Myth and Sword
{{Short description|Secret society at Yale University, US}}
{{Multiple issues|
{{Third-party|date=February 2025}}
{{notability|date=February 2025}}
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{{Infobox fraternity
| name = Myth and Sword
| letters =
| status = Active
| type = Senior society
| emphasis =
| crest = Myth and Sword Society seal, drawing.jpg
| image_size = 170px
| founded = {{start date and age|1908}} until 1965; 1990s
| birthplace = Yale University
| scope = Local
| affiliation = Independent
| chapters = 1
| address =
| city = New Haven
| state = Connecticut
| ZIP code =
| country = United States
| free_label = Originated as
| free = Phi Gamma Delta
| website =
}}
Myth and Sword, also known as the Order of Myth and Sword, is a co-ed secret society for seniors students at Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut. It was originally established in 1875 as a chapter of Phi Gamma Delta and, after going defunct in 1965, was reformed in the 1990s.
About
= Vernon Hall =
Myth and Sword traces its origins to the Nu Deuteron chapter of Phi Gamma Delta fraternity, established in 1875 as a third-year society at Yale University.{{Cite journal |date=February 1914 |title=Societies and Fraternities in the Scientific School |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=_yjOAAAAMAAJ&q=vernon+hall+yale |journal=Yale Sheffield Monthly |volume=20 |issue=5 |pages=225 |via=Google Books}}{{Cite web |date=2019-02-09 |title=History of Dow Hall |url=https://ling.yale.edu/about/history/history-dow-hall |access-date=2023-07-06 |website=Yale Linguistics |language=en}}These Yale societies became more exclusive as students progressed through each class year. In most cases, lasting alumni fraternal affiliation hinged on the third-year societies, although to a lesser degree, second-year societies retained alumni connections. The freshmen societies, emerging beginning in 1840 all went dormant by the late 1880s. Several fourth year, or senior societies are existent today and have been the most exclusive, with fewer members selected each year ("tapped") versus those formed for lower classmen. The Phi Gam chapter was commonly known as Vernon Hall, after the name of the chapter's building. The chapter briefly went dormant but was reestablished in 1888. In 1908, its membership became exclusively limited to students of the Sheffield Scientific School. When Yale implemented its residential college system in 1933, Vernon Hall began to have financial difficulties. It closed in 1965.
= Revival =
The organization was revived as a senior secret society in the 1990s, under the new name, Myth and Sword or the Order of Myth and Sword.{{cite web |date=July 2014 |title=Secret Societies at Yale |url=https://yalealumnimagazine.com/articles/3910-list-41-secret-societies-at-yale |access-date=July 6, 2023 |website=Yale Alumni Magazine |publisher=}} Several other Yale societies reformed at the same time, including Mace and Chain in 1993 and the Torch Honor Society in 1995.{{Cite web |last=Schenkel |first=Ben |date=March 30, 2012 |title=Tapping in to Yale's secret societies {{!}} UWire |url=https://www.uwire.com/2012/03/30/tapping-in-to-yales-secret-societies/ |access-date=2025-02-02}}{{Cite web |title=Torch Honor Society, Yale University, records |url=https://archives.yale.edu/repositories/12/resources/2383 |access-date=February 2, 2025 |website=Archives at Yale}}
Buildings
File:Vernonhalltomb.jpgPhi Gamma Delta maintained a residential house and a "tomb" which was its meeting space. The society's original tomb was an Egyptian Revival building constructed in 1900 at 416 Temple Street.{{cite web |last=Branch |first=Mark Alden |date=June 24, 2015 |title=Throwback Thursday: Egyptian Greeks |url=https://yalealumnimagazine.com/blog_posts/2152-throwback-thursday-egyptian-greeks |access-date=July 6, 2023 |website=Yale Alumni Magazine}} This building was sold to the university in 1927 and was eventually demolished to make way for Helen Hadley Hall.
The fraternity's first residence was Vernon Hall on Trumbull Street. It was used for five years. Around 1915, the fraternity built a new dormitory at the corner of Temple and Grove Streets.{{Cite journal |last=Stillman |first=E. A. |date=May 1915 |title=Magnificent Chapter House at Yale |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=cC7PAAAAMAAJ&q=vernon+hall+yale+built&pg=PA654-IA5 |journal=The Phi Gamma Delta of the Phi Gamma Delta Fraternity |volume=37 |issue=7 |pages=653–655 |via=Google Books}} Its construction was significantly funded by alumni Edward D. Page and J. N. H. Campbell. The new chapter house was a four-story brick and limestone English manor house that incorporated a pre-existing cloister, originally part of a residence for St. Mary's Church. Above its entrance was a carving of the fraternity's coat of arms with its Greek motto, "Friendship, the sweetest influence".
The fraternity sold its chapter house to Yale in 1934, following the start of the university's residential program. Renamed Dow Hall, it was used as graduate student housing and university office and has housed the Linguistics Department since 2002.
Membership
When it reformed, Myth and Sword became co-ed.{{Citation needed|date=February 2025}} It taps or selects new members the end of their junior year.{{cite web |last1=Patuwo |first1=Grace |last2=Vanderhoof |first2=Erin |date=April 16, 2010 |title=Secret Society Tap |url=http://yaledailynews.com/blog/2010/04/16/juniors-get-tapped-then-get-crunk |access-date=July 6, 2023 |website=Yale News |publisher=}}