10 Shocking Cults From Ancient History

[@Joe_Potts]

"Carried baskets of bunnies" Aww "...to be sacrificed" AAAAAAHHHHHHHHH

[@su-enaahleebeautifulcontra3617]

😆 I thought that too

[@paulsimmons5726]

LMAO!

[@tacticalwaffles0]

Best comment

[@yes0r787]

NO

[@curiousworld7912]

The cult of Isis was also an important cult, starting in Egypt, which became a 'mystery religion' with Ptolemy Soter around 300 BCE. It lasted quite a long time, even becoming a rival of Christianity - particularly in Rome. In fact, the figure of the 'Isis lactans' was seen by some as the model for the Madonna and Child representations.

[@winnifredforbes8712]

Curious World Any connection to "Isis" in Iraq?

[@curiousworld7912]

@@winnifredforbes8712No. None at all. The Goddess Isis's name comes from the word 'eset', which means 'the seat' - referring to her stability. ISIS in Iraq is an anagram for 'Islamic State in Syria'. Two completely different things. :)

[@winnifredforbes8712]

Curious World Thanks for that. Appreciate it!

[@curiousworld7912]

@@winnifredforbes8712 No problem :)

[@marioluigi3801]

I always suspected that my Algebra teacher was brainwashing me with her Pythagorean witchcraft. She made us write potion recipes involving some kind of "root", and a bunch of Pagan symbols that look like bats and newts. Thanks for confirming that my teacher was a witch, Simon.

[@dorianblue979]

Simon does not know what he is talking about. The Pythagoreans didn’t worship any numbers. Pythagoras claimed that everything in the universe was made of numbers. Just that. Admission to his school required passing a trial that could span years. This did not include silence. Also, everything he said about Athena Polias was nonsense.

[@seanmorgan2257]

They looked into Mithraism and realised it was all bull

[@drazicmilosovic1065]

I thought only my Dad had mastered this degree of humour - it seems I was wrong. Touché Sir 😄

[@seanmorgan2257]

@@drazicmilosovic1065 Thank you for your kind words :)

[@Bigfoot_With_Internet_Access]

Everybody gangsta till the cults start culting

[@lagitanavderoscio]

Lol

[@shakybill3]

Still waitin on them feets

[@brantleyhester6641]

I'm in the cult of Simon Whistler

[@CoIumbo]

@@gadjjad4756 so so funny.

[@CoIumbo]

@Stevie GB Kneel before his greatness, his wisdom will show us the way.

[@wastedtalent1625]

In Simon trust, his videos are canon, and his noggin is bald.

[@Dkthearn]

To see your reflection Apon his bald head is both an honor and a miracle

[@seratheeducatedfeline4227]

Aren’t we all 😐

[@RobertBurgener]

A few expansions and corrections on Mithraism: 1) Mithraism actually predates Christianity and originated in old Babylon/Iran. 2) Mithraism was an extremely popular religion, particularly amongst the Roman soldiers. It spread, likely, to the Roman tendencies to assign captured soldiers to other parts of the Empire where other cultures were exposed to it. 3) Many religious historians have stated the belief that if the Roman Empire has not become Christian, it would have become Mithraic. 4) Some historians say that the location of Vatican City was originally a temple dedicated to Mithraism and the Roman home to the Mystery Cult.

[@view1st]

Christianity also bears a remarkable similarity in certain respects to Mithraism such that certain beliefs and rituals may be said to have been inspired by it and Mythraic elements syncretically incorporated into it.

[@thisisahumanlol8255]

8:12 "So, like Wikipedia? " 8:16 "Oh, like the FBI." -Subtitles, 2019.

[@alicewilloughby4318]

0:48 - If I remember correctly, the Shakers in the U.S. believed the same thing.

[@gordonlawrence4749]

Only the early ones that were part of the Puritan movement. Post about 1750 that viewpoint all but disappeared.

[@torijones5194]

They didn't cut off body parts, but they did believe in not having sex within their marriages. They also adopted children to pass on the religion.

[@isaacschmitt4803]

Pythagoras: I come from the heavens with mathematical formulae. Ancient Greeks: Cool. Pythagoras: No sex until Winter. Ancient Greeks: Cool. Pythagoras: But to follow me you have to take a five year vow of silence. . . Ancient Greeks: THAT'S WHERE WE DRAW THE LINE!

[@EugeneGM1]

I'm surprised you didn't talk about Pythagoras's hatred of beans

[@heatherarts707]

Because it be Racist

[@Bacopa68]

Beans aren't really consistent with a vow of silence when you think about it. And why do beans make us fart? I've heard that they have weird eight-carbon sugar at the end of their starches that we can't absorb through our intestines.

[@cernowaingreenman]

Pythagorus told his followers to "avoid beans" which was a meant to avoid politics, where beans were used in the counting of votes.

[@therocketman3131]

Its all about the triangles

[@murda_spree6696]

Simon looks like he could be a cult leader 😂😂

[@Contractor48]

Tesla10koil cult of top tens

[@lagitanavderoscio]

He really does. ...if not a religion at least a following

[@NiuhiNui]

With a bit of work and maybe a prosthesis, he could be Kane from Command and Conquer.

[@lagitanavderoscio]

I was thinking that during a different video.

[@lagitanavderoscio]

😂🤣😅. CULT Americanites

[@thespider1481]

You didn't mention the cult of Moloch although your video hinted at it in the first few minutes by showing Moloch worship. Are you going to cover that cult? They are interesting enough to do a whole video on them!

[@Petra44YT]

Exactly! I was waiting for that. I have been fed to Moloch once in a previous life, so of course I want to learn more about it.

[@sarahbearah9434]

I totally agree!!!

[@VisualStory-Teller]

Theosophy is not exactly a cult but more of a collection of philosophical and spiritual doctrine. It also is still very much alive and thriving in places like India and parts of California.

[@yasia9188]

Where at in cali ?

[@VisualStory-Teller]

@@yasia9188 Ojai CA. There's a Theosophical center in Krotona

[@Xarius86]

The closed captions are awesome. :)

[@martyspencer1]

What will future historians think of the Cult of the Dumpster Fire?

[@yes0r787]

All hail Trump, bringer of the great plague and conflagration, destroyer of empire.

[@my_granny]

I'm not sure what's so shocking about most of these.

[@mikecorbeil]

@birdsquirrel : Well, what about #10, the Russian Skoptsy? NOT sane was that. And, what about #9, Mithraism, #8, Athena Polias, #7, The Kachina, #6, The Khlysts, #5, The Cult of Jupiter Dolichenus, #4, The Cult of Amun, #3, The Goddess Fortuna, #2, Theosophy, #1, The Cult of Pytagoras, NONE being intelligent. I don't really see SHOCK with those, but downright ignorance, lack of intelligence, YES.

[@bobthegoat7090]

I think the shock is the realization that a cult is just a religion that didn't become popular enough to become a religion

[@New_Wave_Nancy]

I'm not sure what's "ancient history" about some of these. Theosophy? Skoptsy?

[@WintrBorn]

mikecorbeil skoptsy weren’t all that different from the Shaker movement in the US. They also insisted on celibacy, but had provisions for those that refused to.

[@thedeadcannotdie]

@@mikecorbeil so Christianity, or any other religion for that matter, is "intelligent"?

[@davidsan9654]

I hope they mention the cult of personalities

[@davidsan9654]

@Stephen Murphy yes, but also like Joseph Stalin and Ghandi

[@marcmcdowell9649]

Haha class

[@MrJgreen12]

@Stephen Murphy He was quoting the song by the band Living Colour, but I'm pretty sure that went over your head.

[@hollycarter725]

@Stephen Murphy wanker

[@davidsan9654]

@Stephen Murphy Whooosh...the noise of the joke as it flies over your head...which is pretty high considering how high up on that horse you seem to be!

[@grapeshot]

The Cult of Amun was very popular in ancient Nubia also.

[@christelheadington1136]

Though I thought it was Amon.

[@grapeshot]

@@christelheadington1136 yes I seen it spelt that way also.

[@antfart5299]

What about the blue oyster cult?

[@curiousworld7912]

Ha! Nicely done. :)

[@buxeessingh2571]

Hey, members Don't Fear the Reaper.

[@stlkngyomom]

They were great,but needed more cowbell(SNL;).

[@johnhardin4358]

Never got off the ground. A one hit wonder.

[@theaceofspace6110]

Where is the Cult of Luna?

[@smokeemifugottem2516]

I've actually seen the kachina dolls in a museum in Utah

[@annabell3385]

Are Kachina dolls also called worry dolls?

[@smokeemifugottem2516]

@@annabell3385 I don't think so but I could be wrong

[@somanyhumanssolittlecommon6947]

It's a cult until those in power make it the state mandated religion.

[@ihavesoul4real]

So Many Humans, So Little Common Sense Is that you, Joe Rogan?

[@blesstv8994]

No, it would still Be a cult by definition. All religions are cults but not all cults are bad as some people understand them to be.

[@MrEsMysteriesMagicks]

The Thuggee cult wasn't exactly a day at the beach, either.

[@gordonlawrence4749]

The Ballites were far worse - EG sacrificing your firstborn by throwing the child at 1 year old into the mouth of a statue of Baal that had been heated to red heat.

[@MrEsMysteriesMagicks]

@@gordonlawrence4749 Sounds like this should have been a Top 12 list. Both of these cults deserve a spot.

[@brandonevans1043]

Dr. Jones took care of them, though.

[@cuttwice3905]

Ancient History is considered to be anything before the fall of the Western Roman Empire; i.e. 476 CE.

[@annabell3385]

The Pythagorean Temple in NYC is where the first rock and roll song was recorded. Rock Around the Clock. That was in the fifties, bringing on the Dionesys-style sexual revolution. It's still there. Lady Gaga lived in it as a child. It's covered with cult statues.

[@raysmith7543]

I'm quite surprised that you did not include the Cult of Kali, also known as the Thugees. Especially with your being British and the troubles the British Colonists had with them.

[@Dkthearn]

Ohh burnnnn

[@bryanbee1604]

Ohohohooo 😂☕️

[@CommodoreFloopjack78]

I've always been intrigued by religion and cults. What is it, exactly, that differentiates the two and, furthermore, causes some to gain widespread and long-lasting influence while others come and go? Personally, I think this kind of stuff is fascinating.

[@Babarudra]

you may want to look up "Advanced Bonewits' Cult Danger Evaluation Frame". Doubtful most use this guideline, but it gives a pretty interesting outline of cult vs not.

[@JJ-ub3mw]

I'm with you, I personally think they are the same thing, just religions are cults that lasted through the years long enough for enough people to validate them, both are dangerous, and ridiculous at the same time. Scientology is a perfect example of a cult becoming a religion, and in a 100 years or so it will be just as validated as Mormons.

[@anyawillowfan]

This was exactly my question as in this video cult and religion seem to be interchangeable unless it's Christianity.

[@jamesbongiorno9191]

Amadeus von Beaverhausen ya when you do the research,and see how people thought they were godly.i think gods were the law ,as explained about Zeus.

[@tamfuwing1]

Christianity was a cult originally.

[@chicachatzis]

Excellent Simon 👍👍

[@Jobe-13]

This video is fascinating.

[@KamenSentaiMetalHero]

I was watching The Following, a show about a cult, when this video popped up in my notifications.

[@melodramaticplastic7082]

They are always watching.

[@iksarguards]

I had just come back from the woods after a cult meeting when this video popped up in my notifications.

[@keziaclark960]

Amazing show

[@elizabethsetlow862]

Ahh I love the smell of fresh content

[@FugueStated]

The English CC for this video are hilarious, I think someone took a few artistic liberties while transcribing Simon's words

[@qazhr]

This has some entries make me want to put quotations marks around ancient in the title

[@shoggothification]

Dang it Simon ! The section on Mithraism was too short! They have found temples to mithra from Syria to Great Britain! It appears to have been loosely patterned from zoroastrianism (also a rival of early christianity). And lets not forget the importance of the phrygian cap (what sol invictus is wearing) to the future. The french wore them during their revolution as a symbol of freedom (as do the smurfs lol). We know a lot more about Mithraism through archaeological studies of their temples than historical records. Thanks for a great video as always!

[@junked5214]

I never knew the 19th century was part of ancient history. You learn something everyday on KZbin

[@julianaylor4351]

I'm in the cult of refusing to stop eating dolly mixtures even though I'm two years shy of a bus pass.😂

[@thinshady4956]

Watching one of these after a Business Blaze binge is a bit lack luster. I keep expecting a bit of intellectual sarcasm, and some of Danny's strange stories about his Windows dos dating site.

[@dafttool]

The Hopi Kachina figures are said by some to represent alien visitors wearing their space suits. The Dogon Tribe of Africa & the Tehuelche or Fuegian Tribe of Patagonia, SA also have similar weird figures they say are supposed to represent alien visitors.

[@leesiemoo]

It’s problematic that so many ancient cults were “mystery cults” which means we’re mostly guessing what went on or relying on ancient rumours and speculation. It makes for a much vaguer list than usual.

[@Jobe-13]

The Dionysians were the best. They threw the *WILDEST* parties.

[@annalieff-saxby568]

Euan euan eu oi oi oi!

[@MashMonster69]

@Simon Whistler Have you ever heard of "The Golden Bough?" According to it, MANY of the beliefs of the "christian cult" were brought from Mithras, including the scene on the cross. Mithras was the son of the sun, and was killed on the spring equinox to give his life force (on a cross) to his father to allow him to go through the summer. He was reborn at the autumnal equinox to gather force to return it to his father (again) 6 months later... The cross and the sacrifice of the bull were two of the major focii of the religion (cult)

[@MathewSteeleAtheology]

The only differences between a cult and a religion are population and longevity.

[@marcmcdowell9649]

Nope

[@censusgary]

Someone once said a cult is a religion that doesn’t own much real estate.

[@marcmcdowell9649]

I once said a belly button is a knife fight scare

[@Colddirector]

Arguably all social groups display some level of behaviour associated with cults, the distinction is made in severity.

[@johnhardin4358]

Nonsense! Religions have more money!

[@robertcorbett9455]

I would have thought Christianity, Judaism and Islam would have been the top 3.

[@euphenasiusamdignemon5375]

how clever

[@Paulafan5]

Most of the leading charities are Christian based. Yeah, shocking to help one's neighbor. Outrageous.

[@Mr72Dolphins]

Vespasian, Titus and Josephius = Holy Trinity

[@quintenwhyte6660]

Those subtitles are funny 😂😂😂😂😂

[@minxythemerciless]

This item missed out on the cult of Yaweh. A cult with rather drastic outcomes

[@tausifkarim8861]

Not to mention the other two prominent cults that spawned out of it.

[@denisenior4126]

Its Yahweh and a religion is not a cult u can leave anytime

[@T3vearris]

@@denisenior4126 The only difference is the number of adherents. They are cults, just BIG ones.

[@KATVALENTINE]

How do you post so many FREAKING VIDEOS GODDAMMIT

[@brantleyhester6641]

Robots. Simon Whistler isn't real silly

[@golddragonette7795]

Because there's a whole team - Simon is the presenter but there's a researcher, script writer etc

[@minxythemerciless]

This item also missed out on the Principle of Pythagoras - essentially beans make you fart.

[@Aura96968]

Hahahaha, that reminds me of " Rokudenashi Majutsu Koushi to Akashic Records"

[@TheFiddle101]

Quite a nice list but some of those cults aren't particularly shocking, simply intriguing

[@entangledmindcells9359]

Pythagoras - Even us geeks got to have a cult .. cool

[@dorianblue979]

Ο βλάκας δεν ξέρει τι λέει. Μην τον ακούς. ψάξ'το μόνος σου.

[@Jivolt]

When I think of the cult, I think of love removal machines.

[@victorwaddell6530]

Fire Woman Yeah Yeah !

[@fendiwasp6834]

It’s 1am already.....damn

[@elmin82]

interesting video, honestly didn't know this cult

[@The1larian]

Question: Was the Cult of Pythagoras the origin of Numerology?

[@buxeessingh2571]

According to Carl Sagan in _Cosmos_, they believed all genuine numbers were rational (of the form p/q, where p and q are integers). When they discovered this was impossible with the square root of 2, they suppressed the proof.

[@zachryansayshello]

If you aren't watching this with the subtitles on, you're missing out.

[@brett4264]

Now I have to watch this again with captions due to all the comments about them.

[@endergamer7483]

When I heard the whole Taurus being a central figure in the Mithraism religion, I was wondering if there was modern day western astrology around that time. How would they react/treat those (including me) who’s star sign was Taurus? Would they be a sort of vestal virgins like ordeal? Or elevated/worshiped, whether that means sacrifice or favoritism?

[@emilylee7940]

who was in charge of the subtitles. Funny stuff at the end

[@dorrisgonnawreckyou7111]

LONG AND THIN! SLIP RIGHT IN!!

[@karina833]

I was so shocked that I had to lie down and take an anti depressant to calm my nerves. Compared to Christianity and Islam they were in a league of their own. Please oh please Simon, no more of these shocking and horrific top ten's, I don't know if I could take any more.

[@tausifkarim8861]

As an atheist I go through the same shock when I learn more about Islam or Christianity.The cults aren't gone yet.

[@yes0r787]

Cult of Sarcasm

[@lkhjsdfg]

Well, now I know the etymology of the words fortune and fortunate.

[@TheAnadromist]

The Skokpsy and the Khlists. Finally getting serious about cults!

[@pamelamays4186]

I'm in the cult of personality.

[@mrbearbear83]

Is it your own personality?

[@Massielnh]

Great song!

[@jerelull2619]

Minor point: Theosophy has been demonstrated to have influenced the tenets of scientology.

[@Hmm...Whats-Their-Name]

1:00 nobody is gonna mention women can't have vasectomies as they dont have vas deferens ...

[@yes0r787]

Yeh that's what I heard first time, so I replayed that bit - maybe he said mastectomies.

[@censusgary]

“Women would have vasectomies”?? Pretty sure you meant something else there, Simon.

[@tinyartificer]

He said mastectomy lol, I did a double take too

[@murder13love]

He didnt say that buddy..

[@makuangree2228]

@@murder13love I'm not your buddy, friend

[@knarf_inc4790]

@we need to eat the babies I'm not your mate, pal

[@davidshakespeare9767]

Yep that was an “M”

[@stephjovi]

10k views and 1.1 k thumbs up within 2 hours. You guys are popular ❤️

[@RealmRabbit]

I heard that in Pythagoras' cult he basically considered the square root of 2 to be "unutterable" or something like that... He basically kept it a secret of the cult because I think he hated going into decimals (or maybe it's just decimals where they become very long... Anyway, he didn't like the square root of 2 and didn't want people to talk about it which is kinda funny...)

[@michaelphillips1267]

Killing the sacred bull sounds like modern politics

[@Flamsterette]

Yay, shocking cults!

[@thomaswilson3437]

I’m in the cult of Pilsner. We worship the sudsy one....some our lesser deities involve chocolate chip cookies. Our priests put on a little weight sometimes.

[@melflo4651]

The Skoptsy is like the Heaven Gate in US.

[@Renkinjutsushi]

It's not that we're supposed to only have sex with the intent of having children, it's that we should be open to children whenever we have sex. Big difference. The unitive aspect of the act is just as important.

[@HuginnandMuninnGaming23]

Mithraism - Oh geeze....I'm a Taurus...glad that one doesn't exist anymore...lol

[@Jobe-13]

Oriya Moon Dude, same.

[@mikecorbeil]

Simon, these examples aren't all of ancient history. After all, one is of the 19th century and that isn't ancient.

[@lagitanavderoscio]

5:02 how the straight face? 🤭

[@kcmo1992]

Best cults were Celt witch Druid spirit cuts!

[@Tommy-5684]

no Cathars there relay interesting and well medieval they are much closer to ancient then the 18th and 19th century examples that make up practically 1/3 of your entries

[@timothyneiswander3151]

since Catharism is still practiced today, it doesn't count as an ancient cult

[@Tommy-5684]

@@timothyneiswander3151 im faily sure it was wiped out in the Albigensian crusade in the mid 1200s so is there any evidence its stil practised today?

[@annalieff-saxby568]

Not sure Catharism is a cult. I think it's a heresy.

[@annalieff-saxby568]

@@Tommy-5684 Read Umberto Eco's "Foucault's Pendulum", then you tell me.

[@Tommy-5684]

@@annalieff-saxby568 isnt that a work of fiction like "In the Name of the Rose"?

[@Salgood]

Dudes, Katsina are part of katsinam the Hopi religion, that's not a cult or a 'heretic' religion, it was an indigenous spiritual practice colonials wiped out via genocide.

[@Meadaa]

Where’s my Moloch at

[@markw-s5734]

Every major religion today started either as a cult or a state religion to serve the interest of the ruler and ruling class.

[@somanyhumanssolittlecommon6947]

Yes! Thank you!

[@Serai3]

That is such a simplistic and wrong-headed view of religion.

[@shebbs1]

Same can be sa8d of state-enforced atheism in Communist states.

[@somanyhumanssolittlecommon6947]

Simplistically stated for brevity, yes, but saying I'm wrongheaded for my beliefs when you know little of them is a rather grandiose statement. From the earliest documented religion which involved animal worship, religions have depended upon those in power supporting them. Whether it be the strongest of the tribe of hunter/gatherers or the king of England - and especially the latter as the established church (aka the Catholic Church) created king and nobility to prop up their own position of importance.

[@shebbs1]

@@somanyhumanssolittlecommon6947 The Catholic Church was even worse than you say in that it usurped the authority of European leaders, insisting you were only a legitimate ruler if the Church, or often just the Pope, said you were. Henry VIII was right in servering ties with the RC Church, it is just a pity his reasons were so selfish and that the modern Church of England had some guts. These days it is a cheer squad for Lefty political rubbish. Then again, so is the current pope.

[@sprinklesdj]

I wouldn’t call theosophy an ancient cult being that it starting in the 1800s and is still internationally active today.

[@Raz.C]

re - 1:00 The women had vasectomies? Really? Women have a vas deferens? The very same vas deferens that is referred to in the name of the procedure "VASectomy?

[@torijones5194]

I heard Mastectomy. The removal of breast.

[@rnptenafly]

I heard vasectomy too. Going to rewatch... 1:01 I guess he could’ve said “masectomies” (sic)

[@Raz.C]

@@torijones5194 In what way would that hinder procreation?

[@ruraladventurer1884]

The Cult of Amun was the widespread religion of ancient Egypt for 3,000 years. I'd hardly classify that as a cult in the sense that you're implying.

[@GeneralDurandal]

There are even cults in this day and age.

[@bobthegoat7090]

I don't get what the difference is between a cult and religion. I just searched for definitions and from what I can see people that believe in religion are actually part of a cult as they are a part of "a system of religious veneration and devotion directed towards a particular figure or object."

[@joshuakava2895]

8:14 😂😂😂

[@cernowaingreenman]

Top Tenz used to have well-researched and informational videos. This isn't one of them.

[@kimberlysheridan5530]

I'm not ashamed to say I am a modern day Theosophist. Blavatsky never claimed to originate anything. She said she only copied what was dictated to her by Masters. Today members who practice all kinds of faiths come together to explore what common themes there are, without being dogmatic or judgemental. If anyone has time, the books of Pablo Sender are wonderful explanations that make understanding easier. As for me, I still get exasperated at times, but meditating has made me get exasperated less often, and over many fewer annoyances.

[@johnhardin4358]

Blavatsky was a fraud.

[@marioluigi3801]

Fun fact: Zoroastrianism is a cult created by the Antonio Banderas Zorro Movie fan-club. "Ahura Mazda" is actually the Mexican version of the "Mazda Miata" - Banderas' favorite vehicle

[@tonygalloway3704]

The world's top 10 most useful animals?????

[@15-Peter-20]

I didn't learn religion in history .... I learnt about it in RE

[@REHANKHAN-en5zn]

Religion is a large scale form of cults.

[@Lady_Chalk]

I’m a Taurus and I don’t like that cult.

[@Tommy-5684]

18th century is hardly ancient

[@irontusk341]

theres a religious organization that some people have called a cult, and followers called the truth... Its called New Testament Judaism.. if you did some research on it and made a video, you would find it has a interesting blend between Jewish holiday and customs with the fundamental christian belief of saving souls... Similar to how christianity was between the 2nd century CE.

[@Vladamite]

You forgot the Cult of Moloch! They were great! They sacrificed children to a cow shaped furnace.

[@Alexagrigorieff]

"Skoptsy" (скопцы) is plural for "skopets" (скопец), which literally means "castrat".

[@TheBigchessy]

The Hopi tribe of Arizona still use kochina mask in there dance ceremonies