Freemasonry secrets would hide behind everything from planning our nation’s capital to murder. Members of the enigmatic Masonic Brotherhood include prominent politicians, founding fathers and corporate titans. In modern times, Masons are known to donate millions to charity. But who are the Freemasons and what do they represent? Is there really a secret Freemason handshake? Here are seven things you might not know about Freemasons.
1. Freemasons are the oldest fraternal organization in the world.
Freemasons belong to the oldest fraternal organization in the world, a group born in the Middle Ages in Europe as a guild of skilled builders. With the decline in the construction of cathedrals, the focus of society has changed. Today, “Freemasons are a social and philanthropic organization designed to inspire its members to lead more virtuous and socially oriented lives,” says Margaret Jacob, professor of history at the University of California at Los Angeles and author of Living the Enlightenment: Freemasonry and Politics in 18th Century Europe. Rooted in the Enlightenment, the organization “always transmits [the era’s] fundamental values, religious tolerance, thirst for knowledge [and] sociability ”, explains Cécile Révauger, Freemason, historian of Freemasonry and professor at the University of Bordeaux.
While not a secret society per se, it has secret passwords and rituals that originate from the medieval guild, Jacob says: “In the original guild there were three stages: Apprentice, Fellowcraft and Master Masons who supervised everyone working at a site. Today, these degrees are more philosophical. ”
2. Freemasonry symbols are not what you think.
Freemasons have long communicated using visual symbols taken from masonry tools. The “all-seeing eye,” or eye of Providence, although not designed by Masons, was used by the group to represent the omniscience of God. The most famous Freemason symbol, “The square and the compasses”, represents a builder’s square joined by a compass. The “G” in its center remains subject to dispute; some experts from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, for example, believe that the “G” in the center of the symbol represents geometry, a critical field for early Freemasons, while others believe it represents God, the “great architect of the universe ”. The square and the compasses remain a popular symbol on Masonic rings.
There is another Masonic symbol, less known, taken from nature: the beehive. “Masons were originally workers who were supposed to be as busy as bees,” says Jacob. “And the hive symbolizes the work of the lodge.”
The Masonic symbol square and compasses is seen on the wall of the main floor at the headquarters of the Scottish Rite of Freemasonry, Washington, DC
Tim Sloan / AFP / Getty Images
WATCH: America’s Book of Secrets: The Freemasons on HISTORY Vault.
3. Yes, there is a Freemason handshake. Several, in fact.
Freemasons greet each other with a variety of handshakes, all based on rank within the organization. “There is a handshake for each diploma: Apprentice, Fellowcraft and Master, that is to say the first three diplomas and also the higher diplomas,” explains Révauger. “Each rite has its own handshakes, so there is a great variety. They are used during Masonic ceremonies.
4. The Catholic Church prohibits members from being Freemasons.
While Freemasonry is not in itself a religion, all of its members believe in a Supreme Being, or “Great Architect of the Universe”. Members come from many denominations, but one denomination in particular prohibits crossbreeding. The Catholic Church first condemned Freemasonry in 1738, over concerns about Masonic temples and the secret rituals performed there. In the 19th century, the Vatican even called the Masons “the Synagogue of Satan.”
The Church went even further in 1983, declaring: “Their principles have always been considered
5. Freemasons inspired America’s first political third.
In politics, the first third in the United States, the Anti-Masonic Party, was formed in 1828 in response to fears that the group was becoming too secretive and too powerful. Many of its members have touted conspiracy theories about Freemasons, with some leaders claiming that an infamous murder of the time took place at the hands of the Masons, in an effort to prevent the victim from revealing the secrets of the organization.
READ MORE: Man revealed secrets of Freemasons. His disappearance led to their downfall
6. It’s still a boys’ club… Mainly.
Traditionally, Freemasonry membership was only open to men. In the group’s “Constitutions of 1723”, a sort of guide to the organization by James Anderson, written under the aegis of the Grand Lodge of England, women and atheists were excluded along with slaves.
From now on, “masons come from all walks of life, provided they have the means to pay the annual subscription,” explains Révauger. But while women are allowed to join an affiliate called The Order of the Star of the East, and some lodges recognize female members, “Freemasonry is not as universal as it claims, because in many countries … women and atheists are still excluded. In the United States and Europe, it can vary from city to city, from lodge to lodge.
Since there is no national organization in the United States, “the grand lodges in every state are a court of last resort,” says Jacob. This led to controversial decisions: “Particularly in the southern states, Freemasonry remains segregated,” Jacob says. “In the United States, several grand lodges still refuse to recognize Prince Hall Freemasonry, that is to say African-American Masons,” adds Révauger.
READ MORE: 5 of the most secretive societies in history
7. Famous Freemasons are everywhere.
Famous Freemasons can be found throughout history: George Washington was a Master Mason, and Benjamin Franklin was a founding member of the first Masonic Lodge in America. Presidents Franklin D. Roosevelt and Gerald Ford were Masons, as was Prime Minister of Great Britain Winston Churchill. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Davy Crockett, Henry Ford, actor John Wayne and astronaut Buzz Aldrin were also Freemasons.
