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

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Chapter 4 - Signs & Symbols
4.6.10 The Bee-Hive and the Pot of Incense
The Bee-Hive
The IFL lists the bee-hive among the now obsolete Masonic symbols, stating
that it only remains in a few systems. 624 The bee and the bee-hive are a popular
symbol of industry and social team-work, and can be found as a Masonic
symbol, for example, in the coat of arms of the Eklektischer Bund in Frankfurt.
Probably the earliest reference to a bee as a master builder is found in a
catechism allegedly dating back to 1511: " 'Was ist das, ein Baumeister und doch
kein Mann, macht, was kein Mann machen kann und dient dabei Gott und
Menschen?' Antwort: 'Die Biene.' " 625
The first speculative Masonic use of the bee as a symbol presumably takes
place in A Letter from the Grand Mistress of the Female Free-Masons to Mr.
Harding the Printer (1724) which is attributed to Jonathan Swift. 626 In this
satirical work, the author calls the bee "Grand Hierogliphick of Masonry"
because its habitation excels the one of all living creatures. He refers to the bee's
ancient use in the French royal coat of arms (assuming that the French kings
were all Freemasons), namely in the outward shape of lilies which in reality
represented bees whose forms had been changed a little in order to "avoid the
Imputation of the Egyptian Idolatry of Worshipping a Bee." Swift rightly
observes that "Masonry or Building seems to be of the very Essence of Nature of
the Bee." He further states that the Egyptians (whom he considers excellent and
ancient Freemasons) paid divine worship to the bull who also was a disguised
bee; their word for bull, Apis, being the Latin expression for bee. But the most
interesting statement is a figure of speech allegedly being in use "by antiquity to
this day": "What Modern Masons call a Lodge was [...] by Antiquity call'd a
HIVE of Free-Masons, and for the same Reasons when a Dissention happens in a
lodge the going off and forming another Lodge is to this Day call'd
SWARMING." 627
Thus, the Masons were equated with bees - mankind, likewise, was formed
for social and active life, and swarmed out to create new domiciles. In the 19 th
century, Masonic writers build upon this thought by comparing the inactive, lazy
human being to the drone: "[...] he that will so demean himself as not to be
endeavoring to add to the common stock of knowledge and understanding may
be deemed a drone in the hive of nature, a useless member of society, and
unworthy of our protection as Masons." 628
624
Cf. IFL, p. 1642, under the entry "Verlassene Symbole."
625
Ibid, p. 183.
626
For Swift's observations, consult Davis (ed.), p. 327-331.
627
Davis (ed.), p. 328. We could find no corresponding explanation for the technical terms "hive" and
"swarming" in any of the Masonic dictionaries and encyclopedias consulted.
628
Cf. Simons, p. 133.