Compiled by: VW Eli A. Olifernes, PDGL
The first grand lodge, established to govern Freemasonry in England and Wales, was formed in 1717, during a meeting at a pub in the City of London called the Goose and Gridiron. At that time there were four lodges in the city. But in Scotland, a masonic lodge in Edinburgh has records to show that it has been in existence since at least 1599. During the early 18th century, Freemasonry spread quickly to Europe and the colonies.
The history of Philippine Masonry may be likened to the history of the first Grand Lodge. On December 19, 1912, three lodges were chartered under the Constitution of the Grand Lodge of California finally succeeded in establishing the Grand Lodge of Free and Accepted Masons of the Philippine Islands, the forerunner of what is now officially known as the Most Worshipful Grand Lodge of Free and Accepted Masons of the Philippines.
Masonry existed in England long before the creation of the first Grand Lodge, so was Philippine Masonry already alive even before the formation of the Grand Lodge of the Philippine Islands. In 1856, for example, Primera Luz Filipina, the first Masonic lodge in the Philippines, was formed by Jose Malcampo y Monge, a naval captain who subsequently became Governor General of the Philippines. Primera Luz was chartered by Gran Oriente Luisitano and admitted only Spaniards in its fold. Subsequently, three other lodges were established one after the other: the first by the Germans, the second by the British consul in Nagtahan, and the third by the Spaniards in Pandacan.
The Legend of Isis and Osiris in similarity to the Legend of Hiram Abiff
Osiris, both King of the Egyptians and their god, went on a long journey to bless neighboring nations with his knowledge of arts and sciences. His jealous brother, Typhon (god of Winter AKA Set) conspired to murder him, steal his kingdom and did so. Isis, sister and wife of Osiris and his queen (as well as Egypt’s Moon-goddess) set out on a search for the body, making inquiries of all she met.
After certain adventures, she found the body with an Acacia tree at the head of the coffin. Returning home, she secretly buried the body, intending to give it proper burial as soon as arrangements were made. Typhon, by treachery, stole the body, cut it up into 14 pieces and hid them in as many places. Isis then made a second search and located all the pieces but one; the one missing and lost part was the phallus. She made a substitute phallus, consecrated it, and it became a sacred substitute, and object of worship.
Thus, it seems clear, the Hiram Abiff of Freemasonry is not a historical character and certainly not a biblical one. Rather, he actually represents Osiris, the Egyptian Sun-god, and the reenactment of the Legend of Hiram Abiff is actually the reenactment of the legend of Isis and Osiris.
Thus, each sincere man who is initiated into the Third Degree of Masonry impersonates Osiris, the Sun-god of Egypt, and enters into his life of good deeds, his death, his burial and is “raised” in his resurrection from the dead. With this understood, it is then easy to understand that, while the Christian’s Messiah is called Jesus, the Mason’s Messiah is called Hiram.
Relationship of King Solomon’s Temple with Freemasonry
King Solomon is said to have been a just and wise man – imbued with wisdom from God – and a great ruler because he put the needs of his people before his own. God is said to have rewarded him with additional wisdom in part because rather than asking God for favors for himself, Solomon sought favors to help others. It is safe to say that he embraced the notions of service and duty.
Solomon aligned himself with King Hiram I, of Tyre, for many projects to public service, but perhaps the most famous and well known of these collaborative projects is the erection of a Temple in Jerusalem meant to house the relic The Ark of the Covenant. In partnership with Hiram I, the two Kings planned out the Temple design with the assistance of skilled craftsmen – in particular with one Hiram Abiff, an architect who was also a Freestone Mason and an artisan who worked with metals.
The special skill and art that was the foundation of Freestone Masonry was a guarded secret among practitioners of the craft – even among other masons! They are known to have used a system of codes to record their designs and techniques, signals and handshakes to identify themselves to a fellow practitioner, and they tended to live and work together as a community.
When the Temple was nearing completion, three masons sought out Hiram Abiff with it in mind to force him to reveal the secrets of the Temple to them. The next thing was a TRAGEDY…..which all masons have gone.
Freemasonry has elevated Hiram Abiff to the position of first Master Mason, and that is how Hiram Abiff connects to Freemasonry. King Hiram I sent Hiram Abiff to King Solomon to help him to construct the first Temple of Jerusalem, and that is how Hiram Abiff connects to both Kings. King Solomon is thought to have considered Hiram Abiff to be a genius, a master craftsman, and a friend, and placed him in a position of great authority and creativity in the construction of a Temple that was largely designed and built by stone masons.
The Transistion
In the 1600s, the Masonic lodges began to transition from “Operative Masonry” or building with stone, to “Speculative Masonry” or philosophical Masonry, which involves character and spiritual building.
“Whence we came?” is an aged old question. We know the Grand Lodge of England was formed in 1717, but where did the four lodges that formed the Grand Lodge come from? How far back do our traditions go? Does our ancestry really date only so far back as the age of taverns and bars? Over the next series of articles, we will explore our history and in the process, travel through time to ancient lands and rediscover ancient wisdoms.
Comacine Masters
The Comacine Masters were Lombard stonemasons, who worked in stone architecture. The first known mention of this guild was in 643, when King Rothari of the Lombards put out an edict detailing the legal remedies should a house collapse that was built by a Comacine Master.
The Comacine Masters formed a secret brotherhood, whereby they would protect and preserve the secrets of stone building, provide mutual protection for each other, fraternalization, engage in lavish banquets, act as insurance brokers for their members, and care for their widows and orphans.
Members were limited to men, generally free although they did at times allow slaves, and each “lodge” was limited to a specific craft or the worship of a single God. A city would be limited to one lodge. The members would employ their “marks” in their work to identify who labored on what edifice (think Mark Master Mason). A Comacine Master had the full legal authority to engage in contracts and building works, and were presumably free to travel, a liberty not granted too many, so that they could engage in different building projects around Europe
Druids
The Druids were members of the Celtic professional class consisting of religious “clergy”, but also politicians, lawyers, doctors, and other professionals. Most Druid practices were passed on from generation to generation “mouth to ear” and not written down. They used veiled allegory to transmit their beliefs.
They worshiped outdoors under the canopy of the heavens. (As you may recall from the Entered Apprentice degree, we describe the lodge with “Its covering no less than the clouded canopy, or star-decked heaven, etc.etc. “ Perhaps, the Druids also met in the “highest hills and in the lowest valleys”.
According to Greek philosopher Polyhistor, the Druids believed in the immortality of the soul, a Supreme Being, and similar to Pythagorean doctrine, they believed in reincarnation. Is this why we venerate Pythagoras? The ritual never fully explains why of all the mathematicians, Freemasons should venerate Pythagoras over all others. Is Pythagoras’ belief in reincarnation our link to the Druids, and is it really an allegory for man being reborn as he strives to better himself?
Templar Knights
In 1119 nine knights led by Hugh de Payens formed the military order of the Knights Templar. Their primary mission was to protect Christian pilgrims travelling from Europe to the Middle East.
To join the Knights, one had to be financially stable, free born, of sound body without infirmity, and unanimously voted on by the current members. The candidate was then put through certain tests and tribulations, and admitted into the order after taking certain oaths and obligations.
Beginning in 1305, Philip IV of France, with his treasuries empty after long wars with England, began to covet the riches of the Templars, and with his puppet Pope, Clement V, had heresy charges lobbed against the Templars. These charges included (i) worshiping a goat headed devil (ii) worshiping the mummified head of John the Baptist (yes, the very same John that is one of our patron Saints and whose feast day we celebrate as masons) (iii) financial fraud (iv) secret ceremonies (v) denying Christ, and so on.
On Friday, October 13, 1307, Templars throughout Europe were arrested. However, many had been given advanced warning, and lore has it that many escaped with the Templar treasury to Scotland where they aided Robert the Bruce with his wars against Edward II, particularly at the Battle of Bannockburn June 24, 1314 (yes, the battle was fought on the Feast of St John the Baptist). The Templars then hid themselves among the stone mason guilds, and the rest is as they say, history.
The Templar Grand Master, Jacques De Molay, however was arrested, and after refusing to break his oaths, on March 18, 1314, was burned at the stake.
Rosicrusian, Illuminati and Freemasonry
ROSICRUSIAN
During the Thirty Years War, Johan Valentin Andrea, the author of the Rosicrucian Manifestos, created a network of secret societies known as the Christian Unions. According to Andrea’s directives, each society was headed by an anonymous prince, assisted by twelve others divided into groups of three, each of whom was to be a specialist in a given sphere of study. The purpose of these Unions was to preserve the occult Rosicrucian sciences from Church persecution. More importantly, the Christian Unions functioned as a refuge for the defeated Rosicrucians in England. There, these men, both English and European, formed the Invisible College, later the Royal Society.
Virtually all of the Royal Society’s founding members were Freemasons. According to Masonic legend, though, Freemasonry dates back to the guilds of medieval masons, believed to have been Templars, who encrypted occult messages in the Gothic cathedrals, like Notre Dame in Paris.
ILLUMINATI
In conspiracy circles, “Freemason” and “Illuminati” are often used interchangeably to refer to the “new world order”, the shadowy cabal of powerful figures who supposedly direct global affairs.
Beyond a shared interest in ritual and symbolism, however, there is no clear connection between freemasonry and the Illuminati, a short-lived order founded in 18th century Bavaria. The association of the two may have arisen because Illuminati recruited many members from Masonic lodges.
“The term “Illuminati” was used by one early writer, Menendez Pelayo, as early as 1492 and is attributable to a group known as the “Alumbrados” of Spain. The Alumbrados were said to receive secret knowledge from an unknown higher source, resulting in superior human intelligence. This group was condemned by an edict of the Grand Inquisition in 1623, in what was another battle in the long-running war between the catholic Church and the secret societies.
“Some writers claim that a group known as the “Illumined Ones” was founded by Joachim of Floris in the eleventh century and taught a primitive, supposedly Christian doctrine of “poverty and equality.” This tactic to disguise Illuminism behind a thin veil of Christianity is now a well-established theme. Later, this group is said to have become violent, plundering the rich and thereby discrediting Christianity as a whole.
Brethren, these are just an excerpt from the whole history of freemasonry written by different authors and it is very important to know the history of our order because without the knowledge of the past there can be no guide to the future.