He found the skeleton on a side aisle, peering out at him from behind some boards that had been nailed over its chamber. The church-more of a small chapel, really-was in ruins, but still contained pews and altars, all dilapidated from years of neglect under East German Communist rule. “But I followed his directions-half thinking this guy was crazy or lying-and sure enough, I found this jeweled skeleton in the woods.” “It sounded like something from the Brothers Grimm,” he recalls. He’d landed in this particular village near the Czech border to document a crypt full of skulls, but his interest was piqued by the dubious yet enticing promise of a bejeweled skeleton lurking behind the trees. Which is why, when a man in a German village approached him during a 2008 research trip and asked something along the lines of, “Are you interested in seeing a dilapidated old church in the forest with a skeleton standing there covered in jewels and holding a cup of blood in his left hand like he’s offering you a toast?” Koudounaris’ answer was, “Yes, of course.”Īt the time, Koudounaris was working on a book called The Empire of Death, traveling the world to photograph church ossuaries and the like. Though the Los Angeles-based art historian, author and photographer claims that his fascination with death is no greater than anyone else’s, he devotes his career to investigating and documenting phenomena such as church ossuaries, charnel houses and bone-adorned shrines. That's pretty goth for a group of rich kids.Paul Koudounaris is not a man who shies away from the macabre. "On the west wall, hung among other pictures, an old engraving representing an open burial vault, in which, on a stone slab, rest four human skulls, grouped about a fools cap and bells, an open book, several mathematical instruments, a beggar's scrip, and a royal crown." A few years later another group broke in and found a gruesome scene: Rooms outfitted with black and red velvet, pentagrams on the walls, and photos of an alternate society in Germany. In 1876 a group calling itself "The Order of File and Claw" - named so because of what they used to break into The Tomb - wrote a pamphlet about what they found inside. No one knows exactly what's inside the The Tomb but there have been a few expeditions inside by curious outsiders. In the early 19th century, Skull and Bones rented out various on-campus halls where they would hold late night discussions. But in 1856, they finally constructed " The Tomb," a windowless, brownstone where Bonesmen would meet privately every Thursday and Sunday. And who can forget the rumor that initiates are given a gift of $15,000 and a guaranteed lifetime of financial security just for being tapped to join the Skull & Bones society? These wildly different stories about the rituals function as a way to make sure everything seems ridiculous while allowing everything to seem possible.Ī semi-occult, secretive brotherhood like Skull and Bones needs a semi-occult, secretive lair where they can hold their initiation ceremonies and all night salons. There are also stories of having to jump in a pile of mud, or maybe wrestle another initiate in a pile of mud. In some versions initiates lie in a coffin while they're carried through a crypt while Bonesmen chant " reborn, reborn." And in other versions initiates are made to lie naked in a coffin and describe their personal sexual history in a room full of their bros. There are multiple stories having to do with an initiation that takes place inside of a coffin. The initiation rituals of the Skull and Bones are some of the most interesting parts of their society, not because of how weird they are (and they're very weird), but because no one's actually sure which ritual is true and which is an exaggeration.
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