What do a construction worker, a rabbi, a congressman, and a frat boy have in common? Sounds like the beginning to your father’s most winning cocktail party joke, but the answer is far more surreptitious than pops may be letting on. These fine professions lend themselves to aspects of the most secretive, influential, and misunderstood organization in the history of mankind.
Winston Churchill was a member. So was Henry Ford. And Mozart. And Voltaire. Duke Ellington. D. W. Griffith. John Elway. Not to mention George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, Andrew Jackson, and thirteen other U.S. presidents. The accomplished individuals listed here are only a handful of the powerful men who counted themselves as members of the Freemasons, a secret fraternal society whose origins date back to the 14tth century and whose purpose has fascinated conspiracy theorists for hundreds of years.
From a pop-culture standpoint, the obsession arguably began with Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark. The Old Testament’s Ark of the Covenant has much to do with Freemasonry, but more on that in a minute. Dan Brown catapulted the mystery of the Freemasons into the public eye with his record-breaking selling books, The Da Vinci Code and Angels & Demons, followed up by two mediocre film adaptations starring Tom Hanks. The indefatigable Nicolas Cage gave us perhaps more Masonic intrigue than we could handle in National Treasure(s).
These entertainment goldmines alluded to the intrigue surrounding the Freemasons, but KoldCast TV ups the ante. They tackle the secret society’s history head on with the long-running mystery thriller series A Perfect Union. The show, now impressively on its 12th episode, follows freelance reporter Virgil Montez through his investigation of the 20-year-old unsolved murder of eccentric history professor Roger Kaplan. Virgil’s pursuit of the story behind the homicide reveals an ancient conspiracy involving the Texas Revolution, the Freemasons and a powerful secret about the Battle of the Alamo lost for centuries.
A Perfect Union – Gathering: Part 1
So, who is this band of brothers and what makes them so damn interesting? We attempt to answer some of the more baffling questions asked about the Freemasons throughout the centuries.
Does it Have Anything To Do with Architecture?
It has everything to do with architecture… sort of. The first Freemasons were the illiterate Cathedral builders of the Middle Ages, masons. These men, though working-class, were viewed as a cut above the peasantry. Their skills, extensions of astronomy and geometry derived from G-d’s natural laws, allowed them to transform rough stone into godly palaces. The work earned them a special privilege in Europe, free to travel throughout the continent, hence branding them Free Stone Masons.
What’s with the Secret Handshakes?
The Free Stone Masons’ elevated status demanded a protocol to separate the real workers from opportunistic imposters. A newcomer to a worksite faced a test for the three skill levels: Apprentice, Journeyman, and Master. Each level had a specific grip, which would later evolve into a secret handshake. Don’t worry, that séance scene from Peggy Sue Got Married still doesn’t make much sense to us either. The Freemason tradition of equality began at these worksites, where everyone addressed each other as “brother”. In the lodges where Freemasons have been meeting for centuries, they gather on the level, the masonic tool symbol constructed at the center of the lodge, that is. It’s where the expression being “on the level” comes from. Sorry beatniks, you didn’t coin that one.
Is it a Religion?
No, but it has everything to do with religion… sort of. Freemasonry legend points to Hiram Abiff, hand picked by King Solomon of the Jews, to build the first Temple, plans for which are believed to have been given directly from G-d. The temple would house the Tabernacle or Holy Ark, inside of which lay the broken stone tablets containing the Ten Commandments. Three junior workers would constantly harass Hiram for a secret Mason’s password they believed held a magical power, as well as the key to understanding the universe. Hiram patiently reminded them the password will be given upon the temple’s completion in reward for master craftsmanship, but they’re impatient and plot to kill him instead. Hiram is dealt three successive blows, but still refuses to give up the password. As Hiram dies he utters, “Who will help the widow’s son?” This phrase would live on for millennia to become the Freemason’s call of distress.
And What’s with the Rituals?
Hiram’s story would provide the foundation for Freemasonic philosophy. A “Free Mason” is a builder of a virtuous life, liberated in his mindfulness. He’s always under attack by the three major ills (read workers): ignorance, fanaticism, and tyranny. Each Lodge is constructed in accordance with the original temple’s design plans, which do not exist outside of the Bible. The induction ritual mimics the murder of Hiram Abiff, for it is an allegorical story of fidelity, of pledging your word as a mason. An inductee is “slain,” then three attempts are made to revive him. The first two fail, and the third succeeds. He’s reborn as a Freemason.
Is it a Secret Fraternity?
Yes… well, sort of. You’re getting the picture by now. The length of your keg-stand is on the very low end of this frat house’s list of concerns. What people don’t understand is that the Freemasons’ secret is held individually. It is at once universal and unique to each member, held within their hearts and minds. It’s not a grand, esoteric hush job promulgated by the entire organization.
Why Is the Roster Worthy of a TMZ Episode?
To Freemasons, geometry had always been seen as an all-powerful road to the divine. The Enlightenment era would thus attract leading scientists and philosophers to the Masons’ guilds, holdover organizations from Medieval Times, which these educated men would eventually take over and supplement with a force that would change the world – political influence. Like much of the early enlightenment thinking, this influence had to develop in secret because of the church’s hegemony.
So is it a Political Party?
Yes and no… Laying on the intrigue pret-ty thick. As Masonic membership exploded among the ranks of the educated, rich, and powerful, the organization evolved into a special interest group of sorts. Separate from the church’s power and government bodies, Freemasons were able to discuss their views of the world discreetly and then enact change within their respective professions and industries, bolstered by a quiet network of fellow Freemasons.
Was National Treasure Based on a True Story?
The American Revolutionary War is among the most fascinating narratives dripping with Masonic string-pulling. The plans for the Boston Tea Party can be found carved on the walls of the Green Dragon Tavern, a prominent Freemason meeting spot in colonial America. Nine signers of the Declaration of Independence, including presiding officer John Hancock, were openly Freemasons. In fact, when Thomas Jefferson was drafting the document, prominent Freemason Ben Franklin had him alter the language to reflect Masonic ideologies, or, their definition of truth: “We hold these truths to be ‘bound by faith’” was changed to “self-evident.”
Franklin’s fabled Parisian exploits to garner French support for the revolution were, in most part, meetings with French Freemasons. He actually presided over Voltaire’s initiation ceremony at the Lodge of the Nine Muses in Paris. Franklin convinced great European generals and officers – hugely instrumental in rebel military victories – to fight under fellow Mason George Washington. It struck a chord because the ideals of the revolution were essentially Masonic ideals.
Is it a Band?
Is it an Evil Organization Hell Bent on a New World Order?
A concentration of power in one organization will lead to the most sinister of conspiracy theories. Masons were dangerous to governments and churches because they are an organization whose aim is to remind members of their free will. Anti-Masonry dates back to the 17th century, when rather harsh Presbyterian ministers dubbed them the anti-Christ. Subsequently, they’ve been accused of plotting world domination, bankrupting the Vatican, worshipping Satan, kidnapping politicians, and even murdering Princess Diana.
The Soviet Union purged them for being anti-communist. The Nazis imprisoned them for promoting the Jewish conspiracy. Be sure to catch the crowd-pleasing 1943 Nazi propaganda film Forces Occultes, about a young député who joins the Freemasons in order to jumpstart his career, only to learn the group is conspiring with Jews and Anglo-American nations to encourage France into a war against Germany.
Do They Still Influence Governments?
In the last decade, there has been a revival of publicizing Freemason membership. The movement seems to be most fervent in Great Britain. Not surprisingly, in the wake of the American and French revolutions, the British parliament because quite suspicious of the Freemasons. Their existence almost came to a halt when with the 1799 Unlawful Societies Act, banning people from joining an organization that required an oath. Freemasons lobbied to be exempted from the act, citing their adherence to the law and government. They were exempted, providing they submit an annual list of their members.
This annual roster was required until 1967, and in 1997 members of the British government attempted to pass laws requiring police and judges to announce their memberships. Freemasons find contemporary persecution rather dubious, though we on the outside can’t know for sure how influential they still are. According to one member, his chapter can’t decide on whether to serve ham or tuna sandwiches after their meetings, let alone how to take over the world.
A Perfect Union – Gathering: Part 2
Ariel Nishli has a big apple in his heart but moved to Los Angeles to pursue a career in the entertainment industry after graduating from Vanderbilt University in 2007. He started in the motion picture literary department at ICM before moving on to feature film development at Parkes MacDonald Productions. Ariel’s wardrobe has steadily devolved from designer suits to worn out slippers, as he now focuses on screenwriting and freelance writing.
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