Why do people insist on calling some symbols Masonic when they are not?

There is a prevalent tendency to attribute certain symbolic emblems or figures appearing publicly as having ‘Masonic’ connotations which may in fact have origins that predate Modern Speculative Masonry by hundreds, if not thousands, of years. While this belief is understandable in some regards, as an individual may, through prior incorrect information, have been educated to believe such is the case, it is most often incorrect. Additionally, having never viewed the symbol or emblem previously and seeing it used in what they believe is a ‘Masonic’ context, many inadvertently proclaim its Masonic pedigree. Careful and thorough research will demonstrate that almost all of the emblems and symbols attributed to Masons were first used by another culture or group and in some instances, by several, or have no Masonic meaning or usage what so ever.

The Five-Pointed Star

The Five-Pointed Star is one of the most ancient of symbols and can trace its origins to The Druze, whose ancestors were exiles of Egypt, and use this symbol with points colored green, blue, red, white and yellow. This emblem is often times confused with a pentagram which requires its collinear edges to be continuous. When depicted as such it carries much in the way of mystical and magical connotations.

Its contemporary use sees it deployed vexillogically on the flags and heralds of many nations including the United States, China, New Zealand and Turkey. The nations of Morocco and Ethiopia actually use a pentagram has a heraldic device, the only two instances of such. This symbol does not appear at all in any Masonic ritual and only, depending upon the jurisdiction, occasionally refers to the five points of fellowship. It is however displayed prominently in The Order of the Eastern Star, a sorority affiliated with Masonry, to depict the Eastern Star which was said to have guided the Three Wisemen to the birthplace of Jesus Christ in Nazareth.

The Obelisk

One of the most misconstrued emblems regarding Masonry is the obelisk. While Egyptian in origins its usage can be detected in numerous applications. Its prevalence in modern society can be directly attributed to Napoleon I and his Egyptian expedition and the respective excitement that was generated by this journey. This lead to a renewed interest to all things ancient and produced a general sentiment of the time to recapture the glories and cultures of past great societies. The resultant curiosity caused obelisks to be erected in varied situations, from cemetery markers to monuments commemorating battles or soldiers (cenotaphs) and even the use of miniature obelisks as home decorations. While Masons may or may not have been involved with the dedication of certain obelisk-Cleopatra’s needle for one-it does not inherently make the object Masonic.

In Masonic ritual and ceremony the obelisk makes one brief and rather unnoteworthy appearance. In the Scottish rite, an appendant degree, it is used in reference to the depositing of Hiram Abiff’s mortal remains. There are instances of the obelisk arising in the rituals of The Memphis Rite and Ordo Templi Orientis but these are unrecognized organizations and can not be considered sources for Masonic custom and practices.

The All-Seeing Eye

This emblem, also known as the Eye of Providence, is a representation of the Eye of God which is said to keep watch over all mankind. While first appearing popularly in the 17th and 18th centuries, and being a well known symbol of the Renaissance, it can trace its roots to far more older beliefs and societies. The ancient Egyptians once revered a similar symbol as the Eye of Horus were it was believed to symbolize the indestructibility and rebirth. In Buddhism it represents the triple nature of Buddha himself and is referred to as Tiratna or the Triple Gem. When enclosed by a triangle it is meant to symbolize the Holy Trinity and is used by Trinitarian Christians to demonstrate this aspect of God.

Speculative Masons often employ this symbol to represent the ‘all-seeing’ aspect of the Grand Artificer of the Universe to whom all hearts are open and all desires known. In Masonry the All-Seeing Eye does not incorporate a pyramid but an encompassing triangle surrounding it is often mistaken as one. It is further wrongly assumed that its use in the Great Seal of the United States is part of Masonic symbolism. Of the original designers of the Great Seal only Benjamin Franklin was a Mason and he desired a depiction of Moses parting the Red Sea as opposed to the eye and unfinished pyramid which currently adorn the currency.

The Pyramid

Pyramids are one of the most extensive of ancient structures and monuments having presences on several continents. Most famous of all are the Egyptian pyramids of Giza which were erected for the Pharaohs. However, the Aztecs, Indians and Mesopotamians all constructed similar edifices. Contemporary pyramids can be found in such disparate places as Paris, Las Vegas and The United Kingdom. An unfinished version also appears on the Great Seal of the United States.

In Speculative Masonry pyramids are absent. The triangle is a much more revered symbol for the Fraternity as it represents the Forty Seventh Problem of Euclid and stimulates the contemplation of Geometry, which is often referred to as the basis of the Arts and Sciences to which all Masons are charged to educate themselves. Its use on the Great Seal has no Masonic connotations and instead represents the unfinished state of the country and that it may always be improved upon.

The Bicephalous (Double-Headed) Eagle

While this symbol is indeed employed by Scottish Rite Masons its ancestry is far older and more intertwined with history the Speculative Masonry can claim. The first appearance of the Double-Headed Eagle can be attributed to the Hitite cultures of 2,000 BC to 1,200 century BC, which is in modern day Turkey, and used as a Divinity Symbol. Due to its origins in this region its use can be tied to the flags and emblems of numerous nations such as The Russian Federation, Albania, Austria and Serbia-Montenegro. Prior to these nations employment of the Eagle it was also incorporated into the Byzantine Empire’s herald and also to that of The Holy Roman Empire. While being employed by the latter it appeared as heraldic device and can directly attributable to its continued usage into modern times as it disseminated into numerous other national symbols and heralds.

The Scottish Rite’s use of the Double-Headed Eagle of Lagash can be interpreted as a metaphor for the uniting of the Masculine and the Feminine principles of an individual. A more spiritual construal of its symbolism is that of the Grand Inspector who should contemplate both sides of a question, thereby displaying judicial balance. Once worn by the ancient Chaldeans with the motto, ‘The light toward which my eyes are turned.’, it still, to this day symbolizes to the Mason that there is ‘more light’ to be sought by those who quest for additional knowledge.

The true symbols and emblems of Masonry rarely appear in public as their connotations and meanings are more esoteric in nature and are more contemporary additions to the pantheon of Masonic symbolism. So why do individuals continually insist on proclaiming the above symbols to be Masonic when they are not?

From what I gather, masonry have a lot of symbols. Each degree has its own set of symbols. Different masonic groups in different parts of the world (e.g. the Shriners) have made up their own symbols. Given the large amount of masonic symbols out there, it is difficult to find anything out there that does not resemble a masonic symbol in some respect.

I think it is a matter of semantics really, and nothing more. I think what people mean to say is that X symbol is USED by Free Masons, not that it is explicitly Masonic.

I know that even in this case there are many symbols attributed to Free Masons that are not used by them, and this is a second mistake made in the discussion of symbols.

Still, it would be disingenuous of Masons to completely disown many of these symbols as it is quite clear that they are used in the craft. Edit: Something I duely note you have not done Augustus.



[edit on 1-3-2008 by Animal]

reply to post by Animal

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Thanks for your reply Animal. The message I was attempting to convey was that, though many symbols are employed by Masons, the pedigree or heritage of those symbols are most certainly not Masonic. Furthermore, some of these symbols are concurrently used by other groups, socities and people to symbolize a meaning which is not even remotely 'Masonic'.

reply to post by AugustusMasonicus

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You do make a good point, it is strange that so many people automatically refer to symbols as "Masonic" regardless of their origins and other users. I suppose it is akin to the pentagram / 5 pointed star being constantly referenced as "Satanic" in the 80's satanism extravaganza; regardless of who was using it, and for what purposes.

I guess for me it is hard to care much about such details, but then again, I am not a Mason so these comments don't fall so close to home.

Beyond the issue at hand I appreciated the list of symbols you provided background information for. I find symbol lore to be quite fascinating.

Salutations

For all of the many threads in here that do accuse masons of being: satanists, NWO elitist, and any number of things (thats just so far, I'm still reading through the threads), how odd that none of those people commented in this thread. In any case, good points! Shapes..simply because they appear in masonry...do not become masonic.

Just an idea... although most of these symbols are Masonic (which the title suggests they are not) what your saying is that other groups use them too so why point the finger at Masons... if I'm wrong apologies.

The reason I think these are attributed to Masons and not others who use such symbols is because of 2 reasons. Firstly, out of the other groups listed in the OP - Egyptians, Napoleon, Trinitarian Christians etc who may use these symbols, how and why would they? They are either not around or have little power and influence, apart from Masons..... in other words they have no context in where these symbols appear... like the $ or like where most places these symbols appear, in buildings.

And that brings me onto my second thought...who does the building? Egyptians haven't for 2,000 years, Napoleon was just a fashion for a few years in context and Trinitarian Christians are not that influential. The construction industry (for obvious reasons) has a huge Masonic membership... it puts the symbols in context when you attribute them to Masons.

Maybe thats why... maybe not.

Actually, I would say all of the things you said here apply to the masons. How and why would something be masonic because it appears somewhere in masonry? The color blue is used a lot in masonry, but does that mean blue is a masonic color? Is the sky masonic?

Masons, for all of the extraordinary power that people seem to be imbue them with, in reality have absolutely no power except the power to hold pancake breakfasts. And even that one can be a feat. They have little real power and influence, and simply because something appears somewhere in masonry does not mean it has a masonic context.

This is, to an extent, the rationale of my post.



The Egyptians usage of pyramids and obelisks is well documented and established and a small amount of research will uncover their reasonig behind the erection of such structures.

My inclusion of Napoleon I is to underscore the reason for the Egyptian revival. His exploits in the region lead to a renewed interest in all things ancient, with a strong focus on Egyptology, and not meant to imply that he was responsible for actually using or applying these symbols to constructs of his own creation.

The Trinitarian Order of Roman Catholicism is quite extensive, encomposing peoples from North, South and Central America as well as numerous European and Asian countries.



What 'building' are we refering to? Of the symbols I included only two, the obelisk and pyramid, are structures, the others, while they can be engraved upon something, are not 'buildable'. If you have any specific instances that you would like to discuss I would be happy to address them on and indivdual basis.



The fact that Ancient Egyptians have not erected any structures in millenia does nothing to make what they built any less Egyptian. The Colosseum is no less a Roman architectural artifact even though the Western Empire fell in the fifth century AD.

You may feel that the prevelance of Trinitarianism is deabtable but it is a very wide spread branch of Christianity and I feel fairly confident in saying I am sure that they are still erecting churches of that order.



May I ask, how did you arrive at that conclusion? Can you demonstrate how the constrcution industry has a preponderance of Speculative Masons participating in that field?

Those symbols are for the most part far closer to my adherence, than masonic. They do not however have much significance beyond decoration or remembrance.

To really get a grasp, which organization founded masonry? and who founded them? and who was before that? There is where they all came from, and why they are plastered all over the globe in differing amounts.

Looking deep will ensure that all of them have been around for man thousands of years. They probably started really catching on about 4500 BC.

[edit on 5-3-2008 by Illahee]

double post, my bad


[edit on 5-3-2008 by cavscout]

Everything is relative to context.

A five pointed star is Masonic if you are referencing the Masonic use of it, satanic if you are referencing the satanic use of it.

Blue is relative to context as well. Is it Masonic or the color of the crips? Does blue signify the United Nations?

As humans, we use signs and symbols to communicate. If we are talking about 5 pointed stars and I make you understand that I mean the Masonic one then I have successfully communicated. If you are left scratching your head because I wasn’t clear and you think I may be referencing the nautical star tattoos everyone is getting then I have failed to communicate.

Why make such a big deal out of this?

Study sociology and speech and you will understand a little better.


[edit on 5-3-2008 by cavscout]

Mentioning obelisks just made me think about graves in cemeteries which deploy them rather than a cross or tablet etc. Anyone know a deceased with an obelisk? Why do some people go for these? Just curious.

reply to post by Shar_Chi

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This is a direct result of Napoleon's Egyptian expedition and the ensuing Egyptian Revival period.

From the Asociation of Gravestone Studies:

reply to post by AugustusMasonicus

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Always wondered about that one, thanks for the info

I think you have missed my point.... the symbols that ARE Masonic are in most cases not in context with the other groups (that use them) to where they appear.

Just for example, take the dollar bill (I know Masons love this one) who apart from Masons would put that symbol there? no other group can apart from Masons, I know the Egyptians didn't put it there because its out of context and they were not there (I hope).




When you consider some of the positions Masons hold in governments and police and so on, then by default they have a say and influence....

A symbol that is used by Masons has Masonic context.



Well, this is UK based so it could be different in the US, but apart from the fact I work in the construction industry (surveyor for over 10 years) and know first hand... does MASONRY give you a clue? Stone Masons with their building secrets?? Anyway the point is I KNOW it is.... its not a conclusion

I'm not going to keep going over the same points like these threads always turn into and I'm not here for a fight with the Masons... I said this is what I think and its my opinion and answer to the thread. The point is... the reason these Masonic symbols are linked to Masons (lol) and not the other groups is because of the context in which they appear, this can be danced around all you like but it still stays the same.

No, I didn't miss the point at all.



Not at all. Who gets to decide when something is in a "masonic context"?



And this is a good example of deciding when something is masonic when it is not. There is nothing on the dollar bill that is masonic, but there are people who look very hard to try to make it masonic. How could all that symbolism get there apart from the masons? Very easily, since there is nothing on the dollar bill that is actually masonic, unless I missed a square and compass showing up on there. I can tell you exactly who put it on there: men, who wanted to use symbolism reminiscent of ancient empires during an era where such things were in fashion.



What? You assume both (a) that people in power who happen to be masons somehow achieve this power because they are masons and that (b) masons are somehow organized enough to collectively use this power - although for what reason is unclear. I would also say:

When you consider some of the positions Christians hold in governments and police and so on, then by default they have a say and influence....

Why do you not then blame Christians for some diabolic conspiracy? Or is that just not as sexy as blaming masons? These are, again, the same people whom in my experience have difficulty putting together a pancake breakfast.



I think one example is sufficient enough to show you how incorrect a statement like this is. I am a Mason. I have a blue car. Blue is a color that shows up in masonry. Does this mean my car is now masonic?



So in other words, you have no evidence but just expect us to believe you. Just because you think there is some connection between stonemasons and speculative masons in the present day does not mean it exists.

I know your reaching here but did you read my previous comments? There are far older groups that direct and place these symbols and have since the first ones appeared at around 6700BC.

You are in effect saying world history began when the Mason guild was founded and nothing existed before that. What I'm saying is if you want answers, I mean real answers, you need to put the time in to learn everything you can about ancient history.

This reasoning path you are on is the same one that says all our public buildings are patterned after Greek temples, well the outside appearance is that way certainly but do you think a new country should have built castles with moats around them, when that is what they were fleeing from? Of course not. They emulated the origins of Democracy. A democratic republic was the foundation. So the Washington monument isn't a copy of Big Ben, why? Because the obelisk is a monument. Its origin is ancient Egypt. What does it represent? The tradition that one may not just sit on a throne and do nothing. The Pharaoh went out with the people and got his hands dirty. The pharaohs family was expected to work in the fields. This work was considered honorable and needed to maintain soul and health. What greater honor to give our founding leader than to recognize he got out there and rolled up his sleeves to do his part? I would have likely instructed the monument to be such long before any Freemason would.

To be honest I admitted before those symbols are part of my beliefs and not from masonry.

Rx: Some history channel and an open mind might help here.

When I say in context what I'm saying is it has a link to Masonry other than just a symbol... So for example, if a Mason builds a building (just an example) and a Masonic symbol is over the front door, that symbol is in context because a Mason built the building. We know the guy building the building is a Mason so its not a great leap to understand why that symbol over the front door is there. So the answer to your question is anyone can... all I'm doing is answering the OP's thread form another side.



I disagree with you that there is nothing Masonic on the $ bill and I also think it has context to be there too, to avoid turning this thread into the $ bill debate I will say I'm not 100% buying into the $ bill being Masonic but I thought I would use it as an example.

some pics of Masonic articles showing the same 'all seeing eye' as the dollar bill -







www.lodgebanners.co.uk...


This spells Mason too....



To me I see a link here... maybe you dont and thats fine, but I will also put in context... I think in more context than your reason for wanting to mimic another country or ancient empire... which doesn't sound like the American way to me.

What was it previously said...





I'm not saying (a) at all... I'm saying SOME people in power are Masons thats all, your putting words in my mouth (text). And as for (b) I'm not saying that either... it only takes one powerful person to have influence over things that happen... I've said nothing of a grand conspiracy. However powerful people move in the same circles so its not hard to see how they could come together.

I think Christians do have a say and influence yes.

I dont blame Christians for some diabolic conspiracy because I wouldn't...... just like I haven't to the Masons have I? I haven't blamed the Masons for anything... and your right I dont like pancake for breakfast.



If your car had a specific symbol on it then maybe... as its just a colour then no.... blue is far too generic.



No what I'm saying is there are a lot of Masons in the construction industry, I have an idea about that because I work in it... thats all.

All of the lodges that I have visited or viewed photographs of do not have any of the symbols engraved over the door that I mentioned in my original post. In fact, the only symbols I have personally observed, when there are symbols present, are the Square and Compasses.



There is absolutely nothing Masonic about the dollar bill and its symbology. The All-Seeing Eye depicted on it does not have any Masonic connotations and is there to emblemize the watchful eye of Diety who observes all that transpires beneath his care.

I outlined this in my original post. Benjamin Franklin was the only Mason involved with the design and he did not even recommend the unfinished pyramid but instead wanted Moses parting the Red Sea.



This type of image only underscores my point, the All-Seeing Eye depicted is not Masonic but has a far older pedigree. It has recently, relative to its age, been incorporated into Masonry and is not soley 'Masonic" in nature. It is an icon of other cultures and socities and is still in use by groups other then Masons.



A rather poor parlor trick, as it forms an unsymetrical six-sided star, which, even if properly proportioned, does not appear in Masonry. Any Mason worth his Geometry would not associate himself with such a crudely constructed figure.



What was the 'American way'? The nation was newely formed and without any history or culture. The Founding Fathers drew upon the great socities of the past and attempted to incorporate their ideals and symbols, borrowing from, among others, Greece, Rome and Egypt. This is not unheralded or unprecedented as the Romans themselves, in a very similar circumstance, borrowed much from Greek culture and society.



Any of the 'secrets' of building construction can be obtained by attending a college or university and obtaining a degree in engineering. One only needs the proficient apptitude, there is nothing hidden. The secrets of Operative Masons are no longer known only to them, the only 'secrets' remaining are the modes of recognition.