They frequently trekked through the vastness of the Sierra Nevada to reach lonely miners who otherwise would have had no Christmas celebration. And that is where the unbelievable history of E Clampus Vitus might end, if it were not for the fact that this episode releases just before April 1st and is an April Fools Day joke! The "Pair-o-Dice" chapter in Paradise, for example, is Lodge No. Indeed, there was another monastic order originating from the teachings of St. Vitus, this one established by his disciple Dumbellicus, himself also a martyr killed by Emperor Diocletian. Indeed, these natives appeared ready to use their formidable weapons against the Dumbellican Brothers. The Royal Order of E Clampus Nortonus was created by Emperor Norton II in April 2008. VTG California FRATERNAL 3 1/2" Button~"E. CLAMPUS VITUS"~Jim Savage 1852 'SB'~ $24.99 + $3.75 shipping. A move to greater seriousness was shown during the Civil War, when the Order changed its parade day from the first Sunday after the snows to the Fourth of July.[3]. There were chapters in British Columbia and Hawaii, but they no longer exist. At the ECV's peak, around 1870, so many miners were members that mining camps might shut down during ECV celebrations (some mining towns had two chapters). When we embraced the ECV we added an entire new dimension to life at Johnnys. From his perch at the Plumas Club, a dive bar that serves as his chapters de facto headquarters, Ron Right-On Oxley swirled a vodka and cranberry juice and tried to sum up his often misunderstood group. The fart machine with a remote my husband sneaked into Seth and Jeannies adjoining room made for another hour of entertainment. Zumwalt organized an ECV lodge in Mokelumne Hill in 1851, when Mokelumne Hill Lodge No. Established May 1998 CY 6003 10. He can hook you up. Imagine a gathering of overeducated history buffs drunkenly regaling each other with the most ridiculous false histories they could think of. Like many others I thought the name had to stand for something but in researching the organization I found that it's just a name its originator made up. In 1931, a new chapter of E Clampus Vitus was founded in San Francisco with the help of Adam Lee Moore, one of the few surviving members of the original order. The other secret societies all seemed to take themselves and their rituals far too seriously, and they were full of stuffed shirts, so Ephraim Bee founded a kind of parody of them, with nonsensical rituals, and a name that sounded Latin but was not thats right, E Clampus Vitus means nothing. It will be on Sunday, August 30th, at 2pm. Members call themselves Clampers. The organizations name is inDog Latin, and has no known meaning; even the spelling is disputed, sometimes appearing as Clampus, Clampsus, or Clampsis. The motto of the Order,Credo Quia Absurdum, is generally interpreted as meaning I believe it because it is absurd; the proper Latin quotationCredo quia absurdum est, is from the Christian apologistTertullian(c.160 c.220 AD), who rejected rationalism and accepted a Gospel which addressed itself to the non-rational levels of perception.. Mr. There are chapters in California, Nevada, Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado, Utah, Washington, Idaho . ECV claims many men of note to have been members, whether they were members or not: Philip D. Armour, the meat packer; John Mohler Studebaker, the automobile manufacturer; Gene Autry "The Singing Cowboy" who owned the California Angels baseball team; and John Hume, a California state assemblyman. Here are 22 essential L.A. spots for every tourist, Column: We cant afford another writers strike. Johnnys Bar & Grill It is the Chinese, he says, who in mispronouncing their motto Ecce Lampas Vitae coined the modern name E Clampus Vitus, a revelation that caused much stir among the aforementioned theologians who had developed so many theories about the phrase and its implications for the origins of the order. He saw a society for the everyman, for the lover of history both obscure and preposterous, and he came to believe it was a tradition worth reviving. Dave sustained some serious injuries at a Clamper doins at Hollister Hills in September and as well as not being able to work for three months, he has amassed $40,000.00 in medical bills. The name E Clampus Vitus means absolutely nothing. The timeline doesnt seem to jibe, though, for how could Zumwalt have brought E Clampus Vitus to California in 1849 and established the first chapter here in Calaveras County in 1851 if Ephraim Bee was only just forming the first chapter in West Virginia in 1853? Asked how he got the name Chainsaw, he explained that a fellow Clamper years ago somehow got it in his head that Koen had cut off his own kneecap with a chainsaw. We had so much fun picking out our outfits that we knew the ball was going to be a blast. It aint easy, and if you drop out, your sponsor has to go through for you. However, sainthood was denied him, for it was suspected that he never actually bit his tongue off, and that perhaps he did not resist his altar-bound intercourse as much as his legend claims. Perhaps this was obvious from the ridiculous and frankly racist names of its central characters as well as its bawdy subject matter. In the spring of 1930, lawyer and historian Carl Wheat made a visit to some old mining camps in California for the purposes of researching life during the Gold Rush. Okay, for anyone interested in an educated guess at why the name E Clampus Vitus came to be, here is my 2 cents: Clampers (or what was to be named the Clampers), were no doubt hard drinkers. Pride in Californias history rescued E Clampus Vitus from oblivion, however. He (Sholto) agreed, and tonight the opera-house was packed."[8]. As the gold was mined out and the mining towns dwindled, however, E Clampus Vitus faded as well, and the Hewgag announced a meeting of the original order for the last time in Quincy, California in 1916. Koen has been a Clamper for 17 years and has served as the Chapter 5978 Humbug. 10, P.O. And this may be even closer to the E Clampus Vitus of the Gold Rush Miners. [3], The drinking and revelry aspects were not entirely abandoned however, with one man accidentally shot dead during a drunken party in Columbia in 1967. ECV titles reflected the tongue-in-cheek nature of the organization. CREDO QUIA ABSURDUM . Chapter 54-40 was now the 42nd chapter of E Clampus Vitus -- a fitting number, since Washington was the 42nd state to join the United State . The church likely came to this conclusion based on the behavior of his followers, the Dumbellican Brotherhood, who received the nickname the Frollicking Friars due to their licentious behavior. The Ancient and Honorable Order of E Clampus Vitus (ECV) is a fraternal organization dedicated to the preservation of the heritage of the American West, especially the history of the Mother Lode and gold mining regions of the area. Theyre secretive about initiation rites. Edited by Thomas Duncan, Lulu Press, 2009. Afterward everyone toasts the new member with drink. At the age of 60, Bee was a Captain of the Doddridge County Militia, which protected the area from roving Confederate forces, horse thieves and outlaws. The next day we all went to brunch together, and any one of the attendees will surely tell you that it was one of the most fun weekends of his or her life. They were contacted by the surviving members of the original order, who passed on what could be remembered of the original rites and legends. The so-called Drake's Plate of Brass was accepted as authentic for forty years, yet was in actuality a hoax initiated by Dane that got out of control. Supposed image of Ephraim Bee circulated on the Internet by Clampers who knows if its really him, Until next time, Ill leave you with a wonderful quotation shared by Thomas Duncan as an epigraph on his book E Clampus Vitus: Anthology of New Dispensation Lore, which ended up serving as my principal source on this episode mainly because all the other works on Clamper history seem to be held hostage in the Special Collections rooms of California libraries, and the few available at my local library, I discovered, have been stolen. The three founded a new chapter, Yerba Buena Number 1, or the "Capitulus Redivivus." Life in the California mining towns was harsh and often violent, as men from every corner of the world labored and fought for their share of gold. Chapter presidents hold the ceremonial title of Noble Grand Humbug. Theres also the Worlds Largest Butter Dish Collection, an assortment of ornate dishes with delicate painted flowers, glass cherries and fragile flourishes. She arranged for the eunuchs guarding the other girls to be drugged, and once free, the former slave women took control of the vessel, throwing any who resisted them to the sharks. If they are Californian historians, than they should receive some E pluribus unum to erect markers, and build/restore what ever has to do with the history of Ca. Occasionally, the entire town was invited to a great party. Ron Oxley, a Clamper, has a drink next to the E Clampus Vitus Wall of Comparative Humbugery inside the Plumas Club in Quincy, Calif. (Hailey Branson-Potts / Los Angeles Times). Big Bruce Robbins, a county worker and three-time Humbug from Quincy, said most people around here feel comfortable hanging around bars. The Clampers' Book of Balladry or Hewgagiana, Credo Quia Absurdum: Being a Compilation of Historic Documents & Trivia Pertinent to a Full Understanding of the Ancient and Honorable Order of E Clampus Vitus, The Story Of E Clampus Vitus (Then and Now 1852-1966), The enigmatical book of Vitus, in which is included the marvelous histori es & astounding prophecies of the clampatriarch, the Credo in absurdum according to St. Vitus, the one true & [Leather Bound], An hour's walk through Yerba Buena : the town that existed for eleven years seven months and five days then became San Francisco 1957 [Leather Bound]. ECV historical plaques are found on many buildings around California. In Truckee, the group paid homage to the . Site created and designed by Shaw came across a Chinese manuscript that, astoundingly, indicates a Chinese navigator by the name of Hee Li discovered America, and more specifically California, as early as 435 CE, making the Chinese claim of discovery even earlier than the claims of Pre-Columbian transoceanic contact by Vikings. Free shipping for many products! A strong interest in California history helps, of course. Others maintain that the group is a native Californian institution, founded by one Joel Henry Zumwalt in Mokelumne Hill. Likes: 0. E Clampus Vitus Jim Savage Chapter #1852 . Lo-Hung-Whang gave this poor soul sanctuary and helped him remove the pot, and in return, the man helped smuggle Lo-Hung-Whang out of the palace in another, even larger chamberpot. Site created and designed by Steve "Iggy" Myers. It is said that before his unfortunate end, St. Vitus was in the process of writing the great history of E Clampus Vitus, but had only managed to write out one line. Per pg. I dont remember ever having such a painful hangover in my life, and I had to drive Allen back to San Jose. At the close of the War with Mexico, Lt. William Tecumseh Sherman was Adjutant to Col. Richard Barnes Mason at the time of the gold discovery at Sutter's Mill. The party moved to the hotel, and luckily the Clampers occupied the entire floor; we were a wild and crazy bunch. These poor women were subjected to terrible abuses, and if they dared raise their voice in protest, they were silenced by having a handful of red pepper powder thrown in their faces. Thanks for the comment. [Check under the wirespool table on the porch I lost my kidney belt down there in the Hill Climb in 47 Indians Fo-evvah!!]. Translations in context of " " in Arabic-English from Reverso Context: . I wouldnt know about those areas. Enter a bar in a small town in the Sierra Nevada, and youre likely to run into a Clamper. [2] When the cave was full, Bee gave a party to keep all busy while that group of people was moved further north to the next stop. No one knows. to the members of Estanislao Chapter #58 of the Ancient and Honorable Order Many of the surviving stories suggest that in the 19th century, E Clampus Vitus was just a way to put one over on outsiders. Mon to Sat 11 am 9 pm The early history of the organization is unclear. Dumbellicus was an ascetic soul, known to deny himself pleasure and excess, and so, as an especially cruel torture, Diocletian gave Dumbellicus to the priestesses of Venus, who chained him naked upon a flower-strewn altar and took from him his chastity. To illustrate better the playfulness of their plaques, consider the strange upside-down house built by silent film star Nellie Bly in the town of Lee Vining, which they commemorate with an upside-down plaque. E Clampus Vitus Initiatory Ritual Introduction Here followeth the true, authentic and clampotent Order and Ritual of Initiation, the sole and solitary Ceremonial and Liturgy of THE ANCIENT AND HONORABLE ORDER OF E CLAMPUS VITUS, carefully compiled, ostentatiously elaborated and prayerfully purged of both Very in depth look at the group, how it was formed, and some of its history. He and some fellows of equally high CQ--an attribute like unto IQ, but measuring instead their degree of Californiosity--got together not long after, in a Yerba Buena lunchroom, to form once again a lodge dedicated to the traditions of this bygone order, about which they actually knew very little. They could pass it out, but they couldnt take it., Persecution by Emperor Diocletian, via WikiArt.org. For two days we had more fun than the law should allow, and did everything from playing darts to holding a butt contest for the band members who played for us on Saturday night. As a "historical society" as well as a mirth making club, ECV members have been placing historical plaques throughout the West for about 90 years. Steve "Iggy" Myers. And perhaps thats just the way they like it. This is the Facebook site for ECV Chapter No. God bless, Cat, You will need a sponsor. As Facebook will attest, everyone had a great time and Dave and his family were more than blessed. Thus with the discovery of the New World, many of the Dumbellican Brotherhood were only too eager to leave the old world behind and joined the ranks of armies led by such famous conquistadors as Pizarro and Cortes, who made plenty of widows for the breechless brothers to comfort. It was revitalized in 1931 by Wheat and his friends G. Ezra Dane and Leon O. Whitsell. The first weekend is etched in my memory and will be forever. Members frequently trekked through the vastness of the Sierra Nevada to reach lonely miners who would otherwise have no Christmas celebration. They honor widows and orphans. Members claim that the organization was brought from the Ch'ing Dynasty in China to the United States in 1845 in Lewisport, Virginia, now West Union, West Virginia, when inn and stable owner Ephraim Bee was given a commission from the Emperor of China to "extend the work and influence of the Ancient and Honorable Order of E Clampus Vitus.". C $13.35 + C $19.15 shipping. God bless, Cat. But there is no evidence that the rough and tough miners of 19th-century California touted any such colorful beliefs about the origins of their little club. The new E Clampus Vitus order continues on to this day. Thereafter, the miners gladly patronized these newcomers to their town, so it was essentially an initiation into the community. [5] Others met monthly, "before or after the full moon" or irregularly - "on the first Saturday before the next rain". I'm starting to build a library of Clamper items, and this one book combines six stories written about / by Clampers. The initiation rite was a parody of Freemasonic, Oddfellow and other orders, and took many forms, including rowing the initiate down a slanted ladder in a wheelbarrow, hoisting him into the air and leaving him there, or dropping him into a vat of water. may I always appreciate a little bit of the "ridiculous"; may I always be a two-fisted Clamper when the bottle pass's my way, St. VItus is known to have exorcised a demon from Emperor Diocletians son, or as the more scientific might suggest today, somehow cured the boy of some neurological or psychological condition. CA FRATERNAL 2 1/4" Button~"E. CLAMPUS VITUS"~Jim Savage Widders Nite 1976~ C $26.72 The museum boasts a treasure-trove of Clampers relics, Gold Rush artifacts and antiques from the areas once-large Chinese population. 1001 was established. the Clampers don't bother with those. This combination of raucous humor and practical charity made E Clampus Vitus the largest secret society in northern California within a decade of its founding. Some of our Presidents were rumored to be Clampers starting with George Washington. Well, to be fair, it does appear that Gold Rush miners had a fraternal organization called E Clampus Vitus, and it is true that Carl Wheat revived it in the 1930s, but all of the lore I just shared with you was fiction playfully concocted by the New Dispensation under the Chapter Redivivus. Samuel G. George 1855~ at the best online prices at eBay! I had read that too. ?, December 12, 1856, Image 2", "Daily Alta California 3 September 1852 California Digital Newspaper Collection", "Santa Cruz Sentinel 19 December 1895 California Digital Newspaper Collection", Last Days of the Late, Great State of California, "The Mysterious History of E Clampus Vitus", "An Explanation and History of E Clampus Vitus in Three Parts", "The Unbelievable History of the Ancient and Honorable E Clampus Vitus", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=E_Clampus_Vitus&oldid=1149934869, State based fraternal and lineage societies, Short description is different from Wikidata, Articles with unsourced statements from July 2017, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 15 April 2023, at 10:29. [3], Bee felt that an organization was needed that was less exclusive than the other organizations of the day, such as the Masons, Elks and Odd Fellows. 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