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Speculative Characteristics of
Medieval Operative Masonry
by Jack Brooksbank, MPS

The article (The Philalethes, February,
1993, p. 10) by Fred Lamar Pearson,
FPS, entitled "Masonic History--Pre-
Grand Lodge to the Union, " was an
interesting and timely,reflection on our
medieval roots. Brother Pearson wrote
in part, "We like to say our ancient
brethren worked as both operative and
speculative or philosophical Masons . . .
a more accurate assessment is that our
beginnings started in operative or prac-
tical Masonry alone," and "operative
Masons declined. At the same time there
were increasing numbers of influential
members who men who wanted to join
in the fellowship and camaraderie of this
elite group of builders. Consequently we
have the beginning of speculative or phil-
osophical Masonry. " The second of
these quotations, relating to influential
men who wanted to join the fellowship
raises a very interesting question: Why
or for what reasons were philosophical
and influential men attracted to these
assemblies of operative stonemasons,
masons who had their origin in the me-
dieval period?

We can postulate that this attraction
was a progressive combination of three
factors, complementary and supportive
themes that also motivated the fathers of
the subsequent accepted or speculative
masonry:

1 ) The achievements and heritage of me-
dieval operative masons resulted in a
desire of philosophical and influential
men to be associated with the heritage,
traditions, and outstanding achieve-
ment of operative masons who had cre-
ated many superb examples of Gothic
buildings still evident in all parts of
Europe.

To quote from Member Fred, "The
beauty, the strength, the solemnity of the
cathedrals gave the most eloquent of tes-
timony to the skills of the builders. They
built for the future .... "

ii) The excellences of character and attri-
butes of medieval operative masons
also led to philosophical and influential
men to pursue and study the various
intriguing aspects of the arts and sci-
ences of operative masons progres-
sively, including the work ethic. Ma-
sons, of all the crafts, were mainly de-
voted to the creative art of building
structures worthy of the Creator. The
creative art of the operative masons, of
necessity, required men who combined
various qualities and characteristics de-
voted to excellence.

iii) Late operative lodges' acceptance of
philosophical moral and ethical empha-
sis gave an opportunity for philosophi-
cal and influential men to become the
sponsors of the operative masons' as-
semblies, and to perceive the challenge
of combining the outstanding 500-year
heritage and achievements of the oper-
ative mason and his excellence of char-
acter, into a more philosophical percep-
tion and emphasis on moral and ethical
precepts.

This brings us to the focus of this arti-
cle, which attempts to reflect specifically
on the "Speculative Characteristics of
Medieval Operative Masons, postulated
in (ii) above. The outstanding accom-
plishments of the medieval operative
masons during 500 years of Gothic build-
ing required the adoption of personal
attributes and characteristics, which re-
sulted in an outstanding code or pattern
of work ethics which will probably never
be equalled. From the author's research
into the medieval period of operative
stonemasons came a realization that the
work ethics, and specifically the personal
attributes and characteristics of opera-
tive masons of the time, are a worth-
while subject for study and evaluation.
Again, on reflection, this does not seem
to be a subject that has been given any
critical evaluation or particular emphasis
in published Masonic history.

We can, however, speculate that these
perceived excellences of character of the
medieval operative mason may have
been very relevant to the fathers of ac-
cepted and speculative masonry.

The author would venture to suggest
that some of the perceived attributes or
characteristics making up the work ethic
of medieval masons were:

(A) To be honorable in their
craft calling and lifestyle.

(B) To be Loyal to lodge,
fraternity and king, and to
believe in God.

(C) To be Dedicated to qual-
ity standards of work and
performance.

(D) To be Secretive in terms
of the art of building and
fraternal codes.

(E) To be Committed to sys-
tematic training, learning,
qualification, and achieve-
ment.

(F) To be Self-reliant, indi-
vidualistic, and confident in
skills.

(G) To be Cooperative to contribute as a
member of creative building teams.

(H) To be Trustworthy to render good
effort for benefits received.

(I) To be Charitable and philanthropic
to other masons and families.

Now we need some supportive evi-
dence or discourse to validate this issue.
In trying to determine the prevailing
work ethic of the medieval operative ma-
sons, with particular reference to
adopted and developed characteristics or
attributes, we can consider some medi-
eval documented manuscripts and illus-
trations which display or make reference
to operative stonemasons, their craft,
lifestyle, church associations, lodges,
guilds, training, and outstanding
achievements. The author's research in-
to medieval resources resulted in the se-
lection of forty illustrations to provicle
the basis for a " Medieval Builders' Craft
Presentation." Of these forty illustra-
tions, nine were associated with specific
attributes or characteristics of medieval
operative masons. These characteristics
are commented upon in the order in
which they have been listed above.

A. To be Honorable in their craft calling
and life-style. An illustration that seems
to project the image of a an operative
mason in an honorable calling of the
likeness of Master of Masons Anton
Pilgrim, of 1523, which still looks down
from the organ console in a church in
Vienna. He is dressed in a fur-trimmed
coat and hat, holding a square in his left
hand and what appears to be compasses
in his right. To be allowed to include the
likeness of the master of masons in the
stone fabric of a medieval structure
would have been an indication of the
distinction and honorable standing of
the master of masons, recognizing the
creative endeavors of the builders.

B: To be Loyal to lodge, fraternity and
King, and to believe in God. An
illustration that gives emphasis to oper-
ative masons' being loyal and true is a
a copy of an old charge reportedly in the
handwriting of King Henry VI of En-
gland [see illustration B]. This charge
stressed that masons should be true
men of God, and true and loyal liege
men without treason. They were to be
true to their master, to call themselves
fellows or brethren, not to resort to
villainy or slander, and always to pay
for their meat and drink. All of these
were charges to be held by masters and
fellows.

C. To be Dedicated to quality standards
[see illustration C]. An illustration that
gives particular stress to an operative
masons's dedication is a representation
of a fifteenth-century manuscript,
showing the master of a masons' guild,
appropriately seated and dressed in an
ermine fur-trimmed gown of office,
and supported by his warden. Both are
observing a fellow undertaking his
"masterpiece" to achieve his recogni-
tion as a master mason. The slow and
progressive steps from apprentice to
fellow to master mason required an on-
going dedication to his craft and pur-
pose.

D. To be Secretive in terms of the art of
building and fraternal codes. An
illustration that gives an example of
just one of many structural elements of
the art of building, that operative ma-
sons were required not to disclose,
shows some thirty comparative styles
or arches, each with its own geometric
form and character, being just one facet
of many mysteries of masons' craft. At
a time when medieval operative ma-
sons moved from site to site, another
requirement to be secretive was the
progressive learning of the mysteries
(art of building) and the means of iden-
tifying masons at various levels of qual-
ification.

E. To be committed to systematic train-
ing, learning, qualification, and
achievement. An illustration that gives
an indication of outstanding achieve-
ments of operative masons is a view of
the exquisite stone vaulted roofing of
the chapel of Henry VII at Westminster
Abbey in London. The stone vaulted
roofing is one of the finest achieve-
ments of stone-mason artisans,
achievements that resulted from a com-
mitment to systematic training, learn-
ing, and qualification.

F. To be Self-Reliant, individualistic, and
confident in skills. An illustration that
shows the individuality and self-reli-
ance of the operative mason, confident
in his skills and determined to be
"free" from bound or tied labor, and
equally free from church authority and
rule, is a medieval illuminated manu-
script that shows two situations of oper-
ative masons. The top shows masons
destroying their work, viewed by con-
cerned monks. The lower shows ma-
sons working in harmony after their
resolution of differences, with the
bishop and his monks looking on.
Operative masons freed themselves, by
a united refusal to be bound laborers
under domination of church authority
and rule, in France in 1250 A.D.

G. To be co-operative to contribute as a
member of creative building teams.
This illustration showing the operative
masons as co-operative and creative is
a fifteenth-century representation of
the building of the biblical Tower of
Babel of 2300 B.C. This illustration is
very interesting in that it shows various
building operations and personalities.
Two men on the right may represent a
warden with visitors and suppliers.
Masons in variously colored and styled
dress are shown working on the struc-
ture. In the background a masons'
lodge is shown. Co-operation on the
building site and in the site lodge would
have been essential.

H. To be Trustworthy, to render good
effort for the benefits received. An
illustration that combines the charita-
ble inter-dependence of operative ma-
sons working on medieval building
sites--sites that often lasted for a work-
ing lifetime--is the medieval drawing
by Matthew Paris (1200-1259 A.D.) of
St. Albans depicting masons at work
building the monastery. The operative
masons had, of necessity, to adopt a
philanthropic approach to group living
and survival on building sites. This at-
tribute also extended to operative ma-
sons traveling from site to site in search
of appropriate work.

[The editor regrets that not all illustrations
discussed could be reproduced.]


The Philalethes, October 1993
