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

Chapter 6 - Peculiarities of Masonic Language 351
the DFM: "Avec Prichard apparaît la forme Mak Benah à laquelle il donne le
sens: 'l'Architecte est frappé [...]." 1092 Emulation Working has made out of it
"l'Architecte a été frappé," which would make even more sense, alluding to the
death of Grand Master Hiram Abiff, beaten to death by three ruffians. According
to the DFM, the interpretation of the strange word Mac Benac as denoting "the
skin came off, which is called the slip" is a pure invention: "La signification qui
en est donnée, 'la chair quitte les os', est fantaisiste [...]." 1093
6.9 Masonic Age, Hours, & Calendar
Age
A curious Masonic habit is the assigning of symbolic ages to the members of
the different degrees: "These ages are not arbitrarily selected, but have reference
to the mystical value of members and their relation to the different degrees." 1094
As it is explained in Masonry Defined 1095 , in all of the Masonic Rites except the
York or American system, a mystical age is appropriated to each degree. This is
also supported by Coil's Masonic Encyclopedia, which explains that in some of
the Scottish degrees, an Entered Apprentice is said to have the age of 3, a Fellow
Craft, 5, and a Master, 7. 1096 However, this modern encyclopedia does not offer
a reason for this strange custom and merely assumes some Pythagorean
symbolism: " In the Scottish Rite, such ages are a part of the esoteric ritual and
possibly have some symbolic reference which is not explained. They are
probably remnants of or derived from some Pythagorean system of
symbology." 1097 An explanation of the numerical symbolism occurs in the older
work, Masonry Defined, from 1939, according to which three is a symbol of
peace and concord, having been called in the Pythagorean system the "number of
perfect harmony." It is appropriate to the First Degree of Masonry because this
constitutes the initiation into an order whose fundamental principles are harmony
and brotherly love. The number five is a symbol of active life, and of the union
of the female principle two and the male principle three. In this way, the number
five refers to the active duties of man as a denizen of the world, which constitutes
the symbolism of the Second Degree of Freemasonry. Finally, the number seven
as a venerable and perfect number symbolizes the perfection that is to be attained
in the Master Mason's Degree, the Third Degree of Masonry. 1098
1092 DFM, under the entry "Mac Benac." No page number given.
1093 DFM, same page.
1094 MD, p. 91.
1095 Cf. ibid, p. 91.
1096 Cf. CME, p. 19.
1097 Ibid, p. 18/19.
1098 Cf. MD, p. 91.