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

750
Chapter 9 - Masonic and Anti-Masonic Literature
military force of true German men protecting their mother-country. The main
Masonic symbols, square and compasses, are reduced to the meaning of
"German labor," having lost their spiritual meanings of equality and
universality/eternity. In short, the Masonic vocabulary has been adapted to the
Fascist ideology, idealizing values like Germanic tradition, fighting strength, and
labor. To many Freemasons these self-protecting adaptations must have appeared
like a betrayal, causing them to demit.
9.3 Masonry in Folk-Art: Jokes, Trivialization,
and Satire
What is Masonry in the public mind? Today, there still exist conspiracy
theories, e.g. that the Masons attempt to rule the world, or are responsible for
political murder, etc. Some fifty years ago, Freemasons were seen as the enemy
of the (Fascist) people, together with the Jews and the Communists. Throughout
history, Freemasonry has been considered the cause for revolts, wars and
revolutions (e.g. the French Revolution, the Stuart Pretender, the Boston Tea
Party). Until the 19 th century, the widespread notion existed that Masons ate
children, drank blood, tortured their candidates, held communion with the devil
in their lodges, and many things like that. The history of Morton Lodge No. 63
of Hempstead, Long Island, New York furnishes an anecdote which exemplifies
the 19 th century's popular belief that the gridiron 1871 had something to do with
Freemasonry:
A man named Platt Stratton was a candidate for Masonry and rode into
Hempstead on horseback about noon. [...] [H]e went into the hotel
through the kitchen, which was as fashionable a way as the front door at
the time. In the kitchen he found an old colored cook standing over a
great fire in the large chimney place, across which was a gridiron of
very ample proportions. "What's the gridiron for, aunty?" asked
Stratton, to which the old cook replied: " 'Ise don' know, Marsa, zackly,
'cept dat de Masons meet ter day and dey generally uses it when dey
meets." This was enough for Stratton. He returned to the barn, mounted
his horse and rode off. [...] [H]e doubtless died in the faith that the
gridiron was intended for him. 1872
1871 The illustration with the kettle is taken from Pettibone, p. 557.
1872 Cited from Nocalore, vol. VIII, p. 12/13.