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emeraldi42| Blue Lodge Masonry and Greek Mythology

Posted at: 1:53 pm

I was recently asked by a good friend of mine who is not a Mason, but has commented on this site before whether or not Greek Mythology is required reading for Freemasons.  This question came about after I had mentioned that AEdifico and myself have had many fruitful conversations about Greek Mythology that has furthered our understanding of Blue Lodge Masonry.  I told him that it is not required reading but highly recommended.  I did not of course relate why it would be important, but emphasized that it is.  This blog will not go into the degrees of The Scottish Rite, those of the GCR, AMD or any other Masonic body but only that of the Blue Lodge and believe it or not, there are some amazing correlations that lie in our first three degrees and the vast work of the ancient Greeks.

I will start with a short story before I get to the meat of the subject.  I was attending the refreshment part of a Masonic Cornerstone laying ceremony (it was actually at AEdifico’s father’s property) and talking with the sitting Grand Master at the time trying to pick his brain abit when the subject of Greek Mythology came up.  After demonstrating my limited knowledge on the subject the GM gave me a suggested reading list.  I will leave what I learned from the GM for another time but I will say that the 3rd Degree, all of the penalties, the birth of Athena and the stories of the elemental gods of Greek Mythology all are connected in Blue Lodge Masonry.

Now, I will have to apologize to AEdifico for this first tidbit as it was he who brought this connection to my attention and actually presented his findings in our lodge.  Sorry, but you’re asleep at the wheel here.  AEdifico, through his research found that the Greek god Dionysus (god of wine, among other things) is represented to some extent in the lodge by the Junior Warden.  He came to this conclusion because the JW is assisted by atleast two Stewarts as we all know.  The JS and SS are (in a reasonably functional lodge) responsible for assisting the JW in provided refershments for the brethren.  Keep in mind, the tops of the S’s rods have a cornicopia inside a pincone.  AEdifico found that dipictions of Dionysus had him accompanied by two men carrying rods usually to dispense of the wine.  The Greeks carried their wine in leather sacks lined with pine oil as a seal, hence the pine taste inherent in Greek wine.  Also, the cornicopia is a symbol of plenty and nurishment provided by the Earth.  Dionysus was also the God of fertility.  So in BL Masonry you have a man responsible for provided refershment to the craft assisted by two men holding rods with a pine cone and cornicopia at the ends.  Dionysus was the god of wine and fertility, assisted by two men holding rods giving wine from a sack sealed with pine oil.  Did our ritual creators think of this?  Who knows, but now comes the part I found in my studies of Dionysus and I will leave the thinking up to you.

As a precursor, I will give you a rundown on the background of the following finding.  Hades was the Greek god of the underworld.  Hades was also the place of the dead.  Hades was not hell, or even a bad place, it was just a part of the Greek afterlife.  Hades was the place where souls would be judged and it was that judgement that gave a negative tone to the people of Greece.  Okay, so keep in mind the very simplified explanation of Hades.  We all know as Freemasons the philosophical lessons contained within the 3rd degree, especially about death.  Now, keep in mind all the lessons we learn about death in the BL degrees.  Back to Dionysus.  Dionysus was able to travel to Hades and the cult of Dionysus was connected with an idea of INITIATING YOURSELF INTO DEALING WITH HADES.  In Masonry and on many levels we confront death, recognize death, understand the immortality of the soul and learn to deal with the fact that we will all die while aspiring to lead a life of integrity and wise morality.  Think about that for a while.  I don’t have enough space to explain my opinion on this, but consider the similarites of just this one figure in Greek mythology.  I assure you there are more, but again, that’s for another time.  Oh yeah, Dionysus was also the god of drama.

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