There was only one way to become a member of the probably most mysterious Masonic society in history, to which many of Europe's intellectual elite belonged: to kiss the pug under the tail as proof of your complete loyalty. Yes, you are not mistaken. In the middle of the 18th century, ladies and gentlemen, dressed in pantaloons, lined up to become "pugs", that is, members of the secret "Order of the Pugs".
Let's try to understand how these dogs turned out to be the central figures of the secret Masonic society. Firstly, this was not the first time that these wrinkled-faced “little brothers” of ours became the obsession of a sophisticated society. They were adored by the Chinese emperors, and all members of the European elite, from Voltaire to Queen Victoria, are known to have an extraordinary weakness for these animals. When the Danish Protestant King William III ascended the throne of England and Scotland in 1688, his pug and breed in general became an emblem of free thinking and loyalty to the throne. Keeping a pug in the house has become in many countries a subtle and elegant way to express your solidarity with the English Revolution, without risking ending up in a dark dungeon. As a secret symbol for the most devoted members of the Freemason,the pug was actually a very common phenomenon.
In Germany in the 18th century (in 1738), by the edict of Pope Clement XII, Roman Catholics were prohibited from joining the Masonic lodge, and violators of this prohibition were subject to severe punishment - excommunication. Then the "Order of the Pugs" arose, founded, as is commonly believed, in 1740 in Bavaria by Baron Clemens August Wittelsbach. According to a 1745 article exposing this secret society, The Order was founded by those who did not want to obey Pope Clement XII's prohibition. At first it was only Catholics, and then Protestants appeared among the members of the lodge.
Thus, the "pugs" were, in essence, a group of "antisocial elements." Initiates were required to wear dog collars and scratch the door like a dog to enter the sessions of the lodge, and the newly converted members of the order went through a ceremony during which they walked around the room nine times, barked the motto "Memento mori" and kissed the Great Pug at a certain place under the tail in a sign of loyalty to an idea. At the same time, the famous German porcelain manufacturer Johann Joachim Kendler received an order to make porcelain figurines of pugs for the Order.
It should be noted that a few centuries ago, pugs looked different than they do today. And in particular, they had a much slimmer figure. The secret society focused on new and ancient controversies concerning the natural sciences, the humanities, and philosophy. Members of the order wore silver pug medallions and obeyed the orders of the "Grand Master", male or female.
When the secret of the "order" was revealed in 1745, the society was brought to trial and then outlawed a few years later. However, according to the German authorities, back in 1902, some active members of the "Order of the Pugs" remained in Lyon. Perhaps it would be advisable to look in central France, if there are still adherents of a bizarre cult there today. But, in any case, this story makes you see the most comical breed of domestic dogs in a completely new light!
Promotional video:
Igor Abramov
