Documented History and Legend

Secret societies attract claims, of great antiquity, hidden influence or sinister purpose, from members and opponents alike, and the atlas is careful to separate documented history from origin-legend and from conspiracy theory. Many orders claim descent from ancient sources the evidence does not support; the Golden Dawn's founding documents, for instance, and the true age of Rosicrucianism are matters where scholarship and tradition part.

The entries describe rather than expose or defend, noting where an order's own account of its origins is unsupported and where genuine controversy is documented. The related mystery cults of antiquity and modern new religious movements are treated under their own categories.