the lewis
CHAPTER XXIV
part II - Symbolism and the Teachings of Freemasonry
THE SQUARE AND COMPASSES
W.
M. Don Falconer PM, PDGDC
The lewis is a device that enables an operative freemason to
raise large stones to the required heights and set them in place
with safety and precision.
The lewis is a device that has been used by stonemasons and
erectors for many centuries. It provides an anchorage in a stone,
which enables lifting tackle to be attached to assist in the raising
and lowering of stones that are too heavy or too awkward to e
man-handled into position during transportation and erection. The
first time that a speculative craft freemason learns about the lewis
is usually as an entered apprentice, during the lecture on the
tracing board, when he is told that lewis denotes strenth and
signifies the son of a mason. The use of the word in speculative
craft freemasonry seems to have arisen as a result of the old
friendship between France and Scotland, which came to be known as
the "Auld Alliance".
The seeds of the friendship between France and Scotland were sown
in Scotland during the reign of David I (1124-1153), who was more
Normanised than his predecessors. After subduing the rebellious men
of Moray in 1134, David I parcelled out their lands to is French
speaking Norman adherents. The friendship between France and
Scotland crystallised during the reign of William I, King of Scots
(1165-1214) and known as "The Lion", who was having difficulties
with Henry II of England and sought the assistance o Louis VII of
France in 1166. However the alliance was not formalised until during
the struggle for Scotland's independence from England, when a joint
council was established and a treaty was signed between France and
Scotland in October 1295, during the reign of John Balliol
(1292-1296).
One of the earliest initiatives that resulted from this
friendship was the involvement of the Travelling Masons of France in
the design and construction of the Abbey of Kilwinning, which was
founded about 1150. The French operative freemasons introduced the
device into Scotland as a leveor. The Scottish operative freemasons
were soon calling the device a lewis, which at first sight appears
to be an adaptation of the French word. Nevertheless, the intimate
association between the operative freemasons and the clergy in those
days must not be overlooked. The clergy regularly spoke in Latin,
which at least the Master Masons must have understood and spoken, so
that the word lewis is more likely to have been an adaptation of the
Latin word leuis which means to le itate. Whichever was the
derivation, it was not long before lewis was used in Scotland to
designate the son of a freemason as well as the device to which it
originally referred. It is relevant to note that lewis was not known
in England until it was introduced by the Reverend Dr James Anderson
D.D. (1684-1739), a Scottish freemason, when he prepared the second
edition of the Book of Constitutions for the original Grand Lodge of
England in 1738, in which he referred to the eldest son of a
freemason as a lewis.
The Constitutions and Laws of the Grand Lodge of Antient Free and
Accepted Masons of Scotland permit sons of Master Masons under the
Grand Lodge to seek admission when they have attained the age of
eighteen years instead of the twenty one years otherwise required,
which now is also allowed under the United Grand Lodge of New South
Wales. The Constitutions of the United Grand Lodge of England do not
make any similar provision, although there is a custom, as distinct
from a rule, that a freemason's eldest so may be initiated before
any other candidate under consideration at the same time, but not in
precedence to any candidate who has already been approved for
admission.
The term lewis is not used in the United States of America,
except under the Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania, where it appears in
the Constitutions drafted in 1727, only ten years after the first
Grand Lodge was formed in London and 110 years before the United
Grand Lodge of England was formed. No right of early admission is
recognised in the United States of America, although some lodges
hold ceremonies to welcome new offspring of members and some
establish endowments in the names of the offspring, which are passed
over to them after their initiation.
A great deal has been written about the origin of the name, but
much of it is fanciful, such as the suggestion that it arose in
consequence of its use by an architect in the service of Louis XIV
of France (1638-1715). In fact the device and its name were in
common use in France from an early date, but that was as a direct
result of the Roman occupation and the similarities of language. The
probable derivation of the word has already been mentioned in
connection with the use of the device in Scotland during the 1150s,
but some further comments are relevant. The Latin word leuis,
meaning to levitate, gave rise to the Middle Latin word levis
meaning light in weight. Both of these words aptly reflect the
purpose of the lewis, which is to make the lifting of a stone easy,
or in the vernacular to lighten the load. The early Latin leuare,
the Middle Latin levare, the Old French leveor, the Middle English
levour and the modern English lever are all descendants of the Latin
leuis and have the same meaning. Moreover, euis would be spelt as
lewis in modern English.
It is of interest to note that by 1676 the Compagnonage, the
brotherhood of masons who comprised the Compagnons du Tour or
Travelling Masons of France, had changed their name for the lifting
anchorage to louve meaning a she wolf, which is the feminine of loup
meaning a wolf. It is said to be in allusion to the vice-like grip
of a she-wolf's jaws when angry. From that date onwards the
Compagnonage also referred to the son of a mason as a louveteau
meaning a wolf cub and to the daughter of a mason as a louveine.
These expressions seem to have originated from a play on words, most
probably having in mind a requirement in ancient Egypt for the
candidate in the Mysteries of Isis to wear the mask of a wolf, in
deference to the wolf-headed god Upuaut, which signifies "he who
opens the way", which is a most appropriate symbolism for a
candidate in freemasonry. The god Upuaut must not be confused with
another Egyptian god of similar appearance, the jackal-headed god
Anubis which signifies "the Lord of the land".
In its usual form the lewis comprises two iron or steel wedges
separated by an iron or steel spacing plate which, when assembled
together, form a dovetailed tenon that was fitted into a dovetailed
mortice cut in a stone to receive it. The cross-section of the
spacing plate usually is three times as wide as it is thick and its
length usually is about four times its width. Each wedge has the
same length and width as the spacing plate, but its thickness
varies. About a quarter of the length of each wedge at is upper end
has the same cross-section as the spacing plate, but the lower three
quarters of the length is tapered only on the face that will be its
outer face when the wedges are placed back to back with the spacing
plate between them. The taper is such hat the lower end of each
wedge is one and one half times as thick as its upper end.
Matching holes are provided in the upper ends of the two wedges
and the spacing plate, so that a shackle bolt can be inserted
through them when the lifting device has been assembled in the
dovetailed mortice cut in a stone to receive it. The shackle bolt
olds the three pieces in their correct positions when the lifting
tackle is attached. In ancient times the lifting tackle would have
been supported from a tripod or a guyed gin pole, but nowadays a
mobile crane generally would be used for lifting. When two wedges
and a spacing plate of these proportions have been assembled in this
fashion, the cross-section of the device at the upper end of the
tapered section is a rectangle with sides of four units and three
units, whilst the cross-section at the lower end is a square with
sides of four units, thus forming a dovetailed tenon.
It is obvious that, if a tapered hole of these dimensions is cut
into a stone to form a dovetailed mortice, the two wedges can be
inserted into the hole when placed back to back. If the wedges are
moved apart after they have been inserted into the mortice the
spacing plate can then be inserted between them. A suitable working
tolerance is allowed in the cross-sectional dimensions of the
mortice, so that the components of the device can be inserted
easily. The mortice also is made slightly deeper than the tapered
length of the wedges forming the tenon, so that after lifting the
stone the device can be tapped down into the mortice to free the
spacing piece, which can then be removed to allow the wedges to be
removed. When the mortice is being cut into a stone, it is commenced
as a rectangle four units by three units in cross-section at the
surface and continued with these dimensions to the required depth of
the mortice. The sides of the hole that are four units wide are then
progressively undercut, so that its full depth the mortice is a
square with sides of four units.
Although the device is simple to use, the location of the mortice
to receive it is of utmost importance. It is preferable to use a
single lifting point when this is practicable, because this allows
for a simple arrangement of the lifting tackle which will permit the
stone to be rotated and swung into position with the least
difficulty. To achieve this, the mortice should be cut directly
above the centre of gravity of the stone. If the stone is square or
oblong in plan the location of the mortice is easy to determine,
because it is at the intersection of the diagonals. If the stone is
a T-shaped footing corner stone it can still be lifted from a single
point if it is not too heavy, but greater skill is required to
determine the point.
When it is necessary to lift a stone such as an L-shaped corner
stone, great care must be exercised and at least two lifting points
must be used required, for example at the midpoints of the two legs.
The stonemason must exercise considerable skill when determining the
actual dimensions of the device and the direction in which the
mortice must be expanded towards the bottom. If the device is too
small, it will pull out when the stone is being lifted. If the
mortice is expanded in the wrong direction, the stone may split when
being lifted. If the stone is too soft or is badly laminated it may
not be possible to use a lewis. Great skill and care is also
required when determining the number and locations of the lifting
points, especially for awkwardly shaped stones and for very large
stones.
The lewis was used extensively by the Romans from long before the
Christian era, which has been confirmed by wide ranging
archaeological investigations. It is not known whether the lewis was
used by the builders who preceded the Romans, but having regard to
the extraordinary building skills displayed by the ancient Egyptians
and the Phoenicians in particular, the Romans probably acquired the
art from them. As earlier archaeological investigations tended to
concentrate on the recovery of artifacts, the evidence could easily
have been overlooked. Some interesting examples of the known use of
the lewis by the Romans include the construction of the colosseum in
Rome, which was completed in 80 BCE; the construction of the
amphitheatre in Pompeii, which was commenced in 70 BCE; and the
construction of the temple at Baalbek from about 60 CE until about
250 CE. Baalbek is of special interest, because the size and weight
of many of the larger stones in the Temple of Jupiter, the first of
the Roman temples that was constructed there, necessitated the use
of multiple anchorages to enable them to be lifted and placed into
position. Several examples of stones that have multiple anchorages
are easily found among the ruins of Baalbek.
The Romans introduced the lewis into Britain for the construction
of Hadrian's wall around 200, when it was erected to prevent the
incursions from Scotland into England. An astute observer can still
find mortices in many of the more massive stones in the ruins of
Hadrian's wall. Later, when Oswey was king of Northumberland, the
Saxons used the lewis when they constructed the abbey at Whitby,
which was founded by St Hilda in 657 to accommodate the monks and
nuns. Whitby Abbey was the chief seat of learning in the north of
England for several centuries. Thereafter the device was used widely
in England, although it was not known as a lewis until the name was
introduced from Scotland by Dr James Anderson.
Although the lewis is a remarkably simple device, a great deal of
skill and precision is required when fabricating its components and
when locating and cutting the mortice in the stone. To choose the
wrong size of the device; to choose the wrong location for the hole;
to orient the undercutting of the hole incorrectly; or to fail to
match the size of the mortice and its undercut surfaces accurately
with the assembled tenon, at the very least would damage the stone,
but could split it or allow it to fall. rovided that everything is
done correctly, the stone can be raised with ease, rotated as
required and placed in position accurately and without damage. Thus
the lewis symbolically comprehends the teachings of all the working
tools of an apprentice freemason, reminding us that knowledge,
grounded on accuracy, aided by labour and sustained by perseverance
will, in the end, overcome all difficulties, raise ignorance from
despair and promote happiness in the paths of science. Furthermore
the lewis is a most appropriate symbol of strength.
It is clear from the derivation of the name that lewis, when used
with reference to the son of a freemason, originated with the
Travelling Masons of France, many of whom who were engaged to
construct the Abbey of Kilwinning in Scotland during the 1150s. This
use of the expression was transmitted from operative freemasonry in
Scotland to speculative craft freemasonry in England during the
seventeenth or eighteenth century. The lewis is mentioned in the
catechisms of speculative craft freemasons in England from the
eighteenth century, when it was said to denote strength and to be
depicted in a freemason's lodge as a cramp of metal dovetailed into
a stone. The catechisms define the duty of a lewis as being:
"To bear the heavy burden of his aged parents, so as to render
the close of their days happy and comfortable."
The catechisms also define his privilege for so doing as being:
"To be made a mason before any other person, however dignified by
birth, rank or riches, unless he through complaisance waives this
privilege."
From these old catechisms are derived the references in modern
rituals. In modern speculative craft lodges, as well as being
depicted on the tracing board,a lewis is often displayed inserted in
a perfect ashlar suspended from a tripod. The perfect ashlar is
customarily raised from its base when the lodge is opened and set
back on its base when the lodge has closed, respectively signifying
that the lodge has commenced labour or that it has ceased labour and
is going to refreshment.
An anachronism
In Scottish operative lodges in olden times, if an apprentice
serving his indentureship failed to complete his practical training
and could not pass his tests, then he could not be recorded in the
books as an Entered Apprentice. Accordingly he was release from his
bond and thereafter was described in the old Scots tongue as a
lowsance, which sometimes was spelled incorrectly as lousance. The
Scots word signified freedom from bondage, that is liberty, being
derived from the verb lowse, which has a pronunciation midway
between the words loose and louse in English. Lowse means to loose,
to unyoke or to redeem.
In common usage it was customary to use the verb lowse instead of
the longer noun lowsance. A lowsance was not precluded from all
stonework but, like the cowan or dry-stone diker in Scotland, he was
not allowed to be engaged on any tasks requiring special skills, nor
was he allowed to participate in any ceremonial work restricted to
those having the Mason Word. A curious clerical error that purports
to describe a Lewis appears in the Harris MS No 1 that dates from
the second half of the seventeenth century in which the rehearsal of
the charges to a Free Mason says:
"You shall not make any Mold, Square or Rule for any that is but
a Lewis; a Lewis is such a one as hath served an Apprenticeship to a
Mason but is not admitted afterwards according to this manner and
Custom of making Masons."
Clearly the Lewis that is recorded in this manuscript was
intended to be read as a Lowse, but had been confused by the
draftsman who probably was not aware that in Scotland the verb lowse
was commonly used in place of the noun lowsance.
An Anglo-Saxon lewis
Although lewis was not used in England in a masonic context until
1738, the word evolved in the Anglo-Saxon language with a very
similar usage many centuries earlier. Britain is renowned for its
interesting place names, the origins and evolution of which
illustrate the derivation, diversity and richness of the English
language. Countless articles have been written on the subject,
including an extensive series called Notes and Queries which
includes an article on Lewisham, a suburb of London south of the
River Thames. The name literally means the home of Lewis, which
include an article onLewisham, a suburb of London south of the river
Thames. The name literally means the home of Lewis, which is derived
from the Old English ham meaning a home, whence hamlet also is
derived.It is recorded in the Charter of Ethelbert dated 862, that
Lewisham was then known as Liofshema mearc which means the place of
Liofshema, which is derived from the Old English mearc meaning a
boundary or a limit. This Ethelbert was not the sixth century King
of Kent who became the first Christian ruler of Anglo-Saxon England,
but the son of King Ethelwulf who became King Ethelbert I of England
when his father died in 858. As Liof or leof means dear and sunu,
suma or shema means son, the name Liofshema literally means dear
son. By the seventeenth century the place was called Lews'am, whence
the present name evolved through changes of etymology. Thus lewis
evolved through Old English meaning dear son, at the same time
coming through Latin and French and denoting son of a mason.
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