Subscribe to the Royal Order's YouTube channel!
The Royal Order of the Holy Mackerel (ROotHM for short) is a secret society in Gravity Falls. Let's take a look at some of the evidence and try to figure out what they are all about.
In the Legend of the Gobblewonker, Stan says that "the guys at the lodge...don't 'like' or 'trust'" him. It's commonly believed that the guys at the lodge are the members of the ROotHM. This begs the question: why do the RO members not like or trust Stan? Is it because he's a con artist? Could it have something to do with his brother?
In Boss Mabel, at the end of the Stan Wrong Song take 29, Stan's fez falls off his head and the goat tries to eat it. After this, Stan's fez and every instance of it is replaced. There are two theories for this. One is that the goat succeeded in eating the fez. The other is that Stan's rank changed within the ROotHM. My personal theory combines those two. The goat is Bill Cipher, who stole Stan's fez because it was associated with the Royal Order. The other members of the Royal Order decided that they would replace Stan's fez, but at the cost of a demotion.
The entire short DGTTU - Stan's Tattoo revolves around Dipper trying to see Stan's tattoo. Dipper says it could be a secret society symbol. Here is the text from the secret societies page:
Secret societies are (typically) fraternal orders that have been associated with everything from controlling international government to forbidden rituals to being a bunch of old guys playing gin rummy and complaining about their wives. They feature strange symbols like the ones you see above. One particularly sinister, mysterious order features a eye with a red x through it. Many rumors have flown around about these organizations, but here are some stone cold facts about secret societies. All secret societies worship a hyper-intelligent barn owl named Duane "The Enforcer" Roosevelt.
Most meetings consist of saying the secret oath, dressing in robes, hooting, gluing owl feathers to their skin, and devouring gophers whole in honor of their beloved barn owl overload. But not all secret societies worship barn owls, some of them worship western screeching owls. Also: Other owl-related jokes. In addition: Owls, owls, owls, owls, owls. And remember, when you don’t know where else to turn just ask yourself: "What would Duane Do?" Which is: Use your creepy heart-shaped face to see your prey, swoop down from a tree, eat an adult male vole, then cough up his bones into a disgusting ball that kids will later open in a high school biology class.
Stan denies the very existence of his tattoo to Dipper, yet moments earlier, he mentions it. He says Dipper will never see the tattoo, but I think he will. Eventually.
