Freemasonry is the world’s oldest and largest fraternity still in existence, but where did they come from? Although the origins of Freemasonry are shrouded in mystery and controversy, two main theories stand out:
Freemasonry and the Knights Templar: History, Myth, and Legend
One theory suggests that the fraternity originated with the Knights Templar. Established by the Vatican in the early 1100s, their primary duty was to protect pilgrims on their way to holy sites in Jerusalem. The Templars soon expanded and diversified, establishing financial networks and a trade system across much of the known world. However, by the early 1300s, the Templars fell out of favor with the Church. King Phillip IV of France, heavily indebted to the Templars, took advantage of their declining fortunes and on Friday the 13th, 1307, he had hundreds of Templars arrested and executed on charges of heresy.
Circumstantial evidence suggests that many Templars went underground and infiltrated secretive lodges of stonemasons throughout Europe. As the story goes, masons, who possessed the skills to seemingly work wonders in stone, closely guarded their secrets and supported one another within an exclusive fraternal order; a perfect cover for renegade Templars. As the centuries passed, these lodges evolved into an exclusive fraternity melding the legends, rituals, beliefs, and codes of conduct of both the Templars and the stonemasons.
Operative and Speculative Masons
Another likely explanation for the origins of Freemasonry can be found in the gradual shift of stonemason’s lodges from operative (working stonemasons) to speculative (non-working/philosophical stonemasons). Throughout history, stonemasons possessed an advanced knowledge of geometry and mathematics; only passed on to apprentices through long and intensive training.
Over time, most lodges became strictly speculative with a foundation in scientific and critical thinking. As a society of men devoted to the arts and sciences, their presence was a thorn in the side of the established religious authority. These lodges had to maintain secrecy in an age when such “heretics” were routinely sentenced to death. Within this setting, the seeds of the Enlightenment period may have been sown with lodges serving as safe havens for creative thinkers and scientific innovators.
Although speculative lodges had been well-established for centuries, as political and religious trends allowed, the Masons went public in 1717 with the formation of the United Grand Lodge of England. The first American lodge was established in Boston in 1732. Masonic tenets and philosophy strongly influenced early American political thinkers and led directly to many of the revolutionary ideals expressed in the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, and the Bill of Rights.
What does Freemason Mean?
Just as the origins of the Freemasons are shrouded in mystery, so too is the term Freemason. Two explanations stand out and both relate to the likely origins of the fraternity in stonemason’s lodges. One theory proposes that stonemasons, unlike most people in Medieval Europe, were not bound to a particular town or principality but were free to travel at will. As a result, they were called “free” stonemasons or Freemasons.
Another possible origin for the term can also be found in the context of the operative masons. Soft sandstone or limestone was chosen for the finest work in the building of cathedrals and castles. In England and Scotland, this stone was called “free-stone” for its exceptional working qualities and those who worked it were referred to as “free-stone masons” which was eventually shortened to Freemason.
Freemasonry Today
Today there are approximately one million Masons in the United States alone with millions more in thousands of lodges throughout the world. There is no single governing body for Masonry although in the U.S. each state has its own Grand Lodge which provides the rules, regulations, and support for local lodges such as Placerville 26. Masonic ritual, evolved over the centuries, is as diverse as the states and countries where Masonry is active today. However, regardless of where Masons are from, the foundations of their practices and philosophy are the same and center on the three principal tenets: Brotherly Love, Relief, and Truth:
- Brotherly love. We value respect, freedom, kindness, and our differences – religious, ethnic, cultural, social, generational, and educational – and strive for harmony in our individual lives, in our lodges, and in the global community.
- Relief. We take responsibility for the well-being of our brothers, our families, and the community as a whole. We provide relief through philanthropy, community involvement, and delivery of excellent care.
- Truth. We stay true to our personal code of conduct and ethic: honor, integrity, personal responsibility, and the continuous pursuit of knowledge.
(Credit: Brian Ludwig, Ph.D., P.M., H.A.)
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