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

146
Chapter 4 - Signs & Symbols
German saying: "Der Meister vom Stuhl nimmt Beratungsgegenstände 'unter den
Hammer.' " 409
In England and continental Europe, the gavel of the Worshipful Master is
also called "Hiram" 410 , alluding to the perfect order which the supervising Grand
Master Hiram Abiff induced into his craftsmen at the building of Solomon's
temple. In French, the rarely used and inofficial expression for "top secret" is
"under the hammer": "Sous le maillet. Expression quelque peu familière et non
rituelle, signifiant tantôt 'confidentiel.' " 411 The two Wardens, when assuming
their stations, in 18 th century France were called "gavels of the Occident":
"Maillets de l'Occident. Expression qui signifiait, au XVIIIe siècle, remplir les
offices de 1er et de 2e Surveillants." 412
The complementary tool of the gavel is the chisel. Together, these tools are
used to impose the stonemason's will on a stone. Symbolically, the character of a
candidate, who is still a "rough stone," can thus be smoothed. The gavel as the
active element hits the passive chisel, which then directs the force. Therefore, the
gavel, being associated with the active will, is an emblem of the Worshipful
Master and the two Wardens. During the initiation ceremony, the sword replaces
the function of the chisel as the Worshipful Master places his sword on the
candidate's shoulder, hitting its blade with the gavel. 413
In the Mark Mason catechism at the end of the ceremony, the candidate
answers to the question how he was received: "On the edge of the engraver's
chisel, applied to my naked left breast, and under the impression of the mallet
[...]". 414 This is to teach "that the moral precepts of this degree should make a
deep and lasting impression" 415 upon his mind and future conduct. In Duncan's
ritual, we find the following explanation of these two symbols:
The chisel morally demonstrates the advantages of discipline and
education. The mind, like the diamond in its original state, is rude and
unpolished, but as the effect of the chisel on the external coat soon
presents to view the latent beauties of the diamond, so education
discovers the latent beauties of the mind [...].
The mallet morally teaches to correct irregularities, and to reduce man
to a proper level; so that by quiet deportment he may, in the school of
discipline, learn to be content. What the mallet is to the workman,
enlightened reason is to the passions: it curbs ambition, it depresses
envy, it moderates anger, and it encourages good dispositions [...]. 416
409
Cf. IFL, p. 664/665.
410
MD, p. 275.
411
Cf. DFM, 164-165.
412
Ibid.
413
Cf. Béresniak, p. 52.
414
Cf. Duncan, p. 177.
415
Ibid.
416
Ibid, p. 171.