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AN EXAMINATION OF THE MASONIC RITUAL - PART 1 (1/2)
BY MEREDITH SANDERSON M.R.C.S., F.R.G.S., F.R.A.I., P.M., P.Z., P.M.M., Member of the Council of the Masonic Study Society.
First Edition, 1923.Second Edition, 1924.Third Edition, 1926.
INTRODUCTION. By WOR. BRO. J.S.M. WARD, M.A., F.S.S. (Author of Freemasonry and the Ancient Gods.)
IT is with great pleasure that I have accepted Major Sanderson's invitation to write an Introduction to his book, for I consider it one of the most valuable contributions of recent times from the standpoint of the Anthropological School of Masonic Research.
Major Sanderson has for many years been a careful student of the customs and initiatory rites of the Natives of Africa, among whom he has lived, and his official duties as Chief Sanitation Officer in Nyasaland has placed him in a privileged position and enabled him to obtain the confidence of the Native Races in a way which is almost impossible for any casual traveler, or even for an ordinary white civilian.
How completely he has gained the confidence of the Native Races is shown by the fact that he has been made Master of Ceremonies in their Rites, a unique privilege never before bestowed on any white man.
Major Sanderson likewise holds most of the important degrees in Freemasonry, and thus it is that he was well qualified to undertake a careful study of our rituals from the standpoint of Anthropology. The work which follows aims at showing whence many important parts of the ritual have developed, and undoubtedly Major Sanderson has produced evidence which should satisfy the most careful student as to the source and origin of certain important incidents in the ceremonies.
Major Sanderson would be the last to claim that he had been successful in discovering the origin of every point, but he has, on the other hand, clearly indicated the line of research which should be followed. He has helped to set up definite canons of evidence which, unlike those of the authentic school, remain valid even when we have got beyond written evidence.
Until recently the average Masonic student has concentrated his attention on 18th Century Masonic history, because he knew of no other evidence, for the antiquity of our Order, than Historical documents. As, however, written documents are a clear breach of the original Ob... of the members of the Order, it is not surprising to find that hardly any exist previous to 1717. In fact, during the very years when masonry must have been of the greatest practical importance there are but few historical documents. Furthermore, the 18th Century is a far from inspiring period in English history, and it is natural that such material as we have is for the most part dull and uninteresting. But modern historical students have realized that the written history of man represents but a tiny fraction of his real history, and that the key to recent historical events can often only be found in a period of time anterior to written documents. The methods of the Anthropologist, the Student of Folk-lore and of Comparative religions, enable us to re-discover the life and history of our pre-historic ancestors, and the same methods are yielding equally valuable results in Masonic research.
I therefore recommend to every reading Mason this little volume, and more especially to the young Mason, who will find therein the explanation of just those points on which he often seeks help and enlightenment in vain.
J. S. M. WARD. June, 1923.
An Examination of the Masonic Ritual.
PART 1.
FOREWORD.
I REMEMBER that when I had just been initiated my state of mind could only be described as chaotic; the incidents of the ceremony were only half remembered and not at all understood, while I was conscious of a certain feeling of disappointment, though I could not have said why. I could not have put into words quite what I had expected, but I recollect thinking that the solemnity of the obligation I had taken was disproportionate to the secrets which had been imparted to me. I have since met many Freemasons who have confessed to a similar feeling, and it is with the object of helping newly initiated brethren over this difficult period that I have written this book.
The classical definition of Freemasonry is that it is " a system of morality, veiled in allegory, and illustrated by symbols." Let us first consider this. We have here three propositions, of which the first and last are not difficult , the initiate will remember the Charge given after his return to the Lodge which taught him that Freemasonry is " a system of morality." He will also recollect that certain symbolic meanings were given to the W.T's, * - the GA as conscience, the CA as education, and so on these are examples of Masonic symbolism others not so obvious will be explained in the course of this book.
The point to which I want to call particular attention is the phrase " veiled in allegory." The dictionary defines allegory as " a figurative representation, in which something else is intended to what is actually exhibited." This is, as a definition, literally and absolutely true of our Masonic ceremonies; they have two distinct meanings, an exoteric or obvious one, which is often symbolical, and an esoteric or mystical meaning. When you ask a riddle do you give the answer at the same time? Neither is the key to the Masonic allegory, i.e., its esoteric meaning, given to all and sundry. The point which must be appreciated is that there is more, much more, in the Masonic ritual than appears on the surface; there is, therefore, no reason for any feeling of disappointment.
* The newly initiated Freemason will readily understand that it is inexpedient to write everything in full: he is advised to ask an older Mason to decipher any abbreviations that he cannot make out for himself.
II. - A NOTE ON MASONIC ORIGINS.
It is now generally accepted that the essentials of Freemasonry have been handed down from time immemorial, and it is therefore obvious that we should look round to see if anything similar to it exists in other parts of the world; we can then compare one with the other and learn much as to the meaning of each. When we come to consider the third degree we shall be better able to discuss this subject, and for the present the reader should preserve an open mind.
He must, however, appreciate that if we find points of similarity between Freemasonry and other systems, even though we find identical ceremonies occurring in each, it does not necessarily follow that the one is " descended " from the other : such resemblances or identity are more often due to a common origin. If, for instance, we find points of resemblance between the Brahman ritual and Freemasonry it does not imply that the Craft came to us from India, but it is certainly suggestive that both were derived from some ancient rite, possibly in Egypt, possibly in Asia. Similarly when we find some of our signs or even parts of our rites in the initiation ceremonies of primitive peoples - and I have found such myself in the heart of Africa - it is at least suggestive that Freemasonry had its origin in similar primitive rites ages ago.
That this was actually the case is my belief, but I would warn the reader that it is not held by all masons. He should not, therefore, blindly accept my conclusions as orthodox, but rather regard them as speculations made with the specific purpose of stimulating enquiry. Let me assure him of one thing, however, - he can trust the facts from which my speculations have been made ; every one has been carefully verified and he will find no difficulty in distinguishing between fact and theory. Given the facts everybody can make his own deductions. As the result of several years' research I can supply parallels to most of our customs from other parts of the world, some of them culled from the work of other Masonic students but more from that of ethnologists and from my own experiences - but I do not make any dogmatic statements as to the meaning of such parallels.
III. - PREPARATION.
The reader will remember that before he was admitted to the Lodge he had to be prepared in a certain way: i.e., he was divested of all ms., and barefooted (or h. . . w ... d); his right arm., Breast., and k. were made b., his right hand. sl.d., and a c.t. placed about his n..
Let us take each of these points seriatim:-
(a) Divested of all ms. .
The reason given for this in the Lecture is threefold, - that no weapons should be brought into the Lodge, that it should remind the initiate of the virtue of charity, and lastly that no m. s were used in building King Solomon's Temple.. We find on further enquiry, however, that all over the world and in all ages there has been a feeling that m. was impure and savored of the black art (1), and it probably dates from the close of the stone age. It is one of those superstitions which have persisted in so remarkable a manner (like, for instance, that of "touching wood"), and it is invariably specified in old wives' spells whether m. must be used or not used; it is probably connected with the injunction to be sure and touch m. when the new moon is first seen. In a tribe in Central Africa among whom I have lived (the Wa Yao) no m. must be worn during the ceremony of purification, nor on many other similar occasions both in this tribe and others (2). The ban said to have been put on m. s during the b ... g of KING SOLOMON'S TEMPLE. is, of course, the same superstition, but it is doubtful if it is the source of the Masonic custom: as we shall see, many of our customs can be traced to Magic.
The importance attached to this point in the preparation of the candidate is made evident by the statement of the W.M. during the ceremony that, in case of its omission the rite of initiation would have to be repeated, i.e., the wearing of in. would render the cand. ceremonially unclean and his initiation null and void.
(b) H ... d ... d.
The candidate is described as "a poor cand. in a state of d ... s," which is figurative of being in a state of darkest ignorance, in preparation for receiving the light of rev ... n. This symbolism is common to all the ancient mysteries, and to many primitive ceremonies of initiation the world over.
The term h..d..k is correctly used in the ritual in its original meaning, though now of course it is rarely used except in a figurative sense, and survives only in falconry.
(c) right arm., Breast., and k. made b.
I would suggest that the ob. was formerly taken on the Cubic Stone, or Altar, so conspicuous in some lodges and in some higher degrees, and that the V.S.L. is comparatively speaking an innovation. Swearing at, and on, the altar survived as a custom to quite recent times, and the Bible, which had a place on the altar, was, after the introduction of printing, substituted as being more convenient for everyday use.
A cubic stone is found in all "heathen" temples and we have many historical accounts of its use for taking oaths; for instance, MacDonald, Lord of the Isles, took a solemn oath with uplifted hands and bended knees on the Black Stone of Iona (3); to this day the King of England is crowned on such a stone placed under the coronation chair in Westminster Abbey; a Brahman on initiation is made to tread on a stone with his right foot when taking the ob., (3) and so on.
Among savages an oath taken on a rock is regarded as inviolable, and Frazer suggests that there is an association of ideas in the strength and stability of a stone, these properties being communicated to the oath (3).
If my hypothesis be correct we can understand why the a. and k. of the candidate are made b., - it was essential that nothing be interposed between the skin and the stone, for the same reason that one removes a glove before shaking hands. It will be noted that the k... m. . b... is that on which the candidate kneels when taking the obligation.
The b. . t is, of course, b. . . d so as to enable the p ... d to be applied thereto on admission to the Lodge, and (nowadays) the c ... s during the obligation, as well as for evidence of sex. There can be little doubt that formerly if the candidate were not entirely n ... d he was nearly so, as in the ancient mysteries and other initiatory rites to be described later (4). The phrase "neither n ... d nor cl ... d" occurs in the lecture in describing the preparation of the candidate, but it is impossible to say how old this is.
(d) right hand. sl.ps. d.
As stated in the Lecture, the shoe was in the East removed as a pledge of fidelity, but merely at the time of sealing a bargain, * not throughout the period of bargaining (5). So also both shoes were removed on entering a holy place lest it be defiled, but neither of these customs supplies a satisfactory reason for the practice of going through the whole ceremony with one f . . t sl. ps. . d.
Now it used to be the custom in Scotland for the bridegroom to loosen one shoe-tie at the church door and leave it so during the marriage ceremony (6). One writer (7) mentions that in Skye in 1772 he observed with astonishment that at a wedding " the bridegroom put all the powers of magic to defiance, for he was married with both shoes tied with their latchet."
In ancient Greece and Rome also it was customary to remove one shoe altogether when in any great danger, or when performing certain solemn rites. Thus the Plataeans when escaping from the Spartans went through the enemy's lines wearing one shoe only, and other tribes of ancient Rome observed the same custom when going into war. Perseus in one legend is said to have worn only one shoe when he cut off the Gorgon's head, and in a scene, taken from the Grecian ritual of purification and painted on a vase, the subject is represented as wearing one shoe only. Dido when performing certain rites before the altar had one foot bare, and so on (8).
I would suggest that the custom of having one foot sl. ps. . d and that of having one shoe removed altogether are one and the same, and that it is from this superstition that the Masonic custom is derived.
The custom indicates sincerity to an oath, whether the pledge is absolute (as in Masonry or during marriage) or whether it is conditional, as, for instance, where a vow is taken to perform some service if preserved from some "difficulty or danger."
(e) A c.t. placed about his n..
The c. t. appears in the most ancient pictures in the temples and tombs of Egypt and South America, the persons wearing it (and others) being in attitudes identical with some of our Masonic signs. It is the equivalent of the African "slave-stick" and indicates that the candidate enters the Lodge in a humble spirit, being the slave to false doctrines which will be cured by the knowledge bestowed by the mysteries. It will be remembered that on an historic occasion the burghers of Calais observed this custom.
The reason for its use given by the W.M. after the ob. is purely secondary and incidental; in some other degrees the c.t. is applied to parts of the body other than the n. .
* Apparently among the Hebrews this custom had special reference to the custom of marrying the wife of a deceased brother, cf. Deut. XXV. 7-10.
IV. - ADMISSION OF THE CANDIDATE.
The critical student of the ritual cannot fail to be struck with the parade made of applying the p. to the b. of the candidate. The reason given for this custom in the Lecture is that it is intended "to intimate" to the candidate that he is "about to engage in something serious and solemn, likewise to distinguish the sex." The first is a very lame explanation, and the second can obviously refer only to the b. of the b. .t.
In the Scotch ritual, where more stress is laid on this part of the ceremony than in the English, the reason given for the practice is that it is of the nature of a warning against the betrayal of Masonic secrets.
In the ancient mysteries the candidate was put through the most searching tests of his courage and self-control; Pythagoras, it is said, nearly lost his life while being initiated, so severe was the treatment to which he was subjected (9). Similar ordeals have to be undergone by initiates in the pseudo-Masonic ceremonies of savages, and there can, I think, be little doubt that this custom of p ... g the candidate with the p. is a relic of this ancient practice.
Many of these ordeals are still practiced in the ceremonies of the Netherlands Constitution.
Immediately after his admission the candidate kneels during prayer and as he does so the deacons cross their wands above him, forming an inverted V. This custom may not be without significance, as a similar usage, that of requiring the candidate to stoop, appears in a higher degree. Now the door of the Lodge in ancient Egypt was triangular (10), which is at least suggestive, and I think the reason for this may be found in some of the initiatory rites of primitive peoples. The triangle, though later the symbol of the Trinity, was originally that of the maternal Productive element in Nature, and in many of these rites the candidate has to go through the pantomime of a new birth", sometimes actually creeping through such a triangle. * Similarly an African tribe among whom I have lived have a rite of purification during which they have to pass under a low arch, made of two crossed poles tied together at their intersection. The intention is undoubtedly to rid the devotee of clinging evil and an identical ceremony is performed in Armenia, British Columbia, Borneo, the South Sea Islands, and elsewhere (12). It is possible that in this widespread custom we may find the parallel, if not the origin, of the apparently unimportant act of crossing the deacons' wands over the candidate.
* Note that the Masonic Ritual itself describes the ceremony of initiation as "an emblematical representation of the entry of all men on this their mortal existence.
V. - THE CEREMONY OF INITIATION.
Perambulation : Steps : Lights.
(1) Perambulation of the Candidate.
In lodges under the English, Constitution it is customary for the candidate to be taken round the Lodge only once and to go through the form of passing only two doorways (at the pedestals of the two wardens). In the old Scotch ritual three perambulations are made and the candidate passes three doorways, tyled by the wardens and the W.M. respectively, and this is correct according to ancient precedent.
Formerly the Lodge was divided into three, or, more correctly, there were three Lodges, - the E.A's, the F.C's, and the M.M's, presided over by the J.W., S.W., and W.M. respectively, This was also the case in the ancient mysteries, a plan which still survives in the 18d and to a certain extent in the RIGHT ARM.. We shall have occasion to refer to this point again.
It may be said that the candidate should not be required to pass three doorways within the Lodge seeing that he has already passed one on admittance to the Lodge. To make this view tenable he should be received at the door by the J.W, and during or rather after the perambulation he should be passed by the S.W. and W.M. Strictly speaking, however, at initiation the candidate should pass only the J.W., in the 2nd degree both wardens, and on being r ... d he should pass all three principal officers.
(2) The Steps.
The Lecture states that the form of these steps is meant to inculcate "upright lives and well-squared actions," but this can obviously refer only to the position of the f.. No reason is given in any ritual that I know of, for the form of the steps. Possibly they are intended to be symbolical of the erratic progress of those still in the darkness of ignorance. Their number is, of course, attributable to the Masonic progression of 3, 5 and 7, though it would more correctly be associated with the third degree.
L.f. first.
Churchward states (13) that this custom was designed to perpetuate the mythical fight between the Egyptian god Horus and the serpent Apep, - an allegory of the dawn defeating the night (or according to some authorities, the mists of the morning), of the triumph of Good over Evil, Knowledge over Ignorance: the myth is, of course, the same as that of St. George and the Dragon. Wherever depicted, whether on the monuments or in the vignettes to the Book of the Dead, the god has his l.f. advanced, sometimes planted on the serpent, as Bro. Churchward points out.
The custom is, however, much more widespread than this. In the first place this attitude is not confined to Horus in ancient Egypt but in ah the vignettes in the Book of the Dead in which the deceased is represented as attacking any of the beasts which sought to bar his progress, he invariably has his l.f. advanced. The importance of this lies in the fact that the candidate in the Egyptian mysteries enacted the vicissitudes of the soul after death, and as it is now very generally admitted that Freemasonry owes a great deal to these mysteries we have here an excellent explanation of this custom.
Now it is significant that all over the world the left is regarded as offensive in a double sense, that is, its use is harmful to others. In many countries under native law damages can be claimed from a man who has given anything to another with the left hand; witness also the word sinister. Here we have the reason that the l.f. is put forward in attacking evil powers.
Further we have the negative evidence that on certain specified occasions the r.f. must be first put forward. A Muslim, for instance, enters both house and mosque r.f. first to show that he comes in peace. In the island of Lombok (near Java) a woman on going to the barn to get rice for household use must enter with the r.f. first (14); neglect of this would so offend (or injure) the spirit of the rice that the next year's crop would inevitably be a failure. In British Columbia the Indians during a period of tabu prescribed after the ceremonial eating of human flesh, must enter the house with the r.f. first to avoid further outrage on the spirit of the victim, - a delicate attention which we will hope is appreciated. (16)
(3) ". . . your l. will be employed in supporting a P. of c . . .s."
This custom is not observed in some lodges. In the Scotch ritual the I.h. is placed under the V.S.L., the r. being on it as in the English, and this position of the h. is used as a s.. That the English Constitution has lost a landmark in omitting this s. is evident from one of the illustrations in Bro. Ward's scholarly work "Freemasonry and the Ancient Gods", (16) where the Buddha is shown giving this s.. In Scotland it is known as the "due guard or (better) Dieu garde.
The Lecture states that the c. . s are applied to the b. as "an emblem of torture" to the body and a warning against the betrayal of Masonic secrets, - the same reason be it noted that the Scotch ritual gives for the similar application of the p. on entrance. I think it probable that this use of the c.s is of modem interpolation, and that the b. was applied to the Cubic Stone when taking the ob..
(4) "What . . . is the predominant wish of your heart ? " "L . .. t."
This point in the ceremony formed one of the most dramatic incidents in the mysteries of Eleusis (17). That in Freemasonry it was also considered important is evident from the custom observed when l. is restored, especially in some Lodges, but more might be made of it. Besides the symbolic passing from the D. of Ignorance to the L. of Knowledge this part of the ceremony probably formerly had reference to the beneficent power of the sun.
(5) The sun, moon, and Master of the Lodge.
This identification of the three lesser lights forms a sad mixture of metaphor and the third point is pure pathos. The compilers of the Lecture evidently realized this and did their best to make it appear plausible, though without much success.
I think it probable that formerly the names of three deities were mentioned as ruling over the three seasons (see Note on the Three Principal Officers, Part 1. X. (5), and that in course of time their names became so corrupted as to make the whole simile unintelligible.
Sms., GP., and Wd..
(1) The s..n.
That this s. has come down to us from very remote antiquity is evident from the fact that it is at the present day used as a pledge of sincerity not only by European street urchins, but by natives in Central Africa. Among the latter it is usually, in some tribes always, accompanied by a peculiar flick of the fingers extraordinarily like a s. of a higher degree, and in my opinion identical therewith.
As mentioned above (18), in the Scotch ritual the position of the h. in taking the ob. is used as a s. in this degree ; it is immediately followed by that taught in the English lodges, of which it thus forms part.
(2) The g.p.
This was formerly described as a penal s. on the grounds that amputation of the f ... r was practiced as a punishment for certain crimes of the middle ages. That this was not the origin of the g. but that it once had a religious significance is evident from an ancient custom of sacrificing this member to the gods. We find a similar custom among some tribes of North American Indians among whom it was not uncommon for a man to cut off the H. as a sacrifice to the Great Spirit (19). Moreover it is said (20) that the matricide Orestes succeeded in appeasing the Furies by biting off one of his f .. rs.
In the Scotch ritual this g. is distinguished as the G.G. because there are three others leading up to it. The first of these is called the S.p or C.n, and is given by s.d..g the thumb and f. down the i.f. of the b.'s right hand. from the k. to the tip; g..p.g the last mentioned between f. and t. is called the J.t of F..b.n. The middle j.t is now g..p.d in a similar manner, this being the J.t of Enq. ; finally the f. and t. are slipped up to the position of the G.G., which movement is called the P. from D. to L.. Evidently because this procedure is too elaborate not to be evident to onlookers, the l.h. is used to conceal it, which action is called c..g the m.'s w. . k.
I consider that b. of the English Constitution ought to be informed of this procedure in order to enable them to give proof in a Scotch Lodge when called upon. I am informed that it is also observed in Irish Lodges.
(3) The w. d.
In the first place I would call attention to the reiteration of the word S. in the ritual, in the w. of the 1d, in the name of one of the p..rs (W., S. and B.y), and in the word L.. s. It is evident that a word having this meaning was formerly of no little importance in Freemasonry and that we may expect to find it associated with a p.r.
The explanation can be found in ancient Egypt and in Syria. Pre-eminent in Egyptian religion was the tat (or ded) pillar, the annual erection of which formed one of the most important festivals of the year. It was regarded as a most powerful talisman and miniatures of it were almost universally worn during life, and were carved on the coffin or placed on the breast of the dead.
In mythology two tat pillars stood at the entrance to Ament (21) (the abode of the dead), and formed the gateway through which the sun and moon passed at setting, as well as the spirits of the dead. Hence, the Mysteries being a representation of the passage of the soul through Amenta, they stood at the door of the Egyptian Lodge. The tat pillar was the symbol of Osiris and its peculiar shape is due to a conception of it in later Egypt as his backbone. This is proved by a passage in the Book of the Dead (22) which consists of a spell to be said on a tat inlaid on the coffin, "Here is thy back-bone, thou still-heart (i.e., the dead identified with the dead Osiris), "here is thy spine." In the myth of Osiris' death, also, a pillar was made of the acacia which grew around his coffin; the idea that the tat was originally a "nilometer" is now quite discredited. There is very little doubt that the pillar was a symbol of the phallus of the god which was lost after his dismemberment, and the annual ceremony of "setting up the tat" was originally phallic in meaning.
Now the word tat in ancient Egyptian means St ... h, and there is no doubt that there is the very closest connection between the symbology of Egypt and Syria; that is how it comes about that the same pillars, having the same significance, are found in the biblical account of the b ... g of KING SOLOMON'S TEMPLE.. Additional proof that the Masonic pillars are identical with the tat pillars of Egypt will be given later (23). Meantime we can consider how a pillar came to be associated with the word S..
The frequency with which a pillar is found as a religious emblem all over the world proves that its origin lies very far back in the history of man's development. The massebah pillar of the old Canaanitish sanctuaries was undoubtedly phallic in meaning; compare Jeremiah 11, 27, "Saying to a stock, thou art my father, and to a stone, thou hast brought me forth" (or "begotten me," - marginal note). The stock, or asherah, was the wooden counterpart of the stone massebah pillar. The hold their worship had on the people is evident from the frequency of the denunciations against it in the Old Testament (24). A pole or pillar, sometimes duplicated, plays a more or less prominent part in nearly all the initiation ceremonies of savages, where it also has a phallic meaning.
We can now trace the origin of this symbol as part of the Egyptian religion. The God of Vegetation is supposed to lose his strength in the autumn when the first signs of death in his realm appear, and as strength is always intimately associated with procreative power in the minds of all primitive peoples, a myth arises to the effect that at this season the god has lost the phallus. From this idea arose the custom of the devotees of the god mutilating themselves (25), partly no doubt from a desire to resemble him, but mostly with the object of assisting his rejuvenation (i.e., the return of spring) (26). This was a common practice in ancient times throughout Greece and the great Empires of the East, (27) and is considered by some to be the origin of the rite of circumcision. We can now understand the development of the myth already alluded to, that Osiris lost his phallus, and why the setting up of the tat pillar was so important a ceremony, - the lost member must be replaced before the fields could become fertile. The license which prevailed at this festival among the people had originally a similar object, - by the rules of Imitative Magic the crops would thereby be rendered more reproductive. It may be mentioned in passing that this was the origin of the Carnival still celebrated annually no the Continent, (28) and of the May-day festival in England; the May-pole is identical with the Masonic pillar.
The Badge : Foundation Stone : Gauge.
(1) The Badge of an E. A. F..
From statues and paintings in the Egyptian Temples we find that the apron was then triangular in shape, being worn with the ape upwards. (29) The triangle was originally, as mentioned already, the symbol of the productive spirit in Nature, but later it became identified with the Trinity.
(2) The North-East Corner.
The great Masonic festival is held on Midsummer Day when the sun, at the northern solstice, reaches the zenith of its prolific power and is at its greatest altitude. In all ages this day has for this reason been a festival, and the reason that Masonic lodges were formerly dedicated to St. John is that since Christian times Midsummer day has been observed as the feast of this saint.
In all northern latitudes the sun at this period rises in the North-East, and it was in this quarter that, in Egyptian mythology, the sun first rose on the day it was created. (30) These are all reasons for laying a foundation stone in the North-East and for placing the newly-initiated Freemason there.
Though not strictly speaking germane to our subject, it may be of interest to mention here that the act of laying a particular stone at the foundation of a building is derived from a custom of remote antiquity. It is directly connected with the ancient practice of killing one or more men when commencing a building of any importance; these were either crushed to death or were built into the wall while yet alive, the idea being that their spirits should add to the strength and stability of the structure.
This custom was observed until quite recently in Burma and Siam (31), but nearer Europe magic has now been called in to supply the necessary spirit. Thus in Bulgaria all that is necessary is to take the measure of a man's shadow with a piece of string and place it, the string, and therefore with it the shadow, under a heavy stone built into the wall; within forty days the former owner of the shadow will be dead and his spirit under the stone. Another way is to entice the victim to the building and there maneuver him into such a position that a large stone can be laid upon his shadow; the result is the same. (32) It is stated on unimpeachable authority (33) that until quite recently there were in Romania specialists whose business it was to supply architects with the necessary shadows.
The custom of placing wine, oil and money under the foundation stone, together with a ration of corn, no doubt arose from the laudable desire to make the abode of the unfortunate ghost as comfortable as possible.
(3) The 24-inch Gauge.
As Bro. Churchward has pointed out (34) the 24-inch gauge is the representative of the Egyptian cubit, which when used as a hieroglyph has the phonetic value of Maat meaning primarily "that which is straight," and hence "justice," "straight dealing." This ancient symbolic meaning of the gauge might well be restored to the craft.
VIII. - THE FIRST TRACING BOARD.
(1) The form of the Lodge.
The old Masonic term describing the form of the Lodge is "an oblong square," - a quaint conception having no geometrical sanction. It is, however, preferable to that substituted in some rituals, - a "parallelepiped," even though the latter be more correct.
Churchward states (35) that the Egyptian Lodge was built in the form of a double square, end to end, because it represented Heaven and Earth, each being a square; but that the primary formation was a circle.
(2) Three Great Pillars.
These pillars are of course analogous to the three principal officers, and, like them, are placed in the East, West and South - a fact to which attention should be drawn in the ritual.
The names given to them (W., S. and B.y) are of course attributes of the G.A.O.T.U., and are identical in many different religions. Thus Plato speaks of the Trinity as consisting of Agathos, the Intelligence that drew the plan of the World, Logos, or the Word, the Energy which executed it, and Psyche, the productive Spirit which gives a finish and Beauty to the whole creation (36). So the Oracle of Serapis spoke, "First God, then the Word, and Spirit all united in One." (37)
The three pillars also occur in Hindu mythology and have the same names of W., S. and B.y, representing the Triad, Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva. (38) In Egypt the attributes of the Trinity were the same.
(3) The Ladder.
The Masonic Ladder is represented as having many staves or rounds; on the T.B. 20 are shown, two being marked with the conventional (modern) symbols of Faith and Hope, the wine-glass at the top presumably symbolizing Charity. All this is quite wrong. The ladder should have seven rounds as in the old ritual, and in the higher degrees of Freemasonry, as well as in the ancient Mysteries and in every great Religion throughout the world. It is expressly stated in the ritual that the ladder is the means by which good Freemasons reach Heaven, but this is no reason for calling it " Jacob's ladder," which is obviously a modern interpolation, resulting from the 18th century desire to find biblical precedent for every Masonic landmark.
"In the cave of Mithra (India) there was a ladder of seven steps by means of which souls ascended and descended;" (39) in Indian theology there are seven gates on the way to Heaven (cf. Jacob's remark, "This is the gate of Heaven" (40)); in Egypt and ancient Mexico there were seven steps to the Mount of Heaven; in the 153rd Chapter of the Book of the Dead we read, "N." (i.e., the soul of the dead man) "appears on the ladder which was made for him by his father Ra." In the South Sea Islands at the beginning of the rainy season a ladder of seven rungs is put up to enable the sun to come and fertilize the earth. (41) The same thing is found everywhere.
It should be noted that the V.S.L. is represented as resting on a pedestal marked with the circle and the parallel lines: this is the altar of the Scotch and Irish Constitutions, the prototype of which was the Cubic Stone.
(4) Seven Stars.
These are the Seven Glorious Ones of Egyptian mythology, identified by different authorities as either the Great or the Lesser Bear. They are identical with the Seven Stars of the Bible (42) and are common to all religions. Renouf, referring to these Seven Glorious Ones, or Divine Masters as they were sometimes called, says, (43) that they " were the inventors and patrons of all Arts and Sciences and they assisted Thoth in composition and in the measurement of the earth . . . " He compares them with the Seven Rishis of later Sanskrit literature and identifies them with the Great Bear. The parallel to the " seven Liberal Arts and Sciences " of the Masonic ritual (Second Lecture) is very striking. With reference to what follows (Part III.) it should be noted that the stars of the Pleiades visible to the naked eye are seven in number.
(5) The Mosaic Pavement.
The philosophical meaning given to the pavement is fully expounded in the Lecture and nothing need be added.
Fellows in his "Mysteries of Freemasonry" (44) gives an ingenious derivation of the word "mosaic" which may be of interest in this connection. He derives the word from Moses (Mose, Musa or Museus) an Egyptian word meaning "saved, or disengaged from the waters," which word was used to designate the nine months of the year during which Egypt was freed from the inundation. The variegated appearance of the land at the early part of this season, caused by the fields of grain regularly intersected by the irrigation canals, was reproduced in the temples by the tessellated pavement and the same word was naturally used to describe it. The author also shows that the nine Muses of Grecian mythology were originally the public signs put up (in Egypt) on the first day of each of these months as a kind of public calendar, whence they derived their collective name.
(6) The Blazing Star.
A glance at the T.B. at once shows that the statement regarding the Blazing Star in the Lecture, - that it typifies the sun, is incorrect, for both Sun and Star are there depicted.
The star is, of course, Sothis or Sirius, the Dog-star. This brilliant star appeared at dawn in the East at the summer solstice in ancient Egypt, and from it the sacred year was dated. In the Book of the Dead, Chapter 174, it is referred to as "Sothis, the first one, the great Walker who brings Ra through the sky"; it is variously alluded to as the abode of Horus and of Isis, but is also personified as Thaaut or Anpu, "The Barker," because its rising at dawn gave warning of the imminent approach of the inundation. Hence the term "Dog-Star" which has persisted to the present day the anthropomorphic representation of Anpu was given the head of a jackal, In Amenta Anpu was the guide of the souls of the dead and presided over the weighing of the heart.
In Babylon the goddess Ishtar (the Esther of the Old Testament) was associated with this star (45) and it was also worshipped at its rising throughout the Aegean. (46) The South African bushman associates the cold months of June and July with Sirius and tries to warm it up a little by pointing burning brands at it. (47)
We see that the deification of Sirius is not by any means confined to Egypt, but the association of the terms "Peace" and "Salvation" in all rituals, and "Prudence" in some, with the Masonic Star proves unmistakably that it is to Egypt that we owe this symbol; these words could relate only to the benefits conferred by the inundation, and to the necessity of moving to the higher ground until it had subsided.
(7) The Point within a circle.
This as a religious symbol is found all over the world and everywhere has the same significance, - the Creator. In Egypt it was the hieroglyphic of Ra, - God as manifested in the Sun, - while the circle with a single tangent means Eternity.
In China this emblem has with it two snakes, one on the North and the other on the South, corresponding to our lines. They explain these as symbolic of the Wisdom and Strength of the Creator, and the circle, of Eternity. The Syrians said that the jod within a circle symbolizes "the Creator surrounded by Eternity, of which He is the Author, the Support and the Ornament," (48) a strikingly exact analogy to the W., S. and B.y of the Masonic P ... rs.
It has been suggested, and I think very credibly, that the point symbolizes the Polestar, and the Circle, the stars which revolve round it, never setting, and Renouf identifies the Pole-star with the coffin of Osiris. If this is correct it would support Bro. Churchward's contention that the worship of the Pole-stars preceded that of the Sun. (49)
The reference of the parallel lines to Moses and Solomon is obviously a modern interpolation.
IX. - THE LECTURE.
The greater part of the Lecture is merely a recapitulation of the Ritual and most of the points requiring explanation have, therefore, already been dealt with. There are two, however, which occur only in the Lecture and on which a few words are necessary.
(1) Q. "Whence come you?" A. "The West . . . to the East . . . to seek a Master."
The key to this is to be found in the Egyptian Mysteries. As already mentioned, (50) these were a dramatic representation of the passage of the soul through Amenta. The soul on its release passed between the pillars in the West and entered Amenta in search of Osiris, the judge of the Dead, who was to be found in the East; Amenta being pictured as a sort of tunnel under the earth through which the Sun passed during the night to reappear in the East. just so the candidate enters the Lodge (=Amenta) by the door in the West and proceeds to the East to be instructed by the W.M..
(2) Q. "How blows the wind in Masonry?" A. "Favorably, due East or West."
This is explained in the Lecture as having reference to the wind which enabled the Israelites to escape from the Egyptians at the crossing of the Red Sea, and some Masons have taken exception to the words "or West" on the grounds that there is no mention of a West wind in the biblical account of Exodus. The West wind is, however, mentioned in this connection is Psalm LXXVII, 16, and in Josephus, Antiquities, XVI, 3.
As usual, however, we find the true origin of this expression in the Egyptian Mysteries. A phrase occurring in the 15th Chapter of the Book of the Dead supplies the clue," Ra springs forth with a fair wind." The Sun was pictured in a boat wafted across the sky by Easterly breezes; he returned through Amenta, moving along a river from West to East during the night. Elaborate details were imagined regarding this boat as it also conveyed the souls of the dead, and the initiate in the mysteries having to enact the adventures of such a soul, the reference to the wind in Freemasonry at once becomes intelligible.
X. - THE OPENING OF THE LODGE. FIRST DEGREE.
(1) The Tyler.
This officer owes his title to his duty of protecting the Lodge from intrusion. The word tyle, like tile, is derived from the Old English word tigel, or tygel, meaning "cover," and hence "protect."
The duty of the Tyler is " to keep off all cowans and intruders." The word cowan is cognate with the legal word covin, "a deceitful agreement," and with the slang cove. Its proper meaning is "imposter."
A word concerning the proper pronunciation of which there has been a good deal of speculation, peculiar to Masonry, may conveniently be mentioned here. It is hele. This is derived from the Old English word helan, "to conceal" or "cover," and preserves its original meaning. It should be pronounced heel.
(2) The Gavel.
Just as in modern times the chairman of a meeting, like the auctioneer, is armed with a gavel as the symbol of his authority, so in ancient times, as Bro. Churchward points out, (51) this emblem signified power and is identical with the stone axe of prehistoric days. As a double axe it is world-wide as the emblem of might, and in Egyptian hieroglyphics the single axe means "overpowering," "having the mastery," (52) phonetically neter. As the double axe it is found inscribed on the Cubic Stone of the Grecian temples, and as the single instrument, on the same stones in Druidical (? pre-Druidical) remains, as, for example, in Devonshire, where in at least one instance it is accompanied by pure Egyptian hieroglyphics. (63)
The gavel may similarly be double or single, and in some lodges the single form is used by the Wardens, the double being reserved for the W.M. as the supreme authority. The analogy to the " hammer " of Thor, the Scandinavian deity, should be noted.
(3) "What is the first care of every Mason?" J. W. "To see the Lodge properly tyled." W.M. " Direct that duty to be done."
Note that the W.M. does not address his order directly to the I.G., but through the JW.. As already mentioned, (54) in the Ancient Mysteries the Lodge was divided into three separate rooms, as in the 18d. Each was allotted to one of the Three Principal Officers, the prototype of the JW. being in charge of the first, or E.A. Lodge. It is, therefore, his duty particularly to see that the door of the lodge for which he is responsible is "properly tyled."
(4) "Are you confident that none but Freemasons are present?"
This question occurs in some rituals and should, of course, be addressed to the J.W., who is responsible that none but "genuine and true Freemasons" obtain admittance.
(5) The Three Principal Officers.
In the Hindu mysteries there are three presiding Brahmans, the Chief Brahman stationed in the East representing Brahma, the Creator, typified by the Rising Sun; the second in the South as Vishnu the Preserver, typified by the Meridian Sun, and the third in the West as Shiva, the judge or Destroyer, the Setting Sun. . . . These are the Gods of the Hindu Trinity, which is undoubtedly identical with that of Ancient Egypt. The original Egyptian Trinity was Horus, Shu and Set, but later these were replaced by Osiris, Isis and Horus (the Younger), - Man, Woman, and Child.
Every great religion had its Trinity with one exception, Islam being unique in being truly monotheistic, though even there the frequent references in the Quran to the "Spirit of God" and "The Holy Spirit" might be claimed by over-literal theologians as evidence to the contrary.
Thus we find a Trinity in the religious cults of the following peoples: - The Zoroastrians the ancient Arabs, the Greeks and Latins, the Syrians, Chaldeans, Chinese, Peruvians, Scandinavians, Phoenicians, Kalmuks, and South American Indians. The primitive conception seems to have been the Spirit of Life, the Maternal Productive or Preservative Element, and the Male, Destructive or Fiery Element.
The positions of the three Principals in the East, West and South correspond in the Solar Cult to the Sun at dawn, sunset and the meridian respectively, i.e., a daily cycle. In the earlier Nature cult, however, the cycle was an annual one, and in this, I would suggest, the prototypes of the W.M. and Wardens represented the Seasons, of which the Egyptians, like the modern savage, recognized only three, each corresponding to a phase of agriculture. This hypothesis and a suggested identification of these Officers with certain Stars will be more fully discussed later, (56) but for the present enough has been said to show that the Three Principal Officers represent the Trinity.
(6) Seven Officers in all.
The number seven has been peculiarly sacred from time immemorial and all over the world peculiar virtues are attributed to it; it was called by the Ancient Egyptians the "Perfect or Sacred number" (cf. the T.B. ". . . seven . . . Masons, without which number no Lodge is perfect.") Whatever the origin of the peculiar sanctity attached to the number seven, (57) it was later attributed to its being the sum of 3 and 4, - three, or a triangle denoting the Trinity, or Heaven, and four, or a square, representing the Earth. The combination of the square and the triangle is the pyramid, the geometrical expression of the sum of 3 and 4, heaven and earth, and hence the Universe. The pyramid combines in one figure the four principles of Geometry in the philosophy of Pythagoras, - Point = 1 (i.e., the apex), Line = 2 Points (edge), Superficies = 3 Points (surface), and Solid = 4 Points.
(7) The Duties of the Deacons.
The going to and fro implied in the words "carry all messages . . etc." is a relic of the former division of the Lodge into three to which reference has already been made. (58) I think it probable that the J.D. acted as I.G. to the F.C. Lodge presided over by the S.W., and the S.D. in a similar capacity to the M.M.'s Lodge in charge of the W.M.. Thus the S.D. had "to bear all messages and commands from the W.M. to the S.W." in the chair of the F.C. Lodge, and if the message had to be transmitted to the J.W. in the E.A. Lodge, it was the duty of the J.D. to take it on " from the S.W. to the J.W., and to see the same punctually obeyed." The J.D. then returns to the F.C. Lodge with his report that the W.M.'s orders have been carried out, and the S.D. having had "to await the return of the J.D.," takes the message back to the W.M..
The true meaning of the word deacon is, of course, "a servant," and among the Greeks the term was applied to those who served the tables, - i.e., to those whom we now call Stewards.
REFERENCES -- (Part. 1.)
1. Frazer, Sir J. A., "Taboo, and the Perils of the Soul," pp.
167, 205sq., 225sqq.; "Balder the Beautiful," 11., 78, 81.
2.
Sanderson, Meredith, "Ceremonial Purification," Man.
3. Frazer,
"The Magic Art," I., 160 sq..
4. Part III., Foreword.
5. Ruth, IV., 1-17.
6. Rogers, "Social Life in Scotland," III., 232.
7. Pennant,
Thos., "A Tour in Scotland," 1769, in John Pinkerton's " Voyages
and Travels," III., 325
8. "Taboo," 311 sqq..
9. Fellows, J.,
"Mysteries of Freemasonry," p. 147.
10. Churchward, A., "Signs
and Symbols of Primordial Man," p. 423.
11. "The Magic Art," 1., 76.
12. "Balder the Beautiful," 11., 172 sqq..
13. "Signs and
Symbols," p. 244.
14. Frazer, "Spirits of the Corn and the Wild,"
I., 203.
15. "Taboo," p. 189.
16. Op. cit., p. 142.
17. "Mysteries
of Freemasonry," p. 160.
18. Supra, V., 3.
19. "Taboo," p. 161;
"The Dying God," p. 219.
20. Pausanias, VIII., 34, 3.
21. Vignette to
Papyrus of Ani, Brit. Mus..
22. Op. cit., Chap. 156.
23. Part II., 11., 6.
24.
Deut. XVI., 22; 1 Kings, XIV., 23; 2 Kings, XVIII., 4 and XXIII., 14; Micah,
V., 13 sq..
25. Frazer, "Adonis, Attis, and Osiris," I., 264 sq,;
"The Magic Art," II., 145.
26. "Adonis, Attis, and Osiris,"
I., 283.
27. Ibid., I., 269.
28. "The. Dying God," p. 253.
29.
Churchward, "Arcana," p. 51.
30. Bryant, "Plagues of Egypt,"
p. 86.
31. "Taboo," p. 90.
32. Ibid., p. 89.
33. Gerard, "The Land
Beyond the Forest," 17 sq..
34. "Signs and Symbols," p. 305.
35.
"Arcana," p. 43.
36. Plato, "In Timaeo,"
37. Fontenelle,
"History Oracles," p. 9.
38. "Mysteries of Freemasonry," p. 237.
39. Bailey, "Ancient Astronomy."
40. Gen., XXVIII., 17.
41.
"The Magic Art," II., 99.
42. Amos, V., 8 ; Rev., 16, 20.
43. Renouf,
"Life Work," IV., 141.
44. Op. cit., pp. 60, 269.
45. Zimmern, Prof.
H., quoted by Frazer, "The Scapegoat," p. 359.
46. "Adonis Attis
and Osiris," II., 35 sqq.;
47. Bleek, "Specimens of Bushman
Folklore," X 104, p. 339
48. "Mysteries of Freemasonry," p. 237.
49.
"Signs and Symbols," p. 3, etc;.
50. Supra, VI, 3.
51.
"Arcana," 136 sqq.
52. Renouf, "Life Work," II, 285.
53.
Churchward, "Signs and Symbols," p. 30.
54. Supra, V, 1.
55. Ward,
"Freemasonry and the Ancient Gods."
56. Part III, I.
57. See VIII, 4, supra.
58. Supra, V. 1 ; X, 3.
AN EXAMINATION OF THE MASONIC RITUAL - PART 2
BY MEREDITH SANDERSON
PART II. -- SECOND DEGREE - THE FELLOW CRAFTSMAN.
1. - THE QUESTIONS.
(1) (Made a Mason) "When the sun was at its meridian."
As already mentioned, (1) the J.W. formerly presided over the E.A. Lodge and as this officer represents the meridian sun it is fitting that the ceremony of initiation be said, figuratively, to take place at midday. (2) When this is appreciated the subsequent question and answer are seen to be an interpolation. The word anachronism might with advantage be substituted for paradox, but if the latter is retained the word appears is redundant.
(2) " Veiled in Allegory and illustrated by symbols. "
See "Foreword," Part 1.
(3) The Three Grand Principles.
Exception has been taken by some commentators to the use of the word "relief " as a "principle," and one at least has suggested that "Fidelity" should be substituted. The original intention was undoubtedly to indicate that readiness to assist others is a principle of the Craft, and it would be difficult to find another word conveying this so briefly as "relief." Entirely to change the meaning by substituting " Fidelity " is indefensible.
(4) "Points of Entrance."
For the explanation of these "points" the reader is referred to the first lecture, section 1. They evidently constituted a P.W. to the E.A. Lodge.
In the Irish ritual the words f. and of g.r., taken from the Tyler's introduction of a candidate for initiation, are used as a P.W. to an E.A. Lodge. This P.W. is required of everyone in the Lodge before it is opened in the First Degree.
(5) The P . . W . .
This word is said in the ritual to "denote" p..y, which, in a sense, it does as its meaning in Hebrew is "an e. of c." or "a f. of w." - an excellent reason for its being so "depicted in a Fellow-Craft's Lodge." It is possible that at one time in the evolution of Freemasonry the S.W. presiding over the F.C. Lodge represented the Harvest season, a subject which will be more fully discussed later. (3) It may be mentioned here, however, that a sheaf of c. as the emblem of the S.W. is often carved on his chair, and that an e. of c. was shown to the aspirant as the supreme mystery at Eleusis.
The use of this word as a P.W. in the Hebrew Testament may be regarded as an excellent example of a myth originating out of a custom, a process quite familiar to anthropologists, and, with the names of the p. . rs of K.S.T., is evidence of the existence in Syria of mysteries having a common origin with Freemasonry.
In the Scotch ritual no p.w. is made known to the candidate until he has taken the ob., - a practice that has much to recommend it; when demanded during the first part of the ceremony it is given by the "conductor" on his behalf.
II. - THE CEREMONY OF PASSING.
(1) Preparation.
As in the first degree, the k. made b. is that on which the candidate k.s when taking the ob. (4) I think it probable that the substitution of r. for l. and vice versa is merely the outcome of a desire to diversify the methods of preparation.
(2) Examination by the J.W. : perambulation.
The candidate has now entered the E.A. Lodge through which he has to pass before he can reach the F. Crafts'; he must, therefore, give proof as an E.A. to the J.W. presiding over that Lodge. After perambulation past the W.M. and J.W. he is conducted to the S.W. as though he had now reached the door of the F.C. Lodge, where he is of course required to give the p.w.; passing to the north side of the S.W.'s chair he figuratively enters the Lodge and is duly presented to the W.M. for passing to the 2nd degree.
(3) The s.. ps.
Note that whereas in the first degree the candidate is instructed in the s..ps by the J.D., here this duty devolves on the S.D., presumably because the J.D. was formerly occupied in guarding the door of the F.C. Lodge. (5) The form of the s. ps will be discussed later; (6) it is not unlikely that they were formerly performed round the angle of a square. Their number is the second of the Masonic progression of 3, 5 and 7.
(4) The Ob.
In order to exculpate a W.M. a small addition might with advantage be made to the ob. by inserting "except in the performance of my duty as the Master of a Lodge," after the words "to him who is only an E.A." Other commentators have pointed out also that the reference by the W.M. to the ob. as a "solemn promise" is quite incongruous, and remodeling of the whole speech is needed; this could be done without detriment to any " landmark."
(5) The S..n
We find this sn, complete with the s.n of f.y, being used by three figures in a vignette to the Book of the Dead (7); this is reproduced in Bro. Churchward's work, "The Signs and Symbols of Primordial Man." (8) These three figures are represented as saluting the setting sun and it is therefore the appropriate s.n for the F.C., over whose lodge the S.W., representing the setting sun, presides. Accompanying them are three other figures making the same s.n, but substituting r. for I..
The tradition that this s.n was made by Moses is not supported by the biblical account, (9) which suggests that he made use of another s.n altogether on the occasion of the battle in the valley of Rephidim. The reference to Joshua, however, is interesting, as it brings to mind the occasion on which he is said to have influenced the sun by causing it to stand still during another battle. (10) Biblical tradition does not state by what means he did this miracle, but it was apparently in the evening as the sun was "upon Gibeon," which suggests analogy to the use of this s.n by the Egyptians as mentioned above.
Evidence that the s.ns used in Freemasonry are known to, and employed by, peoples all over the world, is gradually accumulating. Thus Bro. Ward states that he saw all the craft s.ns being used by two Pathans in Colombo, including the h..g s.n (11), and he adduces proof that some if not all are used by the Brahmins, - that of the F.C. among them. Bro. Leon has also found this, and other s.ns among certain Dervish sects, (12) and so on, - the evidence is incontrovertible.
The writer has found the h.s. used during a solemn rite in the initiation ceremonies of the WaYao, a Bantu tribe in Central Africa, but here the r.a. was used; he is able to guarantee that the s.n was used deliberately and invariably, but itsmeaning has been lost.
It should be mentioned also that Amsu the ithyphallic form of the risen Horus in ancient Egypt, is always represented as having his I.a. in the position of the h.s.; he is known by the title of "He Who lifteth up His arm." (13) The risen spirit was originally the sprouting corn and it is possible that we have here an indication of a very early origin. It is noteworthy that the Yao ceremonies referred to above are phallic.
The s.n of f.y, so called, occurs in a higher degree in another form, such as to suggest a former relation between the h.s. and a similar s.n to be alluded to later. (14) This s.n of f.y is also found used by the initiate into the tribal rites of the Nandi, in Kenya Colony, but the l.a. is used (15); it was given with the r.h. in Egypt.
The interest of these facts is not merely that they are evidence of the antiquity of our s.ns, but that they have an esoteric meaning; they are not merely means of "giving proof." They are (or one should perhaps say, were), therefore, in reality "secrets."
(6) The w. . d.
As already mentioned, (16) two tat pillars stood at the entrance to Amenta, in Egyptian mythology, and the word tat, in ancient Egyptian means "s ... h." We can now go a step further. The plural of tat is tattu, and two tat pillars when used hieroglyphically meant firm, stable, unalterable, abiding, eternal (Renouf). (17) Here is the explanation of the statement in the ritual, " . . . when conjoined with the one in the former Degree they denote s ... y." But this is not all. The word tattu used as a verb means "to e ... h" (Budge). (18) I have given references to these two authorities so that any Freemason may verify these statements for himself, but I should mention that I owe the facts in the first instance to the late Bro. Churchward. (19)
In Hebrew the w. J. has several meanings; they are, "founding" and so "es .... bing"; also "he who strengthens, "and it is the plural of jarac, "the moon" or "a month." All of these are of interest; - the first from its identity with the Egyptian tattu, the second from its analogy to the other p.r. maintaining the phallic significance, and the last because it suggests the influence of the Egyptian lunar cult. (20)
With regard to the phallic meaning of the two p.rs it may be mentioned that the word B. is a compound of the preposition "in" and a noun, the latter being a Hebrew word meaning either "s..h" or another derived from the same root meaning a "goat." This is very significant as the goat in all ages has been symbolical of sexual power.
There can, I think, therefore be no doubt that the close analogy between the Masonic p.rs, those of K.S.T., and the tat p.rs of ancient Egypt, proves a common origin for all; whether any one is derived from the other is, of course, an open question, but the Masonic significance attached to both p.rs together at least cannot have been taken from the Bible, in which it does not occur, whereas, as we have seen, it has an exact parallel in ancient Egypt.
It should be noted that the w.s of the first two degrees were transposed by G. Lodge in the middle of the 18th Century, owing to the publication of various exposes of the Crafts Degrees. In some Constitutions, e.g., that of the Netherlands, this change was not made. (21)
III. - THE SECOND TRACING BOARD.
Nearly the whole of this "explanation" is undoubtedly modern, having been taken almost verbatim from the biblical account of the b.g of K.S.T.; the "authorized version" having been used throughout, however, a few points call for comment in addition to those assignable to Masonic tradition.
(1) "Corn, wine and oil."
The biblical account mentions these as the rations allowed to the wood-cutters supplied by the King of Tyre (22) and their inclusion in the Masonic account is probably due to this. In view of the hypothesis is that at one stage of its development Masonry had reference to the agricultural year, (23)however, this allusion to the fruits of the earth being the Freemason's reward should be noted, as well as the original meaning of the expression in specie ("in kind").
(2) "Thirty-five cubits."
This height of the p.rs is taken from II. Chron. III, 15, and the circumference from I. Kings, VII, 15; in the latter account the height is given as eighteen cubits. The compilers of this part of the ritual have borrowed so freely from the biblical account that tradition is buried beyond recovery. Some commentators take exception to the "spherical balls," chiefly because they have not biblical authority; it is therefore of interest to note that some authorities (e.g., Gesenius) translate the word "bowls". (I. Kings, VII., 41) as "globes."
Churchward states (24) that the four lines on the tat pillars represent squares, and says, "The Egyptians always drew on the flat as they did not understand perspective," and adds, "The squares here represent the Terrestrial and Celestial Globes." It is true that they drew on the flat, but not on the edge, as this would imply; witness the vignette to Chapter 151 of the Book of the Dead. (25) I think there can be no doubt that these lines reproduce the anatomical characters of the vertebrae of Osiris, whose backbone they came to represent. (26)
The statement that on the globes "were delineated maps" is of course pure embroidery, as is also the allusion to the p. .rs of fire and cloud.
In the ritual it is also stated that "they" (the p.rs) "were considered finished when the network or canopy was thrown over them." This would appear to be the result of a confusion of ideas between the "networks" of the biblical account and the "canopy" of Heaven which in Egyptian mythology the p.rs of the god Shu supported, and which might therefore be said to be "thrown over them." The correct translation of the word" network" is now known to be "lattice."
The whole account of the b.d.g of K.S.T. in the Old Testament is very corrupt and no two MSS. agree, which supports the view that it was originally allegorical.
(3) The Middle Chamber.
This term is a misreading of the original Hebrew, and is admitted as such by all authorities. The correct reading of I. Kings, VI., 8, is as follows:- "The door for the lowest row of chambers" (not for the middle chamber) "was in the right side of the house, and they went up with winding stairs into the middle row, and out of the middle into the third." That into say there was a row of chambers on each story and the winding stairs reached from the ground floor to the top story- cf. v. 6, where the word chamber should read story, and Ezek. XLI., 7. The winding staircase or slope common to all Babylonian Temples should be borne in mind in this connection.
(4) The Winding Stairs.
Whatever the allegorical meaning of these stairs in the Temple, I am of opinion that they are of modern introduction into Freemasonry; they are said by some authorities to refer to the sinuous course described by the sun through the signs of the Zodiac.
Their division into three flights is, I believe, due to a misreading of the ritual since their introduction. The wording is, "They" (i.e., our ancient brethren) "then passed up the winding staircase, consisting of three, five, seven or more steps"; the ritual then goes straight on, "three to rule a Lodge, etc." I believe that the word steps has recently been introduced, and that the original statement was that "our ancient brethren" went up the stairs in groups of three (Masters), five (F.C's.), and seven or more (E.A's.).Otherwise the steps being 3, 5, 7 or more, must be regarded as having varied in number from day to day, and as ruling a Lodge, etc..
The ritual is inconsistent when it states that two E.A.'s are necessary to make a Lodge perfect seeing that they would not have been allowed up the stairs by the J.W. according to the present account.
(5) Three, five, and seven.
According to tradition an E.A.'s Lodge consists of seven, a F.C.'s of five, and the M.M.'s of three. These numbers form the Masonic progression of 3, 5, and 7; the 3 representing the Trinity, the 5 being the 5 elements (earth, water, air, fire and spirit), and the 7, the sum of 4 and 3 (earth and Heaven), square and triangle, the Seven Spirits, etc..
The number 7, beside being sacred, has also magical powers and is used accordingly in spells in every country throughout the world. 3 occurs almost as frequently in Magic, often as 3 groups of 3, and 5 is not uncommon also. The compilers of the ritual as it now stands have done their best to find some reason for these numbers, but the less said about it the better. Of these comparisons only the third has the slightest claim to notice, - it would appear probable that the ancient ritual contained some reference to the arts and sciences as it can hardly be merely coincidence that the Seven Masters of Egyptian mythology were patrons of the same. (27)
IV. - THE SECOND LECTURE. There are only one or two points peculiar to the Lecture which call for comment.
(1) A regular progression. (Second Section).
As already mentioned (28) this progression is to be found in the philosophy of Pythagoras, who probably learned it by his initiation into the mysteries of Egypt. That it was known to the Egyptians thousands of years before his time is proved by the pyramids.
The reference to Euclid in relation to Freemasonry is, of course, pure invention.
(2) Three classes of Artificers. (Fifth Section).
The account given here as to the workers at K.S.T. represents a vain attempt to bring Masonic tradition into line with the biblical account. The numbers are a compromise between those given in the two versions which do not agree. Note that 80,000 "craftsmen" cannot be "arranged into companies or Lodges consisting of seven E.A.'s and five F.C.'s" seeing that this number is not divisible by 12; nor is either 83,300 (80,000 + 3,300 "Overseers") or 83,600(80,000 + 3,300 + 300 "Rulers") divisible by 13 (12 + "as killed Craftsman.")
The only way it will work out is to divide the total number of "craftsmen" and "over-seers" (83,000) into 5,950 Lodges consisting of 7 E.A.'s and an overseer in each, and the same number of Lodges each containing 5 F.C.'s and an overseer. Charters would then be required for 11,900 Lodges for which only 3,300 overseers are available, so that it involves the promotion of 8,600 "craftsmen" to the rank of overseer, - a proceeding which might not meet with the approval of the "Three Grand Masters." It is merely another instance of the absurdity of trying to make the Masonic tradition fit into the account of the building of K.S.T..
(3) The Letter G.
This, in the ceremony of closing the Lodge in the 2ndDegree, is alluded to as the "Sacred Symbol," and the W.M. exhorts the brethren to remember that "wherever we are, or whatever we do, . . . . His all-seeing eye beholds us." There can be little doubt that the letter G. is a modern substitution for " The Eye," prominent in other (higher) degrees, and the symbol of Osiris.
End of PART Il.
REFERENCES. (Part I I.)
1. Part I, V, (1).
2. Ritual, Opening in the
First Degree.
3. Part III, I.
4. Part I, III,
5. Part I, X, (7).
6. Part III, III, (4).
7. Op. cit., Chap. XVI, "Leyden" Papyrus.
8. Op. cit..
9. Exodus
XVII 11-13.
10. Joshua, X, 11-13.
11. "Freemasonry and the Ancient
Gods."
12. Masonic Secretaries' Journal, No. 5, Vol. II, September,1918.
13.
The Book of the Dead, Chap. XVII
14. Part III, III, (19).
15. Man.
16. Part I, VI, 7.
17. Renouf, "Life Work," IV, 7.
18. Budge, "Egyptian Literature,"
I, 99; " Vocabulary to the Book of the Dead."
19. "Signs and
Symbols of Primordial Man."
20. Part III, III, (7).
21. Ward, "The E.
A. Handbook," p. 83, and M. M.'s Book, "p. 6 sq..
22. 2 Chron. II, 10.
23.
Part III, Foreword.
24. "Signs and Symbols," p. 321 sq..
25. Papyrus
10010, Brit. Museum.
26. Part I, VI, (3).
27. Renouf, "Life Work," IV, 141.
28. Part I, X, (6).
AN EXAMINATION OF THE MASONIC RITUAL BY MEREDITH SANDERSON
PART III. (2/3)
THIRD DEGREE - THE MASTER MASON.
THE QUESTIONS.
(1) " Without scruple or diffidence."
I do not think anybody would suggest that the modern craftsman shows either scruple or diffidence when receiving his wages as this phrase would seem, on the face of it, to imply. When considered in the light of an agricultural allegory as suggested, (28) however, it at once becomes intelligible, and we can see that the F.C. is "justly entitled" to the reward of his labor in ploughing and planting the corn, and that he would reap it at the harvest "without scruple, well knowing that he was justly entitled" to it. Similarly in "receiving his due" he would not be "diffident" as he above all others should place "great reliance" in the Author of his gain.
(2) The P. W.
In a work on ancient ecclesiastical history (29) the following occurs, "By a singular lapsus linguae the moderns have substituted T.C. in the 3rd Degree for tymboxein, 'to be entombed.' This in the ancient catechesis Arcani was the p.w. from the symbolical representation of the state of d. h to the restored and undying existence." Unfortunately no authority is quoted for the statement that this p.w. was used in the Mysteries, for if it is correct it would imply either that masonry obtained the p.w. of this degree from the Grecian mysteries, or that both obtained a word resembling it in sound from some common source.
The word c. in Arabic, Hebrew and indeed all Syrian languages, means "blacksmith" or any "smith," though in Hebrew another word similarly pronounced means "acquisition" (Cheyne). The word t. is derived from a Persian word, meaning "dross" or "scoria of metal, (esp.) of iron or copper," a word in common use to this day in Persian, Arabic and other languages of the near East. As in so many instances an allegorical title has in translating the Old Testament been mistaken for the name of an actual person, for the name itself means "a w. in m..Is." The connection with H.A.B. is obvious.
Bro. Churchward boldly states that the Egyptian P.W. was "Horus-Behutet." (30) He says, "Any brother who is interested will find all in the Ritual of Ancient Egypt" (i.e., the Book of the Dead); all I can find is that Horus - (or Heru -) Behutet was the god of the metal-workers at Edfu (i.e., ancient Teb), as is also apparent from an inscription in the temple in that place; e.g., "Heru-Behutet arrived . . . . and his followers in the form of workers in metal." That the metal-workers brought into Egypt this useful art as well as that of brickmaking is not in doubt, but this is not proof that their god's name was used as a p.w., even if we assume that the prototype of the god was a man and "the first artificer in metals."
It would seem probable, however, that the ancient p.w. had reference to an artificer, mythical, if not deified, and possibly dating back to the close of the stone age. As already mentioned, iron-workers often form guilds among primitive people ; in some cases they constitute a separate clan, even a cult, while they are everywhere treated with marked respect. Among the African tribe with which the writer has been most associated, the iron-workers until recently constituted a distinct clan having considerable political power; they were called the Wachisi or "The People of the Darkness." It is possibly from such a society, as for example that at Edfu, that Freemasonry derived its operative character in the first place; the more peculiarly architectural traits may have been added later by the priests, though the evidence as to this is not irrefutable. We know that the Mysteries as a whole were astronomical in expression though deeply religious in meaning, but it should be noted that mason's tools were depicted in hieroglyphics with a symbolic meaning so that their occurrence in the mysteries (or indeed in Freemasonry) may have no special significance, any more than the wafer amongst ourselves as typifying thinness, or a board as symbolic of flatness.
III. THE CEREMONY OF RAISING.
(1) "... applies the p. . of the c... to b..b..ts.
The object of this procedure is probably the same as the application of the p. in the 1st Degree, that is, it is a relic of the ordeals the candidate had to undergo in ancient times. The sq. should also be used Enter . on the sq. and c. combined as the esoteric meaning of the Masonic symbol is not complete until they are combined.
(2) Perambulation.
In the absence of the cubic stone this ceremony has rather lost its point. In all the ancient mysteries this perambulation was observed and a similar custom is common in both religious and magical ceremonies; the number of rounds is usually either three or seven. It was until quite recent years common in all parts of the British Isles especially in regard to "holy" wells, and in many parts of the world the fields were annually protected by means of a procession carrying lighted torches; in Scotland this custom was observed on Halloween up to the last century. (31) The rule appears to be that when a blessing is intended the course of the sun is followed, but in black magic the perambulation was performed against the sun, which has the general meaning of Death. Muslims, however, perambulate the Kaaba at Mecca seven times against the sun, and the WaYao (Central Africa) do the same round a model of the sacred mountain.
Here the form of going through the lodges of the E.A. and F.C. is observed in the course of the perambulations, which seems incorrect - the latter is and should be observed as a distinct ceremony.
(3) The Can. gives the P.W. to the S.W..
The P.W. should be given to the W.M. who presides over the M.M.'s Lodge. This is done, though by proxy (the candidate not being put in possession of the P.W. until after the ob.) in the Scotch ritual.
(4) S ... n st.ps.
Note that these s. ps are divided into groups of t. . and f. . the meaning of which has already been explained (sq. and tri..) (32) Bro. Ward, in his book "Who was H.A.B.?" recently published, * suggests that the form of these s. ps is connected with re-incarnation or rebirth, and quotes similar customs which undoubtedly have this significance. Among most primitive peoples, however, s....g over a g. like this would be an unthinkable action and an insult to the d. d. It is possible that they have a more materialistic origin and that formerly the s. . ps of the 2nd Degree were performed on a square, by walking round the angle, and those of the 3rd Degree on the sq. and c. combined by s. . g on the corners of the figure thus made. Until quite recently chalk or charcoal drawings were executed on the floor on which the s. . ps were carried out, though we have no information as to the subject of these drawings.
(5) The ob: "Lodge duly opened on the center."
In the center of the Lodge is the Eye, the symbol of Osiris. The dead god was said to be situated at the Pole-star, guarded by the Seven Masters who revolved about him, never setting (Renouf) (33); in this aspect he was symbolized by the point within a circle. Osiris, as God of the R ... n was the possessor of the s. sought by the candidate in the Mysteries, which s. he would therefore expect to find "on the center" and in the Lodge "opened on the center." (Cf. the opening in the 3rd Degree).
(6) " My foot shall traverse."
Some commentators have taken exception to the use of the word "traverse" on the grounds that it means "cross, thwart, oppose"; they appear to have overlooked the old English meaning of the word preserved in the nautical expression "traverse sailing," i.e., tacking or following a zigzag course. It is not impossible that the wording is deliberate and has reference to the s. ps of this degree, symbolic of adherence to the "principles of the sq. and c . . . s." (34)
(6) The principal Architect.
This is not strictly true : H.A.B. was, of course, a worker in metals. The title H.A.B. is taken direct from the Hebrew of 2 Chron., IV., 16, and means " H. his father." ** H. means "Exaltation of life, their liberty or whiteness, he that destroys"; it is of interest to note that abib in Hebrew means "ears of corn," or "green fruits," and there is just a possibility that this is the correct title of H..
(7) Fifteen F. C's.
There must be some reason for this number especially as it recurs in the number of F.C ... S. who were sent out to search for the missing H.. In the hope of finding a clue in the myth of the d. of Osiris I have searched the authorities, but the only reference to the number of conspirators I have been able to find is in Plutarch's "Isis et Osiris." (35) Here the number is given as 72, which possibly refers to the number of hours during which the moon is absolutely invisible, day or night; - there is, of course, very little doubt that the myth of Osiris owes many of its details to the period when Osiris was especially identified with the moon, witness the 14 pieces into which he was cut up (i.e., the 14 days of the waning moon), his age when murdered - 28, and other points. (36) Now in the Masonic legend there are three in ... rs, and 72 hours = 3 days, and without pressing the point unduly there is at least a possibility that a lunar month of thirty days has been taken in the Masonic legend, half of them being allegorized as conspirators and the other 15 being sent out in search of the d. . Master, while the three m.. rs represent the three days when the planet is not seen. There is no mention in the Osirian myth of any of the conspirators having relented, all the 72 being regarded as m. . rs, but if only three out of 15 are regarded as the actual m. . rs, as in our ritual, the transition of the remainder into 12 who relented is quite credible.
The influence of the moon on growth is, in all parts of the world, regarded as different in effect according as she is waxing or waning; during the first half of the lunar month growth is stimulated, in the latter half, retarded." Care must be taken, say the wiseacres, to choose a phase of the moon favorable o the character of the work in hand ; agriculture, building and marriage, for instance, being relegated to the period before full moon, haircutting and felling of trees being better performed during the wane. (38) The same superstition was prevalent in Egypt, and the 15th day of the month was observed as a special festival, marking the acme of the moon's influence, as we learn from the Book of the Dead. (39) There is therefore some warrant for the suggested origin of the recurrent figure of 15, though the hypothesis is put forward merely as a suggestion, tentatively.
(8) The Entrances of the Temple.
In the English ritual the three doors at which the m..rs were posted are given as S., N. and E.; in that of the Scotch Constitution they are E., W. and S.. Both are agreed in this, that the fatal blow was struck in the East. The reason for the difference in the Scotch ritual would appear to be the custom still observed in some lodges of enacting the m. . r, instead of merely relating it, the three principal officers taking the parts of the assassins; thus the cand. is taken first to the South, then to the West, and is finally dispatched by the W.M. in the East.
The assignment of two of the entrances to the North and South in the English ritual (and, I think, probably in the old Scotch ritual) betrays the influences of the Solar cult, in which the Sun was said to be in difficulties at both the northern and southern solstices, and, in the northern hemisphere at least, was said to die and be reborn at the latter. The difficulties encountered by H.A.B. at the North and South gates are therefore easily understandable; if he had been finally dispatched in the South the allegory would obviously have referred to the annual death of the sun, whereas his d. in the West would refer to the daily d. of that body. Both views would have ample authority.
All rituals agree, however, that he received his d.-blow in the East, and one is tempted at first to regard this as being so arranged as to allow the W.M. to conduct the ceremony, and is a mistake. Reference to the myth of Osiris, however, shows that in the annual mourning for the god they lamented "him who was born on the right side of the world, and who perished on the left." (40) Now in all texts the front of the world was the South (khent), the West is the right side (unemi), and the East is the left (abti) (41); thus Osiris was mourned as one who was born in the West and perished in the East, --obviously in reference to the moon.
These facts would supply an explanation of the statement in all rituals that H.A.B. was killed in the East, and, incidentally, would be evidence that the Scotch ritual is wrong in introducing the West as one of the entrances: for though the North and South may be added in another (solar) mythology as places where the god received injury, the West could not be associated with the East in the same sense, but as the birth-place of the older god would rather tend to be omitted as in the English ritual.
(9) Without the consent of the other two.
This refers, of course, to the unity of the Trinity, - without one the others are not. The absurdity of the statement is excused by its allegorical meaning, but the whole story is badly conceived. Companions of the R.A. will here note a parallel to the method of communication of the w. in that degree.
(10) The parts of the b. of H.A.B. struck.
Some rituals make the blows correspond to the penal s. of the first two degrees, the first m. striking him across the t., and the second across the b.. If any alteration be desirable this version has something to recommend it as bringing the three degrees together, and supplying a reason for the pp. . of the other two. I would hazard a suggestion, also, that the penalty of the third is of modern invention, and that the earlier one is the, - shall we say capital one, of at least two higher degrees; this would be more in keeping also with the ritual as it stands.
In the Scotch ritual the reference to the R. and L.K.s is pointed by recalling the attitude of the cand. in taking the ob. of the first and second degrees.
(11) " . . . laid him l. at his feet."
In the Scotch and some other Constitutions the ritual up to this point is merely related. The cand. then leaves the Lodge and on his readmittance the m.. of H.A.B. and the search for his b. . is enacted by the whole Lodge, the three principals taking the chief parts. This has the merit of making the narration of the traditional story continuous, instead of being broken up as in the English ritual by the charge and the communication of the s. and w..
(12) The grip of the I... or I ... like hold.
There is a regrettable tendency in some rituals to lose this landmark, for landmark it is. Thus we find throughout the Book of the Dead the Supreme God, whether Ra or Osiris, appealed to as the "god in the Lion form;" always in such cases the prayer is that the soul of the departed be permitted to "come forth" in the East, rising with the Sun from the d ... s of the g.. The lion, in Egypt, as nowadays, was the personification of strength and power, but it was almost exclusively associated with the regeneration of the Sun and so with the r..n. Thus Sbu (Anheyu, "the Lifter") who, as the light of the Dawn, was said to lift up the sky-goddess from the arms of the sleeping Earth, is often represented as a Lion, for only through him was the rebirth of the Sun made possible. Osiris is called the Lion of Yesterday, and Ra the Lion of To-morrow (42); the bier of Osiris is always represented as having the head and legs of the lion, and so on.
It was probably from the same association of ideas that the first sign of the Zodiac entered by the sun after the summer solstice was named the Lion, though here the power of Osiris in causing the inundation of the Nile, which began at this season, may also have been allegorized.
The propriety of the expression "l.. -like gr." or "hold" in specifying that which r. . the cand. from a figurative d. is evident from the above. It has survived from the Solar cult and is eminently a landmark which should be restored to all rituals.
(13) The Morning Star.
This is a figurative allusion to Sirius or Sothis, the dog-star, which by its rising at dawn brought tidings of the approaching inundation, and so Peace and Salvation to the whole of Egypt. It was only the inundation of the Nile which kept Egypt from becoming a desert like the surrounding country.
(14) The w..ds.
It should be noted not only that there are alternative words, but that they have the same general form, their consonants being identical, suggesting that they are but slightly different form's of the same word. It is more than probable that one of these words was that used by the "Ancients" and the other by the "Moderns," and that they were bracketed at the time of the Union.
In their present form the first has no meaning in Hebrew and the second is a proper name occurring in the Old Testament. It is the belief of the writer that the latter was adopted because it was the only word occurring in the Authorized Version of the Bible resembling the original word: whether this was done by the Ancients or by the Modems there is no evidence to show.
Now in the ritual we are given the words and their "meanings," and since neither as it stands can have the meaning given it follows that either a word having that meaning has become corrupt, or that a wrong meaning has been given to the word; in the latter case also there is no guarantee that the original word has not been distorted. It has been seen that spurious meanings are given in our ritual to some Masonic words (as, for example, the P.W.s ***) and the writer has found the same thing to have happened in some of the "higher" degrees. It is submitted, therefore, that in the present instance the same process has most probably occurred and that the real meaning is different from that given in the ritual. Obviously in such a matter and under such circumstances no dogmatic statement can be made, but it may be mentioned that Hebrew words meaning "the son is d." and "Alas, my (or the) son is d." have very nearly the same sound as the M.M's. words, and further that two tenses of an Arabic verb identical with these two words mean, literally, "not dying" and "we did not die" respectively. Any of these meanings would be singularly apposite, the first relating to the prototypes of H.A.B. (The Widow's Son) mourned by the mother (Isis, Ishtar, etc.), and the others to the subject of the degree.
(15) They formed ... three F. C. Lodges.
In the Scotch ritual an unspecified number is sent out in search of the lost M., presumably in order that all the brethren present at the ceremony may take part; the aprons and white gloves of some rituals are there said to have been worn by the 12 who recanted. In some old rituals this same 12 are sent out in search of the b., and they divide themselves into four parties of three each. It is often stated by writers on Freemasonry that 12 is the correct number, having allusion to the 12 signs of the Zodiac.
(16) "Caught hold of a shrub ... which ... came easily out of the ground."
It seems probable that the compilers of the modern ritual took this incident from the Aeneid, where Aeneas discovers the body of the murdered Polydorus by accidentally plucking up a shrub that was near him on the side of a hill. (43) The two accounts are too much alike for mere coincidence, especially when we find that in some rituals (e.g,, that of the Scotch Constitution) the b. of H.A.B. is said to have been found on the slopes of Mount Moriah. It is possible, however, that the resemblance is due to a common origin.
(17) Acacia.
The importance which even apparently insignificant details in the ritual may possess as landmarks is well illustrated in the "sprig" of Acacia. This tree was in ancient Egypt peculiarly associated with the soul, and with Osiris as God of the Resurrection; according to the most ancient accounts it was an Acacia which grew up and enclosed his coffin - more modern accounts state that it was either a tamarisk or a sycamore. In the Egyptian Tale of the Two Brothers the hero deposited his soul in an Acacia, and so intimately was his fate bound up in it that he fell dead when it was cut down, and came to life again when one of its seeds was thrown into water. (44)
It may be mentioned, also, that the sacred character of this tree is not by any means peculiar to Egypt; in Patagonia (45) and in Arabia, (46) for instance, it is regarded as the intermediary between this world and the next, and any acacia near a village is always loaded with offerings. In India (47) and many parts of Africa (48) its wood is essential for the ceremonial making of fire by friction, and it is the Shittim wood of the Old Testament, of which the Ark and Tabernacle were made.
(18) Origin of casual and w..s.
As we shall see, many of these S.ns are found outside Freemasonry and it is probable, therefore, that the details of this part of the legend were invented to explain S., T. and possibly W.s the meaning of which has been lost. The injunction to observe incidents at the opening of the g. bears a strong resemblance to a superstition frequently observed even nowadays, - that of opening a sacred book at random and taking an omen from the first words to meet the eye. So in ancient times people were wont to take an omen from the first words they heard after quitting the temple, as to whether their petition would be granted. Plutarch mentions (49) that the Egyptians "look upon children as endued with a kind of faculty for divining" and "form omens and presages" from their talk among themselves "especially if it be in a sacred place." He states that this superstition originated from Isis having obtained the first news of the fate of Osiris from some children; by analogy, however, it is probable that this incident in the myth was invented to explain an established custom.
(19) The S..ns.
It will be observed that the position of the r.b. in the first Cas. S.n is identical with the final position of the same h. in the English S.n of G. and D.: that of the Lh. is seen on Egyptian monuments and in the vignettes, in association with a S.n now belonging to a higher Masonic degree, and made with the r.. The second Cas. S.n is also found in Egyptian pictures where it is used by those saluting Osiris in his coffin. (50) The second part of the P. S.n is found in India where it is used by Shiva (51): the navel is frequently regarded as symbolical of the center in Eastern and African thought; in some Bantu (Central African) languages it is the only word for "center." There may also be an esoteric meaning having reference to rebirth, which is a common rite, especially in secret societies, in all parts of the world.
The S.n of G. and D. of the English Constitution is, I think, misinterpreted; it should be a p. S.n. (52) The continental S.n appears in some of our "Higher Degrees" with quite a different, and, in my view, more correct interpretation. The genuine S.n expressive of G. in a religious sense and of D. in a secular, is almost certainly that used in Scotland, Ireland and U.S.A.: it is found in the initiation ceremonies of the WaYao to which reference has already been made, (53) with a religious meaning, and in Ceylon (54) and Arabia (55) at least as an appeal for assistance.
The S.n of J. and E. is the usual attitude or adoration or, with one h., of salute, in the East ; in ancient Egypt it would appear from the paintings to have been especially appropriate to the Sun rising at dawn from the d. of the g.. It probably has allusion to the attitude of Shu (the prototype of Atlas) when raising the heavens at dawn.
It cannot be too strongly insisted upon that these Sns. were not intended to be mere means of "proof," but were formerly expressive of inarticulate feelings. They are just as much symbols as the sq. and p. L, but differ in that they are deeply religious. No doubt in Egypt they tended to become conventionalized and may in the beginning have been magical, but their persistence through the ages has been due to their function of expressing abstract ideas of dependence on the Great Spirit, worship and the like, feelings which could not be clothed in words.
* Op. cit.. Chap. XXI..** That is "His father, H."*** See Part II. I. (5) and Part III. II. (2).
POTS
AN EXAMINATION OF THE MASONIC RITUAL BY MEREDITH SANDERSON
PART III. (3/3)
THIRD DEGREE - THE MASTER MASON.
IV. - THE THIRD TRACING-BOARD.
(1) The Ornaments.
While there is evidence that these "ornaments" have traditional sanction, the "explanations" given for them are obviously modern, and have not even biblical authority
(a) The Porch.
The Porch or porpylon of the Egyptian temples was symbolic of tattu, the Entrance to Amenta, represented by the two p.rs, but there is no evidence whatever that it was duplicated within the precincts; probably nothing more than "gateway" was intended. (Lat. Porta, from which the word "porch" is derived.)
(b) The Dormer.
In all temples dedicated to the Sun the altar was so arranged that a shaft of sunlight fell on it at noon or sunrise on the occasion of a special festival, usually at one or other of the solstices; obviously only when the sun was at its furthest south or north could an annual festival be so marked: at Stonehenge, for instance, the summer solstice was chosen. Temples closed to the sky had a window in the roof especially for this purpose, and I think there can be no doubt that such is the "dormer" referred to in the ritual. The reference to an annual festival at which special prayers were offered tends to confirm this supposition.
(c) The square or Mosaic Pavement has already been discussed (56); it was used in the Egyptian temples and the occurrence of the word rizpah ("a tesselated pavement") in Hebrew proves that it was known farther East also.
(2) The Coffin.
Some commentators have taken exception to this on the ground that coffins were not used in Judea. That may be so but, as everybody knows, the coffin was used in Egypt, and it plays a very prominent part in the myth of Osiris, the prototype of H.A.B.. The god was killed by being shut up in a coffin by means of a stratagem (57): the coffin was then thrown into the Nile and eventually became lodged in an acacia which grew up and enclosed it. Out of the trunk of this tree a pillar was made which still contained the coffin and the body of the murdered god when discovered by Isis. (58) It is therefore emphatically a landmark which should be retained in the ritual.
V. - OPENING AND CLOSING THE LODGE.
"From the East ... towards the West."
This phrase and its concomitant in the closing, "From the West," betrays the influence of the Solar cult, a daily cycle, and refers to. the portal of d. . h in the West through which the sun daily sinks, only by the passage of which the s. of the M.M. can be attained.
It must be remembered that the modern arrangement of the degrees is quite arbitrary and not identical with that of the original ceremonies; this bit of the ritual ought to precede that which now forms part of the lecture on the First Degree (59) where the Freemason is said to be traveling from W. to E. in search of a Master. That Master is Osiris in Amenta, to reach whom the Freemason has first to pass the Western Gate and then travel in an easterly direction.
THE END.
REFERENCES.
(Part III.)
1. "Signs and Symbols."
2. Frazer, "Balder the
Beautiful," 11, 267 sqq., "Totemism and Exogamy," III, 462
sqq., 487 sqq.; 505, 542, 546. 31.
3. "Balder the Beautiful," 11, 251
sqq.
4. Ibid., 227, 233 sq.; "Totemism," 1, 43 sq.
5.
"Balder," 240, 243, sqq., 260. 34.
6. Frazer, "Adonis, Allis and
Osiris," II, 85; 35. Churchward, op. cit., 276; idem,
"Arcana," 133.
7. Churchward, "Arcana," 40.
8.
Frazer, "Spirits of the Corn and of the Wild,"
9. Mannhardt,
"Baumkultus," 532 sqq
10. Baldwin Spencer & F. J. Gillen,
"The Native Tribes of Central Australia."
11. Sir William
Ridgeway, "Dramas and Dramatic Dances of Non-European Races."
12.
Paintings in the Temple of Isis at Philae; papyrus No. 3377, Louvre;
inscription in Temple of Osiris at Denderah.
13. Inscr., T. of Osiris, Denderah.
14.
Plutarch, "Isis et Osiris," XLI.
15. Ibid., XXXIL
16. "Adonis,
Allis and Osiris," 11, 90.
17. Hippolytus, "Refutatio omnium
haeresium," V, 8, p. 162 (Edit. Duncker & Schneidewin).
18.
Frazer, "The Magic Art," 32; "Adonis, Attis and Osiris,"
I, 258; II, 41; "Spirits of the Corn", I. 45, 116, 122, 230 sqq.
; id., "The Scapegoat," 262, 326.
19. Part I, VI, (3).
20.
"Signs and Symbols," 340.
21. "Freemasonry and the Ancient
Gods," Chap. XVIII.
22. Gould, "History of Freemasonry," I, 409.
23.
Ibid., II, 153; III, 472.
24. Gateshead M.S.S. (1730), publ. "Masonic
Magazine," September, 1875.
25. Gould, op. cit. II, 365; III, 473.
26.
Oliver, "The Historical Landmarks of Freemasonry", II, 288.
(1846).
27. Privately printed and published by Lewis, 13, Paternoster Row, 1915.
28. Supra, I, (a).
29. "The Secret Discipline," ed. S. L.
Knapp.
30. "Arcana," 61 ; "Signs and Symbols,"
340.
31. "Balder the Beautiful," I, 233.
32. Part I, X, (6).
33.
Renouf "Life-Work," IV, 49.
34. Phrase occurring in the ob.
35.
Op. cit., XIII.
36. Plutarch, op. cit., XXII-XLIV.
37. "Adonis, Allis
and Osiris," 11, 132.
38. Ibid., 133 sqq..
39. Chap.
CXLIV.
40. Plutarch, op. cit., XXXII.
41. Budge, "Egyptian
Literature," I, 230, notes 2 and 3; 240, note 1.
42. Renouf,
"Life-Work," IV, 46.
43. Op. cit., III, 22 sqq.
44. Flinders-Petrie,
"Egyptian Tales," 2nd Series, 36 sqq.
45. "The Magic Art,"
II, 16.
46. Ibid., 42.
47. Ibid., 249.
48. Ibid., 210.
49. "Isis et
Osiris," XIV.
50. E.g. Papyrus 9908, British Museum; painting at
Theb.
51. Ward, "Freemasonry and the Ancient Gods," illus.
52.
Supra, III, 10.
53. Supra, III, (a).
54. Ward, "Freemasonry and the Ancient
Gods," I
55. "Masonic Record."
56. Part I, VIII, (5).
57. Plutarch,
op. cit., XIII.
58. Ibid., XIII and XV.
59. Part I, IX, (7).
Appendix.
AN APOLOGY ON BEHALF OF THE SYMBOLOGISTS.
When Darwin first carried conviction to the world that man is but a glorified ape his converts made the mistake of searching for "missing links" to complete a chain of evolution connecting modern man with the modern anthropoid. There are, as we now recognize, two chains to be traced, one from each converging to a junction at their common ancestor, and the modern types of all animals, including man, are now pictured as situated at the tips of the twigs of the tree of evolution: no two twigs are directly joined though all arise from a common stem.
Now, I think, judging from remarks I have often heard, that there are some Masons who are bewildered at the number of explanations of the ritual given to them by different authors and lecturers on Masonic origins. They are beginning to feel that somebody is taking advantage of them, but they cannot be sure which of their instructors is right and which are wrong, for surely they cannot all be right. This feeling is, I fear, in danger of reviving the old parties of Ancients and Modems. The students who have convinced themselves and their followers that Masonry has been handed down from time immemorial will form the Ancients, and the Moderns will be recruited from reactionists who are suffering from a kind of mental dyspepsia caused by a, diet too rich in apparently contradictory theories.
I must confess myself a convinced Ancient, and I would crave the indulgence of the potential Modern while I attempt, as briefly as possible, to prove to him that these many theories are not necessarily contradictory; that these writers and lecturers may all be right. The fact that I do not personally agree with all of them does not affect the matter at all ; I merely want to show that they may be right, and that such an admission does not prove me wrong.
I would ask the reader to apply the simile of the Tree of Evolution to the evolution of Masonry. He will see that the ceremonies of which he has heard as prototypes of Freemasonry may be placed in one of two positions on that tree - either as the tip of a twig or at the fork of a branch, according to the period at which it is being considered. Modern Freemasonry (including the "higher degrees") we will put at the tips of twigs - the twig may become a branch later but with that we are not concerned now. The Mysteries of Ancient Egypt, for example, will be placed at the fork of a branch, and the point I wish to make is that the twig of modem Craft Freemasonry may not be on this branch at all; to trace its connection with the Egyptian mysteries it may be necessary to go down to a lower fork and then climb up again to them along another branch. At this lower fork will be situated their common ancestor, but there is no direct communication between them.
What constituted the trunk of the tree of Masonic evolution we shall probably never know, but personally I regard the modern initiatory ceremonies of savages as a stunted branch growing very low down on it.
Still pursuing the same simile, and passing from the general to the particular, think of the number of personages whom, you have been told from time to time, the J.W., for instance, typifies; (I myself have a brand new theory founded on my experiences in Central Africa, but I spare you that now). Consider our tree of evolution as applying to that officer only and you will see, I think, that every one of the impersonations you have heard claimed for him may be true. Sitting on one branch will be the member of the Mexican Trinity with the unpronounceable name; on another is Bro. Ward's favorite Vishnu; over there is Bro. Churchward's Anup, and so on. So long as the essayist does not dogmatically state that his particular identification of the JW. sits on the branch which bears the twig of modern Craft Freemasonry who is to say him nay ? Observe that the discovery (or creation ?) of another branch to the tree does not subvert all or any of the previous identifications; they are all forms of the original J.W. which have developed under the influence of different cults at different periods or in different parts of the world.
I may mention here that my experience of the primitive type of mind leads me to the conclusion that Masonry is founded on Magic. When Magic merged into Religion the magical ceremonies were perpetuated by Custom, allegorized by Mysticism and paralleled in the uninstructed world by Superstition. This is, of course, pure speculation, but I hope at some future time to put before my readers some evidence in support of it.
When anyone shows symptoms of becoming longwinded we say in Africa, "Chisonde huifia njete," which being interpreted means "Salt made from a corn-cob is very sharp," in other words, a little of it goes a very long way. I have said my say.
If my reader is a symbologist, I would ask him to be gentle with his fellow-theorists - they may be as correct as he. If the reader is as yet inarticulate-a listener (and, let me whisper it, the listener is the salt of the earth) - I would urge him not to be dismayed; there may be as many types of the J.W. as there are animals in the world, and all of them just as absolute.
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