Freemasonry was so popular among European aristocracy in the 18th century that some ladies joined a bizarre offshoot which was supposed to bypass the papal ban. It involved kissing the backside of a pug dog but other than that gross peculiarity it seemed to be nothing but a ridiculous waste of time. (Via The Lion and the Cardinal) Share
7 comments:
Kissing the backside of a pug dog?? And this was popular??? Ugh!!
They were, no doubt, inspired by a memorable phrase in Goethe's Goetz von Berlichingen.
Yes, sc, indeed.
Yes, it was grotesque, Coffee, but it was not as popular as masonry itself.
+JMJ+
Did they know how ridiculous they were???
(To answer my own question: Probably not. Faddists never realise that about themselves. :S )
Yes, the desire to be in style, especially if inordinate,often makes people ridiculous.
One thing to bear in mind is France and Germany of that time, and particularly in German culture, the culture was rigidly hierarchical to an extent unimaginable today, especially to Americans raised on democracy and guitar masses.
Part of the thrill of kissing a hind must have resided in the implicit insult to the established, and perhaps overly ponderous, order.
Interesting....
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