DISCUSSION

COMMENTS ON THE PAPER
"THE  MISTS OF ANTIQUITY"
by Bro.  W. J. Collett, P.G.I'I.

Bro.  Robert G. J. Aberdeen
Registrar (1980), P.M. (63), G.St.

(81-03-21)

I wish to compliment Bro.  Collett on his excellent address in
which he pointed out a number of similarities between our Legend
of Hiram Abif and the fascinating legends of several Mystery
Religions.  More importantly, he drew to our attention the
differences between them which make our fraternity what it is, a
system of moral philosophy.

Bro.Collett stated that the first real evidence of Masonic use of
the Hiramic Legend dates from the early 1700's.  While it is
important that we recognize the Legend for what it is, we ought
not infer from that evidence that the story was invented at the
time when the Master Mason Degree took its present form.  I
marvel at the cleverness of the authors of the ritual of the
Third Degree in choosing as its central character a real, yet
obscure, individual, thus ensuring that the origins of the drama
would remain, as Bro.  Collett said, "buried in the mists of
antiquity." That they invented the legend, however, may be
suspect.

As Bro.  Collett pointed out, it was a strict rule of the Mystery
Religions that the customs and traditions were transmitted by
word of mouth.  So it was with the early Masonic rituals and
customs, a tradition too often violated in today's literate
society.  Although there is no written evidence, the Hiramic
Legend may well have been a Masonic tradition long before the
13th century.

It is generally accepted that the Hebrew terms "Abif" or "Aviv"
which have been translated as "my father" or "his father" in
various editions of the Bible in reference to the widow's son,
were terms applied to honour one of superior skills.(1)

The first printed complete Bible in English was published by
Miles Coverdale in 1535.  His translation was based on Luther's
German Bible of 1533 and the Latin vulgate.(2) Luther gave the
name as Hiram Abif in both cases.(3) In a paper entitled "The
Hiramic Legend", on file at the Edmonton Masonic Research Group,
the unidentified author stated that

. . . in Coverdale's Bible we find in text (A) the name Hiram Abi
and in text (B) Hiram Abif. Not Huram but "Hiram Abif" in two
distinct words. With a capital H and a capital A. This is the one
and only place in English literature outside masonic ritual that
it has been printed in this particular manner.  By 1539 the Great
Bible had arrived with 'my father' and 'his father' and the old
name was lost again.

Later he suggested that

......one fact emerges clearly.  That in England the name of
Hiram Abif had appeared in print but once in a little known Bible
of 1535 and nothing like it was used again in scripture for 400
years.  Yet Freemasons in 1723 were apparently familiar with the
name and did not find it necessary to explain it in any way.

Can we suppose that Anderson and his Brethren invented a legend
and took the trouble to dig out a name from a Bible of two
centuries (earlier) to go with it? Is it not possible that the
name "Hiram Abif" was in regular use among Masons even before
Luther and Coverdale came across it and that it had been in
continuous use among masons ever since? (4)

Bro. Collett, thank you for providing the inspiration for me to
do a little digging on the subject myself.


4 Anon., "The Hiramic Legend", (MS) Edmonton Masonic Research
Group, (undated)

1 Carr, Harry,  The Freemason at work,  London: Burgess & Son, 
1976, pp. 213-215

3 -----------,  Ibid.,  p. 214

2 MacLaurin, Donald J.,  "A Short History of the Holy Bible", 
Victoria, B.C.:  Victoria Lodge of 'education and Research, 
1973,  pp. 14-15