Tsáfú And The Triad Society

Late in the year 1818, a seemingly innocent tailor from the city of Malacca by the name of Tsáfú escaped the withholdings of imprisonment which held him back from his true colors as a fraternal leader. This tailor was previously convicted of murder for reasons unknown. However, what is known is that he was freed from his strict confines by his fellow brethren – men from different regions who were readily available to release him from the “hands of justice”. Tsáfú was not just a tailor, but a principal member of the Triad Society, a secret society which as seen in the case of Tsáfú and his men, strongly believed in brotherhood at all costs. The brothers engaged in defense from attacks from the police, and if they were detected, they made …show more content…
As Milne points out, the lower class of China frequently belonged to this “fraternity.” Their immobility did not leave them with many options, especially if they originated from foreign lands. Options were limited and they do not have many chances to succeed, thus many joined in the ranks of the Triad Society. In the eyes of the society, brotherhood was paramount. All members received the same amount of effort as they put into supporting their cause. The design of the Sún Hoh Hwui (Triad Society) epitomized this: “The blessing, reciprocally share; the woe, reciprocally bear.” This design gives insight into their belief of equal wealth, and equal punishment. While the heads of the society received more wealth than the rest due to their rankings, the Triad strived for the consequences, whether they be positive or negative, to be equally distributed among all members. Between the two aforementioned points, Milne’s opinion on the Triads does not lean towards a specific side. While he uses more negative language when referring to their origins, he cannot provide an accurate opinion of their society as a whole because much of what they do is shrouded in mystery. …show more content…
“The Brethren all in battle join; each ready with a chosen sign” reads the first portion of the first octangular line of the seal of the brotherhood. Their seal was a quinquangular figure (having five angles), which was indecipherable to a man not initiated. Milne suggests that the complexity of the seal and the signs each brother takes was to “elude suspicion, while in company with others;” the Triad’s secrecy is of the utmost importance to them being that their beliefs and activities were very specific to who they were as a brotherhood. The five corners of their seal represented five planets/elements, which held strong meaning to the Triad. Milne points out that “the reasons (or some of the reasons) why these planets are placed at the corners of this seal, may be, (…) because they are considered the extreme points of all created things.” These astrological signs had a deeper, religious meaning, as the brethren believed it connected them with both heaven and earth. They were bound together by forces stronger than each other, thus giving an alternative view of what brotherhood represents. Dr. William Milne’s scholarly and primary account of the Triad Society presents readers with a strong insight into the early history of the secretive brotherhood. Milne, who coined the English term ‘Triad Society’,