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

Chapter 5 - Technical Terminology 301
An interesting metaphor can be observed in German Masonry where the
Alms-Box is called "Sack der Witwe" 894 or "Witwensack" 895 As will be shown in
points 33 and 34 of Section 5.8 below, the expression "widow" is a synonym for
Freemasonry; and "the widow's sons," for Masons. Here, the widow's box goes
around to collect money for real widows (and orphans, etc.). In the ancient
lodges in Belgium, there existed a curious custom: the brethren used to buy
substitute coins, called "Deniers de la veuve" (something like widow's penny),
for a sum they could choose themselves. When the box went around, each
brother gave an identical coin, symbolically all paying the same amount, so that
there was equality between the richer and the poorer Masons. 896
4. Increase of Wages
The old constitutions of the operative masons contained fixed rules about the
wages of the craftsmen. Freemasonry has symbolically taken over this custom.
We can read in the ritual that the Senior Warden is situated in the West, "to pay
the craft their wages, if any be due, and see that none go away dissatisfied." 897
These wages are, of course, not pecuniary but symbolic. They are the moral
values which are gained out of the Masonic lectures. Here, we are reminded of
Claudy's book A Master's Wages.
According to the EOF, "[t]o ask for an increase of wages, is, in the technical
language of French Masonry, to apply for advancement to a higher degree." 898
Also the French Masonic dictionary is convinced that this expression is purely
French: "Augmentation de salaire: Vieille expression rappelant la Maçonnerie
opérative, et qui désigne le passage d'un maçon à un grade supérieur. Il semble
que cette expression imagée soit pruement française." 899 However, this
terminology is also known in German Masonry: "Lohnerhöhung heißt im
gebrauchtümlichen Sprachschatze jede Graderhöhung, Beförderung." 900
5.7 Mock Expressions
Mock expressions are relatively rare in the noble language of the Royal Art,
since they rather belong to the "slang" category. However, the self-criticism of
894 IFL, p. 549.
895 IFL, p. 1715.
896 Cf. IFL, p. 332.
897 Lester, p. 20.
898 EOF, p. 349.
899 DFM, p. 74.
900 IFL, p. 953.