Author Archives: Br:.

Hercules

On this complex “Rose Croix d’Heredom dit de Kilwinning” (‘Rose Cross of Heredom and Kilwinning’) tracing board, we see an enormous naked man (bottom right) with his legs on either side of a water. A ship is sailing through his legs. I think this is a reference to (the strait of) Hercules (later strait of Gibraltar). I haven’t found the ritual significance yet.

BnF Smith-Lesouëf 126

J M B

The (proto) Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite degree “Maitre Parfait” (‘perfect master’) often has a pyramid on the tracing board. Sometimes the pyramid has the letters “M B” on it, the 3rd degree word. Sometimes the letter is “L“, but I also ran into “J M B” standing for “Jacobus Molay Burgondi”, Jacques de Molay from Bourgogne.

Thuileur 1 – 333 Pascal Barbier

I V I L

The Grand Treasurer representing Guibelum, who was the first depositer of the precious Treasure of Masons, decorated with a small key to a narrow white ribbon, to wear to the 5th Button hole of his Jacket, with the letters I. V. I. L. which are the Initials of Inveni verbum in ore Lionis.

Francken Manuscript 13th degree.

Image self created

I M B

At the Expiration of the 9 days, the heart was embalmed and deposited in the obelisk, and with a Triangular Stone on which was engraved in hebrew the Letters IMD, the I being the Initial of the antient masters word and the M.B. the Initials of the new word

Thus says the 5th degree (“Perfect Master”) in the Francken Manuscript.

Image self created

Rain

This is the cover of the luxury 1812 12th edition of the famous Illustrations of Freemasonry of William Preston (1742-1818) which was first published in 1772 and revised and enlarged three years later.

The cover shows a tracing board. There are even letters saying E, S, W, N around it. Some say that the image can be found in the book, but I have not one edition (and there are many online) with the image in it. Rather it appears to have been the frontispiece of the book Masonic Miscellanies by Stephen Jones, published in 1797.

On the right you see what appears to be a shower coming down on an ear of corn. Is this a bit of an odd way to portray the second degree password or it this actually supposed to be rain coming from the cherubs up there? I have found no better explanation yet.

The cover of the 1812 edition of Preston’s book can be found online on several places.

Yad

I have a French tracing board for the fourth degree of the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite (“Secret Master”) which has a hand on a stick on it. The image reminds of a “Yad”, a Jewish pointing stick for when reading the Torah, but a “Yad” has an index finger pointing and here we have a hand that seems to refer to the sign of the degree. I know no fourth degree texts with which either a “Yad” or a “pointing hand” has a role. But if it only an allusion to the sign, why put it on a stick…?

Thuileur Rite Écossais Ancien et Accepté (2022) Pascal Barbier

Burnt stone

Fonds Maçonnique document FM4 (85) contains a degree called: “Le Chevalier du Phenix” (‘the Knight of the Phoenix’) which has an interesting symbol in the middle. It is described in the text (translated of course) like this:

The square that you see under this plate is an allegorical sign of the four elements that were necessary for the creation of the world.
The circle which is enclosed in this quarry is the union of these four elements to help in this creation.
The triangle which this circle contains is the first mover of all things, it is the great Tetragrammaton, it is the alpha and omega, [test in a word the whole] of the whole.
This burnt stone which is found in the triangle is a part of this great whole, which part can communicate its divine virtue to a thousand other parts, in short, it is this Gordian knot that the wise and true lover of the good can destroy.

Fonds Maçonnique FM4 (85)

Altar of Sacrifice

Old ‘high degrees’ have all kinds of different altars. It can be hard to tell if they are different names for the same thing, or different symbols. The “Maitre Anglais” (‘English Master’) degree of Cayers Maçonniques even has two altars: an “altar of perfume” and an “altar of sacrifice”. The latter represents: “The sacrifices we have to offer to God.”

Cayers Maçonniques (National Library of Australia, Clifford collection, MS 1097/44)

Altar of Perfume

Old degrees have different altars of which I’m not always sure if they are different names for the same thing. Cayers Maçonniques (“Maitre Anglais”, ‘English Master’) has a “altar of perfume” which represents: “The homage we are to pay to the Great Architect of the Universe”. It may be similar to the “votive altar” or even the “pot of incense“.

Cayers Maçonniques (National Library of Australia, Clifford collection, MS 1097/44)

Window amidst clouds

A few of the tracing boards in Cayers Maçonniques have a “window […] amidst clouds” like here on the tracing board of “Maitre Anglais par Curiocité” (‘English Master by curiosity’). Later an explanation follows:

My brother, the window you observe in these clouds represents the vault of the Temple of Solomon.

Cayers Maçonniques (National Library of Australia, MS 1097/44)

Tomb of King Sedecias

Above Mount Lebanon is the figure of an oblong square with a small triangle in the centre : this is the tomb of king Sedecias, the last king of the race of David

Thus says the “Chevalier d’Orient ou de l’Epée” degree (‘Knight of the East or the Sword’) in the Bonseigneur collection. The description of the image does not entirely fit the image that we see on this Chevalier d’Orient tracing board in 84 Tableaux, but the placement (here below Mount Lebanon) suggests what is meant is (something) similar.

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