The Universal Language of Freemasonry - ArchiMeD - Johannes ...

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Chapter 4 - Signs & Symbols
What's the square pavement for? A. For the master-mason to draw his grounddraughts
on." 344
In his Masonic Encyclopedia, Coil explains the irritation which arouse by the
application of one or the other of these terms:
[...] we have the idea of a drawing on the floor and of a Trasel Board to
draw upon. But Trasel was easily corrupted into either Tassel or Tessel
or Tracer and, hence, Trestle-Board or Tracing Board, both being
boards to draw upon. Now, Tassel and Tessel also became confused
with Tesselated Border and, so, all three became more or less related to
the Floor of the Lodge, and, hence, with Floor Cloths, Carpets, or
Charts. Notwithstanding that the Trestle-Board and the Tracing Board
are both drawing boards and are used for the same purpose, some
authorities draw a very pronounced distinction between them, asserting
that the former sets in the lodge on a trestle and is for the Master to
draw designs upon and that the latter contains only the fixed drawings
of the symbols of a degree and lies on the floor [...]. 345
Coil concludes in his article that these
distinctions must have arisen arbitrarily
from the adoption of one or the other term
in modern rituals.
In the Blue Lodge, there is a different
carpet for each of the three degrees,
depicting the symbols which the
candidate has learned in the
corresponding lecture. The 'Standard'
Ritual of Scottish Freemasonry contains
explanations of the "Tracing Boards,"
which are not given in the working of the
degree. Thus, with regard to the carpet of
the First Degree 346 , there are mentioned
the three great pillars, Wisdom, Strength,
and Beauty, which support the lodge, and
which represent King Solomon (for his
wisdom in building that temple dedicated
to God), Hiram King of Tyre (for his
strength in supporting by furnishing men
and materials), and Hiram Abiff (for his
masterly workmanship in beautifying the
structure). Further, on the carpet is
344
Cf. CME, p. 657.
345
CME, p. 657. The illustrations of the three carpets are reproduced from A Lewis, Emulation
Ritual.
346
The 'Standard' Ritual of Scottish Freemasonry, p. 35-39.