The Arcana of Freemasonry (1915) - The Masonic Trowel

THE ARCANA OF FREEMASONRY 63
oath or do not tell the truth." It is the most
binding oath of natives in Africa.
Many of our signs and secrets exist amongst
these African people at the present day, and have
been handed down from generation to generation
by the old Turanians. It was these " blacksmith
men " who knew how to smelt iron ore and forge
the metal into weapons of offence and defence, that
formed themselves into the " big
clan of black-
smiths," having Horus as their Astronomical
Chief. They came up from the South to the North
in predynastic times, and, having conquered the
Masaba Negroes and lower types of Nilotic
Negroes, who were then the inhabitants of the
land of Egypt, established themselves in Egypt,
making Edfu their chief city and centre.
"
The Egyptians called these followers of
Horus "
Mesnitu, or Mesniti, which, I believe, was
the original name for all their tribes, and which
may now be applied to the Masai Group. As we
know, Horus was their deified God, and as Edfu
became their centre, he was styled " Lord of the
Forge City," " The Great Master Blacksmith." It
was here that they first built a sanctuary or temple,
which was called Mesnet. One hieroglyphic which
they used (Fig. 16) proves that these
people were those belonging to the
Tv/r
Masai ancestors. Priests were appointed
• ^. . . Fig. 16.
to attend to the Temple. One might say