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beyond the northeast corner
On
Symbols and Allegory
CHAPTER VIII
Richard h. sands
“The Time
has come,” the Walrus said, “to talk of many things,
of shoes and ships and sealing wax, of
cabbages and Kings.”
As we
learned in Chapter I, symbolism and allegory pervade all of society. Freemasonry makes abundant use of
symbols and allegory to teach its lessons, because in this way it speaks to each
person according to his own individual experience. For this reason, the interpretations
given to some of the symbols and allegories discussed here represent the
author’s opinions – they may not agree with yours in every case, although for
the purpose of this book they have been chosen to represent a common view held
by the majority of Brothers. If
this statement appears strange to you, let us remind you that the origins of
Freemasonry are lost in antiquity, and we do not have a book that tells us “this
symbol means this, and that allegorical story means that.” We are left to speculate about their
meanings and to share our ideas with others of our Brothers.
One of the
greatest books on Masonic Symbolism is that by Oliver Day Street entitled
Symbolism of the Three Degrees, George H. Doran Company, New York 1924. It is long out of print; however, it can
be found in many Masonic libraries including that of the Grand Lodge of Michigan
in Grand Rapids. On p. 17 of that book, Brother Street states:
“Approaching
that branch of symbolism which at present concerns us, Masonic Symbolism, it may
be asserted in the broadest terms that the Mason who knows nothing of our
symbolism knows little of Freemasonry. He may be able to repeat every line of
the Ritual without an error, and yet, if he does not understand the meaning of
the ceremonies, the signs, the words, the emblems and the figures, he is an
ignoramus Masonically. It is
distressing to witness how much time and labor is spent in memorizing “the
work”; and how little in ascertaining what it all means.”
The great
Mason and Scholar, Brother Albert Pike, said:
“The
symbolism of Masonry is the soul of Masonry. Every symbol of a lodge is a religious
teacher, the mute teacher also of morals and philosophy. It is in its ancient symbols and in the
knowledge of their true meanings that the preeminence of Freemasonry over all
other orders consists. In other
respects, some of them may compete with it, rival it, perhaps even excel it; but
by its symbols it will reign without a peer when it learns again what its
symbols mean, and that each is the embodiment of some great, old, rare
truth.”
In the pages
that follow we will take three symbols, one from each of the three degrees, and
explore its meaning in the hopes that this study will induce you to delve more
deeply into other symbols and their meanings.
The
Point Within the Circle
From
the first degree comes one of the most complex and meaningful of all of the
Masonic symbols, that of the point within the circle. This is presented in the
Entered Apprentice lecture as follows:
“In
ancient times Lodges were dedicated to King Solomon, because it is said that he
was our first Most Excellent Grand Master or he was the founder of our present
system, but in modern times they are dedicated to Saint John the Baptist and
Saint John the Evangelist, who were eminent patrons of Masonry, and since their
time there is represented in every regular and well governed Lodge a certain
point within a circle. The point
representing an individual brother, the circle representing the boundary line of
his duty to God and man, beyond which he is never to suffer his passions,
prejudices or interests to betray him on any occasion. This circle is embordered
by two perpendicular parallel lines, representing St. John the Baptist and St.
John the Evangelist, who were perfect parallels in Christianity as well as
Masonry, and upon the vertex rests the Book of Holy Scriptures, which points out
the whole duty of man. In going
around this circle, we necessarily touch upon these two lines as well as upon
the Holy Scriptures, and while a Mason keeps himself thus circumscribed, it is
impossible that he should materially err.”
Let us begin
our discussion of this symbol with a discussion of the two Saints John. Why were
they singled out for this honor above all of the other great men, such as Kings
and Presidents, who were members of our Craft? We do not even know if they were members
of our Fraternity – most assuredly they were not! Why then were they chosen as
Patrons of Freemasonry? Because
Freemasonry recognizes the internal and not the external qualifications
of a man!
“No worldly
honors are recognized within our Lodge rooms. The King of England, the President
of the United States, when he enters a lodge is simply “Brother.” He is there accorded no mark of
distinction to which every other Master Mason is not entitled. Who enters a
Masonic lodge leaves his titles, his wealth, his worldly honors, at the
door.”
“How else
can we explain how a man who wore a raiment of camel’s hair and whose food was
locusts and wild honey, and this man who was noted for his excessive modesty and
avoidance of all display, these men who never engaged in any of the pomp and
glory of the world, have been honored by Masons above all others?”
The
Saints John possessed few of the external qualifications which attract the
thoughtless crowd. They possessed all those internal elements that make for the
true man. Beyond all others, the principles of our Fraternity shone forth in
their characters and daily lives, and for it Masonry has honored them above all
others.
In
discussing the point within the circle, let us begin by pointing out its
importance to the operative mason.
He needs the point which is the very center of the circle in order to
test his square. He does this by first drawing a diameter of the circle and then
connecting the ends of that diameter to any point on the circumference as shown
below:
In
this manner, the angle between these last two lines is a perfect right angle
from which he can test his square. One cannot imagine a more important element
for an operative mason than the ability to test his square. For that he needed
the point in the center of the circle in order to draw a diameter, so we see the
importance of one point within the circle.
We know from
our ritual that the compasses as a symbol reminds us that there are certain
bounds in our relationships with our fellowman that we should not cross – you
are the point within the circle, and the circle represents those bounds. When
those bounds are determined by the characteristics of the two parallels in
Freemasonry and the guidance received from the Holy Scriptures, they will be
particularly appropriate.
It is
interesting to trace the historical evolution of this figure. The point within
the circle is found in the early exposures of Masonry, but it is not until late
in the eighteenth century that the full symbol is found. The two parallel lines
represented the times before the Union, the two Great Parallels of Masonry, the
two Saints John, the Baptist and the Evangelist. These were the Patron Saints or
protectors of Masons and the half-yearly festivals were held on their two
commemoration days, 24 June and 27 December, conveniently six months apart and
at which period the installation meetings were traditionally held. William
Preston picks up this point in his lectures and says:
“These two
parallels in modern time were applied to exemplify the two St. Johns as Patrons
of the Order, whose festivities are celebrated near the solstices or the time
when the sun in its zodiacal career touches these two parallels.”
This
is further amplified in one of the syllabus books of William Preston’s lectures
belonging to Rev. L.D.H. Cockburne who was Grand Chaplain in 1817 to 1826 and a
member of the Lodge of Antiquity, Preston’s Lodge from 1819 to 1822. Inscribed in the book is a short draft
of a section of a lecture dealing with the dedication of the Temple, and part of
it reads:
“How is this
designated in Lodges?
By a point
within a circle with two parallel pillars described as tangents to that
circle.”
“Why?
As
representing the Centre of the Universe, the Divine Architect, whose goodness we
represent in the sun and for the benefits we derive from this great
luminary.”
“What does
the circle represent?
The Zodiac
is here represented as the prescribed motion of the Sun’s system to mark the
limited nature of the most wonderful creatures we behold.”
“What do the
parallels represent?
The tropics,
to remind us of the Superior being who has set bounds to all creatures and
prescribed the limits of planetary systems.”
Webb, the
American who introduced many of Preston’s ideas to Masons in the 1790s and
after, saw the point as an individual brother and the circle as representing the
boundary line of his duty to God and man.
John Fellows, who quotes Webb in his The Mysteries of Freemasonry (1871),
speaking for himself says:
“The point
in the centre represents the Supreme Being; the circle indicates the annual
circuit of the sun; and the parallel lines mark out the solstices within which
that circuit is limited. The mason,
by subjecting himself to due bounds, in imitation of that glorious luminary,
will not wander from the path of duty.”
Notice that
all seem to agree on the important lesson of constraint which is found in this
symbol; however, they differ in the detailed interpretations. It is useful to go
to John Browne’s Master Key of 1802, because in 1816 when Freemasonry was made
non-denominational, the Grand Master of the day, the Duke of Sussex, decreed
that the lectures should be based upon the old lecture system such as that found
in Browne’s Master Key. In this Key there is a series of questions and answers
leading up to the point within a circle:
“Our Lodge
being ornamented, furnished and jeweled, to whom do we generally dedicate
it?
To King Solomon.”
“Why to King
Solomon?
Because he
was the first Grand Master who brought Masonry into due form and under whose
royal patronage many of our mysteries received their first
sanction.”
“As King
Solomon was a Hebrew long before the Christian era, to whom do we now dedicate
our Lodge?
To Saint John the Baptist.”
“Why to
Saint John the Baptist?
He was the
harbinger or forerunner of our Savior, who preached repentance in the wilderness
and drew the first line of the Gospel through Christ.”
“Had he any
equal?
He had; Saint John the Evangelist.”
“Wherein was
he his equal?
He, coming
after the former, finished by his zeal what the other began by his learning and
drew a line parallel.”
“What is the
first point in Masonry?
Left knee bare and bent.”
“Wherein is
that the first point?
In a
kneeling posture I was first taught to adore my Creator and on my left knee bare
and bent I was initiated into Masonry.”
“There is a
chief point.
To make each other happy and to communicate that happiness to
others.”
“There is a
principal point.
A point
within a circle, in going round which it is said the Master and Brethren cannot
materially err.“Explain
that point within a circle.
In all
regular, well-formed Free-masons’ Lodges, there is a point within a circle, in
going round which, it is said the Master and Brethren cannot materially err. The
circle is bounded on the North and South by two perpendicular parallel lines,
that on the North is said to represent Saint John the Baptist, and that on the
South, Saint John the Evangelist. On the upper points of these lines and on the
periphery of the circle, rests the Holy Bible, supporting Jacob’s Ladder, which
it is said reaches to the watery clouds of Heaven. It also contains the dictates
of an Unerring, Omnipotent and All-wise Being, so that while we are as
conversant therein, and obedient thereto, as either of the Saint Johns were, it
will bring us to Him that will neither deceive nor be deceived by us. Therefore by keeping ourselves so
circumscribed, it is impossible we can materially err.”
This
latter work presumably is a fair statement of much on which our masonry was
founded many years ago. Arising as
it did in a Christian country, its religious basis, which come through so
strongly in this extract, was in the Christian faith. When, about 1816, Freemasonry was made
non-denominational, an attempt was made to alter all the specifically Christian
references and this particular passage was considerably altered. The two Grand Parallels became Moses and
King Solomon and the whole passage was shortened as a result. If you journey to
Canada or Great Britain, you will hear that their Lodges are dedicated to Moses
and King Solomon. This is just one example of how their ritual was changed from
the original. When our Lodges go to
Canada or England to portray our ritual, the Lodge members are delighted because
they then see their ritual as it was in the beginning before the
changes.
Corn,
Wine and Oil
From the
lecture in the Fellowcraft degree we find the following:
“You have
now arrived at a place representing the Middle Chamber where you are received
and recorded as a Fellowcraft and are now entitled to your wages as such, which
are the corn of nourishment, the wine of refreshment and the oil of joy, which
denote plenty, happiness and peace.”
The wages of
a Fellowcraft were Corn, Wine and Oil. This is literally true for our ancient
operative brethren, as our old documents abundantly prove. This is not
surprising when you stop to think that these items could be kept for long
periods of time without deterioration, and if you had them, you and your family
would not starve and could even barter these for other needs. It is interesting
to note that corn, wine and oil were sent by King Solomon to Hiram, King of
Tyre, in payment for the supplies sent for the building of the Temple at
Jerusalem. (See II Chronicles, Chapter 2).
Corn was
used to mean any of the grains including salt. (That is how “corned beef” got its name
– it is cured in salt). From the Bible we learn that the term “ears of corn” in
the Book of Ruth refers to barley; when Ruth gleaned “ears of Corn”(Ruth 2:2)
and the result of her day’s gleaning was about an ephah (eight gallons) of
barley (Ruth 2:17); again in John 12:24, “Except a corn of wheat fall into the
ground and die, it abideth alone; but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit.”
Thus corn was used to refer to wheat. In Genesis 27:28 we read, “Therefore God
give thee of the dew of heaven and the fatness of the earth, and plenty of corn
and wine.” Deuteronomy 12:17 “…The tithe of thy corn, of thy wine and of thine
oil.” II Chronicles 32:28 “…Storehouses for corn, wine, and oil.”
In
ancient times, the juice of the grape was placed in jars and left to ferment, in
the process of which the sediment sank to the bottom. If this sediment were left in the wine
its gases, liberated in the process of decay, would rise through the wine and
spoil its flavor. Therefore, it was
necessary to pour the wine into another vessel to separate it from the
sediment. This process was repeated
from time to time until the wine was pure and had no more sediment to be
precipitated. The process, however,
was a delicate one, requiring great skill to prevent stirring up the sediment
and sending its foul gases into the wine.
Therefore, professional pourers used to go from house to house to do this
work. If the wine was not poured
off it was said “to settle on its lees.” The wine that was poured off and made
thus pure, kept for a long time.
With this as
an explanation we can understand the symbolism spoken by the prophet Jeremiah in
Jeremiah 48:11-13: “Moab hath been at ease from his youth, and he hath settled
on his lees, and hath not been emptied from vessel to vessel, neither hath he
gone into captivity; therefore his taste remaineth in him, and his scent is not
changed. Therefore, behold, the
days come, saith Jehovah, that I will send unto him them that pour off and they
shall pour him off and they shall empty his vessels and break their bottles in
pieces. And Moab shall be ashamed
of Chemosh as the house of Israel was ashamed of Bethel, their
confidence.”
To
understand the latter figure of speech we must remember that Bethel was the
place where Jacob had his vision of a ladder ascending from earth to
heaven. It was in this place that
he had his first personal contact with Jehovah and accepted him as his own God.
But it was a poor acceptance and he had as yet received very little spiritual
light; however, as time went on, more light and even further light were in store
for Jacob until his name was changed from Jacob, the supplanter, to Israel, the
one who had strength with God. He
became ashamed of the poor religious faith of Bethel as he passed on to richer
experiences.
Let us now
return to the words of the prophet.
The same spiritual germ was in both Moab and Israel, but while the
religious life of Israel had developed from Bethel to Mount Zion, Moab had never
outgrown the form of worship which Chemosh inspired. It had in fact become more debased. Moab
was far behind Israel in character development and in spiritual life. Thus in
the development of character, men who did not cast off their evil tendencies
were said to have “settled on their lees.”
Wine came to
symbolize not only refreshment, but also restoration of spiritual vigor
and liveliness.
Finally,
oil was refined in much the same way as wine – often in the same vats. It was pressed from the olives, and
poured off from the sediments. Oil was used for many purposes; for example, as a
cosmetic, a medicine, a light-giver, a food, etc. All of these uses have a general
significance which may be summarized as pleasure, joy and
gladness.
The Bible
again gives us the symbolism of oil as a symbol of joy; for example, Psalms
23:5, “Thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.” Or Psalms 45:7, “Thou lovest
righteousness and hateth wickedness, therefore God, thy God, hath anointed thee
with the oil of joy above thy fellows.”
Primitive
people made a fine distinction in comparing the symbolism of corn and wine with
that of oil. In eating the corn and
drinking the wine they were apt to confound the symbol with the essence and
think they had partaken of the very body and blood of their God; but oil was
usually applied externally and was considered as the vehicle used by the divine
spirit or as the bridge over which he passed into the person or thing
anointed.
From the
remotest of time when the memory of man runneth not to the contrary, the spica,
or ear of corn, has symbolized plenty; wine has symbolized health; and oil has
symbolized peace.
The
faithful Fellowcraft was then and is now, therefore, assured that his wages, his
reward, shall be plenty, not mere sufficiency but plentitude to supply all his
physical, moral and spiritual wants; health of body, mind and soul; peace in
this life, in the hour of death and in the life to come.
The
47th Problem of Euclid
From
the lecture in our third degree we find the following:
“The
47th Problem of Euclid was an invention of our ancient friend and
brother, the great Pythagoras, who in his travels through Asia, Africa, and
Europe, was initiated into several orders of priesthood, and raised to the
sublime degree of a Master Mason.’
“This wise philosopher
enriched his mind abundantly in a general knowledge of things, and more
especially in geometry or Masonry.
On this subject he drew out many problems and theorems, and among the
most distinguished he erected this, which in the joy of his heart he called
Eureka, signifying in the Greek language, I have found it, and upon the
discovery of which he is said to have sacrificed a hecatomb, which was a hundred
head of oxen. It teaches Masons to
be general lovers of the arts and sciences.”
There
are many legendary accounts of Pythagoras, but little is positively known. Most
of the accounts we have were written centuries after his death and are not to be
relied upon as historically accurate. He is said to have traveled extensively
through Asia, Africa and Europe. He was a Greek, born in Samos about 575 B.C.
and removed his residence to Crotona in southern Italy about 529 B.C., where
there were several Greek colonies. He is said to have left home because of his
opposition to the political party in power there at the time, of which the
leader was the tyrant Polycrates. At his new residence he founded a school of
philosophy in which he taught the principles of politics, religion, and
ethics. His main purpose was to
teach the principles of the ideal state, and he therefore emphasized the
political virtues. He told his followers that they should always act for the
good of the state, and that their own interests should be sacrificed for the
good of the whole community. To
accomplish this purpose they must learn to subdue their passions and improve
themselves in the moral virtues. (Sound familiar?) The harmony of mathematics
was to him a symbol of the harmony of the soul which they were to strive to
attain. He taught respect for the
authority of the state and his brotherhood was a training school for
citizenship. His ideals were put to the test of practical living, for no theory
was of value unless it bore fruit in action and enabled its adherents to become
better men and citizens. His
followers were to strive to build themselves into a perfect character and as a
means to that end, they were to cultivate the virtues of friendship, morality
and brotherly love. Thus we see from the close similarity between his society
and Freemasonry why he is called “our ancient friend and brother.”
His
followers formed themselves into a community in which they lived together as one
family, eating at a common table and wearing the same kind of clothes. They
studied the seven liberal arts and sciences, particularly mathematics, and
applied themselves to the craft trades. The study of geometry led them to ponder
upon the uniformity and regularity of the universe, which in turn led to the
conception of a Great First Cause. Members of this society had to pass through a
ceremony of initiation in which they were taught “first to hear, then to know.”
It was probably a form of the great popular religious revival which took place
in Greece at this time.
Pythagoras
himself left no writings, and we know of his teachings only through the writings
of his followers. The statement that he was the inventor of the 47th
problem of Euclid has been denied by many students of the subject. It has been
claimed that this proposition was known to the Egyptians long before the time of
Pythagoras, and that he learned it from them and carried it to Europe and Asia.
We have no proof either way. Vitruvius, a celebrated Roman architect of the time
of Augustus Caesar, attributes the discovery of this proposition to Pythagoras.
Plutarch quotes Apollodorus, a Greek painter of the fifth century B.C. as
authority for the statement that Pythagorus sacrificed an ox on the discovery of
this demonstration, but asserts that his proof was different from that given by
Euclid. In fact, so many writers, both ancient and modern, have attributed this
proposition to Pythagoras that it is commonly called by his name: “The Theorem
of Pythagoras.
”On
the other hand, the properties of the triangle whose sides are respectively 3, 4
and 5 were certainly known to the Egyptians and were made the basis of all their
measurement standards. We find evidence for this in their important buildings,
many erected before the time of Pythagoras. In an old Egyptian manuscript,
recently discovered at Kahun and supposed to belong to the time of the Twelfth
Dynasty, we find the following equations:
12
+ (3/4)2 = (1 ¼)2 ; 82 +
62 = 102 ;
22 + ( 1 ½)2 = (2 ½)2 ;
162
+ 122 = 202 ; all of which are forms of the 3-4-5
triangle. The ancient Babylonians
and Chinese also knew the properties of this triangle. It is quite possible that
this accounts for the discrepancy in the statement of Plutarch that Pythagoras
discovered the demonstration of the general proposition, but that the particular
case in which the lengths of the sides are 3,4 and 5 was known earlier to the
Egyptians. Plutarch also thought that the case in which the base and
perpendicular are equal (as in the sides of a square) was likewise known to the
Egyptians. If both of these cases were known to the Egyptians, it would be
natural for one to believe that the general case was known, but that is
apparently not the case.
Pythagoras
set himself the task of finding a general proof for all cases. We are told that he succeeded, but his
method is not known to us. It is known that he understood the principle of
proportional sides in similar triangles, and many students of the subject think
he used this principle in his demonstration. If this was the case, it was
applicable only to commensurate quantities since the validity of the
proportional method as applied to incommensurable lines was not proven until
long after his time.
It
is of interest to note that Euclid could not use the method of proportional
lines, because he needed to use the proposition before he developed the theory
of proportion. Therefore, he invented the geometrical proof often shown in our
slides and lectures:
The author
of these pages will leave the geometrical proof to the reader to ponder (to see
if you remember your high school geometry) and will now proceed to discuss what
was probably Pythagoras’ proof based upon proportional triangles. If true,
Pythagoras used only the lines AC, CB, AB, and CL, but Euclid used the entire
figure, and proved that the square on AC equals the rectangle AK and that the
square on BC equals the rectangle BK. Then in as much as the sum of the two
rectangles equals the square on AB, he obtained the same result as
Pythagoras.
Let us now
look only at the triangle ACB above, wherein Pythagoras presumably drew the line
CL, perpendicular to the hypotenuse AB:
The
proportional method of Pythagorus suggests the steps that he used in his
proof:
Triangles
ACL, CLB and ACB are similar triangles as can be seen by redrawing the picture
with the triangles superimposed as below:
Using the
concept of proportions we can write (referring to the original triangle) that
the ratios of the lengths AL/AC = CL/CB, AL/AC = CB/AB and CL/CB=AC/AB. Using
these proportions, we can write
(AC)2 = AC x AC = (AL x CB/CL) x AC =
AL x (CB/CL) x AC= AL x (AB/AC) x AC = AL x
AB.
Likewise, using
the ratios BL/BC = CL/AC = CB/AB, we can write
(CB)2 =
CB x CB = BL x AB = LB x AB.
Combining these
two equations,
(AC)2
+ (CB)2 = AL x AB
+ LB x AB = (AL + LB) x AB = AB x AB = (AB)2
which proves
the proposition.
While
it is undoubtedly not true that Pythagoras was raised to the sublime degree of a
Master Mason as stated in our Monitors, yet there is so much resemblance between
his teachings and that of Freemasonry that we can understand how the error might
have occurred.
The
Monitor also states that Pythagoras celebrated his triumph in the discovery of
this proposition by sacrificing a hecatomb (one hundred oxen). We can see how
this may have been an outgrowth of the statement attributed to Apollodorus
above. Ovid denies it and Hegel
laughs at it, saying “It was a feast of spiritual cognition, at the expense of
the oxen.” The strongest argument against it, however, is the fact that
Pythagoras taught the doctrine of the transmigration of souls and forbade animal
slaughter. However, when we consider that among many of the ancients the
sacrifice of a number of oxen was their method of expressing their gratitude for
a great triumph, we can understand how the tradition arose, and accept the fact
of joy without caring for the truth of the sacrifice.
The
importance of this proposition is that on this theorem almost all geometrical
measurements depend, which cannot be directly obtained, including many in modern
astronomy.
Allegory
Allegory was
defined on page I-9 in Chapter I and two examples given, one of which was
Masonic. The latter will be expanded upon further in Chapters IX, X, XI, and
XII. Let us here then choose just one more example from our Masonic
Lectures.
To a
thinking mind nearly everything in the Masonic Lectures invites an allegorical
extension. This is one reason why the Brothers can watch and hear the lectures a
multitude of times without being bored.
The
Flight of Winding Stairs
As
an example of the above, let us consider the Flight of Winding Stairs in the
Fellowcraft Lecture. Each of us interprets the symbols of Freemasonry in terms
of our own experiences. When I see the Flight of Winding Stairs I think back to
my youth when as a boy of eighteen, I was touring Washington, D. C. with my
brother and his family. We came to
the Washington Monument and the waiting line to ascend by the elevators was
three blocks long and not obviously moving. Being an impatient and impulsive
young man, I shouldered my four-year old niece and decided to take the stairs. -
a flight of winding stairs - to the observation deck. The first few stories were easy but, as
we climbed higher and higher, walking became harder and harder. Gritting my
teeth and forging upward, I wondered how many more stories I had to climb. “What was around the corner, another
flight of stairs or the observation deck?” I didn’t know!
I was
impressed by the comparison to life – we never know “what is around the corner.”
And the “Flight of Winding Stairs” became an allegory of life as we experience
it. I can never see these in the Fellowcraft Lecture without my mind wandering
to this experience and the allegorical comparison to life. I suspect that many
of you have had similar thoughts.
References
Dyer, Colin,
Symbolism in Craft Freemasonry, Lewis Masonic, London 1983;
Hunt,
Charles Clyde, Masonic Symbolism, Laurance Press Co., Cedar Rapids, IA
1939;
Street,
Oliver Day, Symbolism of the Three Degrees, George H. Doran Co., New York, NY
1924;
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