Illustrated by Symbols
A Study in Masonic Heraldry
by Mark A. Adams, Jr., K.Y.C.H.
Sovereign Master, Laurel Ridge Council 67 AMD, 2019
Freemasonry has been famously described as “a peculiar system of morality, veiled in allegory, and illustrated by symbols.” From the time when our operative forebears first began their transition into a speculative art, they have used symbols as a means of instruction to illustrate their philosophy. The representational use of symbols as has been used from time immemorial as a philosophical tool, and through the years has also found a natural home in the art of heraldry.
Heraldry is an art generally used to identify individuals and organizations. While the familiar symbols adopted by the Craft all have had standardized meanings attached to them, individual Masons often find deeper personal meanings in some over others. The individual Brother may prefer to wear a ring with a level, or a lapel pin of a trowel, for this reason. Likewise, every Mason who has taken the Mark Master Degree has adopted a mark as a personal symbol, often based on one of the familiar symbols of Freemasonry. Could there be any relationship between Masonic symbolism and the art of heraldry?
Although heraldry in its popular forms was not fully developed until the Middle Ages, the use of heraldic symbols can be traced to antiquity. Ancient Greek hoplite soldiers carried shields distinguished with individual insignia. Later Roman soldiers modified the practice to carry insignia denoting their units. The Aquila, or Eagle, was the emblem of Rome, carried by each legion on its standards (the Roman Eagle is familiar to Freemasons as an emblem, which the Lambskin Apron is said to be even older than). After Emperor Constantine’s conversion to Christianity, it was replaced by the Labarum, representing the Greek name of Christ by the Chi-Rho monogram. The later Eastern (Byzantine) Empire continued to use the Aquila, and also used a similar ancient Assyrian royal insignia: the two-headed eagle. This symbol or the Emperors of the East and West is well-known in Freemasonry as the Eagle of Lagash, the emblem of the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite.
It would not be until the rise of chivalry during the Medieval Period, however, that heraldry as we know it today would begin to emerge as a symbolic system. Although the legends connecting Freemasonry with medieval knights are mostly just that, the mythical connections between the two warrant a survey into the development of heraldry, and its use in and connections to Freemasonry. Because heraldry is so intrinsically linked to chivalry, and the concept of nobility, it has largely fallen out of use in the United States, kept alive only by historians and “bucket shop” charlatans. It is therefore necessary to begin with a synopsis of heraldic terminology and principles.
Although heraldry as a field encompasses several related disciplines, including vexillology (the study of flags) and genealogy (particularly as it concerns hereditary nobility), its most common use (with which this paper is concerned) concerns armory, the description and display of armorial bearings, commonly known as “coats of arms”.
An heraldic achievement is the full depiction of all the elements which the bearer of Arms is entitled to display. The achievement is notated in a Blazon, which formally describes the various elements contained therein (using traditional French terminology). The most prominent aspect is the coat of arms, which originally referred to the display of the insignia on a knight’s surcoat, or outer garment. Because the same insignia is depicted on the knight’s shield, the shield, or escutcheon, is prominently depicted in the full achievement. It is only this part of the design which is properly termed a “coat of arms”. The practical genesis behind the art’s development was to identify armored knights in combat and tournaments, and thus its principles are broadly geared towards rapid identification, especially by an audience who lacked formal education and literacy.
One of the most important heraldic design principles is the Rule of Tincture, which describes the colors that can be used. The most common hues are divided into three broad categories of metals, colors, and furs. The Rule may be summarized as “a color may not be placed upon a color, nor a metal upon a metal”. “Metal” refers to Or (gold) and Argent (silver), usually depicted with plain yellow and white, respectively. “Color” include most other hues, most commonly Gules (red), Azure (blue), Vert (green), Purpure (purple), and Sable (black). The most important purpose of the Rule was to ensure recognizability in battle, as colors and metals contrast most noticeably from each other. (It has also been said that it was due to the difficulty of painting color over color or metal over metal with the materials available to a medieval knight). Practically all arms conform to this rule, as do most flags, signage, and even Masonic regalia. When a color must be placed on a color, or metal on a metal, the Rule of Tincture can be preserved, however, by fimbriating, or placing a contrasting outline around the foreground design. (Also, some traditions consider Sable uniquely to be both a color and metal, so its use against a color is not universally proscribed.)
The color and metal used are often referred to together as the Livery colors, and are usually repeated in other elements of the achievement. Traditionally, after being introduced once in the blazon, a tincture is not named again, but referred to by the order it was named (“of the first”) or by the element that was of that tincture (“of the field”).
So important is the Rule of Tincture that arms that do not conform are often termed armes à enquérir ("arms of enquiry") – they would not normally be granted, and thus the viewer is expected to ask what the extraordinary story behind the violation was. The most famous of these was the arms the Crusader Kingdom of Jerusalem, which combined five crosses Or over an Argent background. Its first king Baldwin (who inherited these arms upon his brother Godfrey’s death), was the monarch who granted Hugh de Payen’s original request to form the Knights Templar.
In addition to the colors and metals were added the furs Ermine (a white field with black spots) and Vair (a tessellated blue and white pattern), which represent the coats of the stoat and red squirrel, which turn to those colors in winter. Furs, being a combination of metal and color, could be used in place of either, against a background of either. Additionally, the “color” Proper, used to represent any charge depicted in its natural coloration, could be used in place.
Upon the escutcheon would be depicted some insignia meant to identify the bearer. These designs were originally painted on a knight’s shield. Upon the Field (the background of the shield) are depicted one or more Charges. The simplest charges, or “ordinaries”, consist of basic geometric shapes, such as the Cross, Pale (vertical stripe), Fess (horizontal stripe), Bend (diagonal stripe from the upper right), Bend sinister (diagonal stripe from the upper left), Chevron, Saltire (a rotated or “St. Andrew’s” cross), and Chief (a horizontal band at the top of the field). Bends and Bends sinister are so named because Dexter (right) and Sinister (left) are named from the perspective of a knight standing behind the shield, and are reversed from perspective of the viewer.
Perhaps surprising to many, simpler designs are in fact generally considered more prestigious than complex ones: as arms were originally granted only to an individual knight (and occasionally inherited by their firstborn sons), the simple “ordinaries” were quickly taken by early knights and their descendants. The 1389 legal case Scrope v. Grosvenor concerned two rival claims to the same Arms: Azure, a Bend Or, and can be considered one of the earliest cases in the field of intellectual property law (the case was decided in Scrope’s favor; Grosvenor eventually adopted new arms in the form of Azure, a Garb Or). Still, marshaling is a common practice, whereby two or more Coats of Arms are combined into one larger design by some party who has a right to use both. This is most commonly done by impalement, or splitting the Shield down the middle, with each Arms displayed on one side. In the case of marriage, a husband generally displays his Arms in the dexter and his wife’s (or more commonly his father-in-law’s, as women were not expected to have Arms of their own) in the sinister. Marshaling is also frequently seen after mergers of two organizations.
As there are only a limited number of ordinaries, more complex charges were soon adopted, using common animals, plants, and objects. The precise depiction of charges is left to the armiger (the artist designing the achievement), however, it is expected that the charges be depicted as generically and large as possible. Animals are usually depicted in a particular Attitude, of which the most common are Rampant (rearing up with both front paws raised), Passant (in stride, with one paw up), Sejant (seated, with all paws on the ground), Couchant (lying down), Courant (running, with all feet off the ground), and Statant (standing with all feet on the ground) are among the most common. Herbivores may be depicted Pascuant (grazing). Several attitudes are peculiar to birds, including Displayed (wings spread), Overt or Perched, Volant (in flight), and Vigilant (the normal position of a stork or crane standing on one foot). Another attitude, used only in the case of the pelican, is Vulning or "In her piety". This is based on a legend that a pelican pierced her breast with her beak and fed her chicks with her blood. This symbol has been used for centuries as a metaphor for Jesus’s Passion and should also be familiar to Scottish Rite Masons as a symbol of the 18° (Knight of Rose Croix).
Above the escutcheon is often depicted a helmet. The helmet represents that worn by a knight in combat, which normally obscured the knight’s face, thus requiring other external identification. The particular style of helmet was prescribed by the bearer’s relative social class; a “barred” helmet was reserved for hereditary nobles while knights and commoners were required to use a “tilting” helmet. Certain churches allow their bishops to bear ecclesiastical arms, which generally replace the helmet with a galero, or hat more appropriate to a clerical station. The helm may be accompanied by a coronet, if the bearer is of an appropriate noble rank.
Atop the helm, if any, is usually found a crest. This term is often erroneously applied to the coat of arms or entire achievement, but actually refers to a specific element of the achievement. In addition to their shields and coats, many knights wore a figurine or plume atop their helmets to further distinguish them when in armor. While it is thought that these also helped deflect or cushion weapons blows to the head, in actual combat the added weight of a carved figurine atop the head could prove a liability. In practice, they were mainly worn in tournaments to identify knights to the crowds, which may have influenced their display in heraldic achievements. Originally, a crest was restricted to knights and nobles who participated in tournaments, but in modern use they are included in virtually all arms, even commoners’ and organizations’. In time, the crest came to be depicted separately from the rest of the achievement, on stationery and other personal effects, which may have influenced the erroneous conflation of the term. (In Scottish heraldry, the crest of a clan’s chief’s Arms is frequently worn as a badge of affiliation by other members of that clan, but that use is generally considered illegal usurpation in other contexts, and the full Coat of Arms remains the personal property of the clan chief.)
As an aside to possible Masonic interest, one of the privileges of Knights of the Order of the Garter (which should be as familiar as the aforementioned Roman Eagle), have their crests displayed in the Order’s chapel in Windsor.
The crest is usually accompanied by a wreath or torse, which hides the seam between the helm and crest, and also connects the mantling or lambrequin. A mantle was a linen garment worn over a knight’s armor both to keep off the elements and to further cushion blows to the head. It may be familiar to Freemasons as part of the Templar Cap and Mantle uniform, although an heraldic mantle must be in two different colors (usually the livery colors) – one color (blazoned “lined” or “doubled”) represents the inner material, which is visible in the achievement as it is traditionally depicted tattered, as would be expected after it was worn in battle (in ecclesiastical heraldry, the mantling is usually replaced by tassels tied to the galero).
Alongside the shield may be depicted Supporters. These are usually human or animal figures (although plants and inanimate objects) and most often occur in pairs on either side, although eagles as supporters are frequently used alone (and placed behind the shield, of which the Great Seal of the United States may be the most famous example). They usually indicate a special status conferred by the sovereign, and are restricted to nobility of a certain rank or organizations with a royal charter. Supporters are usually depicted standing upon a Compartment, which is a landscape said to represent the estate held by the bearer.
Below the shield it was common for knights to display their Orders, the regalia of their knighthoods, such as the Star, Garter, and Golden Fleece. Although the term “Order” has come to be synonymous with a chivalric fraternity (or in Masonic usage the rituals of that fraternity), the term originally signified the regalia bestowed by a monarch upon the knights he wished to honor, such as collars, jewels, and sashes, variants of which have survived into modern usage as Masonic regalia. A knight so honored would display the regalia along with his arms.
All of the above elements, when present, are included in the blazon. In addition, a motto or slogan may accompany the achievement, although they are not formally blazoned and may be adopted, omitted, or changed at any time. Being written, usually in Latin, these are generally the only non-representational part of the achievement.
It is a common misconception that a particular achievement belongs to an entire family. This exists largely in the United States due to a lack of heraldic tradition and authority, and due to the unscrupulous business of so-called “bucket shops” that sell merchandise emblazoned with generic achievements, purported to belong to anyone bearing a given surname. The absurdity of this practice is evident when one examines their wares and finds only one “Smith Coat of Arms”, and no mention of national or local origins. However, there are circumstances in which inheritance of arms is permitted by a bearer’s sons, sometimes marking them with specific Cadency symbols indicating their birth order, while the eldest son could inherit his fathers undifferenced arms. While some leeway is allowed within an immediate family, and this rule is only strictly observed in Scottish heraldry, in practice the general rule remains that direct descendance is required to use another’s arms. (A unique exception exists in Polish heraldry, where clans were comprised of many unrelated families that all share the same coats of arms due to the way that country’s nobility historically developed.)
The Arms of the United Grand Lodge of England were adopted in 1919, two centuries after the formation of the original Grand Lodge. It impales the Arms of the former Ancients and Moderns.
Blazoned “Per pale gules and quarterly azure and or; dexter, on a chevron, between three castles argent, a pair of compasses extended of the third, sinister, a cross quarterly of the fourth and vert, between, in the first quarter, a lion rampant of the third, in the second, an ox passant sable, in the third, a man with hands elevated proper, vested of the fifth, the robe crimson lined with ermine, and in the fourth an eagle displayed also of the third: the whole within a bordure of the first, charged with eight lions passant guardant of the third. For the Crest, on a wreath of the colours, a representation of an ark supported on either side by a cherub proper, with the motto over in Hebrew characters 'Holiness to the Lord': and for the supporters, on either side a cherub proper.”
The (working) London Company of Freemasons was granted arms in 1472 blazoned “Sable, on a chevron engrailed between three castles argent, garnished with doors and windows of the field, a pair of compasses extended also sable. For the Crest, on a wreath of the colours, a castle argent.” It featured the motto “God is our guide.”
The castle was a natural emblem to use to illustrate a company of operative masons. Along with churches, it was the most obviously visible product of their craft. The chevron dividing the field illustrated both figuratively and that literally important tool of the trade, the compasses. The contrasting colors are seen to this day in symbolic masonry in the checkerboard tile used in lodge flooring.
The Premier Grand Lodge adopted these arms as its own some time before 1730, and it continued in use by the Moderns after the Ancients split from them. A few alterations are evident as it survives in the later UGLE marshaling. The extravagant castles were reduced to towers, which is more commonly seen in heraldic representation (following the general heraldic rule of quick representation). The colors were changed and the engrailed (serrated) chevron replaced with a simpler one. The motto has been superseded by the Latin “Aude, Vide, Tace” (“Hear, See, Be Silent”), which is still used by the United Grand Lodge.
The Ancients adopted for their Arms a design devised by 17th Century Dutch Jewish scholar Judah Leon Templo. Templo produced a model of Solomon’s Temple based on biblical and other classical sources which gained some popularity in esoteric circles of the time. The Tetramorph – the combination of Man, Lion, Ox, and Eagle – was adopted from his writings as the Arms of their Grand Lodge.
The Four Living Creatures are mentioned in the Old Testament Book of Ezekiel (1:5-11) as the four faces of the the Cherubim. They were also referenced by John of Patmos (Revelation 4:6-8) and in later Christian writings, they are said to represent the four Evangelists. In the most common representations the Man is said to represent Matthew; the Lion, Mark; the Ox, Luke; and the Eagle, John; however, various church writers have disagreed with the precise correspondence. These symbols and the Ark of the Covenant feature prominently in the Royal Arch. The Ancients’ elevation of the Royal Arch to an integral part of Craft Masonry – a Fourth Degree to be conferred in the Lodge – is evident throughout its symbols they adopted as their Arms.
The current Arms of the United Grand Lodge of England combines those of its predecessors. Impaled in union, the fields are surrounded by a bordure of lions (the heraldic symbol of England) and the supporters and crest from the Ancients’ arms. These are the personal arms of the Grand Master, although usually born in tandem with his other arms (as the Grand Master is usually a member of the Royal Family or other Peer). Provincial Grand Lodges, which are administrative subdivisions of UGLE analogous to American Grand Lodge Districts, use variants of these arms, except with bordures representing those Provincial areas.
The Grand Lodge of Scotland’s Arms similarly features an impaled field, but here the Modern’s towers, chevron, and compasses (in Vert and Argent liveries) are marshaled with the saltire of the Scottish flag. The same tower is used for the Crest. Supporters in the form of two Master Masons holding working tools standing on a tessellated lodge floor Compartment were a later addition.
The Ancient and Modern division never affected Scottish Masonry. Interestingly, although the Grand Lodge maintained closer ties with the Ancients, they still used a motif more closely associated with the Moderns, although a design which ultimately predates all Grand Lodges.
The Grand Lodge of Ireland, on the other hand, adopted arms nearly identical to the Ancients’ (with a Gaelic Harp, the traditional symbol of Ireland, suspended as an Order). This similarity is perhaps to be expected, as the Ancients were heavily influenced by Irish Masonry and the Ahiman Rezon was largely modeled after the Irish Constitutions. Like Scotland, Ireland also maintained closer relations to the Ancients.
In the United States, where there is largely no heraldic tradition, use of arms has largely been lost. The Grand Lodge of Maryland uses the UGLE Arms down to the bordure of English lions. The Grand Lodge of Indiana maintains a similar coat, but with its own unique bordure and sinister quarterings.
Most American Grand Lodges have only official Seals instead. Nine Grand Lodges (Arizona, California, Idaho, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Virginia) all have official seals which include coats of arms in them. With the exception of Vermont, these are all based on the Modern or Ancient arms, or combined as in the UGLE form. The Grand Lodge of Oregon uses a seal in the shape of a shield, which at first glance could be mistaken for a coat of arms, except for its inclusion of text, which is traditionally inappropriate in heraldic designs outside of a motto or slogan.
Most of the remaining American Grand Lodge Seals feature similar designs incorporating Masonic tools and symbols. Nineteen of these feature columns in the positions normally occupied by heraldic supporters. Montana and North Dakota feature biblical scenes. Pennsylvania alone is unique in using a Grand Lodge Seal which does not use any familiar Masonic imagery, but instead features the Greco-Roman god Apollo (who is also featured on the Indiana coat).
A common motif is found in Scandinavian Grand Lodges, where Denmark, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden all feature croix pattées (✠) gules in chief. The cross pattée is a common heraldic motif found in Masonic Templar imagery, although commonly confused with the Maltese Cross (which has V-shaped arms). In the ten-degree Swedish Rite common to those countries, this symbol (known there as St. George’s Cross) is one of the most familiar symbols of Freemasonry and the title Most Enlightened Brother, Knight Commander of the Red Cross is an unofficial eleventh degree conferred on Grand Lodge officers. (The Grand Lodge of Finland adheres more closely to Anglo-American Craft Masonry, but the Swedish Order of Freemasons maintains a Provincial Grand Lodge in Finland which also uses this symbol.) In Germany, where five different sovereign Grand Lodges share jurisdiction under the United Grand Lodges of Germany umbrella, the Grand Landlodge of the Freemasons of Germany adheres most closely to the Swedish Rite. Although St. George’s Cross is not featured in its seal, it is displayed on one of the banners outside the Order House of the Grand Land Lodge in Berlin.
The adoption of heraldry within the Craft can be seen to largely follow its use of symbolism. There has always been some ritual variation in the explanation of specific Masonic symbols, and individual Masons’ preference for the meanings attached to specific ones. However, the regularity of their adoption has caused them to be as intricately linked as expressions of the Craft. It is only natural, then, that the art of heraldry, which also finds in its basis a desire to publicly identify a person or body through symbolic representation, should find expression within the Craft.
Bibliography
Mackey, Albert G. Encyclopedia of Freemasonry, 1873
Library and Museum of Freemasonry Information Leaflet – The Use of Standards and Banners in Freemasonry, 2011
Library And Museum Of Freemasonry Information Leaflet – The Arms Of The United Grand Lodge Of England, 2010
Grand Lodge of Scotland Coat of Arms
Sheppard, Ray. Association of Atholl Lodges – History Resources, 2009
Victorinus of Pettau, Commentary on the Apocalypse
Bessel, Paul. Grand Lodge Seals (& State, Province, or Country Flags & Seals), 2015
Court of the Lord Lyon, Frequently Asked Questions, 2018
Velde, Francois. Heraldica, 1995
Copyright (c) 2019, 2022 Mark Adams, Jr. & Laurel Ridge Council 67
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