Masonic Fibble-Fable Presentation at The Rubicon Masonic Society Visitor’s Night on January 24, 2018 at Spindletop Hall John W. Bizzack, Ph.D. Master, Lexington Lodge No. 1 he word "fib" extends back to the Freemasonry that carried all the 1400s or so. At that time, the word earmarks of an ancient fraternity. T fable had its first appearance in the English language and had two This brings up a question. How did men meanings: a pleasant narrative or a who were of mature age, sound judgement downright lie. We still use that word in and strict morals invent well-intentioned either sense. fibs. Furthermore, how could men of sound judgment have been deceived by About 300 or 400 years ago, some them? unknown parent decided to soften the blow of the word by accusing their child Some Masonic writers perceive it not a of telling a "fibble-fable" when the child sin to invent traditions to make was caught telling a story the parent Freemasonry appear more ancient than it knew to be utter nonsense. This term is, and others deem it even a merit to caught on as an expression for a slight create fibs for the purpose of proving the falsehood. Wordsmiths surmise that the Craft has the earliest of lineages even term was too long to use as a name for a though such heredities challenge “slight sin,” so it soon shortened to "fib." rationalism to its maximum extent. Some writers and certainly many members Apart from organized religion, more never challenge, of course, because they well-intentioned fibble-fable has been have no ambition to come into conflict told about Masonry than perhaps any with those who were or are considered other subject. We must, however, take Masonic luminaries or leaders in the into consideration the context in which fraternity - some of whom we know the fabrications were told and why. By today simple shared a surplus of well- doing so we can understand how men of told tales, filling them with imaginary the era believed it imperative to inferences and erroneous conclusions. construct a time immemorial history of 1 Masonology? so is everyone else, but this has one significant disadvantage since “popular Awarding academic status and academic history” and “good history” are rarely the legitimacy to the history of Freemasonry same thing. There is a considerable gulf is the dream of the Masonologist. French between the historical understanding by Mason Alec Mellor coined the word the public and the history constructed by Masonology in the 1960s reportedly Masonic historians – or those who call proposing it with a defining meaning the themselves such because they write study of Masonry beyond ritual. The about the topic. term was generally accepted, but there was a problem. Many seemed to think A wealth of generalizations, myths, and the term meant research of Masonic nostalgia fill the early copious writings history that was conducted by scientific about the fraternity. Most were methods requiring a logical and rational conspicuously shy on evidence and order of steps through which researchers teemed instead with a unique level of could defend and come to conclusions piety and glorification of the idea of about their topic of inquiry. Freemasonry. This left a trail that would later distress professional historians who Misunderstood, the term turned into the expected to find the same rigors and belief that if a writing was called or standards of research for which they referred to as Masonology, it came with were trained to study and evaluate in credibility. It does not. The bulk of what Masonic history masquerades as Masonic history literature falls short of adherence to the The fact is, 150 years or so ago, the best- scientific method of research. informed Masons knew only about Masonic history what they learned from The early writings of what we think of James Anderson, William Preston, and and have largely accepted as Masonic George Oliver causing the more history is tormented with a legion of informed Masons to later refer to that problems. Evidence was not always the period as the Dark Ages of Masonry. pillar and rubric upon which James Albert Mackey, Cornelius Moore, and Anderson and others chronicled or other writers of that variety took the presented the history of the institution. place of Anderson and his early In the world of Freemasonry, writing and explainers to become venerated as great theorizing about the past is not confined Masonic oracles when they arrived on - it is open to all who take an interest in the Masonic scene. Much of what they it. wrote at the time was embraced by many Masons are entirely free to consider the Masons as absolute truth. Since their past and form their own conclusions and time, additional and valuable 2 information on Masonic history from the which resembled Freemasonry and in writings of Robert Freke Gould, Joseph addition to numerous others; quotes Gabriel Findel and William J. Hughan, passages from H.A. Gile’s Freemasonry in and others changed a lot of old opinions China. and made many of the early writings He talks about several other rites and seem even more preposterous. concludes there is indeed a connection Published in 1886, Robert Freke Gould’s between modern speculative Masonry History of Freemasonry required six years and these cults and movements in of his time to write. He brought that antiquity. However, the relationship, he work up to date in an abridged edition in explained, is that some group of 17th- 1903. Gould’s massive volumes stand century philosophers of the Craft and today as the most credible work by a writer of his own period “ransacked Mason about the history of the antiquity to discover a model for their institution for many reasons; foremost is newly born Freemasonry.” the fact that he concerned himself Proving the two plus two equals ten in through all four volumes with the the mind of some of those philosophers development of Freemasonry as we know and writers to which he refers, and it, which marks him the first Masonic members of the fraternity, he writes historian of the Scientific School. In his about H.A. Giles’s research that reported 905-page work, Gould establishes how Mencius, an avid student of the the legitimate approach to the accurate teachings of Confucius, taught men the history of Freemasonry is based on value of applying the square and documentation and stood upright in his compass figuratively to their lives. This strong feeling that before you believe gem, used by some to “prove” that Masonry was tied to movements in Freemasonry’s pedigree, extended back antiquity, you must prove it. to the days of Mencius and Confucius In History of Freemasonry, he wrote and (551 to 479 B.C.), is sheer fibble-fable. In discussed various theories being put the same line of thinking, we can safely forth in his day, describing in their turn say there were architects in biblical days, certain Egyptian customs as described by and they created great works, Solomon’s the Greek historian, Herodotus; Greek Temple included, but that didn’t make fraternal and mystical societies as them Freemasons in the modern sense of mentioned in William Smith’s Dictionary the word any more than it made of Greek and Roman Biography; rumors of Confucius or Mencius Freemasons. a Dionysian (a philosophical concept The influence of Gould’s “prove it” based on certain features of ancient approach to the history of Freemasonry Greek mythology) architectural fraternity 3 altered the way many Masons started to The premier American Masonic think about the history of the institution. Magazine, Free-Mason’ Magazine, and His message corresponds with many General Miscellanea (Philadelphia 1811) Masonic writers today who endorse the stood as premier publications of their idea that the sooner we put all these day. The Freemason’s Monthly Magazine antiquity claims into the proper context (Boston 1841), American Masonic Record (allegorical ritual designed to teach (Albany 1827), Masonic Review and moral truths) and get on with the Keystone (Baltimore 1867), American business of being better men and more Tyler (Detroit (1890), Masonic Mirror informed Masons, the better off the (Philadelphia 1852) were considered by institution and its votaries will be. many to be in the same league. Many others with names Masons readily In the world of reality, it does not follow recognized, like The Cable Tow, The that Masonry must remain in utter Gavel, The Square and Compasses, and darkness of its factual history because The Lambskin are among only a few of those through whom much of it was and the many. is passed embrace it without the benefit of rational thought and context. The The early periodicals evolved into same stands true and applies to the later Masonic bulletins, local state and lodge essayists, commentators and those newsletters and eventually grand lodge considered Masonic luminaires and sponsored magazines, and by reviewing leaders of their day. them one can see the unfolding of Freemasonry in America, its literature, There were numerous Masonic and bibliography. A total of 674 of these periodicals and journals in the latter part styled publications is chronicled in of the 19th century, which is where many Larissa P. Watkins’ American Masonic Masons (at least those who bothered to Periodicals 1811-2001. read about what was going on in the Masonic community) got their Interestingly, it was common in many of information. These publications today the periodicals for brothers to challenge are often overlooked as a source of the writings of other brothers leading to words, images, thoughts, and varied back and forth exchanges of what we interpretations of Freemasonry by earlier think of today as Letters to the Editor.