Ancient rituals, colorful aprons, hidden handshakes and obscure passwords. The history of Freemasonry is for many a riddle wrapped in one secret after another. But for the approximately six million members of an organization spread around the world, this is not the case.
Contrary to popular belief, the members of the world's oldest sister organization do not control world governments and the global banking system. The Brotherhood, called a "secret" society, is far from it.
Esoteric tradition
The history of the Masons does not have a specific date of appearance. It is an ancient esoteric tradition of self-discovery and self-improvement that has stood the test of time. Freemasonry in its present form dates from the formation of the first Grand Lodge of England in a tavern in 1717, and before that by the medieval masons' guilds. If we trace the origin of Masonic symbolism even further, it extends all the way back to the Roman mystery schools, the teachings of the Cathars, the Kabbalah, the mysteries of Osirian of Ancient Egypt, the Sumerians, the Phoenicians and the Socratic thinkers of Ancient Greece.
The oldestthe Freemasonry record known as the Regius manuscript dates from about 1390. However, the content of this document shows that Freemasonry existed for a long time before it was compiled. In the Middle Ages, all Freemasons were the builders of the great European cathedrals and other similar structures of that time in the Gothic style of architecture.
From operational to speculative
According to history, operative masons designed the buildings, got the stone from the quarries and laid it in the walls. They installed arches, columns and piers. The floors were laid and the roofs were built. Ornaments were carved, stained-glass windows were made and installed, and sculptures were created. Their work required high skill and genius, as well as great knowledge in the field of mechanics and geometry. Representatives of the order were the great artists of the Middle Ages.
Masons organized into lodges. They met in temporary buildings attached to an unfinished structure. The Lodge was run by the Master, assisted by the Guardians. The secretary recorded all activities in the lodge, and the Treasurer distributed funds to help the wounded, sick or injured Master Masons, their widows and orphans. Such lodges were the forerunners of the modern order system.
Strengthening Brotherhood
The history of the Freemasons indicates that during the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries social conditions experienced a revolution and led to the decline of the operational brotherhood. To increase their numbers, Freemasons began to accept non-operational members. Gentlemen, with no intention of becoming builders, joined Masonic lodges for social purposes and out of curiosity for the ancients.craft customs.
Masons always appear in official attire in pictures and photos. Since the organization is not public, members of the order do not disclose the full meaning of each clothing attribute.
On June 24, 1717, at least four old lodges of London and Westminster met in the capital of Great Britain and organized a 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 education system was introduced.
Modern builders of mind, body and soul
The history of the rise of Freemasons is that medieval masons selected raw stones cut from quarries to build incredible buildings. Contemporary representatives perfect their mind and spirit in a personal transformation from a symbolic rough block (raw stone) to a perfect finished (building block).
Lessons are taught in three separate stages, or grades:
- 1st – incoming student.
- 2nd – camaraderie.
- 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 story of Hiram Abif, master builder of King Solomon's Temple and a central figure in Masonic education.
The Temple of King Solomon, built in 970 BC, was considered the greatest structure ever erected and an earthly symbol of creationman 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.
On the question of religion
According to the history of the emergence of Freemasons, this organization recognizes the existence of a higher being, and new members are required to profess the faith. Beyond that, the fraternity has no religious requirements or dogmas, nor does it teach specific religious beliefs:
- Masonry is not a religion and does not replace it. It requires its members to believe in a higher being as part of the duty of every responsible adult, but does not advocate any religious belief or practice.
- Atheists cannot be Masons.
- The ceremonies include prayers both traditional and modern to affirm each person's dependence on their higher being and seek divine guidance.
- Masonry is open to people of different faiths, but religion cannot be discussed at Masonic meetings.
Essential elements of religion are missing here:
- Masonry has no dogma or theology, no desire or means to ensure religious orthodoxy.
- It offers no sacraments.
- It does not claim to be saved by deeds, secret knowledge or any other means.
- The secrets of brotherhood are about ways of knowing, not about means of salvation.
The significance of Masons in religion is not noted. Senior representatives fully monitor complianceestablished rules for maintaining neutrality in social and spiritual matters.
Secrets of Freemasonry
The Secret Histories of Freemasons note that the main secret is the signs of recognition, both physical and oral, which representatives of lodges around the world use to prove and recognize each other.
The ritual says that the representative's peculiar handshake is "a kind of friendly or brotherly grip, whereby one member of the order can recognize another in the dark as in the light."
It's pretty simple. By shaking hands in various ways, the representative of the order identifies the other Freemason - a person with whom he has a common connection, and the level of training he has achieved. However, none of the representatives of the chambers speaks openly about this. At the same time, the secret stories of the Freemasons only attract new conspiracy lovers. But most of the stories are nothing more than myths and fiction.
Masonic recognition methods - handshakes and passwords - are easy to find on the Internet. But a simple Google search will not allow you to pass the protection of this eternal organization. Knowing the signs of recognition - physical secrets - does not mean knowing everything about the order.
The main goal of the brotherhood
What are Freemasons by definition of history? It is an experience of the heart, mind, and soul, and no man can lay claim to another's beliefs of this kind. While the purpose and meaning of the order is difficult to determine due to the personal nature of the Craft, a simple answer is found in the pages of brotherly ritual.
The purpose of Freemasonry is established at the opening of the Lodge, in an exchange between the two chief officers known as the Worshipful Master and the Senior Warden.
The main officials of the Masonic Lodge are:
- Venerable Master (in charge).
- Senior warden (second in charge).
- Junior warden (third in charge).
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 how to suppress their passions and improve themselves in Freemasonry. Here is a clear answer to what Freemasonry is and what the people in it do. It is worth noting that lodges can interpret their goals in different ways. As a result, the answer to the question, what are Freemasons by definition of history, will be more vague. This is due to the different timing of the formation of branches and the influence of local culture on them.
Famous people
During the entire period of the existence of the order, outstanding personalities also joined it. Reviews of Masons 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 great minds such as Pythagoras, Lao Tzu, Plato and Aristotle.
In more recent times, Masonic symbols have influenced figures such as George Washington, Buzz Aldrin, Sugar Ray Robinson, Theodore Roosevelt, Yitzhak Rabin, Winston Churchill,Jesse Jackson and Billy Graham. W alt Disney, Captain James Cook, Lewis and Clark, Mark Twain, Oscar Wilde, Wolfgang Mozart, Pat Miyagi Morita and Shaquille O'Neal all took part in Masonic training. They were presented with symbols such as a pencil, a square, a circle, a beehive, a level, a chisel, a skull and crossbones, and a sword. Each of the emblems carried its own meaning.
Personal activity for everyone
Mason organization is a deeply personal endeavor and means something special to each of its practitioners. It is a human commitment to follow a time-honored system of learning to improve the mind, body and soul.
Masonry is the science, philosophy, art and universal knowledge that provides an understanding of how man fits into the universe, and how the universe fits into him. Through this knowledge, Freemasons recognize themselves and their function in existence and improve it for a better position in life.
Appearance of lodges in Russia
With every century, the order expanded. The history of Freemasons in Russia began at the beginning of the 18th century. According to legend, Peter the Great was the first Freemason in Russia, although this claim is often disputed. Surely other famous Russians later joined him: from the great poet Alexander Pushkin to the head of the Provisional Government in 1917, Alexander Kerensky. Masonic lodges have had a controversial reputation in Russian history and have been banned several times.
English origin
The history of Freemasons in Russia began in 1731, when Lord Lowell, Master of the Grand Lodge of England, appointed a captainJohn Phillips Grand Master of Russia, who later preached among a small circle of foreigners in the service of the Russian Empire. Essentially, in Russia, the lodge was needed to accommodate local English merchants who were also Freemasons and demanded that the "centre" allow them to hold official Masonic meetings.
Russian nobility joined the fraternity only in the 1740s-1750s, and during this period Freemasonry was more of a fashion than a vocation. The members of the first Russian lodge, headed by Count Roman Vorontsov, were aristocrats with important historical names: 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 from 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 the Masons. The problem with Freemasonry in the country lay mainly in the fact that Russian lodges were run by foreign Grand Lodges. And the tsarist authorities considered this as a danger.
Drunkenness and enlightenment
Masonic meetings in Russia in 1750-1760 functioned in accordance with the "Strict Observance" charter developed by the German Knights Templar. The gatherings resembled costume performances: the brothers, dressed in iron, decorated with feathers, gathered to discuss Masonic problems. Political debates and discussions were forbidden at such gatherings. Then, during an agape (friendly dinner followed by a discussion), theyusually got very drunk.
Such “knightly” gatherings 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 mason, and if one candidate was a Freemason, then regardless of the selection criteria, the chosen candidate was always a member of the brotherhood.”
Elagin soon became disillusioned with the Charter of Strict Observance, and in the early 1770s he received a license from the Grand Lodge of England to establish a lodge for the order in Russia. At the same time, the German baron Georg von Reichel also became the founder of the Freemasons in St. Petersburg, whose lodge functioned according to the Swedish Zinnendorf system.
While Yelagin was mainly engaged in the mystical search for the "secret" of the order, the adherents of the Zinnendorf system strove only for self-improvement. Despite the large number of lodges (there were 18 in Moscow alone in the 18th century), there were not so many Russian Masons. There were only 400 people in the Yelagin lodge, but in 1776 the two groups united, 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 more influence. The publisher Nikolai Novikov played a crucial role during this period. He was part of the delegation of Russian Freemasons at the historic Wilhelmsbad Masonic Convention of 1782, in which Russia was recognized as a separate Masonic province.
Prison as the price of enlightenment
After the congress, serious work began. Now the goal was to educate the people and, more broadly, to develop the taste of the public. Nikolai Novikov began publishing books in the 1770s, and in 1780 he opened Moscow's first public library, raising funds from famous masons to set up printing and book stands throughout Russia.
He has published primer books and Western classics. 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 journals covered the events of the Revolutionary War in North America.
The magazines were checked by Metropolitan Platon II of Moscow, who found only six "destructive" questions and said about Novikov that he prays to God that Christians around the world can be the same.
The secrets of the Freemasons haunted politicians. The persecution has not stopped. 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 sentence as a state criminal. Other important Masons were punished with internal exile.
From that time on, Freemasonry in Russia was basically banned. Four years later, the new Russian Emperor Paul I pardoned Novikov and his colleagues. The founder did not return to his former book publishing activities and spent the last years of his life on his estate in Avdotino until his death in 1818.
By the way, when Napoleon's army entered Russia in 1812, the estateNovikov remained intact because many French officers were Freemasons. The same thing happened in Bolshoi Vyazemy, in the Golitsyn mansion near Moscow. The walls were decorated with images of apples and acacia, the famous Masonic symbols. The Golitsyns were known in Europe as outstanding stonemasons.
A breath of freedom
Although Emperor Paul 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 Knights of M alta. Freemasonry resumed during the reign of his son Alexander I. The liberal nature of the first years of his reign contributed to the development - new lodges were opened, and the number of masons increased. Among them were Grand Duke Konstantin Pavlovich, the uncle of the poet Alexander Pushkin Vasily Lvovich, the famous statesman Mikhail Speransky, General Mikhail Kutuzov and many others.
Towards the end of his reign, Alexander became 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."
Charm of mystery
Masonic lodges and similar lodges began to open again in Russia during the decline of the empire. At the beginning of the 20th century there were many lodges whose statutes 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 Freemasons, the harsh political conditions of the discussions of the early 20th century were drowned out by more serious problems. ByAccording to Yevgeny Pchelov, an expert on the history and genealogy of the Romanovs, “to think that a Masonic conspiracy was behind the February Revolution is an exaggeration and a conspiracy theory.”
Pchelov believes that the legend that Peter the Great was a freemason can be characterized in the same way.
There is no document, no evidence to support this, and it is absolutely impossible: legend has it that the Tsar joined the Freemasons during his Grand Embassy visit to Europe (1697-1698) before Freemasonry was formally established in 1717.
In every era of the history of the "masons" we are faced with myths and mysteries regarding Freemasonry, which attracted the rich and noble Russians. One can only wonder what the future of Freemasonry looks like now in Russia. It revived in Russia in 1990 when Georgy Dergachev became a member of the order.
In 1991, in accordance with the license of the Grand Orient de France, the first Masonic lodge was founded in Moscow. The Grand Lodge of Russia was established in 1995 and has since opened nearly 50 meeting places. The current grandmaster of Russia is politician Andrey Bogdanov, who ran for president in 2008.
Main signs
The symbolism of the Freemasons can be traced back to the beginning of the appearance of the order, and it reflects the beliefs and traditions of the Brotherhood. The list below will look at the history and meanings of some of the most important signs for members of this organization.
1. Compass and angle
According to the Masonic meaning, both the compass and square aretools 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 stands for geometry, science. She helps unravel the mysteries and wonders of nature.
Ancient tradition says that the letter G, placed in the center of the symbol, represents God and geometry. Belief in God is a basic requirement in order to become a Freemason. No atheist can be a member of this oldest, largest and most widely recognized brotherhood in the world.
The compass (to draw circles) represents the realm of spiritual eternity. It is a symbol of the defining and limiting principle, as well as endless boundaries.
Angle measures the square, the symbol of the earth and the material realm. The square teaches us to coordinate our actions with all mankind, and is also the emblem of the Master of the Lodge, because it is considered the proper Masonic emblem of his office. The square also represents justice, balance, stability, giving a foundation for building.
Together, the compass and square represent the fusion of matter and spirit and the fusion of earthly and spiritual duties. As measuring instruments, they represent judgment and insight.
2. Sheepskin apron
The essence of Masons lies in their ceremonial clothes. This is the most iconic symbolic emblem of the order. It is said to be more noble than the Roman eagle or the Golden Fleece. The Masonic apron is literally the sign of the Freemason, which he carried with him innext existence. Famed in poetry and prose, the sheepskin apron is the initial gift of Freemasonry to the candidate, and at the end of the pilgrimage it is placed on his remains and buried with the body in the grave.
This goes back to the old days when masons wore a long thick leather apron 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 the same brotherhood.
They say that the apron symbolizes a "pure heart", gloves - "clean hands". Both things are connected with purification, which in Freemasonry has always been symbolized by the washing that preceded the ancient initiations into the teachings and mysteries.
3. Gloves
All Masons in the world wear this attribute, which is a sign. Gloves symbolize the "work of the hands". This article of clothing, given to the candidate, is intended to teach him that the actions of a mason must be as pure and flawless as the gloves he is now given. In Europe, they are issued to candidates along with an apron. The same custom had previously prevailed in England. Now (in Europe and America) gloves do not participate in the ceremony, but the brothers wear part of the Masonic dress. The tradition of gloves is very old. In the Middle Ages, workers wore gloves to protect their hands from the consequences of their work.
4. Temple of Solomon
It represents the temple of humanity, knowledge and improvement. A symbol of the goal and union of Freemasonry. This is the path to the divine. Many believe that philosophy is directly related to the past,the present and future of Freemasonry and with the temple of King Solomon. Temple worship is considered progress on the path to spiritual elevation. There is a difference between a material and a spiritual temple, which should be built in our heart and considered the dwelling place of God.
5. All-Seeing Eye (Eye of Providence)
What "mason" means can be revealed by this powerful symbol that has been used for hundreds of years, if not longer. Some scholars trace its history back to ancient Egypt and the Eye of Horus. The symbol was an important Christian sign often found on the stained glass windows of churches.
In the United States, the Eye of Providence is often associated with conspiracies, the Illuminati, the Vatican, and Freemasons, who began publicly using 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 Freemasons and what do they do is 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 rough and perfect is not just two pieces of stone, but a clear idea of what people have and what they hope to become. The signs symbolize the moral and spiritual life of a person.
Ashlar is a very beautiful symbol. Rough, unhewn, and perfected stones have the same relation to each other as ignorance to knowledge, death to life, and light to darkness. Raw natural stone is a symbol of the natural state of ignoranceof people. Ashlar is a combination of rough and perfect (polished and smooth) ready-to-build stone. It is a symbol of the state of perfection achieved through education.
In Freemasonry, this means that through education and the acquisition of knowledge, a person who begins as a Rough (imperfect stone) improves the condition of his spiritual and moral being and becomes like the Perfect. He takes the final step into the Grand Lodge Above. He can establish a reputation for himself as a wise adviser, a pillar of strength and stability, a perfect ashlar, on which young Masons can test the correctness and value of their own contribution to the fraternal order.
7. Labor
Each member of the order has his own duties. The rules of the Masons are obligatory. This symbol is considered the best proof of devotion to the brotherhood. Labor is not a punishment, but a necessity and nobility that create a better society. This is also the reason Freemasons wear various symbols representing tools.
Working, a person shows respect and gratitude to God. The good fulfillment of the assigned tasks is the highest duty of a person, and work should bring the greatest happiness and inner satisfaction. For Freemasons, work 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 Freemasons that they are all living their lives in time.
9. Blazing Star
The Flaming Star in Lodges representsSirius, Anubis or Mercury, Guardian and Guide of Souls. Modern Freemasons often set this sign. It is mainly located at the entrance to the Assembly Chambers.
Representatives of the order say that the Flaming Star in the center is a symbol of Divine Providence and a memorable star that guided the wise men of the East to the place of the Nativity of our messiah. The word Prudentia (Latin for "wisdom") in its original and full meaning meant foresight. Accordingly, the Flaming Star is considered the emblem of the Omniscience, or the All-Seeing Eye, which for the Egyptian Initiates was the emblem of Osiris.
10. Light
The history of Freemasons in the world notes that this symbol accompanied representatives of the brotherhood everywhere. Today, there is also a lot of emphasis on it in teaching. Light is an important Masonic symbol representing truth and knowledge. When a candidate passes the initiation and understands the truths of Freemasonry, he is considered enlightened. Although many ancient civilizations worshiped the Sun, for Freemasons, light is not a material, but a representation of knowledge. The term leads to a Sanskrit concept meaning "radiance".
11. Cedar
This 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, the cedar of Lebanon) is considered the national symbol of this country. The sign is located on the Lebanese flag, also known as the "cedar land". A photo of the Masonic symbol can be found on many official resources of the order.
This cedar was used to build the Jerusalem Temple and the ArkTestament. 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 a person that all people should strive to walk the best spiritual path within us. Spirituality as an emanation (distribution) from the Great Architect of the Universe, and in this understanding it will never die. Acacia plays an important role in the ritual of Freemasonry, and the plant is also a symbol of innocence.
