I did a search on this subject. All I found were articles about the Bavarian Illuminati and 3,000 year old Egyptian aircraft. No word about these nine fellows. Can you provide a link?
drop the period within the quotes for the Google search. Lot's of hits.
From the first web site on Google: http://www.room23.de/786.html
This [legend] goes back to the time of the Emperor Asoka, who reigned in India from 273 B.C.