Doggone It!
When Pope Clement XII issued the In eminenti apostolatus specula in 1738, a papal bull banning all Catholics from joining the fraternal organization the Freemasonry; some people who envied the fact that they couldn't join one of the most popular secret society of the time decided to just create their own secret society.
And that's exactly what they did.
In 1738 Clemens August of Bavaria who also happened to be the Grandson of King John III Sobiesky of Poland, and the Archbishop-Elector of Cologne, created a secret order so bizarre that it was recorded in the history book.
Of course to be able to make history meant that the secret society was "special" and not just a copy of the secret society of the Masons. Nay, this secret society have their own identity – it was “unique.” The name of one of the strangest secret society in human history?
It was called the Order of the Pug.
By the name alone, one could conclude that the inspiration of the order was a breed of dog called a pug. But if you think that the order stopped at simply using the image of a pug as the society’s emblem then you’ll be very wrong.
In order for one to join the secret society, one must first pass an initiation which included wearing a dog collar, being blindfolded, scratching at the door, barking loudly, and kissing the backside of a porcelain pug to show their devotion to the order.
Indeed, for an initiate to become an official member of the Order of the Pug, he or she must first “become a pug.” And yes, the word “she” is not typo. Unlike the secret society of Freemasonry which is a fraternal organization through and through, the Order of the Pug is more open-minded as they also accept women into their ranks.
Now, you might be asking: Why a pug of all things?
The reason that the pug was chosen as the symbol of the secret society was because of the perceived qualities of that specific breed of dog which was loyalty, trustworthiness, and steadiness. In my opinion though, those were qualities shared by almost all breed of dogs not just the pug. But then again, it’s not my secret society so what do I know?
Anyways, after becoming an official member of the order, one would be given a silver medallion as proof that they’re indeed a member of the aforementioned secret society.
Like most secret societies, the Order of the Pug had its ups and downs. Many of the society’s members were part of the nobility which included the order’s original founder. But as most secret societies of the time, they too suffered persecution from the authorities. But thanks to the influence of their more prominent members, the order was able to last till 1902.
Closing Thoughts.
The Order of the Pug is probably one of the most hilarious secret society that ever existed. The initiation ritual of wearing a dog collar, scratching door, barking, and kissing the butt of a porcelain pug was not only hilarious but also bizarre.
Still, it was this bizarreness that gave the secret society of the Order of the Pug its unique “flavor.” Moreover, the fact that it lasted for more than two centuries was a testament to the popularity and success of the secret order.
End
Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Order_of_the_Pug
Image Source: https://pixabay.com/photos/pug-dog-blanket-dog-face-801826/