jmd
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Post by jmd on May 1, 2006 0:46:16 GMT
A friend of mine is preparing a paper on the inclusion of Ecclesiastes in the 3rd degree ritual.
From what we can ascertain so far, none of the standard rituals from the UK under the UGLE use such, nor, it seems, in the USA.
Victoria's UGLV ritual, however, includes it from the early parts of the 20th century, as does the 'Besant' ritual in Co-Freemasonry.
My suggestions are multifold for its inclusion. Personally, I do not suspect that the Leadbeater/Besant ritual influenced the UGLV one (though that would be something!), but rather that they each drew separately from something else occurring.
Possibilities are, in order of likely (according to my view) influence:
a - Early unpublished usage in the UK
An unpublished modification of a ritual was used in a specific region of the UK. If such is the case, some lodges in existence in Victoria prior to the Union themselves descended from such lodges, and used that part of the ritual. When the practice continued in some Lodges in Victoria into the 20th century, GL decided to 'legitimise' it by making it an optional extra in the ritual book and, following WWI, this tended to be adopted until its universal adoption in Victorian Lodges (though still optional);
b - Influence from Leadbeater's Besant ritual via spouses in the Male Craft in Victoria
For Leadbeater to have included Ecclesiastes in the Co-Masonic anglophonic ritual makes sense, given both his Christian and Theosophical affiliations. Also, this is one of the few sections of the Bible that speaks both directly to the 3rd degree ritual as well as implies re-incarnation if read with particular eyes.
Many women in Co-Masonry had (and have) influential spouses in the Male Craft under UGLV. It is not beyond the realm of possibility (though I favour the previous scenario as a more likely explanation) that some from UGLV witnessing a 3rd degree (perhaps of their wife or daughter) saw such inclusion as appropriate and adding to the sanctity of the ritual, especially given its timing (before the candidate is raised to the 3rd degree).
c - influence of WWI
Inclusion of Ecclesiastes occurred in the ritual book (though it would undoubtedly have been used before) during or immediately after WWI. It could simply be that Victorian ANZACS returning may have developed particular fondness for this passage, and an appropriate inclusion made in an appropriate place - a case of constant 'lest we forget' outside of the more formal manner in which this is normally remembered (and of course, here, prior to the ANZAC tradition at the time yet to develop). _____
What I would really like to know, to assist in this, is if there is any evidence (even unwritten, as it is likely to be) that some UK Lodges include the reciting of Ecclesiastes by a brother during the 3rd degree ritual, and, if so, which standardised ritual would the Lodge otherwise use (it occurs in none of the standardised versions).
For those in Co-Freemasonry, when and why did Leadbeater include it in the Besant ritual? _____
...I would also be interested in knowing if any of the non-English rituals include this portion, and the dating of the ritual that uses such.
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Post by windtimber on May 1, 2006 1:20:35 GMT
From what we can ascertain so far, none of the standard rituals from the UK under the UGLE use such, nor, it seems, in the USA. The ritual approved by the Grand Lodge of South Dakota includes Ecclesiastes 12:1-7 in the 3rd Degree.
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jmd
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Post by jmd on May 1, 2006 1:45:13 GMT
Ah! thankyou windtimber - we had a brief look at one of the rituals from the USA, and must admit that we have not yet looked through all. What is interesting is that it seems that many of the African-based ones (such as the Nigerian) seem to follow the UK exclusion of the same.
As a matter of interest, any idea if the inclusion of Ecclesiastes (and 12:1ff is the precise part) dates earlier than 1920? (and which ritual?)
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giovanni
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Post by giovanni on May 1, 2006 3:45:01 GMT
JMD
which parts of Ecclesiastes are in your rituals?
I add that in Italy we do not quote any part of the Bible, save for the Solstice of Winter. There is a special ritual, I mean totally different from the common one, which requires the WM to read the Introduction to the gospel of John (partially).
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Post by taylorsman on May 1, 2006 4:57:37 GMT
Ecclesiastes 12 KJV
1 Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth, while the evil days come not, nor the years draw nigh, when thou shalt say, I have no pleasure in them;
2 While the sun, or the light, or the moon, or the stars, be not darkened, nor the clouds return after the rain:
3 In the day when the keepers of the house shall tremble, and the strong men shall bow themselves, and the grinders cease because they are few, and those that look out of the windows be darkened,
4 And the doors shall be shut in the streets, when the sound of the grinding is low, and he shall rise up at the voice of the bird, and all the daughters of musick shall be brought low;
5 Also when they shall be afraid of that which is high, and fears shall be in the way, and the almond tree shall flourish, and the grasshopper shall be a burden, and desire shall fail: because man goeth to his long home, and the mourners go about the streets:
6 Or ever the silver cord be loosed, or the golden bowl be broken, or the pitcher be broken at the fountain, or the wheel broken at the cistern.
7 Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was: and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it.
==============================================
One of my favourite pieces if Ritual and if delivered well it is very touching. As I am writing my own Funeral Service, which will be very Masonic in its nature I will ask that this piece be recited at the committal.
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Harmony
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Post by Harmony on May 2, 2006 9:00:02 GMT
I'm not entirely sure I understand the question? Are you suggesting Ecclesiastes is not part of the ritual in the UK / US?
It forms part of the 3rd degree in every Scottish meeting I have ever attended (as quoted by Taylorsman above).
It is also the part of the Bible most closely associated / appropriated by the Boys' Brigade, and I always wondered if there was a masonic influence there.
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jmd
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Post by jmd on May 2, 2006 12:15:08 GMT
From the early rituals at hand that we (or rather that my friend) has (over 70 different ones), none apart from the Victorian and the Besant rituals include Ecclesiastes 12.
Even the 1925 Scottish issue (from Edinburgh) does not have it (though it does include, instead, Job 14:1-14).
I should therefore have been more precise in my mention of the early parts of the 20th century, in specifying that it does not appear that Ecclesiastes is mentioned at that time...
...what would be interesting is knowing when Ecc. was incorporated into the rituals used either in Scotland or the US of A. and which form of the ritual.
As hinted at by Giovanni, the usage also appears to be restricted to English speaking Masonry, but, again, would readily hear tidings to the contrary.
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Harmony
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Post by Harmony on May 2, 2006 17:20:03 GMT
The fundamental difficulty in answering this from a Scottish point of view is that there are no real "set ritual" - I suppose Goudielock would be the closest to one. Each lodge has its own ritual, and every one is different. So it is impossible to say "which form of the ritual".
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ruffashlar
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Post by ruffashlar on May 2, 2006 22:17:48 GMT
Each lodge has its own ritual, and every one is different.
Sometimes very different. Variant versions often arise because a form of words has become standardised by time and repetition. Another source of innovation is when a particular person goes into the Chair, especially an Adoptee from another Mother Lodge, and decides to take all the "party pieces" he knows with him into the lodge ritual.
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jmd
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Post by jmd on May 3, 2006 1:42:14 GMT
It is this difficulty that makes the origins of the inclusion of Ecclesiastes all the more difficult to track. As an example (here from a written text, Duncan's Masonic Ritual published in 1866), page 87 is illustrated with an open Bible at Ecclesiastes 12, but the prayer is a modification of Job 14.
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jmd
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Post by jmd on May 3, 2006 3:21:45 GMT
mea culpa (partially) with regards to the 1866 Duncan's ritual... I was looking in the expected place (as for the other rituals), and realise that parts of Ecclesiastes 12 are also included therein very early on in the ritual!
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giovanni
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Post by giovanni on May 3, 2006 10:48:26 GMT
Each lodge has its own ritual, and every one is different.Sometimes very different.... I had a dream: to work one day with my English Bren. Now, I have a nightmare. Seriously speaking, a visitor shall surely get confused and make mistakes.
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jmd
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Post by jmd on May 7, 2006 12:54:18 GMT
Not to worry, giovanni... a visitor makes no mistakes if they follow their own signs, even when inverted from that of another GL in amity And as you know, you may visit any Victorian Lodge without clandestinity, for from this side of the antipodes, both UGLE and GOI are in amity with UGLV - would but this also extend to the many other GLs that are legitimate freemasons we continue to shun at an official level.
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Post by maat on May 7, 2006 23:26:11 GMT
And as you know, you may visit any Victorian Lodge without clandestinity, for from this side of the antipodes, both UGLE and GOI are in amity with UGLV - would but this also extend to the many other GLs that are legitimate freemasons we continue to shun at an official level. Here, Here! Maat
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Post by Trinityman on May 8, 2006 8:56:32 GMT
Hi jmd
Trinity lodge has used Ecclesiastes in the 3rd for as far back as anyone can remember. The Trinity ritual was first written down in the 1940s and it was definately there then. Some of the differences between Trinity ritual and mainstream Emulation can be accounted for by the Antient pedigree of the lodge, but I'm not entirely sure this piece is that old. Could be though.
I visited a lodge in Bletchley a few years ago that also included that piece, but the lodge was only 20 years or so old and they told me they had included it from Bristol Working 'because they liked it'.
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Post by taylorsman on May 8, 2006 9:15:02 GMT
".......they told me they had included it from Bristol Working 'because they liked it'"
And that for me is sufficient reason for any Lodge to adopt or incorporate a piece of Ritual into their Workings and who dare say them nay!
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Harmony
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Post by Harmony on May 8, 2006 11:25:48 GMT
Each lodge has its own ritual, and every one is different.Sometimes very different.... I had a dream: to work one day with my English Bren. Now, I have a nightmare. Seriously speaking, a visitor shall surely get confused and make mistakes. Gio, I don't really want ot have to go into the difference between Scotland and England. Suffice it to say they are different. I don't think Brethren get confused per se, because you should do as you have been taught in your own lodge. The differences are what makes visiting so interesting, and cast light on your own ritual, as a perhaps confusing / unclear point is illuminated by a different slant being put on it by another lodge.
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ruffashlar
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Post by ruffashlar on May 8, 2006 16:39:58 GMT
Here's an illustrative example. I have been in Lodges within my own Province where the ritual, gestures and so on have been so different from what I was taught, you would have thought it was another Jurisdiction entirely. I even remember thinking that someone in the Lodge was an impostor, he looked like he hadn't a clue about how to make the proper gestures. But no: that was simply how he was taught in his Lodge. And that lodge was not even ten miles distant from my own.
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giovanni
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Post by giovanni on May 8, 2006 16:56:16 GMT
Ruff were you at ease? be sincere!
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