Formed in the 18th century in imitation of the Mason's Word, which later became Freemasonry

Freemasonry

Freemasonry is a fraternal organisation that arose from obscure origins in the late 16th to early 17th century. Freemasonry now exists in various forms all over the world, with a membership estimated at around six million, including approximately 150,000 under the jurisdictions of the Grand Lodge...

, and followed by the Horseman's Word

Horseman's Word

The Society of the Horseman's Word was a fraternal secret society that operated in Scotland from the eighteenth through to the twentieth century. Its members were drawn from those who worked with horses, including horse trainers, blacksmiths and ploughmen, and involved the teaching of magical...

, the Miller's Word was a trade guild

Guild

A guild is an association of craftsmen in a particular trade. The earliest types of guild were formed as confraternities of workers. They were organized in a manner something between a trade union, a cartel, and a secret society...

 formed to restrict entry into and control the profession of grain milling

Miller

A miller usually refers to a person who operates a mill, a machine to grind a cereal crop to make flour. Milling is among the oldest of human occupations. "Miller", "Milne" and other variants are common surnames, as are their equivalents in other languages around the world...

, as well as to protect its members' interests. Like the Masons Word, its foundation was local groups with initiations, passwords, and secret trade knowledge.

The Miller's Word introduced an element of deliberate diabolism into its symbolism and ceremonies. Oaths sworn at its initiations apparently derive from oaths supposedly sworn by witches in making pacts with the devil. The word could allegedly set the workings of a mill into motion without the aid of human assistance.