Wednesday, July 18, 2007

The Mopses



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:

Michelle Therese said...

Kissing the backside of a pug dog?? And this was popular??? Ugh!!

Anonymous said...

They were, no doubt, inspired by a memorable phrase in Goethe's Goetz von Berlichingen.

elena maria vidal said...

Yes, sc, indeed.

Yes, it was grotesque, Coffee, but it was not as popular as masonry itself.

Anonymous said...

+JMJ+

Did they know how ridiculous they were???

(To answer my own question: Probably not. Faddists never realise that about themselves. :S )

elena maria vidal said...

Yes, the desire to be in style, especially if inordinate,often makes people ridiculous.

Anonymous said...

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.

elena maria vidal said...

Interesting....