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

Chapter 7 - Rituals 413
Hiram falls back into a sheet (canvas) that is held by several brethren, who
lower it to the floor and then draw it around him. The candidate is not hurt in this
ceremony, as Duncan's ritual promises:
It is the general belief (and it would be readily inferred from most
exposures of Masonry) that a candidate is knocked down with a large
setting-maul kept for that purpose, but no reasonably sane person would
for one moment entertain any such idea of the ceremony of making a
Master Mason. The candidate is not intentionally injured in any Degree
of Masonry, impressions of a lasting nature being all that are intended
by the ceremonies. 1284
The candidate remains in this position and overhears a conversation between
the three ruffians who decide to bury Hiram's body in the rubbish and meet at
"low twelve" 1285 (p. 156) for discussion. Now, the lights in the lodge are turned
down, and low twelve is struck. The three ruffians carry the body west "to the
brow of a hill," i.e. they lay down the candidate between the altar and the West,
with his head towards the West, where Jubelum has "prepared a grave." Jubelum
suggests planting a sprig of acacia at the head of the grave, to mark the spot.
Then, the three ruffians exit to make their escape from the realm.
The lights are turned on again, and there is rumor in the lodge. Meanwhile,
the officers change their roles. Thus, the Worshipful Master plays King
Solomon, and the Senior Warden plays Hiram, the King of Tyre. The former
inquires the cause of the confusion, and why the craftsmen are not pursuing their
labor as usual. The Tyrian king explains that there are no designs upon the
trestleboard, whereby they could work, and that the Grand Master Hiram Abiff is
missing. Therefore, they call together twelve brethren who wear their aprons like
Fellow Craft, and who are sent out to look for the lost Grand Master. They go
around the lodge and ask several brethren whether they have seen Hiram Abiff,
but the response is always "not since high twelve 1286 yesterday." One of the
craftsmen approaches the King of Tyre and makes a negative report; then, the
twelve retire. Hiram, King of Tyre, informs King Solomon.
Then, there is an alarm at the door, and the twelve Fellow Crafts who were
sent out seek audience with King Solomon. They are admitted and enter, six on
each side of the lodge, march to the East, form a semi-circle in front of King
Solomon, and kneel down on their right knees, giving the due guard of a Fellow
Craft. They humbly confess that they, with three others, entered into a
conspiracy to extort from Grand Master Hiram Abiff the secret word of a Master
Mason, but reflected upon this crime and recanted. Therefore, they now come
clothed in white gloves and aprons, the token of innocence, and ask to be
pardoned. They express their fear that the three others may have carried out their
murderous design. King Solomon dismisses them, stating that their pardon will
1284 Duncan, p. 106.
1285 "Low twelve" is a synonym for death.
1286 "High twelve" is a symbol of life in full vigor, in contrast to "low twelve."