The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-11-21
ANCIENT SECRET SOCIETIES.
The Magi Said to Have Been the First
Body of Men to Organize.
From the Chicago News.


In two large volumes, representing the
work of more than quarter of a century,
Charles William Heckethorn collects all
the facts he has been able to ascertain in
respect of secret societies, ancient and mod
ern. 1t is from this that the following
account Of the rites of the ancient Magi
is taken-Mr. Heckethorn holding this body
of men to be the first in point of historic
time to establish and sustain oath-bound
relations to the society and one another
According to him the candidate for Magian
honors was first put through a series of
publications, water, honey and fire being
the cleansing materials. During quite an
extended time he was tried In various
ways, with view to testing his hardwood
faithfulness and powers of endurance, and
this preliminary probation ended with a
fast of fifty days duration. All this in
order to make it more impressive, was
done while the candidate was alone in an
underground cave. 1t is recorded that in
many instances these trials were so great
that insanity, partial or complete, follow
ed, and yet they were slight compared with
the final rites.
At the beginning of these last the can
dldate was brought into the hall of initia-
ton and duly arrayed in the magic armor
which was to be his protection. He was
accompanied by the Simorgh, or griffin
and it was from this NEUROLOGICAL beast
impersonated by one of the brethren. that
he was provided with the assorted tails
mans which eked out the powers of the ar
NOR. When he was permitted to look
about him first he discovered his feet 70
Stand upon the verge of
dreadful abyss, at the bot
tom of which shOne the throne of dread
full necessity. In semi-darkness he felt
along the walls of the cavern. the holy
fire flaming out now and then as a guide.
and the horrid bowling of ravenous beasts
added to his perplexities. Then, on a sud
den, the Simorgh throws open a door, and
the unfortunate candidate finds himself
in a den of wild animals (the brethren),
which inflict real wounds upon him. After
this den comes another, in which thunder
lightning, hail, snow and all the elements
let loose do their part toward discourage
ing his advance
BY this time the matter had gone so far
that some relief was urgently necessary.
Accordingly the neophyte was led to a
place where he might reclne and take his
ease amid pleasing melodies and delightful
ouoiS. IL MIN lnete, dItef ne was re-
freshed, came three priests, who threw a
live snake on him, in token of his new life
and then, on a signal, a wall fell down
with an alarming uproar and disclosed to
him the torments suffered by those who
were unfaithful to their obligations
Thence he proceeded along a labyrinth I'M
Ill he had met with the fun tale of seven
adventures. These safely undergone. he
came to the sacred sacellum, where the
chief of the Magi sat, everything about
being respondent with gold and Jewels
Here were the brethren gathered, and be-
fore them he entered into the most solemn
obligations to keep silent regarding the
mysteries, and was then made the subject
of congratulations and clad like the rest
of them in bright blue robe.
Mr.. Heckethorn believes these Magian
rites to be at the bottom of all subse-
quently agreed upon for the other mystic
ries of ancient times. Those in ancient
Egypt bore striking resemblance so far
as the preliminaries are concerned, but
there were higher degrees in which the
candidate was supposed TO be summoned