Reflections on the origin of Freemasonry E-Book

Nicola Bizzi

• Herausgeber: Edizioni Aurora Boreale
• Kategorie: Geisteswissenschaft
• Sprache: Englisch
• Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2019

Beschreibung

It might seem unbelievable or unlikely, and in some way even paradoxical, that an initiatory institution such as Freemasonry – which has several centuries of glorious history and a widespread diffusion all over the world, an institution that has contributed so considerably to the development and progress of humanity and civilization – has (at least apparently) lost the cognition and historical memory of its origins. Its members seem to mythicize them, conceal them, distort them, or adapt them according to circumstances or personal interpretations, and above all they allow this to happen in the eyes of the uninitiated.
But has there ever been, within Freemasonry, a real and serious desire to make themselves clear, once and for all?
Has there ever been, within Freemasonry, a real and serious will to refute and dissipate once and for all this tangle – which has grown out of all proportion and totally out of control – not only of hypotheses, conjectures, and theories, but also and above all of errors, misleading inaccuracies, blatant falsehoods, and interpretative mistakes that have only led to confusion and that have inevitably distorted – in the profane eyes and not only – the essence, purpose, history, and the most authentic origins of Freemasonry?
The historian, Freemason and Eleusinian initiate Nicola Bizzi tries, with his new and precious essay, to answer to all these questions.

Leseprobe

The House of Wisdom

NICOLA BIZZI

REFLECTIONS ON THE ORIGIN OF

FREEMASONRY

Edizioni Aurora Boreale

Title: Reflections on the origin of Freemasonry

Author: Nicola Bizzi

Series: The House of Wisdom

ISBN e-book version: 978-88-98635-80-1

Edizioni Aurora Boreale

© 2019 Edizioni Aurora Boreale

Via del Fiordaliso 14 - 59100 Prato - Italia

[email protected]

www.auroraboreale-edizioni.com

REFLECTIONS ON THE ORIGIN

OF FREEMASONRY

It might seem unbelievable or unlikely, and in some way even paradoxical, that an initiatory institution such as Freemasonry – which has several centuries of glorious history and a widespread diffusion all over the world, an institution that has contributed so considerably to the development and progress of humanity and civilization – has (at least apparently) lost the cognition and historical memory of its origins. Its members seem to mythicize them, conceal them, distort them, or adapt them according to circumstances or personal interpretations, and above all they allow this to happen in the eyes of the uninitiated.

On the one hand, unfortunately, this not entirely superficial “amnesia” could easily be attributed to the innumerable divisions, fractures, and fragmentations that the Freemasonry institution has always experienced during its long and troubled journey. On the other hand, even modern Freemasonry, far from being unitary, is divided into many infinite “currents”. But it could be limiting, if not misleading and self-absolving, for the present Freemasons to point the finger exclusively at the divisions of the past to find the cause of the dramatic loss of their historical memory. Historical memories that, on the contrary, other initiatory Orders and Schools, even of greater seniority or antiquity, have succeeded to preserve through the passing of the centuries. And all this is even more paradoxical if we think about other initiatory realities that have historically contributed in a decisive way to the birth and development of Freemasonry itself, infusing in it – in some cases indirectly or not always in a deliberate way – the indelible imprint and peculiar features of their respective doctrines. But, unlike Freemasonry, they have not lost the historical memory of their own origins and their ideals. And, although they seem to be characterized by a greater secrecy and by an almost absolute impenetrability to the profane world, they still enjoy excellent health. I am referring in particular to very ancient initiatory Orders such as that of the Eleusinians “Mother”, to which the writer belongs both for initiatory experience and for family tradition, and to the secret circles of the Eleusinians of the Orphic Rite (to which important families belonged, or dynasties like that of the Medici, and characters such as Marsilio Ficino and Giovanni Pico Della Mirandola). As I am referring to the Pythagorean Order and to other few highly selective mystery and initiatory realities that have succeeded, like a karstic river, to survive up to the present days.

Now, let us go back to Freemasonry. It is certainly true that many ancient archives and other important collections of documents – especially those relating to the seventeenth century and to previous periods – have been dramatically lost, destroyed, di-spersed, or “forgotten” in some private libraries; archives and collections of documents which, if they were fully usable and accessible today, would contribute to clarify and explain many absurd hypotheses. “Conjectures” and “theories” that – today as yesterday – many people, as the Freemasons themselves and other more or less qualified historians, like to speak about. And yet, the origins of Freemasonry, if we just think about it, are not so “uncertain” as some historians think and want us to believe.

But has there ever been, within Freemasonry, a real and serious desire to make themselves clear, once and for all?

Has there ever been, within Freemasonry, a real and serious will to refute and dissipate once and for all this tangle – which has grown out of all proportion and totally out of control – not only of hypotheses, conjectures, and theories, but also and above all of errors, misleading inaccuracies, blatant falsehoods, and interpretative mistakes that have only led to confusion and that have inevitably distorted – in the profane eyes and not only – the essence, purpose, history, and the most authentic origins of Freemasonry?

Vittorio Vanni has recently tried to answer to this question. He is a writer from Florence and an appreciated author of many books on the history of the Institution. In a chapter of his essay Anatomia della Massoneria e altre Tavole¹(Anatomy of Freemasonry and other Tablets), Vanni highlights how the Masonic historiography is totally affected by instrumentality and by some intentional prejudices that inevitably lead to inaccuracies, distortions, and fantasies that deviate its scientific nature. In fact, it often occurs that the texts of many valid historians and researchers are really close to the truth, attesting and demonstrating some fundamental and illuminating discoveries on the origins and history of Freemasonry. However, it seems that at this point a sort of “exchange mechanism” comes into play and it attempts to bring these discoveries to a dead end.

Writers known and translated internationally as the Scottish investigative journalist Ian Gittins, author of a recent intact essay Unlocking the Masonic Code: The Secrets of the Solomon Key², they only feed both in the profane world and – and this is paradoxical – in the Masonic environments as well, confusion and disinformation, declaring in a generic way and as if it were an established fact that Freemasonry «has its roots in Christianity»³ and that, broadly speaking, in this Institution there are (in the profane world) two “schools of thought”.

Roman mosaic from Pompei (first century B.C.) known as “Memento Mori”. It represents an allegorical and symbolic philosophical theme of the transience of life and death that eliminates disparities in social class and wealth. The summit of the composition is a level with his plumb line, a tool that was used by masons to control the levelling in construction. The axis of the lead is the death (the skull), under a butterfly (the soul) balanced on a wheel (Fortune). Under the arms of the level, and opposed in perfect balance, are the symbols of poverty on the right (a stick a beggar and a cape), and wealth to the left: the sceptre a purple cloth and the ribbon. (Naples, Archaological Museum)

«The first one – Gitting says – claims that it is a modern anachronism, an eccentric organization, but substantially benevolent, of men whose presumption and very high opinion of themselves are small flaws compared to the numerous philanthropic works to which they dedicate themselves»⁴. «According to this current of thought – Gitting says – given the rather advanced average age of its members, it is impossible for the brotherhood to survive beyond the next two or three decades»⁵. These statements are extremely childish and, in addition to being the result of mere ignorance, they denote an initiatory sensitivity equal to zero. «The opposite opinion– Gitting concludes – states that Freemasonry is an obscure coterie of sinister dissatisfactions that seeks to subvert society and eventually gain world domination»⁶.