25 curious facts about Freemasons - the most conservative and closed society

2024 Author: Richard Flannagan | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-15 23:55

Many legends have developed around the Masons - from the theory of the "world Jew-Mason conspiracy" to blood-chilling stories about ritual murders. The masons themselves call themselves not a secret society, but a society with secrets. In our review, a selection of facts about this closed men's club of wealthy intellectuals.

1. About five million Freemasons

Freemasonry exists in various forms throughout the world. It is believed that there are about five million Masons in the world (including about 480 thousand in Great Britain and more than two million in the United States).

2. Masons - secret or not secret?

Contrary to popular belief, Freemasons are not a secret society. A Freemason can freely tell people that he is a Freemason. But they cannot divulge the secrets of their order.

3. June 24, 1717

It is generally accepted that Freemasonry as a phenomenon appeared on June 24, 1717 - the day the Grand Lodge of London was founded.

4. Morality, friendship, brotherly love

The images of working tools in the symbolism of the Masons are an illustration of the morality, friendship and brotherly love of the members of the order.

5. Origin of symbolism

It is believed that Masons use symbols due to the secrecy of the brotherhood. However, in fact, symbols began to be used in Freemasonry, since at the time of the foundation of the society, most of its members could not read.

6. Square and compass

The oldest Masonic symbol is the square and the compass. It is also the most common symbol of Freemasonry, although its exact meaning varies from country to country.

7. Masonic lodge - a community of people

The Masonic Lodge is a community of people, not just the name of a building. Each lodge must receive a letter from the "Grand Lodge", but after that they are mostly self-governing. There are also no generally accepted rituals for conducting meetings, they are different in each lodge.

8. Atheist? Means not a freemason

An atheist cannot become a Freemason. The first requirement is that potential members must believe in at least some higher power.

9. Two branches of Freemasonry

There are two branches of Freemasonry: the regular, which is subject to the "United Grand Lodge of England," and the liberal, which is subject to the "Grand Orient of France."

10. Secret signs

Masons traditionally greet each other with various "secret" signs, including wearing a ring with the Masonic emblem, various badges, and sometimes exchanging the so-called "Masonic handshake".

11. Anders Breivik

Anders Breivik, known for the 2011 Norwegian serial killings, was also a Freemason.

12. Ordered to perjure

Freemasons cannot give truthful testimony in court if the defendant is their brother in the order and he is guilty. They admit that this may be perjury, but in the brotherhood it is considered a much greater sin not to protect "their own."

13. Freemasonry has no single leader

Freemasons are a multitude of people in numerous organizations that are subordinate to the local Grand Lodge. None of these members of the fraternity and no organization can speak on behalf of the entire Freemasonry - this is only allowed to the Grand Lodge.

14. Statue of Liberty

Frederic Bartholdi, the man who created the famous Statue of Liberty, was a Freemason.

15. Handshakes and passwords

The secret handshakes and passwords that are now associated with Freemasonry were previously used by Freemasons to get to know each other. This was essential for keeping the brotherhood secret.

16. Lunar module pilot

Astronaut Buzz Aldrin was a member of Clear Lake Loggia # 1417 in Texas. He was also the pilot of the lunar module on the Apollo 11 mission.

17. Ekaterina Babington

Catherine Babington so wanted to learn the secrets of Freemasonry that she hid during the meetings of the lodge in Kentucky inside the pulpit for a year. When she was found, she was held captive for a month.

18. The most famous masons

Charles Darwin, Mark Twain, Winston Churchill, J. Edgar Hoover, Benjamin Franklin, and the first president and founding father of the United States, George Washington, were all Masons.

19. Illuminati and Freemasons

Conspiracy theorists associate Freemasons with the Illuminati. However, this seems unlikely, because the Illuminati is a completely secret society (to the point that most people believe that this society does not exist today), while the Freemasons can divulge that they are members of the Freemason lodge.

20. Nazis destroyed the Freemasons

Hitler believed that the Freemasons were an organization of the Jews, so between 80,000 and 200,000 Freemasons were killed under the Nazi regime.

21. Gender inequality in the United States

In the American version of Freemasonry, the entrance to the organization is closed to women, while in Europe women are allowed to be initiated.

22. Sun worship

Sun worship is the foundation of Freemasonry, as well as many other secret societies.

23. Masonic Temple in Chicago

The Masonic Temple in Chicago, Illinois, built in 1892, was the tallest building in the world at the time. It had 22 floors.

24. Freemasons at War

During the American Civil War, soldiers of enemy armies who recognized each other as Freemasons helped and saved each other's lives. Even during the war, the loyalty of the Freemasons to the brotherhood did not disappear anywhere.

In 2007, the world's most mysterious organization reopened its box in Russia. Today it already includes about 400 people. Interesting facts about Freemasons in Russia can be found in one of our reviews.