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

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Chapter 7 - Rituals
the word, and [his] right hand chopped off, as the penalty of an impostor, if [he]
should ever prove wilfully guilty of violating any part of this [his] solemn oath."
1311
Having delivered his obligation, the newly obligated Mark Master Mason is
told to rise and taken with the pass grip by the right hand by the Worshipful
Master, who informs him that, for the better elucidation of the secrets of this
degree, it is necessary that he "proceed to the Quarries and re-enter the Lodge as
a Mark Man" (p. 21). Thus, the Deacons and the candidate leave the lodge,
giving the sign of Fellow Craft, in order to re-enter the lodge as Mark Men. This
is the "step backward," of which Waite has complained (cf. quotation at
beginning of this chapter): the newly made Mark Master Mason has to play a
Mark Man again, in order to stage the ceremony.
When the candidate is prepared 1312 , the Tyler gives the Fellow Craft knocks
on the door and reports to the Inner Guard that he has "workmen from the
Quarries with materials for the building of the H.T." (p. 22) waiting outside, who
want to submit their material for approval. The workmen are in plural now
because the Junior and Senior Deacon equally play a role. The Worshipful
Master admits them in order to submit their materials for examination by the
Overseers. The directions explain that the Senior Deacon enters with a square
ashlar, the Junior Deacon with an oblong ashlar, and the Candidate with the
keystone. According to Duncan's ritual, the keystone carried by the candidate is
marked with the initials H.T.W.S.S.T.K.S., and sometimes weighs twelve or
fifteen pounds, "and it is considered a very nice job to carry a block of this
weight plumb. The blocks which the conductors carry are usually made of wood,
and are, therefore, comparatively light." 1313
Then follows a journey from the South over the West to the East: The three
"workmen" first turn to the South gate to the Junior Overseer. The latter takes
the stones brought by the two Deacons, applies them to the square, turns them
over to examine the finish and strikes the Fellow Craft knocks upon them with a
mallet, which means approval. He tells them that "this is fair work and square,
such as is required for the building" (p. 24). Then, the Junior Overseer hands
back the stones, gives them the password, and allows them to advance to the
Senior Overseer, who guards the West gate. Meanwhile, the candidate remains
standing there. At the West gate, the two Deacons give the password which they
have just received, and the Senior Overseer takes the square and the oblong
ashlars, approves of them likewise and orders the Junior and the Senior Deacon
to advance to the East gate. There, the Master Overseer examines the two stones
with the same ceremony and tells the two Deacons that their work is approved of
and will be passed on to the builders. The square ashlar is placed at the Junior
Warden's, and the oblong ashlar at the Senior Warden's pedestal.
1311 Cf. ibid, p. 165.
1312 The 'Standard' Ritual of Scottish Freemasonry, published by James T. Cowan in 1915 in
Edinburgh, mentions in the directions that "[l]arge aprons like those of Operative Masons should
be worn by the two Deacons and the Candidate" (p. 12).
1313 Duncan, p. 156/157.