Sometimes we get so caught up with the symbolism and philosophy of Masonry that its humble origins are forgotten. Then a message comes back from the past – in this case across 4,000 years – to remind us that the original brethren were labourers and artisans living in an agriculturally based economy. Read the rest of this entry »
Archive for the ‘History’ Category
A Brief History of Masonry
On April - 12 - 2009
The origins and early development of Freemasonry are a matter of some debate. A poem known as the “Regius Manuscript” has been dated to approximately 1390 and is the oldest known Masonic text. There is evidence that there were Masonic lodges in existence in Scotland as early as the late sixteenth century (eg the Lodge at Kilwinning, Scotland, has records that date to the late 1500s. There are clear references to the existence of lodges in England by the mid-seventeenth century.
