History of Freemasonry Help

I've been researching Freemasonry for years.

My stepdad was a Freemason and some of my friends were also Freemasons. I would have joined, but unfortunately I'm an Atheist. I just love the subject and diving into the history of how Freemasonry came to be.

There's only 1 problem. I keep running into gaps that I can't fill as I can't find the information.
The biggest gap I have is pre 1599.
I can find mention of Freemasonry pre 1599, but I can't find any data to support the claims.

Is there anyone who knows the history of Freemasonry that could help?

a reply to: TerryDon79

This is a very difficult subject to research as you go from Speculative Masonry to the Operative guilds of the Renaissance and Middle Ages. The earliest reference I have seen is in the Regius Poem which was written in the 14th century but makes mention of a lodge in the 10th Century. It would be safe to assume that Operative guilds were functioning prior to that in Europe as tradesmen travelled from town to town to pursue their craft.

Anything older than that becomes very difficult to prove with verifiable documentation and becomes apocryphal at best and downright ludicrous at worst.

a reply to: TerryDon79

What you might have to do to go back in time would be to consider what Free Masonry was called before it got its present name . I think its all part of Mystery Babylon and has its modern roots there . Just something to consider as they have the two pillars of Salomon's Temple incorporated into it . This guy has a ton of studies on the subjeect as his dad was a 33 degree and left his library as so he does have much to say on the history .

Research the Halliwell and Cooke Manuscripts. They are believed to predate the 1500s.

ETA: Link, Link 2

a reply to: AugustusMasonicus

Have you got any sources I can have a look at?

a reply to: the2ofusr1

I've look into that.

On the surface it seems pretty good, but once you've done some digging, it leads to a dead end. Thanks though

a reply to: TerryDon79

Of course:

Source

Source 2

originally posted by: eisegesis
Research the Halliwell and the Cooke Manuscripts. They are believed to predate the 1500s.

ETA: Link, Link 2

I'll go through them and chase up and additional references.

Thanks muchly!

originally posted by: AugustusMasonicus
a reply to: TerryDon79

Of course:

Source

Source 2

Thanks!

originally posted by: TerryDon79
I've been researching Freemasonry for years.

My stepdad was a Freemason and some of my friends were also Freemasons. I would have joined, but unfortunately I'm an Atheist. I just love the subject and diving into the history of how Freemasonry came to be.

There's only 1 problem. I keep running into gaps that I can't fill as I can't find the information.
The biggest gap I have is pre 1599.
I can find mention of Freemasonry pre 1599, but I can't find any data to support the claims.

Is there anyone who knows the history of Freemasonry that could help?

Norwegian freemason Arvid Ystad have just released a book about the rituals of the freemasons, and he is theorising, that the origins of their rituals comes from Vikings, not christianity

He believes that the origins are found among the Danish and Norwegian Vikings who from the late 700s began to take on expeditions to the British Isles. Many Danes and Norwegians settled later in the northern parts of England and in Scotland. With them they took their customs and religion, and this is where Arvid Ystad believe that the origin of the Masonic Order rituals can be found.

Cant find any english sources on this, but i google translated the above qoute from this Source a Danish tabloid newspaper, who got it from a Norwegian newspaper, but maybe you can dig something up if you want to read more about this

a reply to: TerryDon79
There are other manuscripts, but most of them are based from off of the Regius Poem: www.travelingtemplar.com...

a reply to: IAMNOTYOU

I'll try and check that out. Cheers.

originally posted by: KSigMason
a reply to: TerryDon79
There are other manuscripts, but most of them are based from off of the Regius Poem: www.travelingtemplar.com...

I've been looking into it as a couple of people have said about it.

I like reading old English so it's quite nice reading the original.

a reply to: TerryDon79

They probably go back further than this, I remember reading about a Mason's Guild which was involved in building cathedral's much earlier than this and which probably formed the original Free Mason's Guild back as ealy as the 10th century if not earlier, not the esoteric brotherhood wth it's initiation ceremony of today though but rather a guild which probably also had strong ties to the Hansiatic League though I am simply speculating there.
www.freemasons-freemasonry.com...

But it does look like they began in Germany or the Austro Hungarian empire/Charlemagne's Holy Roman empire.

if it says 1717, it probably is 1717.. Cause who says 1717 if 1717 is not the fact..

Or you could say, well, our new testament is older than the 4th century cause the old testament had its start in 1600BC .. So it means Christianity is older cause you can relate it to the first book of Job in the Old testament..

Yeaaaah, no.. It means what it says it means, stop making stories and fantasies..

a reply to: PanPiper

MYOFB

Have a nice day.

a reply to: PanPiper

What does that post mean? You know we are talking about Masonry, not the Bible, right?

Maybe you should let people who know about the topic provide coherent answers.

a reply to: TerryDon79

I'm not a member or anything so I don't know the best sources for history of the organization itself, but it would seem to be founded in the sacred knowledge of temple building which was a very successful endeavor and allowed the architects and masons status in every empire they lived under.

I believe that Scotland and England are the two countries Freemasonry started but that is just because of the two rites I know about and a guess. So look for information on cathedrals built in those years you are having trouble finding information. Rosicrucian literature might offer some clues. Ancestors of famous Masons who are known to history also might help.

Good luck.

originally posted by: Parazurvan
I believe that Scotland and England are the two countries Freemasonry started but that is just because of the two rites I know about and a guess.

Operative Masonry most likely started on the Continent and the Scottish Rite is not actually Scottish, it is French.

a reply to: PanPiper
1717 is when the first Grand Lodge was formed, but Masonic Lodges existed before that.