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History of
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Back | What | Facts | History | Teachings | Links HISTORY OF FREEMASONRY It may be readily said
that the History of Freemasonry is a study of many histories going back to
the dawn of civilization itself. There are many books on this topic and
covering the many aspects of Masonic perspectives there are reputed to be
over 50,000 texts having been written over the years. Consequently, no web
site can do sufficient justice to the topic, but it can introduce the
pathways in which a student of Masonic history and education might wish to
explore. To start with there is no definitive text on the topic of
Historical Freemasonry. The reason is perhaps simple, the scope of the
subject is too broad for one text to provide more than an over view. The modern historical period covers the history of Ontario Masonry. Two texts are useful here. One is John Ross Robertson magnificent History of Freemasonry in Canada. It was published as a definitive work for Canadian Masonry, and covers the people, places, lodges and activities of the earliest lodges in Canada. A full set of this work is in the archives of Grand Lodge in Hamilton. The second work was the book published collectively to mark the 125th anniversary of Grand Lodge A. F. & A.M. of Canada in the Province of Ontario. It carries the Title “Whence Come We?” and attempts to outline in a summary fashion, the History of Masonry from Early America, its subsequent movement into Canada, and the first half and second half of the Masonic developments of the last Century up to 1980. This period might be well termed the period of Modern Masonry, being Masonry as it exists today with a focus on moral, character building and brotherhood.
LIBERAL PERIOD FROM 1717 TO 1900 The earlier period of History might be called the “Revolutionary period of Masonic history, or more accurately the Liberal Period of Masonry and Liberalism. It followed the age of enlightenment and the growth of western liberalism and social thought by such philosophers as John Locke. Such thought ideologies stretch from 1700 through to the end of the 19th century. This period was full of both active Masonic thoughts inter twining with political and social thought. It is well reasoned that Masonry was inter twined with the dominant characters of the era, in England, France, and the United States. No history of any of these nations is complete without a perspective of Masonic influences if not some direct articulation. There are too many books written on this period to pick just some, but it is sufficient to say that From George Washington to Napoleon and the Prime Ministers of England caused many of the liberal beliefs of Masonry to be incorporated into social and political thought. Liberty, Equality and Fraternity in France to Life Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness in America. Masons as individuals and as participants in the history of their time made a significant imprint of the face of Western Society. Great names in the Arts and in Architecture planted a legacy to Masonry throughout Europe and the New World. St. Paul's Cathedral by Christopher Wren dominates London as does the Capital Building in Washington with its foundation stone laid by a Mason George Washington in a Masonic ceremony. This period was dominated by an overt form of Masonry in word, deed and action. The ritual and ceremony was substantially the same as it is today, and if John Adams or John A, MacDonald were to attend lodge today, much of what they would experience is similar to what they may have experienced.
“UNDERGROUND PERIOD” FROM 1300 TO 1717 The underground period of Masonry is perhaps an over simplification. Early Histories in the 21st Century stated to claim Masonry was started in the creation of Grand Lodge of England in June 24th, 1717. Ireland was formed in 1725 and the Grand Lodge of Scotland in 1736. Then another group of lodges formed in 1751 accusing the Grand Lodge of England from changing the ancient ritual. Hence in England there were adherents of so called “Modern” Masonry as well as “Ancient” Masonry. Which of these two Lodges could claim a more authentic “truth” and “tradition” is rather moot. While Masonry was seen to start from these sources, it is perhaps more historically correct to suggest that the coming out of these lodges were the end of the “under ground” period of Masonry. In 1717 they simply became apparent to “public view” ending the period where they were under ground. Perhaps this too is an over simplification of a complex and diverse social organization which evolved from the mid 14th century from 1350 to 1700. As an underground tradition and practice it was both secret and comprised mostly of oral traditions lost to our reliance on written historical accounts. So of this period there are few historical records and evidences of what evolved and how it evolved. In the tail end of the 21st century more work and speculative and non speculative histories were developed covering the period of the middle ages up to the period of the enlightenment. A student of Masonic History in the middle ages has to familiarize themselves with the Catholic Traditions, the Inquisition, the ability of man kind to combine hate, theology and wars lasting in various forms for centuries, and the protestant and heretical movements in Europe from 1300 to 1700. Indeed any student of this period must familiarize themselves with the development of the traditional religious basis of thought. While many mysteries and secrets of this period may never be known, some aspects of Masonry are indeed surfacing. The ties into the trades and the craft guilds and stone masons. This is one way in which Masonic brotherhood, fraternity and knowledge was spread and was preserved through the centuries. The symbols familiar to speculative Masonry can be seen as derived from operative masonry. Both the square and compasses can be linked into something of a continuous tradition. But it can be well argued that the square and compasses during this period held an inner meaning. In a work entitled “The Cannon” published by William Sterling in 1897, purported to document the Masonic “Mysteries” up to that time which were traced back throughout the middle ages to the early first few centuries and before. ( The Canon; an exposition of the pagan mystery perpetuated in the Cabala as the rule of all the arts, Thorsons Publishers Limited, Northamtonshire Eng. 1981.) The Canon dealt with ancient esoteric laws and traditions which regulated every human activity including the canonical standard for the arts, sciences, music, architecture, sculpture, astronomy and government. A highly developed study of numerical ratios, were applied to metaphysics and theology. This work received some notice along with the other Cabalistic works published during that period. Some of the present ritualistic symbolism is surprisingly ancient dating back to the period just after the death of Christ. At this point a student of Masonic History is advised to learn about the Kabbala in Greek and Hebrew traditions and the various Gnostic Traditions stretching from the first centuries and before. Indeed any scholar must attempt to understand languages, specifically Hebrew, Greek, and Aramaic before being able to expound further on the ancient masteries understood in the light of the modern day and the importance to mathematics and numbers to linguistic arts. . That these esoteric traditions were preserved and carried through time by operative masons and many of the religious leaders and Kings of Europe is becoming better understood. Today we have some other documentary evidences of the preservation of these esoteric traditions in Northern Scotland in the form of the Rosslyn Chapel and the Kirkwall Scroll both dating from the mid to late 1400's. How Masonry came to Scotland is likely through the Templar Movement and exodus to Scotland following their abolishment by the pope in 1307. What they brought with them in the way of thoughts, and religious traditions is the subject matter of many books and histories. But that some of the traditions ended up in modern Freemasonry is virtually certain. But similar movements existed in Portugal, southern France and likely elsewhere. ANCIENT ROOTS FROM PRE 1 BC TO 1300 Go Top Cultures borrow and adapt from one another, and few are ever pure in a traditional sense. Masonry is no exception and borrowing from Gnostic and Cabalistic traditions are only two of the sources of the ideas, philosophies and traditions interwoven through Masonic ritual and degree works. Nature, northern European cultures and a universalistic acceptance of religions observance are hallmarks to the craft to this very day. Ideas are not capable of being owned by any individual or group of individuals. Prior to 1300 Masonry existed but not I pose as a identifiable practice or fraternity and can be best seen as a scattered set of observances, beliefs and esoteric traditional teachings that have been passed down through time, whether consciously or subconsciously In the book Born in Blood by Ross Robertson, a comprehensive overview of the transformation of the Templar movement into Masonry builds a convincing argument for many of the Templar traditions moving into what might be viewed as Operative Masonry and Speculative Observances.. But where the Templar tradition and culture obtained many of its secrets is also an interesting pathway for the student of ancient masonry. Fortunately for modern students there are some authors of scholarly repute that have pointed some well worth reading paths to our ancient traditions. J.M. Roberts.
FIN
Canadian History Timeline
1764 - 1822 First Provincial
Grand Lodge of Upper Canada (Ancients) 1822 - 1845 Second Provincial
Grand Lodge of Upper Canada 1845 - 1855 Third Provincial
Grand Lodge of Canada 1855 Nov 2 the Grand Lodge of
AF&AM of Canada was consecrated. William Mercer Wilson was the First Grand
Master 1887 The Grand Lodge of AF&AM
of Canada renamed to The Grand Lodge of AF&AM of Canada in the Province of
Ontario. The reason that it was not called the Grand Lodge of Ontario was
because there was two Grand Lodges with that name that where in
competition with The Grand Lodge of Canada. FIN |
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