Old Charges (Freemasonry): Difference between revisions
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Les Règlements de Londres pour les Maçons |
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So the Avignon Decree represented both an attempt to centralize masonic governance and an impetus toward more widespread masonic self-organization under new regional Grand Lodges. Along with the Old Charges, it shaped the trajectory of free masonry leading toward modern speculative Freemasonry. |
So the Avignon Decree represented both an attempt to centralize masonic governance and an impetus toward more widespread masonic self-organization under new regional Grand Lodges. Along with the Old Charges, it shaped the trajectory of free masonry leading toward modern speculative Freemasonry. |
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===Les Règlements de Londres pour les Maçons (1356)=== |
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'''Les Règlements de Londres pour les Maçons''' or '''London Regulations for Masons''' written in Norman-French following the French conquest of England, they were a set of ordinances enacted in London in 1356 to govern the city's stonemasons. |
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There appears to be little reason to question the original Saxon Charge as being designated No. 1. However, owing to a continuous influx of French Masons following the conquest, it is evident that a distinctly French Charge must have existed at a certain juncture, augmenting the earlier English manuscripts.<ref>https://www.rgle.org.uk/RGLE_1356.htm</ref> |
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They were issued by the city's government to regulate the training and conduct of masons in the jurisdiction.<ref name="london">{{cite book |last=Riley |first=H.T. |chapter=Masons |editor1-last=Riley |editor1-first=H.T. |title=Memorials of London and London Life in the 13th, 14th and 15th Centuries |date=1868 |publisher=Longmans, Green & Co. |location=London |pages=477–479}}</ref> |
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The London Regulations draw extensively from earlier masonic codes like the [[Regius Manuscript]] and [[Old Charges]]. They reinforce similar rules, including: |
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*Apprentices must serve faithfully for 7 years before becoming freemasons |
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*Masons shall not work at night without light or on holy days |
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*Wages must be paid fairly based on skill and experience |
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*Masons must be loyal to the King and avoid conspiracy |
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*The trade secrets of masonry shall be kept confidential |
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However, as civic ordinances, the London Regulations also imposed new local administrative requirements.<ref name="compare"/> Masons had to register with the city authorities and join an approved guild in order to practice their trade in London. Restrictions were enacted on wages. |
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The London Regulations represented an attempt by municipal authorities to oversee the growing fraternity of local masons in the 14th century. By codifying standards based on traditional Old Charges, the regulations helped institute more formal governance of organized masonry within London.<ref name="london"/> This local oversight would soon lead to the establishment of the London Grand Lodge in the 17th century. |
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== Old charges == |
== Old charges == |
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===Regius Manuscript (1390)=== |
===Regius Manuscript (1390)=== |
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The Regius Manuscript is the oldest known Masonic document, dated to approximately 1390. It takes the form of a poem in Middle English rhyming couplets, spanning almost 800 lines.<ref name="Stevenson">{{cite book |last=Stevenson |first=David |title=The Origins of Freemasonry |publisher=Cambridge University Press |year=1988}}</ref> |
The Regius Manuscript is the oldest known Masonic document concerning the regulation of masonry in Britain, dated to approximately 1390. It takes the form of a poem in Middle English rhyming couplets, spanning almost 800 lines.<ref name="Stevenson">{{cite book |last=Stevenson |first=David |title=The Origins of Freemasonry |publisher=Cambridge University Press |year=1988}}</ref> |
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It is believed to have been written in England, perhaps in York.<ref>Roberts, John. The Mythology of the Secret Societies. Secker and Warburg, 1972.</ref> The manuscript is named after King George II of England, who donated a collection of documents including this poem to the Royal Library in the British Museum in 1757. Hence it became known as the Regius Manuscript.<ref name="UGLE">"History of Freemasonry & Timeline." United Grand Lodge of England, www.ugle.org.uk/about/book-of-constitutions/history-freemasonry-timeline.</ref> |
It is believed to have been written in England, perhaps in York.<ref>Roberts, John. The Mythology of the Secret Societies. Secker and Warburg, 1972.</ref> The manuscript is named after King George II of England, who donated a collection of documents including this poem to the Royal Library in the British Museum in 1757. Hence it became known as the Regius Manuscript.<ref name="UGLE">"History of Freemasonry & Timeline." United Grand Lodge of England, www.ugle.org.uk/about/book-of-constitutions/history-freemasonry-timeline.</ref> |
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Revision as of 09:38, 5 January 2024
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The Old Charges is the name given to a collection of approximately one hundred and thirty documents written between the 14th and 18th centuries. Most of these documents were initially in manuscript form and later engraved or printed, all originating from England. These documents describe the duties and functioning of masons' and builders' guilds, as well as the mythical history of the craft's creation. It is within these fundamental texts, particularly the Regius poem (1390), also known as the Halliwell manuscript, and the Cooke manuscript (1410) for England, as well as the Schaw Statutes (1598) and the Edinburgh manuscript (1696) for Scotland, that speculative Freemasonry draws its sources. However, from a historical perspective, it does not claim a direct lineage with the operative lodges of that era.[1][2][3][4]
History
Overview
Studied and rediscovered since the mid-19th century, these approximately 130 texts are grouped under the generic term of Old Charges, or Old Charges. Most of them are manuscripts, and some versions were engraved or printed, spanning from the late 14th century to the mid-18th century. They are all of English origin, with no equivalent on the continent. The structure of the manuscripts is identical, presenting a legendary history of the craft's creation, praise for the seven traditional liberal arts, and an enumeration of the ethical and regulatory duties of the masons involved in construction.[5][6]
14th century
The oldest known manuscript document that traces the usages and traditions of English operative masonry is the Regius poem, dated around 1390. This document consists of three parts written in verse, totaling 794 lines. The first part narrates the traditional history of the craft and the Duties of the operative masons.[7] The second part details these Duties in fifteen articles and fifteen points, with the third part primarily of a moral nature. These Old Charges from the Middle Ages are associated with the operative lodges and provide insights into the customs and practices of construction sites during that era.[8]
Following the Regius, the Cooke manuscript appeared around 1420. It exhibits differences from its predecessor. Written in prose and spanning 960 lines, it elaborates on the rules of the Regius by incorporating elements from the Bible and patristic traditions. It reduces the Duties to nine articles and nine points while introducing new elements such as an invocation to God, an ode to geometry, and an exposition on the Liberal Arts.[9] Many subsequent versions of the Old Charges are derived from this manuscript, as the Regius did not have any other descendants.
Both manuscripts share a similar structure. After a historical and mythical account of the craft's creation, they emphasize the obligation to take an oath. This is followed by a set of rules called "articles" and "points", fifteen for the Regius and nine for the Cooke. These rules address professional matters and also include Christian moral prescriptions. These documents make no reference to any authority of the craft or any form of subordination, giving the impression that the operative lodges governed by these rules operated autonomously during the periods, sometimes spanning decades, of construction projects. These two manuscripts, the Regius and the Cooke, are the only sources dating from the late 14th century, and no other versions of these Old Charges are known to date.[10]
16th century
It took 150 years to see the emergence of a new manuscript version dated 1583, known as Grand Lodge No. 1.[11] Nearly 130 known versions to date are derived from this new version. This first document of the 16th century, as well as those that follow, do not reproduce the entire original texts and diverge significantly on various points. This evolution categorizes these documents as a second generation of Old Charges. In these manuscripts, the operative regulations, the main content of the 14th century, are omitted or simplified to allow for application to forms beyond just operative masonry. Precepts and provisions of a moral and religious nature are also introduced in this generation of documents.
Ancient charges
Statutes of Bologna (1248)
The Statutes of Bologna were a set of regulations for stonemasons in Bologna, Italy, written in 1248. They represent one of the earliest codes of conduct for masons in Europe.[12]
The Statutes of Bologna were established by the city council to govern the College of Builders, a preeminent society of masons in Bologna. The statutes outline rules for masters, journeymen, and apprentices within the College.[12] Key regulations include:
- A master must train apprentices thoroughly for 5-7 years before promotion to journeyman
- Sons of masters shall be trained for only 3 years before promotion
- Journeymen must swear obedience to masters and keep their trade secrets
- Masters should be paid wages according to their skill and experience
- Masons shall not steal work or poach labor from others
- Unethical masons may be expelled from the College by a council
The Bologna statutes share similarities with other early masonic codes such as the Regius Manuscript or Cooke Manuscript, indicating an emerging unified set of practices across Europe.[13] All outline hierarchies within the craft, strict training periods for apprentices, and penalties for violating rules.
However, the Bologna document differs in its specific urban setting with direct oversight of masons by city authorities. The statutes also focus more on technical building practices compared to the ethical and religious aspects in British Old Charges.[12] The Bologna statutes represent an early attempt to systematize training and conduct within the masonic profession. Along with other Old Charges, they laid groundwork for organized Masonic lodges in later centuries.
The Book of Trades (1268-79)
The Book of Trades or Ancrene Riwle is a Middle English manuscript from approximately 1268-1279 AD. It contains an early description of masons and their trade.[14]
The section on masonry and stone-carving states that masons were skilled in geometry and considered masters of their craft. It emphasizes the physical dexterity required to carve stone ornamentation and vaulting for cathedrals. The Book of Trades also notes that masons must be literate and educated in order to understand the complex designs required for their work.[14]
When compared to other early masonic documents like the Regius Manuscript or Old Charges, The Book of Trades contains relatively little on masonic morality, conduct, or hierarchy. It focuses more narrowly on describing the specialized technical skills of the job itself.[15]
However, The Book of Trades echoes some common themes found in the Old Charges. Both emphasize geometry, education, skill and master craftsmanship within the mason's vocation. And like other codes of conduct, The Book of Trades delineates masonry as a proud, prestigious and intellectually demanding profession during the Middle Ages.[15]
So while less focused on masonic organization and ethics, The Book of Trades provides a contemporary picture of the specialized trade knowledge and techniques practiced by stonemasons in medieval Europe. Alongside descriptions in the Old Charges, it depicts the emerging identity and sophistication of masons as skilled craftsmen.
The Avignon Decree (1326)
The Avignon Decree was a papal order issued by Pope John XXII in 1326 to regulate stonemasons and builders in Catholic Europe. It represented an early attempt to standardize masonic conduct across regions.[16]
The Avignon Decree ordered masons to accept only reliable members, follow diocesan statutes, and convene annual assemblies. It prohibited masons from forming sworn congregations that might be construed as conjurations or conspiracies. However, it did allow the creation of mutual aid associations.[16]
Compared to earlier masonic regulations like the Old Charges, the Avignon Decree was unique in originating from centralized papal authority rather than a local guild or lodge. The Pope aimed to exert control over the growing brotherhoods of masons unfolding across Europe.[15]
While intended to regulate masonry under Catholic oversight, the Avignon Decree actually stimulated further development of organized lodges and networks of builders in regions outside direct papal control. This helped disseminate the craft beyond local Gothic style architecture toward the flowering of Renaissance building arts.[15]
So the Avignon Decree represented both an attempt to centralize masonic governance and an impetus toward more widespread masonic self-organization under new regional Grand Lodges. Along with the Old Charges, it shaped the trajectory of free masonry leading toward modern speculative Freemasonry.
Les Règlements de Londres pour les Maçons (1356)
Les Règlements de Londres pour les Maçons or London Regulations for Masons written in Norman-French following the French conquest of England, they were a set of ordinances enacted in London in 1356 to govern the city's stonemasons. There appears to be little reason to question the original Saxon Charge as being designated No. 1. However, owing to a continuous influx of French Masons following the conquest, it is evident that a distinctly French Charge must have existed at a certain juncture, augmenting the earlier English manuscripts.[17]
They were issued by the city's government to regulate the training and conduct of masons in the jurisdiction.[18]
The London Regulations draw extensively from earlier masonic codes like the Regius Manuscript and Old Charges. They reinforce similar rules, including:
- Apprentices must serve faithfully for 7 years before becoming freemasons
- Masons shall not work at night without light or on holy days
- Wages must be paid fairly based on skill and experience
- Masons must be loyal to the King and avoid conspiracy
- The trade secrets of masonry shall be kept confidential
However, as civic ordinances, the London Regulations also imposed new local administrative requirements.[15] Masons had to register with the city authorities and join an approved guild in order to practice their trade in London. Restrictions were enacted on wages.
The London Regulations represented an attempt by municipal authorities to oversee the growing fraternity of local masons in the 14th century. By codifying standards based on traditional Old Charges, the regulations helped institute more formal governance of organized masonry within London.[18] This local oversight would soon lead to the establishment of the London Grand Lodge in the 17th century.
Old charges
Regius Manuscript (1390)
The Regius Manuscript is the oldest known Masonic document concerning the regulation of masonry in Britain, dated to approximately 1390. It takes the form of a poem in Middle English rhyming couplets, spanning almost 800 lines.[19]
It is believed to have been written in England, perhaps in York.[20] The manuscript is named after King George II of England, who donated a collection of documents including this poem to the Royal Library in the British Museum in 1757. Hence it became known as the Regius Manuscript.[21]
The Regius Poem outlines a legendary history of geometry and masonry, tracing its origins to Euclid in ancient Egypt. It connects the liberal arts and sciences to great figures of the Bible, promoting geometry as a worthy and moral craft aligned with Christianity.[19] The majority of the manuscript consists of various rules and ethics that masons should uphold, including:
- Masons shall labor properly on working days and attend church on holy days
- Masons shall be true to God, the king, masters and fellows
- Masons shall keep the secrets of their lords and fellows
- Masons shall uphold all the rules and earn their pay justly
- False masons shall be punished and accursed
- The craft shall accept only worthy apprentices
The Regius Manuscript establishes a set of regulations for medieval operative stonemasons. It encouraged morality, skill and secrecy within the profession at a time when masons worked on great cathedrals and castles. The document helped regulate masons with a guild-like structure and procedures.[22]
The Regius Poem remained well-known and widely recopied among stonemasons through the 1600s. It was instrumental in standardizing the Old Charges for pre-Grand Lodge Freemasonry.[19] Even today, the Regius Manuscript provides insight into the origins, ethics and structure of early masonic guilds.
Reception ceremony
A reception ceremony for a new member into the corporation of freemasons in England, following the customs of the Middle Ages, was practiced within the corporations. In his work, author Patrick Négrier calls it the "Rite of the Old Charges", though this name or the existence of such a rite is not attested by historical documents. The Old Charges manuscripts describe this ceremony as an oath-taking, preceded by a reading of the Duties, the legendary history of the craft, and an exhortation, which can be likened to an early ritual.[23]
See also
References
- ^ "Welcome | THE OLD CHARGES". theoldcharges.com.
- ^ "OLD CHARGES - Historic Masonic Charters and Manuscripts". www.masonic-lodge-of-education.com.
- ^ "Landmarks and Old Charges". www.themasonictrowel.com.
- ^ "The Old Charges Revisited | FREEMASONRY". www.freemasons-freemasonry.com.
- ^ "Summary | THE OLD CHARGES". theoldcharges.com.
- ^ "The Old Charges".
- ^ Regius Poem. 1390. p. 1.
- ^ "Chapter 6 | THE OLD CHARGES". theoldcharges.com.
- ^ Cooke Manuscript. 1420. p. 1-9.
- ^ "Chapter 7 | THE OLD CHARGES". theoldcharges.com.
- ^ Grand Lodge No. 1 (in French). 1583.
- ^ a b c Knoop, Douglas; Jones, G. P. (1933). The Mediaeval Mason: An Economic History of English Stone Building in the Later Middle Ages and Early Modern Times. Manchester: Manchester University Press. pp. 120–123.
- ^ Knoop, Douglas; Jones, G.P. (1949). The Genesis of Freemasonry. Manchester: Manchester University Press. pp. 140–146.
- ^ a b Hargrove, William (1915). "The Medieval Craft Guilds". In Lipson, E. (ed.). An Introduction to the Economic History of England, Vol. I. London: Adam & Charles Black. pp. 298–306.
- ^ a b c d e Knoop, Douglas; Jones, G.P. (1949). The Genesis of Freemasonry. Manchester: Manchester University Press. pp. 134–140.
- ^ a b Begemann, Helen (1961). "The Guilds and Guild Regulations in York". In Reynolds, Susan (ed.). The History of the County of York. London: Victoria County History. pp. 25–28.
- ^ https://www.rgle.org.uk/RGLE_1356.htm
- ^ a b Riley, H.T. (1868). "Masons". In Riley, H.T. (ed.). Memorials of London and London Life in the 13th, 14th and 15th Centuries. London: Longmans, Green & Co. pp. 477–479.
- ^ a b c Stevenson, David (1988). The Origins of Freemasonry. Cambridge University Press.
- ^ Roberts, John. The Mythology of the Secret Societies. Secker and Warburg, 1972.
- ^ "History of Freemasonry & Timeline." United Grand Lodge of England, www.ugle.org.uk/about/book-of-constitutions/history-freemasonry-timeline.
- ^ Hamill, John. The Craft: A History of English Freemasonry. Crucible, 1994.
- ^ Négrier, Patrick (1996). Founding Texts of the Masonic Tradition. Éd. Grasset.
Bibliography
- Roger Dachez, "Origins of Freemasonry: An Assessment of Current Knowledge," Les cahiers Villard de Honnecourt, GLDF, No. 100, November 2016, 57-81.
- Roger Dachez, "A Fresh Look at the Old Charges," Franc-maçonnerie magazine, HS N°3, November 2016, 13-23.
- Philippe Langlet, "The Founding Texts of Freemasonry," Dervy, 2006. ISBN 978-2-84454-448-3.
- Guy Chassagrand, "The Old Charges of Freemasons: Operative Masons & Accepted Masons," Pascal Galodé, 2014. ISBN 978-2-35593-284-7.
- Patrick Négrier, "Founding Texts of the Masonic Tradition," Éd. Grasset, 1996. ISBN 978-2-246-79515-5.
- Patrick Négrier, "The Rite of the Old Charges: Old Charges (1390-1729)," Éd. Ivoire-Clair, December 2006. ISBN 978-2-913882-39-3.