Official Visit to Curren Lodge No. 68
Worshipful Master,
Distinguished East,
Past & Present Grand Lodge Officers,
Brethren All
At
my official visit to Western Star Lodge last week, the Master and his
officers conferred the Entered Apprentice Degree and I was asked to give
the Charge to the new Brother. You probably remember how it goes:
My Brother: as you are now introduced into the first principles of
Freemasonry, I congratulate you for being accepted into this ancient and
honourable fraternity. Ancient as having subsisted from time immemorial
and honourable as tending in every particular to render all men who will
be conformable to its precepts.
While I was pacing my bedroom while bringing the full text of the charge
back to memory I made a note to give 'from time immemorial' some
thought.
We
all know that the beginnings of the Craft are vague and not easy to pin
down. For some students of Masonic lore, the "mists of antiquity" lie in
the known history of Freemasonry previous to the formation of the Grand
Lodge of England in 1717. They refer to the great manuscripts that
record the "Charges of Freemasonry", such as the "Halliwell Manuscript",
also known as the "Regius Poem", written approximately 1380 A.D., and
the "Cooke Manuscript" which dates from about 1450.
For others it means an
attempt to trace the origins of the Craft back to the building of King
Solomon's Temple at about 975 B.C. This is because our ritual and the
Hiramic Legend are so closely connected with the events of the reign of
King Solomon.
After all, the Legend of
Hiram Abif come out of King Solomon's reign? Did not Solomon mourn for
the loss of his architect and order that he be decently interred? Are
not the villains in the Legend given their just punishment?
Of all these things we
have no real evidence in the Old Testament.
It is true that in the
First Book of Kings, Chapter VII, and in the Second Book of Chronicles,
Chapter II there are very brief references to Hiram. However, there are
no real details. The legend that grew up around him dates from the early
1700's. The first real evidence that any Lodge used a dramatized version
of the Hiramic Legend puts the date as late as 1722.
Thus it is hat some of the
Masonic traditions that are dearest to the hearts of Masons are either a
clever invention of the early writers of our Ritual or truly "buried in
the mists of antiquity" and we have to ask ourselves from whence then
came the moral and spiritual teachings of Freemasonry? From whence came
many of the mystic rites that we now perform?
For that, we have to look
to the ancient Mystery Religions. They existed both in the Greek and
Roman cultures, but were not confined to Greece and Rome. Evidence of
them may be found in the early cultures of China, India, Egypt, and
other ancient civilizations. They were secret religious assemblies with
special initiation rites, and most certainly were still present in the
time of Jesus.
There is also no doubt
that they had an influence on the growth of the ceremonies of early
Christianity. Some of the customs of these Mystery Religions were
adapted for the Christian Ritual. One only needs to examine some of the
mysticism surrounding the festivals of Christmas and Easter to see the
similarities.
We should remind ourselves
again that the Roman Catholic Church, with its elaborate ceremonies, was
once the main support of Freemasonry and remember that our operative
brethren built the great cathedrals of the middle ages. It is not
surprising then, that all of the ceremonies of the Christian Church and
of Freemasonry contain overtones of the ancient Mystery Religions.
The Mystery Religions
appear to have had a double purpose. First, they wished to hand down,
from generation to generation, the traditions associated with the gods
in whose honour they were organized. Secondly, they taught very
carefully how certain rituals were to be performed, and then trained
their initiates to carry out those rituals exactly.
The prime purpose of the
Mystery Religions was not to teach dogmatic religious beliefs; but to
aim for the moral improvement of their members. The rituals were
designed not only to improve the morals of the initiates, but also to
implant in their minds a hope for the life that would go on after death.
One of the most important
aspects of the Mystery Religions was the program of instruction for the
Initiates. Each new member was required to take time to go through a
course of instruction. He was taught how he should act in the ceremonies
of the group, and what he should do in his relationships with his fellow
members and his community. He was encouraged to think in terms of the
philosophy of the religion and the means of transferring the thought
into action.
We ask ourselves then;
What is the origin of these Mystery Religions? The ancient peoples were
the first agricultural societies and very much concerned about survival
and the assuring of the regular succession of seasons. Their great
legends had to do with their great concerns. Over time these legends
gave birth to the Mystery Religions, thus formalizing the rituals
intended to guarantee the good-will and blessing of the cult's deity.
In the legends the Earth
is usually thought of as the great Goddess of Fertility. This goddess
grew old and feeble as the autumn season approached and was continually
in danger of death. If the Goddess of Fertility died, that would mean
that the primitive man would suffer from hunger and, perhaps,
starvation. The idea of the Goddess of Fertility dying filled the early
peoples with terror. Therefore, it was essential that a magical rite be
performed that would assist the Goddess to survive the dangerous period
of winter. Through this magical rite the goddess would be brought to
life again and once more possess a young and vigorous body. The result
would be that fertility would be restored to the earth and people would
be able to eat once more.
One of the best known
myths is that of Adonis. It very likely originated in Babylon but it is
best known in its Greek version. Adonis was the vigorous and youthful
lover of the great Mother Goddess. Her name was Ishtar and she embodied
all the reproductive possibilities and energies of nature. If Adonis
died, Ishtar would not be fertilized and consequently would fail to
reproduce. Unfortunately, each year Adonis would die and pass into the
world of the shadows, and each year after his death, Ishtar would seek
to find her lost lover. For without Adonis the period of reproduction
would cease. The situation was so desperate that messengers would be
sent to the Queen of the Underworld, pleading for the return of Adonis.
Ishtar herself would go to the underworld to seek for her lover, passing
through the seven gates of the underworld and each time she had to pay a
fee, which was one of her garments. Finally, naked and alone, the Great
Mother Goddess would appear before the Queen of the Underworld. The
Queen would refuse to release Adonis until the messengers of the gods
arrived, to sprinkle the Water of Life on both Adonis and Ishtar. When
this was done they were raised from the tomb of death to the upper
world. When the raising was complete the wonderful world of nature was
revived and hope reborn for the fertility of the world.
This legend is significant
because it embodies several facets of the Christian Religion. The
sprinkling of water, the descent of the hope of the world into the
realms of darkness, the revival of life and hope for the world. It also
has within it elements of the legend of Hiram Abif. The lost hero, the
search for the lost heroine, and the raising from darkness into the
newness of life.
The ancient legends of the
raising of an individual from darkness into life are many. The details
of the event are varied. The main outline remains throughout them all.
Involved are fertility and growth, the discovery of some secret means to
do the raising, then the change from death to resurrection. Basically
the legends all contain the same story. A god dies and the earth becomes
unproductive. The god is restored to life and the earth becomes fertile
and productive.
Each Mystery Religion in
every early culture had its legends, illustrated by accompanying rites
and ceremonies. Only those who have been properly initiated and are
skilful in performing the required ceremonies are permitted to perform
the rite of resurrection. There are invariably certain signs and symbols
Connected with the ceremonies. These are revealed to the new initiates
when they have received sufficient instruction to appreciate the essence
of the ceremonies.
The Egyptian legend is
very similar to the Greek. Osiris was the son of the earth god Seb and
of the sky goddess Nut. He had two brothers, Horus and Set and two
sisters, Isis and
Nephthys.
Osiris taught the Egyptians how to grow corn. Set, the god of evil, was
jealous of the popularity of Osiris. He conspired with 72 villains to
murder him. They made a chest and persuaded Osiris to get into it. When
Osiris got into the chest they nailed it down securely, and flung it
into the River Nile. Osiris was discovered to be missing, and there was
great concern over the fact that the great teacher had been lost. Isis,
on hearing the news, was greatly distressed. She set out in search of
the body. In the meantime the chest had floated down the Nile to the
town of Byblos, in Syria, and there it became stranded on the sand. An
Erica tree grew up over the chest and completely enclosed it in its
trunk. The King of Syria decided that the tree should be cut down and
that it would be used to form a great pillar in his palace. Isis arrived
in Syria and went to the King's Palace. She begged for the pillar and
her pleas were heard. She cut it open, found the chest and within it the
body of Osiris. Isis threw herself on the body and brought it back to
life. Osiris was raised from the chest in a great ceremony. The 72
villains were discovered and put to death. Osiris, having been raised
from darkness, renewed his vows to serve his people. He returned to
Egypt and continued to teach his people how to make their soil fertile,
how to produce crops of corn and how to feed the people.
Here we see the
similarities with the Legend of Hiram Abif. Certainly the Hiramic legend
does not come from the Old Testament. There is no record of the murder
of Hiram, not even any indication that he died. It is evident that he
had dropped out of the picture by the time that the temple was
dedicated.
We do not know where the
Legend of Hiram originated, but we certainly can tell that all the
ingredients are there; the murder of a productive god, the disposal of
the body by the powers of darkness, the discovery of the body by the
powers of light, the raising of the body from darkness to light, and the
return to productive living. In addition there are the accompanying
signs and symbols, which are kept secret. There is also the dedicated
journey of those who sought for the body and the ultimate discovery of
it, and the punishment of those who sought for the hero's death and the
honour bestowed upon the person who was raised.
We must also point out,
however, that the Legend of Hiram has been carefully refined and adapted
to the lessons that the Freemasonry teaches and there are at least four
(4) fundamental differences:
-
Hiram, in the Masonic
Legend, is not restored to life as are the gods of the Mystery
Religions and the Christian Religion. The writer of the Hiramic
Legend appropriately ends it with having the remains properly
interred. However, the signs and symbols remain. They are
transferred to the candidate, who is urged to remember the noble
example of a man who would rather suffer death than betray a sacred
trust.
-
The raising of Hiram
in the Legend symbolizes the entrance of the human soul into a new
and better stage of experience. It points out that it is the duty of
all men to prepare themselves for a new life, by following the
glorious example of dedication and perfection. An element of
resurrection remains, although the bones are interred, the new life,
the resurrected one, is transferred to the candidate, giving us the
encouragement that the goodness of the person who has died lives on
in those for whom he lived?
-
The Hiramic Legend in
Freemasonry does not have the magical elements that are common to
the legends of the Mystery Religions. In one of the versions of the
Osiris Legend, Isis, a virgin, throws herself on the dead body of
Osiris and immediately becomes pregnant, and later is the virgin
mother of the god Horus. In Freemasonry, the reason for raising the
body was so that it might be interred in consecrated ground. Certain
signs are learned by those who raise the body, but they are not the
genuine secrets. Those have yet to be discovered. The quest does not
end with the raising of the body. The search must go on � the
unending search for eternal truth.
-
The Hiramic Legend
does not end in material gain, as do most of the mysteries. The
conclusions of the Legends of the Mysteries indicate that the
ancient peoples, because of their exploits, assure themselves of
material gain, such as the return of food after the winter
barrenness. The lesson we learn in Freemasonry is that there is
another way of living that is far higher than the material one. It
is the world of brotherhood and service in this present life.
As I have said earlier, it
is impossible to assert with any certainty exactly where the Legend of
Hiram Abif originated, or to find any documented account of its direct
relationship to the Mystery Religions of the ancient cultures. It is
reasonable for us to say, though, that the Hiramic Legend and all the
ancient legends form a part of humanity's great quest for the meaning of
life and death, and teach us that there is more to life than material
wealth and strength.
I hope you enjoyed this
speculative journey through the Mystery Religions. It has enhanced and
enriched the meaning of the Legend of Hiram Abif for me. Hiram is no
longer only a man of honour who is willing to sacrifice his life rather
than betray a sacred trust. In this perspective he stood for something
far greater. He became a part of humanity, reaching out to an unknown
power seeking for some assurance of permanency and love.
(Adapted
from an Article by M.W.Bro. W. J. Collett, P.G.M., G.L. of Alberta)
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