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

Chapter 5 - Technical Terminology 329
German "Ziegeldecker." He is the officer stationed outside the lodge door to
keep away intruders. According to the IFL, this technical term is an "alte
Bezeichnung für den wachthabenden Br. der Loge." 1011 One can suppose that
today, the German designation is "wachthabender Bruder," and that the archaic
term is obsolete. Coil gives the following definition of Tyler: "The officer of a
lodge who is placed outside the outer door to allow none to pass but those duly
qualified. He must be a Master Mason [...]. According to the ritual, the Tiler is
armed with a Flaming Sword as a warning to the pretender or intruder." 1012
36. Widow
"Widow" is a synonym for Freemasonry. Either Freemasonry is equated with
the widow of Naphtali who, according to the Masonic legend, was the mother of
Hiram Abiff, or Freemasonry obtained the state of a "widow" by the death of
Hiram:
Veuve: Plusieurs explications ont été proposées pour expliquer la
signification de ce terme très ancien, la Veuve n'étant autre que la
Franc-Maςonnerie elle-même. L'explication plausible est que, selon la
Bible, Hiram était fils d'une veuve de la tribu de Nephtali (Rois, VII,
14), mais selon une autre version, la Franc-Maςonnerie était devenue
veuve par la mort d'Hiram, d'où l'appelation d'Enfants de la Veuve
donnée aux francs-maςons, notamment dans une situation
particulière. 1013
37. Widow's Son
Although many Masons seem not to be aware of it, a synonym for a Mason is
"the Widow's Son." According to CME, this is "[a] term sometimes used to refer
to a Freemason, because of the emphasis placed on Hiram Abif, who is described
as a widow's son of the Tribe of Naphtali." 1014 The corresponding Biblical
account in 1 Kings 7, ch. 13-15 states that Hiram was the son of a widow of the
tribe of Naphtali, and that his father was a Tyrian. In French Masonry, this
technical term is corrupted into "the widow's children," that is "les enfants de la
veuve;" in German Masonry, it is "Söhne der Witwe" in general written use, and
"Kinder der Witwe" when used in connection with the Grand Hailing Sign. The
1011
IFL, p. 1750. Cf. also our Section 5.1, number 9.
1012
CME, p. 653.
1013
DFM, p. 219. With "particular situation," the Grand Hailing Sign of Distress is meant: when a
Mason in acute danger gives this sign, he calls "à moi, les enfants de la veuve!"; or in English, "oh
Lord my God! is there no help for the widow's son?" (Duncan, p. 18); or in German "zu mir, ihr
Kinder der Witwe!" Cf. also our Section 5.6, number 2.
1014
CME, p. 688.