THE PLANTS AND ANIMALS OF FREEMASONRY
Bro. Brown wrote a paper for Quatuor Coronati Lodge #2076 printed in Vol.
104, 1991 Transactions. This STB is extracted from the longer article. -Editor
There are many reasons why a lodge has a particular name.
Many inns or taverns have borne and still bear names which are wholly or
partially those of plants and animals. Three of our founding lodges in 1717 were
meeting at such houses in London: the 'Goose and Gridiron', the 'Apple-Tree' and
the 'Rummer and Grapes'.
It would take too much time and space to list the present-day lodges which
have either inherited from such sources or have chosen for themselves a name
associated with a plant or an animal. Some are: Oak, Walnut Tree, Arboretum on
the one hand; Beehive, Lion, Swan on the other, these are but instances.
More Ancient than the Golden Fleece or Roman Eagle
It should not be forgotten that an eagle is mentioned in Craft ritual, albet
the 'Roman Eagle', when discussing the antiquity or a freemason's badge. This
derivation comes from the emblem carried by the early kings of Rome--an ivory
scepter surmounted by an eagle. This was later incorporated into the banner of
the legions of the Roman Empire.
The Golden Fleece of classical mythology was the skin of a wondrous ram,
guarded by a sleepless dragon. Jason and his Argonauts went after this prize.
The journey was long and perilous but the dauntless heroes persevered and, after
a series of adventures, eventually reached their journey's end to win the
ultimate prize of their age. This timeless legend, which can be read as an
allegory of life, contrasts vividly with the relatively modern Order of the
Golden Fleece which was created by Philip the Good, Duke of Burgundy in 1429, at
the time when he was ruling the Netherlands. In 1504 the Spanish Hapsburgs took
over the country and the Order. In 1713, however it was newly instituted as an
Austrian honour.
The Dove and Olive Branch
Of all fauna and flora related to a Craft lodge the dove and its olive branch
are probably the most commonly seen. With few exceptions this is the emblem of
the Deacons. It is when they are invested with their collars and jewels that
'the dove bearing an olive branch' has its only place in the ritual. The same
emblem appears on top of a Deacon's wand.
The symbolism originates from Holy Scripture, where we read that a dove was
released from the Ark by Noah, but 'found no rest for the sole of her foot and
she returned; the second time she came back and, lo, in her mouth was an olive
leaf pluckt off', while the third time she 'returned not again unto him.'
(Genesis 8:8-12). In this way, the dove and its olive branch carry the dual
symbolism of the messenger (from the dove) as well as purity, peace and
innocence (from the olive branch).
The fruit of the olive tree is also connected with masonic ritual in that its
oil was used to pay certain of the workmen employed in the construction of King
Solomon's Temple. It is also used in the Consecration of a new lodge, as the
symbol of peace and unity.
The Acacia
There is a good deal of confusion over the shrub associated with the
discovery of Hiram's grave but it is most probable that it would have been
cassia and not acacia. The cassia plant (one species is Cassia acutifolio) was
introduced into Europe in the early eighteenth century at the time when the
ritual was developing. Samuel Prichard's Masonry Dissected (1730) and Anderson's
1738 Constitutions both mention cassia rather than acacia in relation to the
grave. On the other hand the available French sources indicate that they had
already settled for 'a thorny branch called acacia'. We cannot be precise as to
when the change began but at the Union of 1813 it was settled that acacia should
be the word for ritual use and, eventually, cassia was seen no more.
It is worth mentioning that Acacia scyal is the Shittah (plural Shittim) of
Exodus 25:10, the wood from which the Ark of the Covenant and the Tabernacle
were constructed.
To some the Cassia is 'the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil' and 'the Tree
of the Serpent'. The Egyptians revered the acacia and used it to make funeral
wreaths. Legend connects it, with other plants, to the wood of the cross of
Christ, his crown of thorns and the burning bush. There are many aspects to the
symbolism of acacia and, with other plants, e.g., rosemary, box, myrtle and
willow, it reflects a belief in resurrection. Phoenix Lodge of Honor and
Prudence, in its unique ritual, refers to acacia as signifying innocence or
freedom from sin. It appears to bloom and flourish in its place as if to say:
'0, Death, where is thy sting? 0, Grave where is thy victory?' and it thereby
symbolizes immortality.
A Necessity of Life
Corn, with wine and oil, was a weekly wage for some of the workmen at King
Solomon's Temple. In the Holy Land it would have been more likely that the grain
was sorghum or millet (Sorghum vulgare or Panicum miliacemn) but a wide range of
cereals was grown.
'An ear of corn near to a fall of water' is the interpretation of the
test-word used by the troops of Jephthah to distinguish the Ephraimites after
the battle on the banks of the River Jordan. The Hebrew words (Sihlet-Shabioth)
used to distinguish friend from foe have two meanings: 'a flood of water' (not a
'hill') and 'an ear of corn'. Corn is used in the ceremony of consecrating a new
lodge as an emblem of plenty. Under the Netherlandic Constitution a sheaf of
corn stands in the lodge and seeds of the grain are cast for a different reason;
as the ripe corn proves the germinal force of the sown seed so, in the same way,
the life of a Master Mason should bear witness to the strength of the supreme
principle which he is upholding.
Enriched with ... Lilywork and Pomegranates
Both lilywork and pomegranates are named in the Bible in descriptions of the
pillars outside the Temple (I Kings: 7 and 2 Chronicles: 3). The pomegranate (Punica
granatlim) was widely grown in the Middle East in those days and it does indeed
produce a large number of seeds. There are several references in the Bible and
perhaps most interestingly is one in the Old Testament (Exodus 28:33). Here the
robes of the ephod (of Aaron and other priests) were of blue and 'upon the hem
of it thou should make pomegranates of blue, and of purple and of scarlet.
The most likely flower adopted for the lilywork is the Egyptian Lotus. This
was a sacred plant among Egyptians which they used to symbolize the River Nile,
the giver of life (because their livelihood depended on its annual flooding). It
is a water-lily, Nyniphaca lotus, with pink flowers that fade to white.
Pomegranates and the lotus were commonly used (together) in Egyptian
architectural designs and this style spread to the surrounding nations. It has
been suggested that King Solomon's Temple was based on Phoenician designs for
these, in turn, had been derived from the Egyptian pattern. Hiram Abif, the
superintendent of casting, was a Phoenician through his father's marriage to an
Israelite. It is therefore likely that the lilywork and pomegranates stemmed
from Egypt. The white colour of the lilies, however, was probably introduced to
reflect the white of religious tradition. White lily-work denoting peace seems
to be a purely masonic idea.
Industry in the Lodge
The jewel of the Secretary is two pens in saltire tied by a ribbon. The pens
are quills, i.e., made from the primary wing feathers of a bird. There is
probably no deep meaning to be abstracted from this other than to remind us that
the Secretary uses a pen for recording the work of his lodge.
In a masonic pamphlet written about 1725 and often attributed to Jonathan
Swift, bees and a beehive are discussed. By the seventeenth century brethren
they were considered an emblem of industry recommending the practice of that
virtue to all created things from the highest seraph in Heaven to the lowest
reptile in the dust.' The beehive was regularly seen as a masonic symbol from
the middle of the eighteenth century onwards, on tracing boards, certificates,
jewels, glass and pottery. The Lodge of Emulation (now No.21) adopted it as its
emblem more than two centuries ago and still uses it. But, at the Union of 1813,
it was one of several symbols (others were the hourglass, the scythe and the
ark) which were abandoned. It remains, however, as an emblem in Scottish Craft
Freemasonry and many American rituals preserve explanations that had at one time
been current in England.
Conclusion
The genuine symbols of our masonic Craft are there for all to see. It is
often a good thing for each brother to contemplate them and, having done so, to
work out his own interpretations and this I have to some extent practiced for
myself{ We all, of course, learn much from the ritual explanations and can if we
so desire turn to the writings of those who have made a particular study of
symbolism. My own experience, as I have committed myself to paper, is that our
symbols, in providing visual reminders of the lessons learned in lodge, enable a
freemason to carry those lessons into and so enrich his daily life.
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