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

Chapter 6 - Peculiarities of Masonic Language 343
Masonic titles are merely ritualistic addresses. The adjectives with which
they are adorned seem old-fashioned and exaggerated today, stemming from an
old English tradition: "Freimaurer verwenden Titel, die aus der englischen
Tradition stammen und heute Weltfremdheit signalisieren." 1067 Although still in
use, they appear to many Masons out-dated or funny:
Die freimaurerischen Titel sind eigentlich nur rituelle Anreden. Sie
werden aber auch im Schriftverkehr und praktisch bei allen
Zusammenkünften verwendet. Während die eigentlichen Titel - z.B.
Großmeister, Meister vom Stuhl - noch den Charakter von
Funktionsbezeichnungen haben, kommt man nicht umhin, die
Beifügungen - z.b. ehrwürdiger, sehr ehrwürdiger, ehrwürdigster - als
anachronistische Überflüssigkeiten zu empfinden. 1068
As Kischke puts it, such superfluous and anachronistic titles have an egoboosting
function: "Wir wissen, daß Titel eine Art seelisches Vergnügen bereiten
und als beliebte Instrumente gehandelt werden, die Persönlichkeit aufzuwerten,
und zwar ist das Streben danach offenbar umso intensiver, je weniger eine
Persönlichkeit in sich ruht." 1069 We can observe an interesting regional difference
with regard to the employment of Masonic ranks in Scottish lodges in contrast to
English practice:
There are quite a few aspects of Scottish Masonry that will be of interest
to the travelling Freemason [...]. The Master of a Scottish lodge is
termed Right Worshipful Master, while the Wardens are termed
Worshipful Wardens, and in some lodges the Deacons are termed
Worthy Deacons. Of course, these titles only apply to the appropriate
incumbents while they hold office. Indeed, all Scottish Masons are
known simply as Brother, regardless of Masonic rank. Thus, rank
applies to the office held, not to the person holding it. For example, the
Master of lodge will be known as: 'Brother ..., Right Worshipful
Master'. The Grand Master will be known as: 'Brother ..., Grand Master
Mason'. This is the reverse of the comparable English practice. Once a
brother has served his term of office, the title he has held generally can
no longer be applied to him. For example, a Past Master will not be
'Right Worshipful Brother ...', but simply 'Brother ..., Past Master of
Lodge ...'. 1070
Next to the titles, equally strange and emotionally over-charged appear the
names of lodges. The oldest lodges in England and Scotland were named after
cathedrals or places, e.g. the Lodge of Edinburgh, or according to taverns where
1067 Kischke, p. 92.
1068 Ibid, p. 129.
1069 Ibid.
1070 Henderson and Pope, vol. II, p. 138/139.