Words: Ere

[Bob Franks]

I have been in Masonry, as a candidate, sideliner, degree participant, officer, and now Lecturer, for almost 36 years. Many of the words we use in ritual are not in common use anymore, but I figured I'm a pretty sharp guy (like all of us are!) and could just figure out the meanings from context.

As usual, that was a mistake.

I would like to start a discussion on the meaning of words.

The first word I propose to discuss is "ere."

Context, "...ere your eyes beheld the beauties thereof."
and, "...ere I had been accessory to the death..."

What's it mean? It's a really simple one.
[OK, you CAN just go over to dictionary dot com, but that would be cheating.]

S&F

 

[CoachN]

I say it's archaic for "before; until".

 

[goomba]

I'll admit I cheated.

 

[Ashlar2006]

Like Coach stated , "Before" . Well that's how I always took it after looking into it when I started working on committing the degrees to memory . I did not want to repeat the words without knowing their meanings .

 

[Duncan1574]

Ere I speak of this word I would like to draw comparison to ' gone before'

 

[Bob Franks]

"Before" it is!

Next word: Hele, the first one I looked up in the Oxford Unabridged Dictionary of the English Language.

S&F

 

[Duncan1574]

To conceal

 

[Effingham]

I have to admit I'm kind of stumped. Why should a common word like "ere" be problematic or questioned?

 

[Bob Franks]

I have to admit I'm kind of stumped. Why should a common word like "ere" be problematic or questioned?

Common word?
Not one person in my lodge I asked could tell me the definition. One said it was an old word we don't use anymore.


S&F

 

[Effingham]

This is the curse I live for actually reading books.

 

[Bob Franks]

This is the curse I live for actually reading books.

Yeah that can really be a bad habit!

S&F

 

[edwmax]

I can't recall this word being used in my GL Ritual or in a Lecture.

 

[goomba]

I can't recall this word being used in my GL Ritual or in a Lecture.

If you come back to the tri-state in Dothan, AL next year you will hear it.

 

[Bob Franks]

I can't recall this word being used in my GL Ritual or in a Lecture.

In the Lecture of the Entered Apprentice Degree (at least in the version used by the GLofAF&AM of NC), it's in the first of the 3 reasons a candidate is hoodwinked.
In the Master Masons Degree, the active fellow crafts hear it in the first and second recitations from the cleft of the rock.
I don't believe I can be more specific, unless face to face...

S&F

 

[edwmax]

If you come back to the tri-state in Dothan, AL next year you will hear it.

I will try to be there. it is only a 90 mile drive.

 

[edwmax]

In the Lecture of the Entered Apprentice Degree (at least in the version used by the GLofAF&AM of NC), it's in the first of the 3 reasons a candidate is hoodwinked.
In the Master Masons Degree, the active fellow crafts hear it in the first and second recitations from the cleft of the rock.
I don't believe I can be more specific, unless face to face...

S&F

3 reasons the EA is hoodwinked ...???...

"cleft of the rock" ...???...

I have some research to do, but these are not lectures normally use by my lodges.

 

[Effingham]

Yeah that can really be a bad habit!

S&F

If you listen, you'll hear it ere long.

 

[edwmax]

3 reasons the EA is hoodwinked ...???...

"cleft of the rock" ...???...

I have some research to do, but these are not lectures normally use by my lodges.

I have reviewed the EA & MM lectures from my GL Monitor and did not find the word 'ere' used. ... Now going to the Webb's Monitor- Morris Edition printed 1872, the word is in the alternate song used for the perambulation of the MM.

"
Let us remember in our youth,
Before the evil days draw nigh,
Our great Creator and his truth,
Ere memory fail, and pleasures fly;
Or sun, or moon, or planets’ light
Grow dark, or clouds return in gloom;
Ere vital spark no more incite; Esume.
When strength shall bow, and years con-
Let us in youth remember Hun
Who fonned our frame, and spirits gave,
Ere windows of tho mind grow dim,
Or door of speech obstructed wave;
When voice of bird fresh terror wake,
And music’s daughters Charm no more~
Or fear to rise, with trembling shake,
Along the path we travel o’er.
In youth, to God let memory cling,
Before desire shall fail or wane,
Or, e’er be loosed life’s silver string,
Or bowl at fountain rent in twain;
For man to his long home dothgo,
And mourners group around his urn;
Our dust to dust again must flow,
And spirits unto God return. "

But note the word 'before' is also used. ... I think there is a slight different context for 'ere' than that of 'before' even though the two are similar.

 

[edwmax]

ere is the root for the word 'early' ref:http://wordsmith.org/words/ere.html

So if your read the above as "early' the meanings change.

It is not 'before memory fail' ... it is 'early memory fail'

IE: 'the memories of youth'
'the spark of youth'
'the memories of the past'

Oh well ... just my opinion ... because the word ere & before are both used which would seem that 'ere' has a slight different meaning than that of 'before' ... thus 'early' ...

 

[Effingham]

No, it is the ROOT of the word, but not the SAME word.

"Ere" is just another word for "before".

Jeepers. It's not that hard.