Aum or Om sign on a 58th degree (“Prince Brahmin”) Memphis Misraim tracing board.
Ancient and Primitive Rite of Memphis-Misraim in Freemasonry Aprons and Tracing Boards – Murat Ozgen Ayfer (2019)
Tag Archives: letter
Square, Compasses, UC
Square, Compasses and the letters UC, which stand for Union Compagnonnique. An emblem of the Compagnonnage. This is a French (and German) ‘operative Masonry’ type organisation.
The Artisans and Guilds of France (2000) by François Icher (edited)
Compasses and Crown?
The letters C.M.D.D. stand for Compagnons Menuisiers du Devoir which means something like ‘members of the guild’. The Compagnonnage is a French (and German) ‘operative Masonic’ like organisation.
The Artisans and Guilds of France (2000) by François Icher (edited)
Bridge with Letters L.D.P.
The three letters, which are on the Bridge, signify that all obstacles are destroyed, & liberty of passage (“liberté de passer”)
This scene is described in the degree “Chevalier d’Orient” (‘Knight of the East’), the 13th degree in the system of Mirecourt.
Sometimes there are different letters on the bridge, such as “Y.H.” which would stand for Yaveron-Ha-mayim with the same meaning.
On the bridge are the twelve apostles. The bridge goes over the River of Sorrow (Starbuzanai).
Continue reading
Trinity
Especially in early Freemasonry the Trinity was a common element. Seldom have I seen it displayed, but here we have an image from the French Mutus Liber Latomorum from 1765 (more here).
Mutus Liber Latomorum (1765)
G on many Triangles
In the fascinating, French publication, supposedly originally from 1765, called Mutus Liber Latomorum we find about 30 beautiful colour plates with often uncommon Masonic symbols. There is a suggestion that they refer to historical (proto Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite?) degrees. The image above comes from a page with what seem to be (officers) jewels, see below.
Continue reading
A.I.I.
In the fascinating, French publication, supposedly originally from 1765, called Mutus Liber Latomorum we find about 30 beautiful colour plates with often uncommon Masonic symbols. There is a suggestion that they refer to historical (proto Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite?) degrees. The image above is early in the book, so it refers to a low/early degree?
More about the book here.
Mutus Liber Latomorum (1765)
Y
An emblem of the German Grand Lodge Zur Sonne (‘to the sun’) from 1829. Possart (Die St. Andreasgrade 1877/7) explains the Y as the lewis. Elsewhere in the same book, he uses the Y as a symbol of a threefold union.
The reference to Possart makes another possible connection. His book is about the Große Landesloge degrees and it is within that ‘Grand National Lodge’ that the interesting tracing boards with strange symbols and grasshoppers appear in their Andreas degrees. On these tracing boards you also see the image below.
Continue reading
L
L on an emblem of the German Grand Lodge Zur Sonne (‘to the sun’) from Bayreuth from 1810.
Also see ‘star from compasses‘.
jewel from the German Grand Lodge Zur Sonne. I have not been able to retrace my source.
Entangled S’s
Jewels of the Eklektischen Bund (a German Grand Lodge). On top in the middle, two entangled letters S.
In the 11th degree of Mirecourt (“Grand Ecossais de Montpellier”) there is a question what “the two letters S” on the tracing board mean (unfortunately there is no images), the answer is: “Sanctus Sanctorum, or Sapientia or Solomon”.
frequently reproduced image (can even be sold as poster). I have not been able from what book this is a page.
Three circles, two Squares and a Yod
Symbol on a 33rd degree Memphis-Misraim apron.
detail of general Memphis-Misraim apron
Cube on two Pillars
A cubic stone with a Yod on two pillars on a 5th degree Memphis-Misraim apron.
general Memphis-Misraim design
In Hoc Signo Vinces
This Templar themed image appears in several places. You see a crown, crossed swords, a Templar cross and the text ‘in this sign we will conquer’. Below you can see it as the emblem of three degrees in the York Rite. Order of the Temple, Order of the Knights of Malta and Order of the Red Cross.
Continue reading
R
Emblem of the 20º degree of the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite.
General AASR jewel. Original design probably 18th century.
Star of David with Triple Tau
Emblem of the Princeps in the Royal Arch.
general officer jewel
Cross with X
Cross with an X in front and the letters IHSV on it. A Red Cross of Constantine breast jewel.
general officer jewel
Star of David with Arrows
Order of the Secret Monitor and the letters D J (a Mark degree) breast jewel.
general officer jewel
N
Jewel of the Commander in the Royal Ark Mariner degree.
General Ark Mariner jewel. Original design probably 18th century
Samaritan
Albert Pike preferred Samaritan over Hebrew so since he reformed the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite in the Southern USA, you see Samaritan characters appearing.
Continue reading
Hebrew
There is a lot of crudely written Hebrew in Freemasonry. Not only words are garbled, but the copies from copies, often from handwritten copies, by people who don’t know Hebrew, makes that on many places you see letters that hardly resemble Hebrew. What also doesn’t help is that there are variations in ritual texts. The image above is from the “ineffable” degrees of the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite. Some Hebrew are recognisable, others less so. From some texts that use this image, you can know what Hebrew letters are meant. The same emblem in another AASR system has Latin characters that do not correspond to the Hebrew above.
Continue reading