every secretsociety has at least one.
Historically, secretsocieties are often the subject of suspicion and speculation from non-members; and as such have aroused nervousness from outsiders since the time of the ancient Greeks, when meetings were held "sub rosa" (Latin, "under the rose") to signify the secrecy and silence of the Hellenistic god Harpocrates.
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