QUESTIONS ON "THE HIRAMIC LEGEND"

THE BUILDER SEPTEMBER 1920

In conducting the study meetings the Chairman should endeavour to hold
the discussions as closely as possible to the text and not permit the
members to speak too long at one time, or to stray onto another subject.

Whenever it becomes evident that a discussion is turning from the original
subject the Chairman should request the speaker to make a note of the
particular point or phase of the matter he wishes to discuss or inquire into,
and bring it up when the Question Box period is opened.

Who was Edwin Booth? What is his opinion of the Hiramic Legend? 

Give your own opinion on the Legend in your own words.

Are Masonic authorities agreed as to its origin and interpretation.

What have Pike and Vibert to say of its introduction into our ritual? When
does Gould believe it to have been made a part of our ceremonies? Are
other Masonic scholars in agreement with these brethren? What do
MacBride and Newton have to say on the subject ?

How was the Legend accepted by eighteenth century writers? Was their
position held to by later writers? What are we to infer from findings of more
recent times?

Had the Jews a tradition of the Grand Master's death? Can we deny
positively that the Legend is not historically true?

What is the belief of other writers, who do not agree with the historical
theory? What do they believe the drama to have had its inception? What
are the assertions of Speth and Marks?

Is there any good evidence to support the Templar theory? What were the
theories advanced by Speth, Carr, Pike and others?

What is Brother Haywood's theory? Does this theory seem logical to you?

Do all writers agree as to the interpretation of the Legend? How many
theories were offered by Oliver? What were they? What were some other
theories advanced?

What is Brother Haywood's present day interpretation?

After receiving the Third degree how did you interpret the drama? 

SUPPLEMENTAL REFERENCES

THE BUILDER:

Vol. I. - Symbolism, The Hiramic Legend, and the Master's Word, p. 285.
Vol. III. - The Four Hirams of Tyre, pp. 81, 113, 157, Cor. 350; Masonry and
King Solomon's Temple, pp. 101, 137, 172.
Vol. IV. - Symbolism of the Three Degrees, p. 291.
Vol. V. - What a Master Mason Ought to Know, p. 129.

THIRD STEPS
BY BRO. H.L. HAYWOOD, IOWA

PART V - THE HIRAMIC LEGEND

In all my research and study, in all my close analysis of the masterpieces
of Shakespeare, in my earnest determination to make those plays appear
real on the on the mimetic stage, I have never, and nowhere, met tragedy
so real, so sublime, so magnificent as the legend of Hiram.  It is substance
without shadow - the manifest destiny of life which requires no picture and
scarcely a word to make a lasting impression upon all who can understand.
To be a Worshipful Master and to throw my whole soul into that work, with
the candidate for my audience and the lodge for my stage, would be a
greater personal distinction than to receive the plaudits of people in the
theatre of the world."

When so accomplished a judge and critic as Edwin Booth can speak like
this of the Hiram Abiff tragedy we humbler students may be forgiven for
approaching such a theme in awe if not in silence; in truth, I may confess
that I should not dare to write a line on the subject were it not absolutely
necessary to the scope of our studies. The majesty of the drama is not the
only deterrent; its origin and its interpretation have engaged our best
scholars for many years but they have not yet reached an agreement; many
of them remain as wide apart as the poles nor is there any hope for an
early uniformity of opinion.  Therefore I shall be compelled to lay out for
review such varying hypotheses as seem most reasonable leaving to you,
my reader, the privilege of forming your own conclusions.

It is generally agreed, however, whatever may be our theory of the origin
of the drama, that it was first introduced into the ritual, in its modern form
(that is, since the Grand Lodge era) not more than two hundred years ago.
Pike describes it as "a modern invention." Vibert calls it "a comparatively
late addition" to the ritual, and Gould went so far as to fix on 1725 as the
most probable date of its introduction into our ceremonies.  But while, as
I have already said, there is general agreement on this, some scholars, and
they not the least inconsiderable, contend that the drama could not have
been invented outright in 1725 even if it was amplified or improved, and
they believe that the story of the great martyrdom must have existed in
some form long before the eighteenth century.  MacBride believes that
"there are traces of the Hiramic Legend in connection with the British Craft
Lodges prior to 1717." Newton holds that it was in the possession of the
French Companionage long before that date and that they "almost certainly
learned it from the Freemasons." Even Gould, who is so conservative in his
opinions, writes that "the traditions which have gathered round Hiram's
name" have "come down to us from ancient times."

Eighteenth century writers usually accepted the legend as being based on
actual history, even in details; from this position the pendulum swung to the
opposite position, one writer going so far as to say that "nowhere in history,
sacred or profane, in no document, upon no monument, is there a single
shred of authentic historical evidence to support the Masonic legend," while
another affirms that "in spite of diligent search no reference to the Hiramic
legend has hitherto been found in Jewish writings." We are now in process
of reaction from this extreme negative position as is proved by Brother Max
Montesole's brilliant article published in the Transactions of the Author's
Lodge (vol. 1, p. 28) in which he shows that the name Hiram Abiff in
Hebrew literally means "Hiram, his father" or "Hiram, his Master," and that
the term as such is found in II Chronicles 4:16.  This means that the record
tells first of a Hiram of Tyre, Solomon's architect, and then of a second
Hiram, the former's son or pupil, which leaves us to infer that the first Hiram
may have died or been killed.

That this latter supposition is not a modern one is proved by a sentence in
one of the oldest Jewish writings in which we read that "all the workmen
were killed that they should not build another Temple devoted to idolatry,
Hiram himself being translated to heaven like Enoch." This is doubtless only
a Rabbinic legend but it proves that even in the Jews of ancient times,
there had descended a tradition of the Grand Master's death.  In view of
this it will not do for us to deny that the story may be historically true.
 
Other writers, however, have not agreed with this historical theory but prefer
to believe that the drama was devised during medieval times. If so it must
have come into existence some time before the fourteenth century, for
Speth asserts that there are references to it (veiled) in certain of the Old
Charges, and Dr. Marks, a learned Hebrew scholar, declares that he found
an Arabic manuscript of that date which contains the sentence, "We have
found our Lord Hiram."

Some scholars have argued that the drama was brought to Europe by the
Knights Templar.  Others have seen in it a literary result of popular interest
in the Temple which was so frequently the theme of books and speeches
in seventeenth century England; but a diligent search among this literature
has failed to unearth a single reference to Hiram Abiff. (A.Q.C. vol. 14, P.
60).  Speth considered that the legend may have originated among early
builders as a parabolic story suggested by the old custom of sacrificing a
human being under the cornerstone of a building.  Pike was of the opinion
that it was invented by seventeenth century occultists for the purpose of
concealing their teachings.  Carr traces it back to a legend still found in
operative lodges while others hold that it was made out of the whole cloth
by Anderson or Desaguliers, while still others have seen in it a kind of
political allegory devised by Oliver Cromwell (of all men!) or some other
republican, as a blast against Royalty.

In the presence of so bewildering an array of theories we may ask to be
excused, may we not, from offering any theory of our own? Notwithstanding
we may set one down and offer it for what it is worth, even if it would be
impossible to furnish such evidence as would convince a jury. To me it
seems reasonable to believe that the core of the drama came down from
Solomon's day; that it was preserved until medieval times by Jewish, and
especially Kabbalistic literature; that it flowed into the traditions of the old
builders because it was so intimately related to the story of the Temple,
around which so much of their symbolism resolved; that it was inherited by
seventeenth century Masons, in crude form, and along with the mass of
other traditions; that it was elaborated and given its literary form by the
early framers of our present ritual; and that it was adopted by them
because it embodied so wonderfully the idea which they wished to set in
the centre of the Third degree.  As I said above, this theory can not be
proved by documentary evidence, but it is the opinion toward which the
drift of all our data has led me.

The confusion which may have been occasioned by this review of the
theories of origin will not be lessened, I fear, when we turn to interpretation,
for here also we find a multitude of counsellors, and few agreeing. To make
this diversity as plain as possible I set down a table of the theories, with
their author's name in brackets, when known; there are fourteen of them (I
borrow the list from Bro. Hextall) but even more could be added by a little
search,

1. Real and actual death of Hiram Abiff. (Oliver.)
2. Legend of Isis and Osiris (Oliver.)
3. Allegory of setting sun. (Oliver.)
4. Death of Abel at hand of Cain.
5. Expulsion of Adam from Paradise. (Oliver.)
6. Entry of Noah into the Ark. (Freemason's Magazine.)
7. Mourning of Joseph for Jacob. (Oliver.)
8. An astronomical problem. (Yarker.)
9. Death and Resurrection of Jesus. (Oliver; also Pike, in part.)
10. Violent death of King Charles I. (Oliver.)
11. Persecution of the Templars. (DeQuincey.)
12. Political invention by Cromwell. (Oliver.)
13. A parable of old age and death. (Oliver.)
14. A drama of regeneration. (Hutchinson.)

It is highly significant that a majority, of the theories were born in Bro.
Oliver's learned and fertile brain; he devoted a life time almost exclusively
to the study of Masonry, and he was a man of unusual intellect.  Yet see
how bewildered he became in the presence of the drama! how impotent he
was to discover any one fact or event to which it might refer! Is not this in
itself a solution of the problem ? For why should we persist in thinking that
the legend derives its meaning from any event whatsoever? Why may we
not believe that it is simply a dramatic parable a great experience of the
soul in its struggle against adversaries, in its apparent defeat, and its
ultimate moral victory? Whatever it may have originally me this, surely, must
be its meaning now.

Hiram Abiff is the type of every Christ-like man who lives as an apostle of
light and liberty, for his experiences as set forth in the drama are just those
experiences, in one degree or another, which attend every such man who
stands true to his principles. Adversaries, whether men or circumstances,
seek to undermine his courage and betray his soul; they may even
encompass his death and apparent defeat, but he lives while they die, for
the man who stands true to his loyalties, whatever betide, has that within
him which contumacy can not kill or death destroy.  Such man is
inconquerable even in mortality, and on his lips we might place, without
any incongruity whatsoever, the magnificent exclamation of the heroic
Fichte: 

"I raise my head to the threatening rock, the raging flood, and the fiery
tempest, and cry, 'I am eternal and defy your might; break all, upon me;
and thou Earth, and thou Heaven, mingle in the wild tumult and all ye
elements, foam and fret yourselves, and crush in your conflict the last atom
of the body I call mine,' my WILL, secure in its own firm purpose, shall soar
unwavering and hold over the wreck of the universe!"

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