{"product_id":"secret-societies-of-the-middle-ages","title":"Secret Societies of the Middle Ages","description":"\u003cp\u003e6b Thomas Keightley (though this first edition is published anonymously). London: Charles Knight \u0026amp; Co., 1837. \u003cstrong\u003eFirst Edition \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eNotes\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan class=\"rQesXe MPyX\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"iNqyIf\" data-sfc-cp=\"\" data-sfc-root=\"ep\" data-epip=\"\" data-complete=\"true\" data-processed=\"true\" data-copy-service-computed-style='font-family: \"Google Sans\", \"Helvetica Neue\", sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 700; margin: 0px; text-decoration: none; border-bottom: 0px rgb(10, 10, 10);'\u003e\u003cspan class=\"wfWfIf fxyaSe\"\u003e\u003cspan data-sfc-cp=\"\" data-sfc-root=\"ep\" data-epip=\"\" data-complete=\"true\" data-processed=\"true\" data-copy-service-computed-style='font-family: \"Google Sans\", \"Helvetica Neue\", sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 700; margin: 0px; text-decoration: none; border-bottom: 0px rgb(10, 10, 10);'\u003e\u003cspan data-sfc-cp=\"\" data-sfc-root=\"c\" data-complete=\"true\" data-processed=\"true\" data-copy-service-computed-style='font-family: \"Google Sans\", \"Helvetica Neue\", sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 700; margin: 0px; text-decoration: none; border-bottom: 0px rgb(10, 10, 10);'\u003e\u003cspan class=\"jAOkJc\" role=\"button\" data-sfc-cp=\"\" data-sfc-root=\"c\" data-ved=\"2ahUKEwiZ8dDoipyXAxWZIEQIHZYGB54Q3egRegYIAAgLEAE\" data-complete=\"true\" data-processed=\"true\" data-copy-service-computed-style='font-family: \"Google Sans\", \"Helvetica Neue\", sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 700; margin: 0px; text-decoration: none; border-bottom: 0px rgb(10, 10, 10);' tabindex=\"0\"\u003eThomas Keightley \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003ewas an acclaimed Irish historian, essayist, and folklorist whose pioneering research heavily shaped 19th-century popular scholarship\u003cspan class=\"iNqyIf\" data-sfc-cp=\"\" data-sfc-root=\"ep\" data-epip=\"\" data-complete=\"true\" data-processed=\"true\" data-copy-service-computed-style='font-family: \"Google Sans\", \"Helvetica Neue\", sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 400; margin: 0px; text-decoration: none; border-bottom: 0px rgb(10, 10, 10);'\u003e. Born in Dublin and educated at Trinity College, \u003cspan class=\"wfWfIf fxyaSe\"\u003e\u003cspan data-sfc-cp=\"\" data-sfc-root=\"ep\" data-epip=\"\" data-complete=\"true\" data-processed=\"true\" data-copy-service-computed-style='font-family: \"Google Sans\", \"Helvetica Neue\", sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 400; margin: 0px; text-decoration: none; border-bottom: 0px rgb(10, 10, 10);'\u003e\u003cspan data-sfc-cp=\"\" data-sfc-root=\"c\" data-complete=\"true\" data-processed=\"true\" data-copy-service-computed-style='font-family: \"Google Sans\", \"Helvetica Neue\", sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 400; margin: 0px; text-decoration: none; border-bottom: 0px rgb(10, 10, 10);'\u003e\u003cspan class=\"jAOkJc\" role=\"button\" data-sfc-cp=\"\" data-sfc-root=\"c\" data-ved=\"2ahUKEwiZ8dDoipyXAxWZIEQIHZYGB54Q3egRegYIAAgLEAI\" data-complete=\"true\" data-processed=\"true\" data-copy-service-computed-style='font-family: \"Google Sans\", \"Helvetica Neue\", sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 400; margin: 0px; text-decoration: none; border-bottom: 0px rgb(10, 10, 10);' tabindex=\"0\"\u003eKeightley\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e originally trained for the law before pivoting entirely to a prolific career in letters in London. He achieved widespread celebrity for his landmark text \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem class=\"zhvwWe\" data-sfc-cp=\"\" data-sfc-root=\"ep\" data-epip=\"\" data-complete=\"true\" data-processed=\"true\" data-copy-service-computed-style='font-family: \"Google Sans\", \"Helvetica Neue\", sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 400; margin: 0px; text-decoration: none; border-bottom: 0px rgb(10, 10, 10);'\u003eThe Fairy Mythology\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan class=\"iNqyIf\" data-sfc-cp=\"\" data-sfc-root=\"ep\" data-epip=\"\" data-complete=\"true\" data-processed=\"true\" data-copy-service-computed-style='font-family: \"Google Sans\", \"Helvetica Neue\", sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 400; margin: 0px; text-decoration: none; border-bottom: 0px rgb(10, 10, 10);'\u003e (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, \u003cspan class=\"wfWfIf fxyaSe\"\u003e\u003cspan data-sfc-cp=\"\" data-sfc-root=\"ep\" data-epip=\"\" data-complete=\"true\" data-processed=\"true\" data-copy-service-computed-style='font-family: \"Google Sans\", \"Helvetica Neue\", sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 400; margin: 0px; text-decoration: none; border-bottom: 0px rgb(10, 10, 10);'\u003e\u003cspan data-sfc-cp=\"\" data-sfc-root=\"c\" data-complete=\"true\" data-processed=\"true\" data-copy-service-computed-style='font-family: \"Google Sans\", \"Helvetica Neue\", sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 400; margin: 0px; text-decoration: none; border-bottom: 0px rgb(10, 10, 10);'\u003e\u003cspan class=\"jAOkJc\" role=\"button\" data-sfc-cp=\"\" data-sfc-root=\"c\" data-ved=\"2ahUKEwiZ8dDoipyXAxWZIEQIHZYGB54Q3egRegYIAAgLEAM\" data-complete=\"true\" data-processed=\"true\" data-copy-service-computed-style='font-family: \"Google Sans\", \"Helvetica Neue\", sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 400; margin: 0px; text-decoration: none; border-bottom: 0px rgb(10, 10, 10);' tabindex=\"0\"\u003eKeightley\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e 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.\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"n6owBd awi2gc\" data-sfc-cp=\"\" data-sfc-root=\"ep\" data-epip=\"\" data-hveid=\"CAAIDRAA\" data-complete=\"true\" data-processed=\"true\" data-copy-service-computed-style='font-family: \"Google Sans\", \"Helvetica Neue\", sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 400; margin: 12px 0px 16px; text-decoration: none; border-bottom: 0px rgb(10, 10, 10);'\u003e\n\u003cspan class=\"iNqyIf\" data-sfc-cp=\"\" data-sfc-root=\"ep\" data-epip=\"\" data-complete=\"true\" data-processed=\"true\" data-copy-service-computed-style='font-family: \"Google Sans\", \"Helvetica Neue\", sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 400; margin: 0px; text-decoration: none; border-bottom: 0px rgb(10, 10, 10);'\u003eFirst published anonymously against \u003cspan class=\"wfWfIf fxyaSe\"\u003e\u003cspan data-sfc-cp=\"\" data-sfc-root=\"ep\" data-epip=\"\" data-complete=\"true\" data-processed=\"true\" data-copy-service-computed-style='font-family: \"Google Sans\", \"Helvetica Neue\", sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 400; margin: 0px; text-decoration: none; border-bottom: 0px rgb(10, 10, 10);'\u003e\u003cspan data-sfc-cp=\"\" data-sfc-root=\"c\" data-complete=\"true\" data-processed=\"true\" data-copy-service-computed-style='font-family: \"Google Sans\", \"Helvetica Neue\", sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 400; margin: 0px; text-decoration: none; border-bottom: 0px rgb(10, 10, 10);'\u003e\u003cspan class=\"jAOkJc\" role=\"button\" data-sfc-cp=\"\" data-sfc-root=\"c\" data-ved=\"2ahUKEwiZ8dDoipyXAxWZIEQIHZYGB54Q3egRegYIAAgNEAE\" data-complete=\"true\" data-processed=\"true\" data-copy-service-computed-style='font-family: \"Google Sans\", \"Helvetica Neue\", sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 400; margin: 0px; text-decoration: none; border-bottom: 0px rgb(10, 10, 10);' tabindex=\"0\"\u003eKeightley's\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e explicit personal wishes\u003c\/span\u003e, this fascinating 408-page study was issued as a flagship volume in the iconic \"\u003cspan class=\"rQesXe MPyX\"\u003eLibrary of Entertaining Knowledge\u003c\/span\u003e\" 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 \u003cspan class=\"rQesXe MPyX\"\u003eAssassins\u003c\/span\u003e (Ismaïlites) of the East, the \u003cspan class=\"rQesXe MPyX\"\u003eKnights Templar\u003c\/span\u003e of the Crusades, and the \u003cspan class=\"rQesXe MPyX\"\u003eFehmic Courts\u003c\/span\u003e (Secret Tribunals) of Westphalia\u003cspan class=\"iNqyIf\" data-sfc-cp=\"\" data-sfc-root=\"ep\" data-epip=\"\" data-complete=\"true\" data-processed=\"true\" data-copy-service-computed-style='font-family: \"Google Sans\", \"Helvetica Neue\", sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 400; margin: 0px; text-decoration: none; border-bottom: 0px rgb(10, 10, 10);'\u003e. \u003cspan class=\"wfWfIf fxyaSe\"\u003e\u003cspan data-sfc-cp=\"\" data-sfc-root=\"ep\" data-epip=\"\" data-complete=\"true\" data-processed=\"true\" data-copy-service-computed-style='font-family: \"Google Sans\", \"Helvetica Neue\", sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 400; margin: 0px; text-decoration: none; border-bottom: 0px rgb(10, 10, 10);'\u003e\u003cspan data-sfc-cp=\"\" data-sfc-root=\"c\" data-complete=\"true\" data-processed=\"true\" data-copy-service-computed-style='font-family: \"Google Sans\", \"Helvetica Neue\", sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 400; margin: 0px; text-decoration: none; border-bottom: 0px rgb(10, 10, 10);'\u003e\u003cspan class=\"jAOkJc\" role=\"button\" data-sfc-cp=\"\" data-sfc-root=\"c\" data-ved=\"2ahUKEwiZ8dDoipyXAxWZIEQIHZYGB54Q3egRegYIAAgNEAI\" data-complete=\"true\" data-processed=\"true\" data-copy-service-computed-style='font-family: \"Google Sans\", \"Helvetica Neue\", sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 400; margin: 0px; text-decoration: none; border-bottom: 0px rgb(10, 10, 10);' tabindex=\"0\"\u003eKeightley\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e 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\u003c\/span\u003e.\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"n6owBd awi2gc\" data-sfc-cp=\"\" data-sfc-root=\"ep\" data-epip=\"\" data-hveid=\"CAAIDRAA\" data-complete=\"true\" data-processed=\"true\" data-copy-service-computed-style='font-family: \"Google Sans\", \"Helvetica Neue\", sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 400; margin: 12px 0px 16px; text-decoration: none; border-bottom: 0px rgb(10, 10, 10);'\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"n6owBd awi2gc\" data-sfc-cp=\"\" data-sfc-root=\"ep\" data-epip=\"\" data-hveid=\"CAAIDRAA\" data-complete=\"true\" data-processed=\"true\" data-copy-service-computed-style='font-family: \"Google Sans\", \"Helvetica Neue\", sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 400; margin: 12px 0px 16px; text-decoration: none; border-bottom: 0px rgb(10, 10, 10);'\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDescription \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"n6owBd awi2gc\" data-sfc-cp=\"\" data-sfc-root=\"ep\" data-epip=\"\" data-hveid=\"CAAIDRAA\" data-complete=\"true\" data-processed=\"true\" data-copy-service-computed-style='font-family: \"Google Sans\", \"Helvetica Neue\", sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 400; margin: 12px 0px 16px; text-decoration: none; border-bottom: 0px rgb(10, 10, 10);'\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"n6owBd awi2gc\" data-sfc-cp=\"\" data-sfc-root=\"ep\" data-epip=\"\" data-hveid=\"CAAIDRAA\" data-complete=\"true\" data-processed=\"true\" data-copy-service-computed-style='font-family: \"Google Sans\", \"Helvetica Neue\", sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 400; margin: 12px 0px 16px; text-decoration: none; border-bottom: 0px rgb(10, 10, 10);'\u003eGreen 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. \u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Moons Rare Books","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":57555798098086,"sku":null,"price":350.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"url":"https:\/\/moons-rare-books.myshopify.com\/products\/secret-societies-of-the-middle-ages","provider":"Moons Rare Books","version":"1.0","type":"link"}