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THE SYMBOLS OF FREEMASONRY
CHAPTER III
Masonic essays (1998)
W.M. DON FALCONER
Symbols are not a recent innovation, but have been in use ever since the
first hominids endeavoured to communicate with their associates, even preceding
articulate speech. Before speech, the only available means of communication was
by gestures, with which it was sought to convey some physical need or personal
desire. As a natural reaction, sounds were uttered in conjunction with
particular gestures, in due course becoming recognisable as representing the
gestures themselves. Words thus evolved, providing a simpler means of expressing
needs and desires. From that time onwards the roles of sound and gesture were
reversed in communication, gestures being used only to give emphasis when
required. Variations of these basic words gradually came into use,
differentiating between objects and actions as well as qualifying them. Thus a
rudimentary grammar developed concurrently with the evolution of coherent
speech, which immutably incorporated symbolism as an integral part of everyday
life. Coherent speech soon fostered a desire to create visual records, leading
in turn to the development of the written word.
In its original form, writing was a series of crude pictograms that
represented individual words, again interchanging the roles of speech and
symbols. Thus were developed the cuneiform writing of Sumeria, the hieroglyphs
of Egypt, the conventionalised characters used in Chinese and Japanese writing
and the very simple pictograms of the American Indians. As language became more
sophisticated, pictographic and hieroglyphic methods of writing became
inadequate, because the embellishments of oral expression could not be recorded.
This gave rise to the development of the early scripts, such as the Sinaitic and
Hebrew, which were based on an alphabet having characters representing physical
objects. Alphabets developed over many centuries, from those of Assyria and
later of Egypt, which used several hundred symbols to represent syllables. These
were followed by the Sinaitic script and its Hebrew derivative, which used
symbols to represent consonants, leaving the vowels to be understood. These
symbols gradually became stylised in the final stage of writing, represented by
both the Greek alphabet and its Roman derivative, which have symbols for
consonants and vowels, allowing every nuance of oral expression to be recorded.
Language and writing are two of the greatest intellectual achievements of the
human race, without which all other achievements would not have been possible.
Language and writing transcend the realms of personal intercommunication and the
maintenance of records, facilitating both logical thought and rational
evaluation. This complex use of symbols enables the mortal mind to contemplate
the wonders of the creation and the Divine promise of a life hereafter, as well
as to explore and progressively to solve the mysteries of the universe. This
clearly distinguishes humankind from all other life on earth.
There can be no doubt that speech and writing, in the process of their
evolvement through the ages, have established themselves as the most pervasive
of all symbols in the modern world. But writing was derived from previously
acquired abilities to draft other symbols, utilising a variety of methods. For
example, the cuneiform script of Sumeria was an adaptation of the wedge shaped
imprints made by a stylus upon wet clay tablets, from about 3,200BC. The
hieroglyphic writing of Egypt was painted on papyrus from 2,800BC or even
earlier, using techniques similar to those first developed by the Magdalenians
for their cave paintings from as early as 15,000BC. Texts, such as the Canaanite
inscriptions on Ahiram's sarcophagus unearthed at the ancient city of Gebal, now
called Byblos, have been carved on stone from at least as early as 1,100BC,
using metal chisels and gravers. These and other practical aspects of the arts
and crafts have been interwoven with the technique of writing from its
inception, thus greatly enhancing the evolution of the symbols.
In the early stages of the development of articulate speech, symbols referred
almost entirely to those objects required for subsistence, augmented by a few
symbols reflecting actions of practical importance in everyday life. As speech
became more sophisticated and writing developed, additional symbols were
introduced to reflect the abstract ideas beginning to formulate in the human
mind. The earliest recording of abstract ideas relates to the concept of the
transmigration of the human spirit to a life hereafter when the body dies, as is
graphically illustrated by hieroglyphic inscriptions in the tombs of the
Egyptian pharaohs. With the advent of cursive writing abstract ideas could be
expressed even more vividly, as exemplified in Ecclesiasts, wherein the preacher
portrays the transitory nature and consummate emptiness of earthly life and the
certainty of death, counterbalanced only by the sure hope of the immortality of
the soul.
The sacred writings of all religions include allegories, or long and
elaborate stories, which illustrate moral principals that frequently are not
stated specifically, being left for the recipient to discover. Briefer parables
also are used, typically showing the application of a moral precept in a
familiar situation, so that abstract principles are represented in a concrete
and vibrant form. The relevant attributes of implements and other well known
objects are used in a similar fashion, to demonstrate the requirements for
proper moral conduct. This use of symbols to convey important religious messages
reached its culmination in the century preceding the Christian era, with the
introduction of the pesher technique. Pesher is a Hebrew word that signifies an
interpretation or explanation, being derived from peshitta, another Hebrew word
which means simple, or plain. Peshitta and its adjectival form, peshito, also
are Syrian words. They are used to designate the principal version of the Old
and New Testaments translated from the ancient Syriac and sometimes called the
Syriac Vulgate. Pesher in the Old Testament signifies "interpretation of
dreams", but in scrolls of the Christian era it is used to explain that a
section of text has a second or special hidden meaning. Many Old Testament texts
are used with the pesher technique to convey special messages, some having been
established by tradition over hundreds of years.
The domain of freemasonry has included the design and construction of
ecclesiastical buildings throughout their history. This has demanded an intimate
and detailed knowledge of religious doctrines and tenets, which must be
reflected in the structure and especially in the detail of its ornamentation.
King Solomon's Temple, completed about 950BC after seven years and more under
construction, is a pre-eminent example of the vision and inspiration required in
the conception and erection of such a building. Every feature of that
magnificent edifice was of religious and symbolic importance. The details
provided in the first books of Kings and Chronicles preclude any doubt of the
comprehensive knowledge that the masons and their associated artificers had of
the symbolism embodied in the structure and its lavish furnishings, both inside
and outside. The renowned Jewish historian, Josephus, records that when Herod
the Great restored the second, or Zerubbabel's Temple, around the beginning of
the Christian era, not only did he carry out the work piecemeal to avoid
interrupting the usual ritual observances, but also trained 1,000 priests as
masons to build the shrine.
The restoration was completed in 64AD, but the temple was completely
destroyed by the Romans in 70AD. Operative masons were then engaged continually
in the massive construction projects of the Roman Empire, until the fall of
Rome, which was captured by the Visigoths in 410AD. This was followed by the
invasion of northern Italy by Attila the Hun in 452AD, then the sacking of Rome
by the Vandals in 455AD. However, Constantinople had become the Christian
capital of the Roman Empire in 330AD, in direct opposition to heathen Rome. As
the Byzantium Empire it established Christianity in the East, carrying out the
first great wave of Christian ecclesiastic building. These great works surpassed
even the efforts of the Persian renaissance, continuing unabated until
Constantinople fell to the Turks in 1453AD. As the Dark Ages from the fifth to
at least the ninth century drew to a close in western Europe, an incredible era
of cathedral building was ushered in, spanning the late Middle Ages through the
Renaissance. Even in Britain, seriously hampered by the Reformation in the
mid-1500's, work on ecclesiastical buildings continued into the 1700's. Hundreds
of churches, castles and civic buildings were constructed. Chartres Cathedral in
France, the first in the "Gothic" style, is a renowned example. York Minster in
England is another prime example; frequently called "poetry in stone", it was
some two and a half centuries in building.
These events spanned almost 3,000 years, usually under ecclesiastical
influence or control, whence the underlying principles of speculative
freemasonry and its symbolism largely derived, developing in parallel with the
operative art. All extant records of the ceremonials in operative lodges confirm
that symbols played a vital part in the teachings of operative free masons,
which stimulated the development speculative contemplation. The incorporation of
symbols into the rituals of purely speculative lodges was a natural extension of
this long established practice. Indeed, having regard to the principles
actuating those who formed the first purely speculative lodges, this was an
inevitable outcome which prompted them to describe freemasonry as "a peculiar
system of morality, veiled in allegory and illustrated by symbols", aptly
defining one of its central tenets.
Freemasonry encompasses all of the symbolism deriving from the ancient
mysteries and the great religions of the world. This does not suggest that every
such symbol is used, or that the usages are identical, but that all important
aspects of symbolism have been incorporated in the teachings and rituals of
freemasonry. In particular, preparation in a personal sense is used to establish
an appropriate receptiveness for moral instruction; masonic implements and other
appropriate subjects are used as symbols to illustrate and teach specific moral
principles; parables provide ethical instruction in some of the shorter rituals;
the exoteric stories in some of the more expansive rituals are woven round
elaborate allegories, establishing a basis for the communication of fundamental
precepts; and the esoteric interpretations of several of these allegories are
concealed in a manner analogous to the pesher technique used in sacred writings
of the early Christian era.
The first symbol encountered in freemasonry is preparation, as in the ancient
mysteries. It combines mental disposition, meditation and symbolic purification,
coupled with the wearing of appropriate apparel and accoutrements. Darkness is
an essential precursor of light, which light is attained by trial through a
symbolic journey. All of these aspects are involved when initiating an
apprentice into a lodge of operative free masons, but the traditional degrees of
speculative freemasonry do not include any symbolic ablution except in one of
the installation ceremonies in the Royal Arch. Baptism by immersion was the
final step in admission to the early Christian church, as it still is in some
sects. But in most modern Christian sects, babies clothed in white are baptised
by sprinkling with water, under the guardianship of an adult, their symbolic
journey being completed later when they are taught the seven bitter agonies of
Christ, learn the creed and are admitted into communion. Muslims perform a
ritual ablution before entering their mosque for prayer, as well as completing
their symbolic journey perambulating round the Kaaba when performing their
pilgrimage to Mecca. All other important religions also include some form of
symbolic preparation, journey and acquisition of light, this procedure having
been regarded from time immemorial as a spiritual rebirth.
The various modes of recognition entrusted to candidates are symbols of
importance, most being of ancient origin when trade secrets were "mysteries" and
the knowledge of them had to be guarded jealously. A wide range of the mason's
working tools, materials, gauges and methods are used symbolically to provide
moral instruction, often, though not necessarily referring to work on King
Solomon's temple. The temple is a pre-eminent symbol in freemasonry. It is an
emblem of a glorious futurity, as was Ezekiel's mystical temple for the Jews
held captive in Babylon. Many aspects of the temple's construction and
dedication about 950BC, its final destruction by Nebuchadnezzar in 587BC and the
construction of the second temple by Zerubbabel between 537BC and 515BC after
the return from captivity in Babylon, are incorporated in dramatic detail in
parables in the traditional degrees. Features of the temple, such as the two
great pillars at the entrance, also are used as symbols. Many of the symbolic
interpretations are so well known as to have become a part of everyday usage,
some early enough to have been recorded in the Hebrew Scriptures.
An important mystical theme is hidden beneath the superficial moral theme of
the more important allegories, which are in the nature of the "Passion Plays" of
the Middle Ages. The first allegory relates to a late stage in the construction
of King Solomon's Temple, when several of the workers feared that they would not
be given the modes of recognition and therefore would not be able to obtain work
after the completion of the temple. When the principal architect was accosted he
remained true to his vows and was slain, so that substitute modes of recognition
had to be used thereafter. The superficial story is that death is preferable to
dishonour and that we must perform our allotted tasks whilst we can, believing
that we will be a rewarded appropriately in a life hereafter. The esoteric
message is that mortal death is only a gateway for the resurrection of the
spirit, which can be achieved by steadfast faith in the Most High. The theme
continues in a dramatic allegory in the cryptic degree of Royal Master, with the
promise that the "True Word" will be preserved in a place of safety,
esoterically signifying that the "True Word" transcends all mortal delinquency
and can always be found through faith.
The second allegory connects the foregoing allegories, also relating to the
construction of the first temple. In its various forms it relates to either the
great cornerstone or to the keystone required to complete the arch of the secret
vault. In the superficial story a diligent and faithful mason prepares a
beautiful piece of stonework, essential to complete the structure. Because it
can not be found on the plans it is rejected and work comes to a standstill.
When the missing stone is recovered and work continues, the skilful craftsman
receives his just reward. The esoteric meaning is that the acceptance or
rejection of this life's work is not within the province of mortal man, the
gates of victory being opened only through the grace of that living Stone which
the builders rejected, but which became the chief cornerstone, as foretold in
Psalm 118 and confirmed in I Peter 2.
A subsequent allegory relates to the period after the destruction of the
first temple, when the captives in Babylon are released by the Decree of Cyrus
and are instructed to return to Jerusalem and rebuild the temple. The ceremony
called "passing the veils" concerns three sojourners who journey to Jerusalem
and present their credentials to the Sanhedrin, asking to be given work on the
new temple. However, the veils allude to the Tabernacle erected by Moses and the
Scripture readings refer to the Exodus story, replicating a ceremonial carried
out every seven weeks by the Therapeutae Essenes of Qumran in the first
centuries BC and AD, exhorting obedience to the Covenant until the second coming
of the Lord. The moral is revealed in the allegory of the Royal Arch, when the
sojourners are put to work to clear away the rubbish in preparation for the
second temple. Through their diligence the "Lost Word" is recovered, teaching
that all men are equal in the sight of God and that the lowest work will receive
full and just reward if properly carried out. The esoteric lesson is that
salvation can be found only through a complete faith in the "True Word",
representing the present, future and eternal "I Am".
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