Here's an interesting paper on Mithraism, the so-called mysterious cult from the east that
2nd century roman soldiers got into.
https://oregoncoug.files.wordpress.com/2015/05/christ-and-mithras-two-sides-of-the-same-coin.pdf
tl;dr
Mithraism was freemasonry avant-la-lettre. The similarities are uncanny (masonic parallels between brackets):
>a closed society with fabricated mysteries that have nothing to do with the origin of the appropriated symbols (obvious)
>designed to facilitate entryism into society's dominant institution, the army (masonic entryism into Catholic Church, the French republic, etc)
>with the purpose of safeguarding and promoting the early Christian communities in the Roman empire (masonic subversion of European values with gnostic egalitarian materialism)
I always found the Mithraic symbolism look out of place and 'contrived', much like wiccatru and freemasonry are. Read the pdf to find out what's behind the curtain.
Any /fringe/ crossboarders with other juicy details on Mithraism?