Ancient rituals, colorful aprons, hidden handshakes and incomprehensible passwords. The history of Freemasonry is a mystery to many, one secret after another. But for about six million members of an organization spread all over the world, this is not so.
Contrary to popular belief, members of the oldest fraternal organization in the world do not control world governments and the global banking system. The brotherhood, called the "secret" society, is far from such.
Esoteric tradition
The history of Masons does not have a specific date of appearance. This is an ancient esoteric tradition of self-knowledge and self-improvement, which has stood the test of time. In its current form, Freemasonry dates from the formation of the first Great Lodge of England in a tavern in 1717, and before that - the medieval guilds of masons. If we trace the origin of Masonic symbolism even further, it extends all the way to the Roman schools of the Mysteries, the teachings of the Cathars, Kabbalah, the Mysteries of Osirian of Ancient Egypt, the Sumerians, Phoenicians and Socratic thinkers of Ancient Greece.
The oldest record of Freemasonry, known as the Regius manuscript, dates from around 1390. However, the content of this document shows that Freemasonry existed for a long time before its drafting. In the Middle Ages, all Masons were builders of the great European cathedrals and other similar structures of the time in the Gothic style of architecture.
From operational to speculative
According to the story, operational Masons designed the buildings, mined the stone from the quarries and laid it in the walls. They installed arches, columns and pillars. They laid floors and built roofs. Jewelry was cut out, stained-glass windows were made and installed, and sculptures were created. Their work required high qualifications and genius, as well as great knowledge in the field of mechanics and geometry. Representatives of the order were great artists of the Middle Ages.
Masons organized themselves in lodges. They were found in temporary buildings attached to an unfinished structure. The box was ruled by a Master, assisted by the Guardians. The secretary recorded all the actions in the box, and the Treasurer distributed funds to help the wounded, sick or injured Masters, their widows and orphans. Such lodges were the forerunners of the modern order system.
Brotherhood Strengthening
In the history of Masons, it is indicated that during the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries social conditions survived the revolution and led to the decline of the operational fraternity. To increase their number, Masons began to accept non-operational members. Gentlemen, with no intention of becoming builders, joined the Masonic lodges for social purposes and out of curiosity to the ancient customs of the craft.
In paintings and photos, Masons always appear in official vestments. Since the organization is not public, the members of the order do not disclose the full meaning of each attribute of the clothing.
On June 24, 1717, at least four old lodges of London and Westminster met in the capital of Great Britain and organized the Grand Lodge. Speculative Freemasonry (that is, Freemasonry in the moral and symbolic sense, as opposed to operational) was born in this way. A modern three-level training system was introduced.
Modern builders of the mind, body and soul
The history of the Freemasons suggests that medieval masons selected raw stones cut from quarries in order to build incredible buildings. Modern representatives improve their mind and spirit in personal transformation from a symbolic rough block (raw stone) into an ideal finished (building block).
Lessons are passed in three separate stages, or degrees:
- 1st — enrolled student.
- 2nd - partnership.
- 3rd - becoming a master.
Each degree represents progress in moral and spiritual education and in self-knowledge. The third stage teaches physical death and spiritual rebirth through the history of Hiram Abif, the master builder of the Temple, King Solomon and the central figure of Masonic education.
The temple of King Solomon, built in 970 BC, was considered the greatest structure ever erected, and the earthly symbol of the creation of man under the guidance of God. The Brotherhood uses the Temple as a symbol of a person who should strive to create a superstructure for himself, perfect in all parts - mind, body and soul.
To the question of religion
According to the history of the Freemasons, this organization recognizes the existence of a higher being, and new members are required to practice faith. In addition, the fraternity does not have religious requirements or dogmas, nor does it teach specific religious beliefs:
- Freemasonry is not a religion and does not replace it. It requires its members to believe in a higher being as part of the responsibility of every responsible adult, but does not protect any religious faith or practice.
- Atheists cannot be Masons.
- Ceremonies include prayers, both traditional and modern, to confirm the dependence of each person on his higher being and to seek divine guidance.
- Freemasonry is open to people of different faiths, but religion cannot be discussed at Masonic meetings.
There are no basic elements of religion:
- Freemasonry has no dogma or theology, no desire or means to ensure religious orthodoxy.
- It does not offer any sacraments.
- It does not claim salvation by deeds, secret knowledge, or any other means.
- The secrets of the brotherhood are connected with methods of recognition, and not with means of salvation.
The importance of Masons in religion is not noted. Senior representatives fully monitor compliance with established rules for maintaining neutrality in social and spiritual matters.
Secrets of Freemasonry
Secret stories of Masons note that the main secret is recognition marks, both physical and oral, which representatives of the boxes of the whole world use to prove and recognize each other.
The ritual says that the representative’s handshake is “a kind of friendly or fraternal grasp, through which one member of the order can recognize another in the dark, as in the light”.
It is pretty simple. Having shook hands with each other in various ways, the representative of the order identifies another Mason - a person with whom he has common connections, and the level of training he achieved. However, none of the representatives of the chambers openly speaks about this. The secret stories of Masons at the same time only attract new lovers of conspiracies. But most of the stories are no more than myths and fiction.
Masonic recognition methods - handshakes and passwords - are easy to find on the Internet. But a simple search on Google will not allow the protection of this eternal organization. To know the signs of recognition - physical secrets - does not mean to know everything about the order.
The main purpose of the brotherhood
What are masons by definition? This is an experience of the heart, mind and soul, and not a single person can claim other people's beliefs of this kind. While the purpose and significance of the order is difficult to determine due to the personal nature of the Craft, a simple answer is found on the pages of the fraternal ritual.
The purpose of Freemasonry is set during the opening of the Lodge, in an exchange between the two chief officers, known as the Honorable Master and Senior Guard.
The main officials of the Masonic lodge are:
- Honorable Master (Responsible).
- Senior Overseer (second responsible).
- Junior Overseer (third responsible).
Among other officials:
- Secretary
- Treasurer.
- Senior deacon.
- Junior Deacon.
- Chaplain.
- Tyler
- Marshall
As the members of the fraternity themselves say, they are here to learn to suppress their passions and perfect themselves in Freemasonry. Here is a clear answer to what Freemasonry is and what the people in it do. It should be noted that lodges can interpret their goals in different ways. As a result, the answer to the question of what Masons are by definition of history will be more blurry. This is due to the different periods of formation of branches and the influence of local culture on them.
Famous personalities
For the entire period of the existence of the order, outstanding personalities also entered it. Reviews about the Freemasons are found today. The information contained in the teaching has existed for many centuries, some of the manuscripts are more than 2 thousand years old. They were used by such great minds as Pythagoras, Lao Tzu, Plato and Aristotle.
In later times, Masonic symbols influenced figures such as George Washington, Buzz Aldrin, Sugar Ray Robinson, Theodore Roosevelt, Yitzhak Rabin, Winston Churchill, Jesse Jackson and Billy Graham. Walt Disney, Captain James Cook, Lewis and Clark, Mark Twain, Oscar Wilde, Wolfgang Mozart, Pat Miyagi Morita and Shaquille O'Neill - they all took part in Masonic training. He was introduced to such symbols as a pencil, square, circle, beehive, level, chisel, skull and crossbones, as well as a sword. Each of the emblems carried its own meaning.
Personal occupation of each
The organization of Masons is a deeply personal affair and means something special for each of its practitioners. It is a person’s obligation to follow a time-tested learning system to improve the mind, body and soul.
Freemasonry is a science, philosophy, art and universal knowledge that provides an understanding of how a person fits into the universe, and how the universe fits into it. Thanks to this knowledge, Masons recognize themselves and their function in existence and improve it for a better position in life.
The emergence of lodges in Russia
With each century, the order expanded. The history of Masons in Russia began at the beginning of the 18th century. According to legend, Peter the Great was the first freemason in Russia, although this statement is often disputed. Surely later, other famous Russians joined him: from the great poet Alexander Pushkin to the head of the 1917 Provisional Government, Alexander Kerensky. Masonic lodges in Russian history had an ambiguous reputation and were banned several times.
English origin
The history of Masons in Russia began in 1731, when the Master of the Great Lodge of England, Lord Lowell, appointed Captain John Phillips as the Grand Master of Russia, who later preached among a small circle of foreigners in the service of the Russian Empire. In fact, in Russia the lodge was necessary for locating local English merchants, who were also Masons and demanded that the “center” allow them to hold official Masonic meetings.
The Russian nobility entered the fraternity only in the 1740-1750s, and during this period Freemasonry was more a fashion than a vocation. The members of the first Russian lodge, headed by Count Roman Vorontsov, were aristocrats with important historical surnames: Sumarokov, Golovin, Golitsyn.
By the beginning of the reign of Catherine the Great, Freemasonry was already so popular among the elite that it began to attract close attention of the government. The reason was not only that Peter III - the husband of Catherine, whom she overthrew in order to seize power - was an active patron of Masons. The problem of Freemasonry in the country was mainly the fact that the Russian Great Lodges controlled the Russian lodges. And this was considered by the tsarist authorities as a danger.
Drunkenness and Enlightenment
The Masonic meetings in Russia in 1750–1760 functioned in accordance with the “Strict Compliance” charter, developed by the German Knights Templar. The gathering was reminiscent of costumed performances: brothers dressed in iron and decorated with feathers gathered to discuss Masonic problems. Political debates and discussions were banned at such meetings. Then, during the “agape” (a friendly dinner following the discussion), they usually got drunk a lot.
Such "knightly" congregations were popular among Russian nobles, who all served in the army in the 18th century. They had little in common with real Freemasonry, but O. Przhslavsky wrote that “when in the circle of officials the choice of candidates for a vacant position depended on the bricklayer, and if one candidate was a freemason, then regardless of the selection criteria, the chosen candidate was always a member of the fraternity.”
Soon, Yelagin became disillusioned with the Charter for Strict Compliance, and in the early 1770s he received a license from the Great Lodge of England to create an order box in Russia. At the same time, the German baron Georg von Reichel also became the founder of the Freemasons in St. Petersburg, whose box operated according to the Swedish Zinnendorf system.
While Elagin was mainly engaged in the mystical search for the "secret" of the order, the adherents of the Zinnendorf system sought only self-improvement. Despite the large number of lodges (only in Moscow there were 18 of them in the 18th century), there were not so many Russian Masons. There were only 400 people in Elagin’s box, but in 1776 the two groups merged, although the contradiction continued between them.
The battle between Yelagin and Reichel was fought in St. Petersburg, but by the end of the 1770s Moscow lodges began to have a greater influence. Publisher Nikolai Novikov played a crucial role in this period. He was part of the delegation of Russian Masons at the historic Wilhelmsbad Masonic Congress in 1782, in which Russia was recognized as a separate Masonic province.
Prison as the price of enlightenment
After the congress, serious work began. The goal now was to educate people and, more broadly, to develop a taste for the public. Nikolai Novikov began to publish books in the 1770s, and in 1780 he opened the first public library in Moscow, raising funds from famous masons to found stands for printing and books throughout Russia.
He has published primers and Western classical literature. In 1788, the founder published up to 40 percent of all Russian books and magazines, among which was Masonic literature. But it was not she who attracted the attention of the authorities, but the fact that Novikov’s magazines covered the events of the Revolutionary War in North America.
The magazines were checked by Moscow Metropolitan Plato II, who discovered only six "destructive" questions and said about Novikov that he was praying to God so that Christians around the world could be the same.
The secrets of the Freemasons haunted politicians. The persecution did not stop. In 1791, the press was closed. Novikov was convicted when a secret printing press was discovered on his estate. A year later, he received a 15-year prison term as a state criminal. Other important Masons were punished by internal exile.
Since that time, Freemasonry in Russia has been largely banned. Four years later, the new Russian emperor Pavel I pardoned Novikov and his colleagues. The founder did not return to his previous publishing activities and spent the last years of his life on his estate in Avdotino, until his death in 1818.
By the way, when in 1812 Napoleon’s army entered Russia, Novikov’s estate remained untouched, because many French officers were Masons. The same thing happened in Big Vyazemy, in the Golitsyn mansion near Moscow. The walls were decorated with images of apples and acacia, the famous Masonic symbols. The Golitsins were known in Europe as outstanding masons.
Sip of freedom
Although Emperor Pavel sympathized with Freemasonry, he did not lift the ban and did not accept the title of Grand Master of Russia. He chose to become the Grand Master of the Maltese Knights. Freemasonry resumed during the reign of his son Alexander I. The liberal nature of the first years of his reign contributed to development - new lodges were opened, and the number of masons increased. Among them were the Grand Duke Konstantin Pavlovich, the uncle of the poet Alexander Pushkin Vasily Lvovich, the famous statesman Mikhail Speransky, General Mikhail Kutuzov and many others.
By the end of his reign, Alexander was becoming increasingly conservative and suspicious. Rumors and facts about secret societies worried the emperor, and in 1822 he published a decree "On the destruction of Masonic lodges and all secret societies."
The charm of mystery
Masonic and similar lodges again began to open in Russia during the decline of the empire. At the beginning of the 20th century there were many lodges whose charters and rules contradicted each other. In any case, they did not have much influence on the political life of the country.
Despite the fact that many members of the Provisional Government were Masons, the harsh political conditions of the discussions at the beginning of the 20th century were drowned out by more serious problems. According to Yevgeny Pchelov, an expert on the history and genealogy of the Romanovs, "to think that the Masonic conspiracy was behind the February revolution is an exaggeration and conspiracy theory."
Bees believes that the legend that Peter the Great was a freemason can be characterized in the same way.
There are no documents, there is no evidence to confirm this, and this is absolutely impossible: the legend says that the king joined the Freemasons during his visit of the Great Embassy to Europe (1697–1698) before the official formation of Freemasonry in 1717.
In each era of the history of the “masons” we are faced with myths and riddles regarding Freemasonry, which attracted the rich and noble Russians. One can only wonder what the future of Freemasonry looks like in Russia now. It was revived in Russia in 1990, when George Dergachev became a member of the order.
In 1991, under the license of the Grand Orient de France, the first Masonic lodge was founded in Moscow. The Grand Lodge of Russia was created in 1995 and since then has opened almost 50 meeting places. The current Russian grandmaster is politician Andrei Bogdanov, who in 2008 ran for president.
Main characters
The symbolism of the Masons can be traced to the beginning of the appearance of the order, and it reflects the beliefs and traditions of the Brotherhood. The list below will examine the history and meanings of some of the most important signs for representatives of this organization.
1. Compass and angle
According to the Masonic value, both the compass and the square are the tools of the architect and are used in the ritual of the order as emblems for teaching symbolic lessons. They can often be seen with the letter G in the middle, which denotes geometry, science. It helps to unravel the secrets and wonders of nature.
An ancient tradition says that the letter G, placed in the center of the symbol, represents God and geometry. Faith in God is a basic requirement for becoming a freemason. No atheist can be a member of this oldest, largest, and most widely recognized fraternal community in the world.
The compass (to draw circles) represents the kingdom of spiritual eternity. It is a symbol of the determining and limiting principle, as well as endless boundaries.
Angle measures the square, the symbol of the earth, and the kingdom of the material. The square teaches us to coordinate our actions with all of humanity, it is also the emblem of the Master of the Lodge, because it is considered the proper Masonic emblem of his position. The square also represents justice, balance, stability, giving the basis for construction.
Together, the compass and the square represent the fusion of matter and spirit and the fusion of earthly and spiritual duties. Like measuring instruments, they represent judgment and insight.
2. Sheepskin apron
The essence of the Masons lies in their ceremonial clothing. This is the most iconic symbolic emblem of the order. They say that he is more noble than the Roman eagle or the golden fleece. A Masonic apron is literally a sign of a Mason, which he carried with him into the next existence. The apron of sheepskin glorified in poetry and prose is the initial gift of Freemasonry to the candidate, and at the end of the pilgrimage he is placed on his remains and buried with his body in the grave.
This dates back to the old days when masons wore a long apron of thick leather to protect themselves from splinters. As part of protective clothing, the apron symbolizes hard work and at the same time helps to create and maintain a strong bond of belonging to one brotherhood.
They say that the apron symbolizes a “pure heart”, gloves - “clean hands”. Both things are connected with the purification, which in Freemasonry has always been symbolized by ablution, which preceded ancient initiations into teachings and secrets.
3. Gloves
All masons in the world wear this attribute, which is a sign. Gloves symbolize the "work of the hands." This piece of clothing, given to the candidate, is intended to teach him that the actions of the mason should be as clean and impeccable as the gloves that he is now given. In Europe, they are issued to candidates along with an apron. The same custom previously prevailed in England. Now (in Europe and America) gloves do not participate in the ceremony, but the brothers wear part of the Masonic clothing. The gloves tradition is very old. In the Middle Ages, workers wore gloves to protect their hands from the effects of work.
4. The Temple of Solomon
It is a temple of humanity, knowledge and perfection. Symbol of purpose and the union of Freemasonry. This is the path to the divine. Many believe that philosophy is directly related to the past, present and future of Freemasonry and to the temple of King Solomon. Temple worship is considered progress on the path to spiritual exaltation. There is a difference between a material and a spiritual temple, which must be built in our heart and be considered the dwelling place of God.
5. The All-Seeing Eye (The Eye of Providence)
What does “Mason” mean, this powerful symbol, which has been used for hundreds of years, if not longer, can tell. Some scholars trace its history to ancient Egypt and the Eye of Horus. The symbol was an important Christian sign, which can often be found on stained glass windows of churches.
In the United States, the Eye of Providence is often associated with conspiracies, the Illuminati, the Vatican, and the Freemasons who began to publicly use the symbol in 1797. The All-Seeing Eye is a reminder that the thoughts and actions of mankind are always controlled by God (who in Freemasonry is called the Great Architect of the Universe).
6. Ashlar
Who are the Masons and what are they doing, an interesting question for many. As the representatives of the order themselves say, it is enough to understand the essence of this sign, and then many questions will disappear. Ashlar is rude and ideal - these are not just two pieces of stone, but a clear idea of ​​what people have and what they hope to become. Signs symbolize the moral and spiritual life of man.
Ashlar is a very beautiful symbol. Rough, uncouth and perfectly processed stones have the same relationship to each other as ignorance for knowledge, death for life and light for darkness. Unprocessed natural stone is a symbol of the natural state of people's ignorance. Ashlar is a combination of uncouth and perfect (polished and smooth), ready to build stone. It is a symbol of the state of excellence achieved through education.
In Freemasonry, this means that through education and the acquisition of knowledge, a person starting as a Rough (imperfect stone) improves his spiritual and moral being and becomes like the Perfect. He takes the final step into the Great Lodge Above. He can create a reputation as a wise adviser, a pillar of strength and stability, the Perfect Ashlar, on which young Masons can verify the correctness and value of their own contribution to the brotherly order.
7. Labor
Each member of the order has its own responsibilities. The rules of Masons are mandatory. This symbol is considered the best evidence of devotion to brotherhood. Labor is not punishment, but the necessity and nobility that create a better society. This is also the reason why Freemasons wear various symbols representing tools.
When working, a person shows respect and gratitude to God. Good fulfillment of tasks is the highest duty of a person, and labor should bring the greatest happiness and inner satisfaction. For Masons, labor is worship.
8. Level
One of the working tools in construction. It is a symbol of the equality of all people before God. Level measures the evenness of surfaces. This reminds the Masons that they all live their lives at the time level.
9. The Burning Star
The Burning Star in the Lodges represents Sirius, Anubis or Mercury, the Guardian and Guiding Souls. Modern Masons often set this sign. Basically, it is located at the entrance to the chambers of the assembly.
Representatives of the order say that the Burning Star in the center is a symbol of Divine Providence and a memorable star that directed the wise men of the East to the place of the Nativity of our messiah. The word Prudentia (from Latin “wisdom”) in its original and full meaning meant foresight. Accordingly, the Burning Star is considered the emblem of Omniscience, or the All-Seeing Eye, which for the Egyptian Initiates was the emblem of Osiris.
10. Light
The history of Masons in the world notes that this symbol everywhere accompanied representatives of the fraternity. Today, in teaching, great emphasis is also placed on him. Light is an important symbol of Freemasons, representing truth and knowledge. When a candidate passes initiation and understands the truths of Freemasonry, he is considered enlightened. Although many ancient civilizations worshiped the Sun, for Masons, light is not material, but a representation of knowledge. The term leads to the Sanskrit concept, which means "radiance."
11. Cedar
It is a symbol of eternity. Cedar is a durable and powerful tree, reaching 40 m in height. A tree from the Lebanese mountains (cedrus libani, cedar of Lebanon) is considered the national symbol of this country. The sign is located on the Lebanese flag, also known as "cedar ground." Photos of the Masonic symbol can be found on many official resources of the order.
This cedar was used to build the Temple of Jerusalem and the Ark of the Covenant. The tree is often mentioned in the Bible and is found in Masonic legends.
12. Acacia
For Masons, acacia is a symbol of the immortality of the soul. By its nature, this sacred plant reminds one that all people should strive to follow the best spiritual path within us. Spirituality as an emanation (distribution) from the Great Architect of the Universe, and in this sense, it will never die. Acacia plays an important role in the ritual of Freemasonry, and the plant is a symbol of innocence.