Masonic Links: Webmaster's Picks

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Speculative Writings

Historical Writings

Now a list of books before we continue the link list. If you are serious about developing your own ideas about the beginnings of Masonry, I strongly recommend you buy (not borrow) and read and re-read these three books to start:

1. Born in Blood: The Lost Secrets of Freemasonry by John J. Robinson. This is the first book on the theory that Freemasonry is descended from the disbanded Knights Templar. It is highly speculative, yes, but also historically plausible. This was written before the current add-ons about the bloodline of Jesus, the Larmenius Ms., and suchlike. Speculations on the role of pre-Masons in the Wat Tyler Rebellion as well as linguistic ideas and details of monastic Templar life distinguish this well-constructed argument from the huge crop of its splashier and less-researched successors.

2. The Origins of Freemasonry: Scotland's Century, 1590-1710 by David Stevenson (the current printing I just got only has The Origins of Freemasonry on the cover). This covers the other main branch of Masonic historical speculation, that FM evolved from some kind of medieval Craft Guild. Superbly researched, totally fascinating. And just as speculative in its own way as Born in Blood.

3. Early Masonic Catechisms edited by Harry Carr (authored by Douglas Knoop, G. P. Jones, D. Hamer). This one goes in and out of print. You have to check for it every once in a while. Kessinger reprints it, but only amazon.com carries it. Did you learn your catechisms? Did you love the archaic language and decode them so far as you could, linguistically and symbolically? Then this book is going to positively delight you. The best parts are the old catechism "crib sheets" that let you see the evolution of the catechisms and the gem of the collection is the Graham Ms. that lets you speculate on the roots of the MM degree, particularly if you are also a Mark Master and Royal Arch Mason. Absolutely my favorite Masonic book.

And historically significant in another sense, though probably not on anyone else's recommended reading list, at least not ranked fourth:

4. Methodical Digest, Grand Lodge, AF&AM, of Virginia. This is the law. You can read the early history of the GL and the Book of Constitutions, and see how the law evolved from that and from precedents set by GMs over the years. If you want to get nimble at navigating this long and not-so-organized volume, you'll want to take the three correspondence courses from the Committee on Masonic Education. If you're headed to the East in a Virginia Lodge, this course of study is an absolute must.

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