http://www.***************.com/cookies/37/b/happy.gif
I could, of course, just say “yes” and that would be it, but it wouldn’t be fair, would it? So, let me be fair and present a more systematic answer.
We have 113 manuscripts which we call “Old Charges”, the oldest being “Regius”, dated 1390 followed by Cooke MS dated 1410. All these MSS contain two important parts, which are the center of this presentation. They contain a legendary history, which is the story of the Creation (in capital C!) of Masonry. Interwoven in this story there are rules and regulations which govern the behavior of the operative masons both viz a viz their employers as well as between themselves. These rules are called “Charges” and are summarized in the following part of the MSS. I will try to prove that the legendary history contains figures which create a Masonic mythology.
In order to do so, we have to start by admitting that the terms ‘legend” and “myth” are very close. Let us start with 2 definitions of “myth” in the Webster dictionary:
- A usually traditional story of ostensibly historical events that serves to unfold part of the world-view of a people or explain a practice, belief, or natural phenomena.
- A popular belief or tradition that has grown up around something or someone; especially one embodying the ideals and institutions of a society or a segment of society.
I share the view of those masonic researchers who consider the “Old Charges” MSS as containing the traditions and regulations prevalent among the operative masons in their lodges. These traditions and regulations spread all over England because the journeying masons went from one site to another and were, so to speak, the ‘carriers of the disease’. If this conclusion is correct, then the MSS fit perfectly both definitions I quoted from the Webster dictionary.
The Legendary History
The story begins at times with Adam but more often with Nimrod, who is connected to the Tower of Babylon. Then Lamech enters the scene with his 4 children who are said to have discovered the seven ‘Liberal Arts’. The fifth of them is Geometry, which is defined as synonymous with Masonry. Knowing that God will take vengeance for man’s sins, they wrote their findings on two columns. Noah appears now and after the deluge the columns are found and Abraham brings the knowledge of masonry and the masons’ Charges to the Promised Land. Because of the famine, Abraham goes to Egypt where he taught Euclid. The craft and the Charges are taught to Hermes Trismegistus, who in turn passes them on to the Princes of Egypt. The Israelites bring the knowledge back to the Promised Land and here the biggest achievement is reached in the building of Solomon’s Temple. From here, the story tells us, a curious man passes on the art of masonry and the Mason’s Charges to France, to Charles Martel. From France, the knowledge is taken to England, to St. Alban and the climax is reached in an assembly of all Master Masons of the Realm in York in 926, where they codified the Charges of Masons. Rather abruptly, the legendary history stops here.
Is It a Myth?
The real question is whether we continue accepting it as a legend or, following the definitions I quoted from the Webster dictionary, should we regard it as a myth?Our first definition was: “A traditional story of ostensibly historical events that serves to unfold part of the world-view of a people or explain a practice, belief, or natural phenomena”. According to this, my answer must be: YES, it is a myth.
Now let’s turn to the latter part of the second definition: “…especially one embodying the ideals and institutions of a society or a segment of society”. I claim that the regulations (Charges) are embodying the ideals and institutions of the operative journeying masons, so again it is a myth. Let us, now, examine the Biblical and other figures mentioned in our story.