Secret Societies of the Middle Ages

$350.00
By Moons Rare Books

6b Thomas Keightley (though this first edition is published anonymously). London: Charles Knight & Co., 1837. First Edition 

Notes

Thomas Keightley was an acclaimed Irish historian, essayist, and folklorist whose pioneering research heavily shaped 19th-century popular scholarship. Born in Dublin and educated at Trinity College, Keightley originally trained for the law before pivoting entirely to a prolific career in letters in London. He achieved widespread celebrity for his landmark text The Fairy Mythology (1828), which earned praise from literary giants like Sir Walter Scott and Jacob Grimm for its systematic cataloging of international folklore. Known for his accessible yet rigorous prose style, Keightley possessed a singular capability to demystify complex, obscure historical subjects for the general public, writing authoritative textbooks on classical mythology, English history, and poetry that became standard educational cornerstones across the Victorian era. 

First published anonymously against Keightley's explicit personal wishes, this fascinating 408-page study was issued as a flagship volume in the iconic "Library of Entertaining Knowledge" series by Charles Knight under the superintendence of the Society for the Diffusion of Useful Knowledge. The text represents a groundbreaking 19th-century investigation into clandestine organizations, meticulously stripping away romantic myth to explore three highly powerful medieval factions: the Assassins (Ismaïlites) of the East, the Knights Templar of the Crusades, and the Fehmic Courts (Secret Tribunals) of Westphalia. Keightley argues that these groups emerged as a direct response to institutional corruption and weak central governments, leveraging secrecy, initiation degrees, and strict allegiances to wield immense socio-political influence.

Description 
Green binding with gilt lettering to spine. Subtle leaf designs to boards. Some softening to points. Some loosening to first few pages but all intact. Marbling to edges. Very good condition. 
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