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By DAN WOODLAND
Published: | Updated:
It is revered as one of the oldest secret societies in the world.
But after centuries of being shrouded in mystery, members of one Freemasons lodge have finally broken their silence on some of its age-old traditions.
A 78-second clip uploaded by the London Masons on TikTok has given a behind-the-scenes glimpse of the ancient fraternal organisation.
The video plays on a recent trend circulating on the social media platform which sees people of a certain group address stereotypes surrounding their day to day activities.
Each stonemasons member begins their piece-to-camera by saying ‘I’m a Freemason, of course I…’, before divulging a common trope about the organisation.
The first member admits to taking his regalia case ‘everywhere I go’, while another boasts about knowing all the words of the English national anthem before playing the tune on his piano.
Other members proceed to make fun of how they always carry spare traditional white gloves, while another jokingly admits he forgets his ‘ritual’ before pretending to scour through his book for the right words.
And in the final joke of the video, two stonemasons pretend they are about to reveal the group’s secret handshake – before proceeding to raise their hands to their face in a mocking gesture.
A 78-second clip uploaded by the London Masons on TikTok has given a behind-the-scenes glimpse of the ancient fraternal organisation
In the final joke of the video, two stonemasons pretend they are about to reveal the group’s secret handshake
London Masons said the videos were a ‘great way to show the human face’ of Freemasonry and help ‘debunk the myths of the organisation’.
But other commentators on TikTok were less enthusiastic, with one person calling it an ‘upmarket boys club’.
Another user also wrote: ‘I’m a Freemason, of course I’m proper weird’, while another mocked the group by saying: ‘I’m a Freemason, of course I get off with speeding tickets because the chief constable is in my lodge.’
A fourth user said: ‘You know what, I don’t think these are the guys that are secretly running the world.’
Freemasonry was originally based on guilds created by stonemasons in the 14th century.
As ancient stonemasons travelled from job to job, the handshakes were created to recognise a man’s experience, with each level of mason using a different handshake.
Gloves and aprons, which were worn by the stonemasons for protection, are still worn today and become more decorated as a Mason climbs the ladder within the organisation.
The square and compasses, trowel and plumb level, tools that every stonemason needed, are now internationally recognised insignia of the Masons.
Who are the Freemasons?
Freemasons’ origins in Britain seem to date back at least to the late 14th century. The Freemasons believe their roots — and their very name, and hence their symbols — lie in the masons who built the great medieval cathedrals, such as Salisbury, started in 1220.
Certainly, by the end of the 17th century, there were several lodges — as the individual Masonic societies are known — dotted around the British Isles, with at least seven in London.
It was in the capital that four lodges came together in June 1717 to form the first ‘Grand Lodge’, which published its first minutes and constitution in 1723.
Within a few decades, the Masons started to attract to their number some of the most influential men in London society, including members of the Royal Society, artists and writers such as William Hogarth and Alexander Pope, and members of the aristocracy, right up to dukes.
In 1776, the Freemasons opened a sumptuous hall as their Grand Lodge in Great Queen Street, Central London. This was replaced in the Thirties by the monolithic Freemasons’ Hall.
Their web of influence spread throughout the country and society. Some lodges met at taverns and inns — and today, many taxi drivers, plumbers and even dustmen are Masons
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