- Emma Slattery Williams
- BBC History Extra
Badge of the Bavarian Illuminati
Illuminati is the name given to both a real society formed 245 years ago and a fictional society.
The fictional version fuels conspiracy theories to this day, including claims that it was a secret and mysterious global organization whose intent was to take over the world.
Supposedly, they were behind some of the greatest revolutions and assassinations in history.
But who were the Illuminati really? Is it because they say they control the planet?
See what is known about what has become one of the most fascinating secret societies in history.
1. Who were the original Illuminati?
The Order of the Illuminati, or Illuminati, was a secret society founded in Bavaria (now part of present-day Germany) that existed from 1776 to 1785. Its members originally referred to themselves as “perfectibilists”.
The group was inspired by the ideals of the Enlightenment and founded by professor of canon law Adam Weishaupt (1748-1830). He wanted to promote the education of reason and philanthropy and oppose superstition and religious influence in society.
Weishaupt sought to change the way states were governed in Europe, remove the influence of religion on government and give the people a new source of “enlightenment” or enlightenment.
It is believed that the first meeting of the illumination van Beieren took place in a forest near Ingolstadt on May 1, 1776. There, five men laid down the rules that would guide the secret order.
Over time, the group’s goals were to influence political decisions and changing institutions such as the monarchy and the church.
Some members of the Illuminati joined the Freemasons to recruit new members.
A bird known as the ‘Owl of Minerva’ (Minerva is the ancient Roman goddess of wisdom) eventually became the main symbol.
Credit, Getty Images
European owl was a sacred animal of the goddess Athena in Greek mythology; in Roman culture it was the bird of Minerva
2. What is the relationship between the Illuminati and the Freemasons?
The Freemasons are an order that arose in the Middle Ages from associations of cathedral builders.
In some countries, especially the United States, there is a certain historical paranoia about Freemasons. In 1828, a political movement known as the Anti-Masonic Party was formed for the sole purpose of fighting order.
Since the Illuminati originally recruited the Freemasons, the two groups are often confused.
3. How was it possible to join the Illuminati?
To join the Illuminati, you had to have the full consent of the other members, possess wealth, and be in good standing within a family deemed appropriate.
There was also a hierarchical system for the members of the Illuminati.
After entering as a “newbie”, you would graduate to a “minerval” and then to an “enlightened minerval”. Later this structure became more complicated and required 13 degrees of initiation to join.
Credit, Getty Images
19th century depiction of an Illuminati initiation ritual. In fact, few details about the true nature of the ceremony are known.
4. Did the Illuminati have rituals?
They performed rituals – though most remain unknown – and used pseudonyms to keep the identities of the members a secret.
However, thanks to seized secret documents, it is known how rookies managed to climb to the next level in the Illuminati hierarchy:
• Make a report on all the books they owned, • Write a list of their own weaknesses, • Reveal the names of their own enemies.
The novice then promised to sacrifice personal interests for the good of society.
5. What is the all-seeing eye?
The “Eye of Providence,” a symbol resembling an eye in a triangle, appears in churches around the world, as well as on Masonic buildings and on the US One Dollar Bill.
Besides being associated with Freemasonry, it was also associated with the Illuminati as a symbol of the group’s control and surveillance of the world.
Credit, Getty Images
Pyramid and “all-seeing eye”, symbols used on the Great Seal of the United States (used for authentication) and printed on paper money in the country.
Originally a Christian emblem, “the all-seeing eye” has been used in paintings to represent God’s watchfulness over humanity.
In the 18th century it began to be used in new ways, for example in the Declaration of the Rights of Man and the Citizen by Jean-Jacques-François Le Barbier (1738-1826), an illustrated version of the human rights document approved by the National Assembly Constituent Assembly of France in 1789.
In this case, it indicated an instrument that represented the policing of a nation that had become a democracy.
There is no official link between the all-seeing eye and the Illuminati; the connection attributed to them is probably due to the fact that the original group shared similarities with the Freemasons, who used the image as a symbol of God.
6. Did the Illuminati manage to take over the world?
Some people believe that the Illuminati rule the world today. According to this statement, they would be so discreet that they could have all this power without people realizing it.
Because many members of the Order of the Illuminati mingled with the Freemasons and vice versa, it is difficult to judge the success of the Illuminati, but most historians believe that the original group only managed to have a moderate influence.
7. Was there a member? famous among the Illuminati?
By 1782, the Illuminati had grown to about 600 members, including German nobles such as Baron Adolph von Knigge, who as a former Freemason helped shape the group’s organization and expansion.
Initially, Weishaupt’s students were the only members, but doctors, lawyers and intellectuals soon joined.
In 1784 there were estimated to be between 2,000 and 3,000 Illuminati members. Some sources say that the famous writer Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749-1832) also joined the group, but this is disputed.
8. The Illuminati gone?
In 1784, Karl Theodor, Duke of Bavaria, forbade the establishment of any form of society previously prohibited by law. The following year, he passed a second rule, expressly forbidding the existence of the Illuminati.
During the arrest of suspected Illuminati members, compromising documents (advocating ideas such as atheism and suicide) were found in their possession, as well as instructions on how to perform abortions.
This reinforced the belief that the group posed a threat to both the state and the Church.
After that, the Order of the Illuminati seems to have disappeared, although some believe it is still active.
9. What happened to Adam Weishaupt?
Credit, Getty Images
Johann Adam Weishaupt (1748-1830), German philosopher, founder of the Order of the Secret Society of the Illuminati.
Adam Weishaupt was eventually removed from his post at Ingolstadt University.
After being exiled from Bavaria, he spent the rest of his life in Gotha, Thuringia, Germany, and died in 1830.
10. Why did the Illuminati myth live on?
From the moment they were disbanded, conspiracy theories about the Illuminati began to take hold.
In 1797, the Jesuit priest Augustin Barruel suggested that secret societies such as the Order of the Illuminati had led the French Revolution. Barruel is considered the father of anti-masonry.
The first US president, George Washington (1732-1799), wrote a letter the following year saying he believed the threat from the Illuminati had been averted, further bolstering the idea that the order still existed.
Books and sermons denouncing the group continued to appear, and the third president of the United States, Thomas Jefferson (1743-1826), was falsely accused of being one of its members.
11. Why do so many people still believe in the Illuminati today?
The idea that the Illuminati are taking over the world has never completely disappeared and is still creeping into popular culture.
In 1963 a text was published called main disagreement, promoting an alternative belief system known as “Discordianism”. The content appealed to anarchy and civil disobedience by committing false information, and among its followers was the writer Robert Anton Wilson (1932-2007).
Some discordantists sent false letters to magazines claiming that events such as the assassination of US President John F. Kennedy (1917-1963) were the work of the Illuminati.
Wilson later published a book with Robert Shea, The Illuminati! trilogywhich became a hit and inspired a new genre of conspiracy fiction, including American Dan Brown’s novel (and subsequent film) Angels and Devils†
In these works, the Illuminati were also associated with Satanism and other ideals far removed from those associated with the original 18th-century Bavarian group.
12. What is the New World Order and how does it relate to the Illuminati?
Those who believe in the New World Order theory defend the idea that a global elite group is trying to rule the world.
In addition to the presidents of the United States, several pop stars have been accused of being members, including even Beyoncé and Jay-Z. Both deny the allegations.
Have you watched our new videos yet? YouTube† Subscribe to our channel!