Freemason Symbols

Before examining Freemason symbols, it is important to try to grasp their historical origins. Scholars debate just how old these symbols actually are.

It is known that some of these symbols were used thousands of years ago; some of them even pre-dating the building of King Solomon’s temple, which is the foundational setting of Freemasonry of which each lodge is an emulation. Did these Masonic symbols originate with the ancient Sumerians, Mesopotamians and Persians? Some of the Masonic symbols used by Freemasons, today, have also been found in ancient Egyptian writings and relics. While the exact dating may be in debate, one thing is certain; these symbols tell a story.

Symbol Usage
As it has done for centuries, mystery continues to surround the Freemason fraternity. Many believe Freemason symbols are a part of that mystery. While Freemasonry does have some secrets, its symbols are not one of them. Therefore, the truth is quite a bit less dramatic and much more practical.

During the time that operative Freemasons worked in stone quarries, most of the world was illiterate. For a person who had never been taught to read, single symbols were much easier to quickly memorize than entire pages of words. Many of these symbols, therefore, do not belong to Freemasons, alone. They go back thousands of years and are part of the history of the world. During the Dark Ages, many wealthy landowners had been taught to read, however, average working class people, (serfs) had no access to even a rudimentary (basic) education. Books were very expensive, highly treasured and were for the wealthy. If you think about this a moment, how would you, yourself, learn to read if you hadn’t been to school, and there were no books available to you?

Lack of Education

Stone masons, were, for the most part, uneducated, at least in the traditional sense of having gone to school to attain reading and writing skills, such as most people, today, take for granted. Upon becoming Master (stone) masons, they were taught to make their "mark" on their work. These marks are akin to an artist signing a painting or an author's byline. Books and information are everywhere today, but this has not always been the case. This led to entire generations learning how to memorize and pass down information through the use of symbols as well as verbally, by word of mouth.

Learning Symbols

Symbols, in general are very subjective, depending on how they are used and by whom. There are many Freemason symbols. Masonic researchers and scholars have found that some are older than others. Here are a couple of the most common and well known Masonic images seen within the fraternity and their meanings to Freemasons:

• All Seeing Eye - Many people instantly recognize this Freemason symbol because it is also on the back of every U.S. dollar bill. It represents the all seeing eye of God, the creator of mankind.
• Square and Compasses – The square and compasses is Freemasonry’s trademarked logo. Some jurisdictions include a ‘G’ at the center of this symbol; others do not. The square and compasses represent the tools of an operative stonemason (actual worker in stone) and are still used, today, in speculative (non-operative) Freemasonry. Freemasons are taught that the square’s symbolic usage is to ‘square your actions by the square of virtue’. Similarly, the compasses’ symbolic usage is to ‘circumscribe your desires to keep your passions within due bounds’.

Conclusion

The first Grand Lodge of speculative (non-operative) Freemasons was chartered in 1717 in England. The first Grand Lodge in the United States was chartered in 1730. Subordinate lodges are chartered by the Grand Lodges within that jurisdiction.

Many people mistakenly refer to Freemasonry as a secret society. This is not true. Like most fraternities, it is not a secret society or a secret fraternity. It is simply a fraternity with a few secrets.

Freemasonry is a worldwide fraternity, but does not have a central international headquarters. As such, it is generally accepted that no one person can interpret or speak for the entire fraternity about the meaning and purpose of Freemasonry or its symbols, as many of its symbols vary in meaning from jurisdiction to jurisdiction.

History has shown that Freemasonry has many intriguing facets. Its Freemason symbols are only a small part of the reason that brings moral men to want to know more about how to become a Freemason.