Part 5

IT’S A CONSPIRACY!
(OR IS IT?)

 

Freemasonry and Jack the Ripper. It seems an unlikely pairing of fraternity and pyschopathy. Freemasons are credited with this vicious killing spree, mostly in thanks to Stephen Knight’s BBC documentary. Freemasons are also blamed by some for the death of Mozart, the creation of the Illuminati, and covering up ancient secrets in the Bible. But aside from the conspiracy theories, modern-day Freemasons are everywhere in culture, in very positive ways. The charitable deeds they perform are widely recognized, and their contributions to society in all parts of the world are highly revered by all the individuals they’ve helped. Their cultural legacy is a mix of old and new, the old being a legendary figure in American Masonry, and the new being the impact Masons have had on film, television, and literature.

 

86
THE CRIME OF THE CENTURY: JACK THE RIPPER

Only a handful of high-profile crimes from years past continue to incite debate in the minds of modern thinkers. Arguably at the top of that list is the case of nineteenth-century serial killer Jack the Ripper. Over the centuries the question of the Ripper’s identity has plagued the psyches of historians, scholars, writers, scientists, detectives, and both amateur sleuths and professional “Ripperologists.”

 

The brutal murders, which took place in the Whitechapel district of London in 1888, have served as fodder for hundreds of books, films, and ongoing criminalistic, profiling, and forensic studies, yet despite all attempts to solve the infamous crime—from logical conclusions to sensational insinuations—the Ripper’s true identity and the impetus for his hideous crimes remain a mystery.

The royal conspiracy theory was first revealed during a BBC documentary and later detailed in Stephen Knight’s 1976 book Jack the Ripper: The Final Solution. It must be said that this particular theory is one of many relating to the Ripper murders—it just happens that it is a highly publicized theory. It is also important to note that as much information as Knight’s theory provides, there is also plenty of evidence to the contrary. However, regardless of one’s opinion on the matter, it’s a fascinating study, and given that the prime suspects in this theory are Freemasons, it warrants discussion.

From August 31, 1888, to November 9, 1888, five Whitechapel prostitutes were killed and subsequently mutilated and eviscerated. Such was the brutality of the crimes that photographs of the victims to this day are difficult to comprehend. Mary Ann “Polly” Nichols, Annie Chapman, Elizabeth Stride, Catherine Eddowes, and Mary Jane Kelly were the unfortunate victims of the notorious serial killer. While logical evaluation of the murders suggests these women were simply in the wrong place at the wrong time, there are a host of theories and published conspiracies that suggest their murders were premeditated.

Where Jack the Ripper is concerned, outrageous claims and theories constitute the majority of known information. There are very few facts that can be confirmed, with everything from the Ripper’s methods to the official investigation records either disputed, missing, altered, or misinterpreted. In regard to a Masonic connection, as with myriad other theories, the “facts” are pure speculation.

87
A MAN CALLED SICKERT

In 1973, the BBC came up with an innovative plan to once and for all solve the Jack the Ripper case. The avenue for accomplishing this task was the acquisition of new information coupled with a dramatic presentation that was part theater and part documentary. With a lead they eventually received from a detective at Scotland Yard, the television researchers set about interviewing a man called Joseph Sickert, the son of renowned English artist Walter Sickert. The elder Sickert imparted to his son a story that was unbelievable in its sheer audacity, and the time had come for his son to bring the details to light. According to the younger Sickert, Walter Sickert apparently harbored some measure of guilt over the information and, because of this, finally let loose of the details of this sordid tale prior to his death in 1942.

 

Through interviewing Joseph Sickert, police discovered a bizarre chain of events, which involved a secret marriage between an heir to the British throne and a commoner, their illegitimate child, and a hired nanny. It further involved the queen, the prime minister, the queen’s physician, a quartet of prostitutes, and ultimately, the Freemasons, whose alleged involvement was further detailed by Stephen Knight in his book.

What Sickert told the BBC began with Prince Albert Victor Edward (“Eddy” as he was known), the duke of Clarence and Avondale, who was grandson of Queen Victoria and second in line to the British throne after his father, who eventually became Edward VII. Walter Sickert was a friend of Prince Eddy’s. According to Sickert, the twenty-four-year-old prince became enthralled with a “commoner” and Catholic woman named Annie Elizabeth Crook, who worked at a tobacconist’s shop. It was alleged that they had married. Adding to the unthinkable was the fact that Annie bore the prince an illegitimate royal child named Alice Margaret.

When this information made its way to Queen Victoria, she called upon Prime Minister and alleged Freemason Lord Salisbury to handle the details. The political climate of the day was tumultuous at best. If a scandalous affair or marriage between an heir to the British throne and an illiterate Catholic and their illegitimate heir were to become public, a revolution could start and the monarchy could fall.

In an effort to make the sordid affair disappear, authorities raided an apartment on Cleveland Street at which time the prince and Annie were separated and taken away. It was said that Alice Margaret escaped the chaos. At that point, the Queen’s personal physician, Freemason William Gull, entered the picture. Gull’s intervention included performing “experiments” on the hospitalized Annie Crook that would cause memory loss, epilepsy, and eventual insanity.

Joseph Sickert’s story continued, telling of a woman called Mary Kelly, whom his father had found in a poorhouse. Kelly was brought to Annie Crook at the tobacconist’s shop and she eventually became nanny to Annie and Prince Eddy’s daughter Alice Margaret. As Sickert tells it, the general assumption was that the little girl was with Kelly when the Cleveland Street apartment was raided. Not knowing what to do with the girl, Kelly left her in the care of nuns and soon became a prostitute in the East End of London.

The danger of Mary Kelly’s precarious situation was her knowledge of the prince’s incriminating dalliance. Unable to keep such damaging information to herself, the former nanny allegedly revealed her secrets to three other prostitutes—Mary Ann “Polly” Nichols, Annie Chapman, and Elizabeth Stride. Together they threatened to blow the whistle on Prince Eddy by means of blackmail.

Again, William Gull was called into action by Lord Salisbury when the blackmail plot became known, and it was at this point that Gull solicited help from Prince Eddy’s coachman, John Netley, and Sir Robert Anderson, who was to keep watch during the crimes. Gull’s sinister plan was, of course, to eliminate the quartet of potential blackmailers. Not being of sound mind and body, he gave birth to the name Jack the Ripper.

With the horrid crimes now committed, things didn’t go smoothly for those involved. Walter Sickert told his son that barrister Montague Druitt was the alleged scapegoat of the Ripper murders, and suggested that he was even killed because of it. It was rumored that physician Sir William Gull ended up in an insane asylum, and he apparently passed away not long after the incidents at Whitechapel. Annie Crook, now insane, was said to have died in 1920, and John Netley, who eventually drowned, was allegedly mobbed during an attempt at running down Crook’s daughter Alice Margaret with his cab.

Perhaps the strangest part of Joseph Sickert’s retelling of his father’s story is the fate of Alice Margaret. According to Sickert, she was indeed raised by nuns, but upon adulthood actually married Walter Sickert and had a child. That child was Joseph Sickert.

88
A KNIGHT IN WHITECHAPEL

The royal conspiracy, based on the story told to Joseph Sickert by his father, Walter, is arguably the most sensational of the Ripper conspiracy theories. This royal and Masonic conspiracy, however, didn’t reach its apex of notoriety until 1976, with the publication of Stephen Knight’s book, which brought Freemasonry and its alleged secret plot under close public scrutiny.

 

Stephen Knight was intrigued by Joseph Sickert’s story and eventually convinced Sickert to grant him an interview for a local newspaper. It was during meetings with Sickert, whom Knight felt was telling the truth, that Knight decided to investigate the story and, much to Sickert’s chagrin, compile a book. The upshot of Knight’s book was that the third conspirator of the Ripper murders was not Sir Robert Anderson—it was Walter Sickert.

In his book, Knight basically follows the same story line as it was first introduced in the BBC’s documentary. However, he goes on a number of tangents in an effort to weave the web surrounding Prince Eddy, Annie Crook, and a wide range of individuals—all of whose participations are based on assumption and conjecture. As it stands, there is no evidence linking any of the main players to one another in this horrific production.

Knight’s focus on the Freemasons as the perpetrators of the killings relies heavily on the supposition of Masonic symbolism and ritual practices. Using this as his basis he makes many assumptions. Catherine Eddowes’s body, for example, was found on September 30, 1888, in Mitre Square. Both the mitre and the square are tools used by trade masons. It was also known at the time that Masons met at the Mitre Tavern.

Knight also alleges that coachman John Netley was, in reality, killed as a result of being run over by his own cab at Clarence Gate. The connection there is that the Masons did this intentionally because Prince Eddy was the duke of Clarence.

It is also asserted that the murders were essentially covered up by Lord Salisbury and his Masonic brethren who served in the government or police departments. Because of their bonds as brothers, they may not have approved of Gull’s decision to kill the women in such a manner, but they had an obligation to protect a fellow brother and Freemasonry in general.

In this royal conspiracy, it is alleged that Gull was able to lure the women (with the exception of third victim Elizabeth Stride) into a carriage, murder and mutilate them, and then dispose of their bodies in very specific and Masonically relevant places. It’s not impossible for a madman, but logic dictates that it would seem improbable for a man of Gull’s age and health to physically murder and reposition the bodies of his victims. At the time of the murders Gull was 72 and had recently suffered a heart attack and, it is said, a stroke. Killing someone in the manner in which these women were slain would take considerable strength. The bottom line is that there is no solid evidence that links William Gull to the crimes.

Another of Knight’s claims involves the Legend of Hiram Abiff, in which he equates the way the three conspirators who committed Hiram’s murder were executed to the way each of the five women were slain. While it is true that Masons do study this legend, it is strictly symbolic and not literal in the slightest measure. But it does serve to further Knight’s theory. The three murderers, Jubela, Jubelo, and Jubelum, when lamenting over their heinous act, screamed out various deaths they wished exacted upon them. One conspirator wanted his throat cut and his tongue ripped from him. Another wanted his breast torn open and his heart and vitals removed and tossed over his left shoulder. The third, and most gruesome, wished his body severed and taken as such to the north and the south, and his bowels burnt to ashes.

The Ripper victims had their throats cut, were mutilated, and eviscerated in various grotesque abominations. In the case of second victim Annie Chapman, who was killed on the eighth of September, her tongue was protruded between her teeth, and like the fourth victim Catherine Eddowes, her intestines were placed over her right shoulder. On November ninth, authorities found unimaginable horror when they discovered Mary Kelly, who was barely recognizable and, it’s alleged, the fireplace had been used.

At the time of the murders, Sir Charles Warren was head of the London Metropolitan Police. He also served as Worshipful Master of the premier research lodge, the Quatuor Coronati Lodge 2076, which was holding a meeting the night of Catherine Eddowes’s murder. At the scene of the crime, a section of bloodstained apron belonging to Eddowes was recovered along with a curious alliteration. On the wall above where the bloody cloth was found a now infamous message was scrawled in chalk: “The Juwes are The men that Will not be Blamed for nothing.”

When Sir Warren arrived at the scene he made the unpopular decision to have the message erased, fearing that the words would incite anti-Jewish riots in the area. Had Warren not been a Freemason, his action would perhaps have been overlooked, but according to various theories the spelling of “Juwes” is nothing short of conspiratorial.

Knight suggested that the misspelling of the word Jews refers to the Hiramic legend and the trio of conspirators—Jubela, Jubelo, and Jube-lum— responsible for the slaying of Master Mason Hiram Abiff.

89
MURDER AS ART

Walter Sickert’s alleged involvement in the Ripper murders remains a source of great intrigue, depending on the theory to which you subscribe. Stephen Knight brings Sickert into his book right from the start and while it’s unknown if he actually committed the murders, he does play a significant role in the book. He introduces Prince Eddy to Annie Crook, he brings Mary Kelly to them, he bears witness to their alleged wedding, he aids Gull in identifying the women, and he left clues to the murders in his paintings.

 

Knight essentially wove Sickert into his theory based on the fact that Sickert appeared to know so much about the case, but those skeptical of Knight’s contentions have pointed out more than a few specific contradictions. It is said that Alice Margaret was born April 18, 1885, which, if true, makes someone other than Prince Eddy the father because he was in Germany at the time of conception. Knight also claims that the prince met Annie Crook at Walter Sickert’s studio the same year as the Ripper murders—1888. Experts point out that in 1886, the building was demolished and a hospital erected the following year.

Two years after Knight’s book was published, Joseph Sickert, in an article in the Sunday Times of London, recanted his story, claiming that it was a hoax and he’d made up the entire tale. In his defense, Knight of course responded by saying the younger Sickert was simply incensed by Knight’s naming Walter Sickert as one of the killers.

Renowned Ripperologist Donald Rumbelow in 1975 wrote what many consider to be the Jack the Ripper bible. Originally printed as The Complete Jack the Ripper, it was later revised under the title Jack the Ripper: The Complete Casebook. In the latter, Rumbelow did some digging into the background of Annie Crook, discovering that she made the rounds at various workhouses later in life. Accompanying her was her daughter Alice Margaret and her grandmother and mother, who allegedly suffered from epilepsy. This added a new spin to the royal conspiracy which alleges that Annie became an epileptic as a result of William Gull’s medical experimentation.

Another potential discrepancy is evident in Knight’s royal conspiracy. Knight claims that a pair of brass rings were placed at the feet of second victim Annie Chapman, along with her jewelry and coins. This, perhaps, relates to the Rite of Destitution an initiate takes part in during the initiation rites of Entered Apprentice. However, official reports show that no such trinkets were found at the crime scene.

Donald Rumbelow also refuted other inconsistencies in Knight’s Masonic conspiracy. The location of the Cleveland Street building from which the prince and Annie Crook were taken from didn’t exist at the time of the murders, as it was being torn down for renovation.

Rumbelow also sheds another perspective on the incident Knight tells of in which Lord Salisbury purchases one of Sickert’s paintings for a large sum of “hush money.” Sickert didn’t use his own name as the seller when relaying this purchase to his son Joseph, telling him instead that it happened to an artist called Vallon. Rumbelow discovered that the painting, which still belongs to the Salisbury family, was indeed painted by Vallon and not Sickert.

Other experts on the subject have brought up additional pertinent facts. In regard to the alleged marriage between Prince Eddy and Annie Crook, the laws of Britain state that the reigning monarch can set aside any marriage, and that any member of the royal family who weds a Catholic cannot inherit the crown. Given that bit of insight, there really was no reason for any of the murders to have taken place even if the prince and the pauper had wed. Beyond that, it’s doubtful that another royal scandal would have actually sunk the British crown.

Victorian London in the late 1800s was a dire place if you were an individual of little means, especially if living in the East End in Whitechapel. The sheer crush of humanity, filth, and starvation permeated by thick polluted air must have made it a frightening place, most certainly at night when all that was seen through the mist were glimpses of faces by the light of oil lamps.

Five women succumbed to the ultimate darkness at the hands of a madman. If that man was a Freemason and there was a cover-up by the Masons it has yet to be proven. As it stands, there is absolutely nothing that implicates the Brotherhood in the Whitechapel murders.

90
SWORN TO SECRECY

Freemasons will never be able to shake the term secret society. It is a legacy that has enveloped them since their inception, whether one decides they originated from ancient stonemasons building King Solomon’s Temple or the Medieval operative tradesmen who built the great cathedrals of Europe. The fact that their ceremonies and rituals are held in secret and they profess certain beliefs and obey certain rules unavoidably classifies them as a secret organization. Unfortunately, that makes them fair game for all types of conspiracy theories and wild accusations ranging from political to religious intervention.

 

The true irony is perhaps that Freemasons as a fraternity have always been true to their charitable roots, and oftentimes the sheer good they accomplish, especially in modern society, is often overshadowed by public misinformation. The mysteries surrounding Freemasonry remain a constant source of debate no matter whether the subject is based in the group’s antiquity, alleged involvement in a particular event, or modern-day proceedings. The devil is in that terminally gray area between truth and falsehood, and when it comes to conspiracies—including those with alleged Masonic involvement—it all comes down to what is speculated, what is assumed, and what is known.

If conspiracy theorists ruled the world then Freemasonry would, no doubt, become extinct very quickly. If what is presented both in literature and on the Internet is to be believed, then Freemasons are Satanists, Luciferians, assassins, a religious cult, KGB infiltrators, keepers of the Holy Grail, and the Illuminati, a powerful group of enlightened and highly secretive men who control all that goes on in the world. And those are just the high points. The truth of the matter is that Freemasons are simply a fraternal organization, rooted in symbolic history whose aim it is to better themselves spiritually and morally while at the same time work to improve society.

One of the grander conspiracies of the past, present, and most assuredly the future is the concept that a small group of powerful men ultimately rule the world. These men comprise what in the broadest term is known as the Illuminati, or enlightened ones. Many have, no doubt, heard the term before, as this group is often featured in film and in literature, often in shady circumstances and focused on some evil purpose.

The mere whisper of the word “secret” in relation to Freemasonry is enough for conspiracy theorists to speculate that the Brotherhood is an arm of the Illuminati or that, in fact, the Illuminati evolved from Freemasonry. In most cases, there exists a significant lack of evidence, with grand conspiracies or claims often based on literal or historical misinterpretations.

Scholars, historians, and conspiracists alike have plenty of historical fodder from which to draw in regard to the Bavarian connection. There is, in fact, a slim association between Freemasons and the Bavarian Illuminati, and it is that connection that has by association given rise to Masons being mentioned as part of various secret Illuminati-like organizations including the Priory of Sion, the Bilderbergers, and the Trilateral Commission to name a few.

91
BIRTH OF THE ENLIGHTENED ONES

Adam Weishaupt was born in 1748 in the German town of Ingol-stadt. Educated by Jesuits, he went on to become a professor of Canon Law at the University of Ingolstadt in 1775. Weishaupt immediately had trouble, being that his views were radical and offensive to the clergy. He condemned bigotry and intolerance and challenged clerical superstitions. He then assembled a group of bright young men, and set about creating a private party of opposition within the University. Meeting in secret, Weishaupt introduced his philosophies and liberalism to the group, which marked the beginning of the Order of the Illuminati or “Enlightened Ones,” commonly called the Bavarian Illuminati.

 

On May 1, 1776, Weishaupt and his collaborator German Freemason Baron Adolph von Knigge officially founded the Bavarian Illuminati whose heady aim it was to overthrow the Roman Catholic Church and all governments, and eventually rule the world. This was to be accomplished by way of secrecy and subterfuge with conspiracy mixed in for good measure. With only five original members the group came to have over 2,500 members many of whom were alleged to be Masons or former Masons. It must be said that at the time of the Illuminati’s founding, Weishaupt was not a member of the Brotherhood and his possible initiation is in dispute.

92
FREEMASONS AND WORLD DOMINATION?

There is no evidence to suggest that Freemasons supported or created the Illuminati, but the structure of the radical free-thinking group is quite similar to Masonic structure. Illuminati members were divided into three classes, they offered obedience, and there were various officers and ascending degrees. Some speculate that the Illuminati had established relationships with various Masonic lodges in Bavaria, and that their enlightened membership over ten years increased to more than four thousand.

 

The political climate at the time was one of guarded tolerance toward Freemasonry. Bavaria was a conservative state dominated by aristocracy and the Catholic Church. The growing publicity and controversy surrounding the Illuminati tipped the balance of favor against all secret societies. As one expert tells it, Baron von Knigge ultimately disagreed with the direction Weishaupt was pursuing and broke from the group.

One theory suggests that the Jesuits, who were still powerful despite having been abolished, set out to destroy Weishaupt and his Enlightened Ones. A royal decree was issued in 1784 which banned all secret associations from Bavaria. At that point, the Bavarian Illuminati supposedly ceased activity. Weishaupt escaped prosecution, but his ultimate goals would become public, as his revolutionary-based papers were discovered and printed by the government. What became of Weishaupt is unclear, but his character and ideals are often alternately reviled and revered to the present day.

93
THE FRENCH REVOLUTION

Prior to the French Revolution there were over sixty lodges in Paris and 463 in the provinces, colonies, and foreign countries, all under the Grand Orient of France. The Grand Lodge of France had over 130 lodges in and around Paris. During the war, only three of the lodges in Paris remained open. The influence of Adam Weishaupt, the radical Bavarian Illuminati and, by association, the Freemasons, helped popularize the theory that Freemasonry played an integral part in fomenting the French Revolution of 1789. There is little doubt that Masonic philosophies of tolerance, equality for all men, and the performance of charitable service for the betterment of mankind ran counter to the haughty attitudes of the French aristocracy. However, the extreme social and economic decay in France that led up to the revolution was far too widespread to apply blame (or credit) to any single group, and in reality, Freemasons fell into both sides of the conflict.

 

During the eighteenth century French Freemasonry was a mix of various individuals including clergy, aristocrats, military officers, and the bourgeoisie, and none of them were motivated to elicit change in the social system. By and large, Freemasons had little interest in the political climate. There was, in fact, the growing belief in having a country ruled by the “correct” person and not by a particular religion, and that belief fueled the revolutionary flames.

It is alleged that Napoleon was initiated as a Mason in 1798 to the Army Philadelphe Lodge, and that his four brothers were also members of the Craft. The majority of Napoleon’s Grand Council of the Empire and his imperial officers were also said to be Freemasons. One expert notes that Freemasonry had no part in instigating the French Revolution but the Brotherhood did greatly suffer as a result, as the majority of the Masters of Paris lodges lost their lives.

94
MOZART’S MAGICFLUTE

One of the most fascinating gems of historical lore, and one of the oddest Freemason conspiracy tales, is found in a relatively tiny corner of the historical upheavals of the eighteenth century. This is the story of the composer, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, and one of the most highly regarded and controversial operas ever written—The Magic Flute. In order to understand how Mozart lived and died as a Mason it is important to understand the social climate at the time.

 

During the mid-to late 1700s in Europe, the Age of Enlightenment was in full swing. The Dark Ages were being swept away forever, and many of the basic tenets of Freemasonry contributed enormously to the intelligent discussion of fresh ideas and philosophies that became pervasive in virtually every country. Europe was experiencing a huge shift in cultural climate, and the number of dramatic world events that occurred during this relatively short period of time is astounding.

Nobles and royalty alternately embraced and vilified Freemasonry. Writers, musicians, and philosophers of the day became active Freemasons, and their influences and accouterments spread into the upper crust of society. This intellectual awakening was brought into sharper contrast by the repression of such freethinking by paranoid aristocrats and clerics who felt serious threats to the world order of power and influence to which they had long been accustomed. As monarchies were replaced and shifted by revolution and natural succession, tolerance and encouragement of Freemasonry shifted along with them.

In 1780, Joseph II became the sole ruler of the Austrian Empire (then known as the Holy Roman Empire) upon the death of his mother, Maria Theresa. While Maria Theresa maintained a more repressive approach to rule, Joseph was one of the “enlightened monarchs” who strongly advocated the emancipation of the peasantry, the spread of education, and a greater shift away from religious orders. He was also influenced philosophically by Austria’s greatest military threat, Frederick the Great of Prussia, who was also a noted Mason.

Joseph was intellectually sympathetic to Freemasonry in Austria, but he was also pragmatic enough to maintain a level of caution. The memories of the Bavarian Illuminati and the attendant guilt-by-association of the Freemasons were still cause for suspicion, and in 1785, Joseph issued an edict limiting the number of Freemason lodges in the kingdom and compelling officers of the lodges to reveal themselves to the authorities.

While Joseph’s political views were guarded toward Freemasonry, he was still a liberal and enthusiastic patron of the arts, and supported artists who were open and active Freemasons. The most notable of these was Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.

Born in the city of Salzburg in 1756, in what was then an independent jurisdiction of the Holy Roman Empire, and what is now Austria, Mozart’s musical talents became apparent at a very early age. His father, Leopold, was a renowned musical master and Freemason, who encouraged and instructed young Mozart in violin and piano. With the flair of an entrepreneur and a bit of a huckster, Leopold recognized that his son’s immense skill could be parlayed into a steady income by peddling those talents as a curiosity in the courts of Europe.

With the death of Joseph II in 1790, Mozart’s income began falling at an alarming rate. Leopold II, Joseph’s brother and successor, failed to recognize Mozart’s musical genius, and lucrative commissioned works slowed to a trickle. It was at this economic low point in Mozart’s life that an interesting opportunity was presented to Mozart by fellow Freemason and good friend, Emmanuel Schikaneder. With Mozart’s fame as a composer, and Schikaneder’s abilities as a wordsmith, Schikaneder’s proposal was to write an opera based on well-known fairy tales with the universal box office appeal of noble causes, heartless villainy, and the exotic backgrounds of ancient Egypt, with the eventual triumph of good over evil. Great music, great storytelling, all done with pageantry and undeniable Masonic principles and symbolism.

The obvious goals of such an endeavor were two-fold—to develop a hit show and generate income and to subtly weave the positive aspects of Masonry into the production for all to see. The subtext of the opera involved many artifacts of Freemasonry, from trials of fire and water, earth and air, references to foundations and walls, several direct usages of the number three, and multiple uses of Masonic musical chords. The Egyptian backdrop is particularly telling, considering the profound influences of ancient Egypt on Masonry.

The Magic Flute opened on September 30, 1791, in Vienna to limited public notice, but quickly found its audience and received much critical acclaim and dozens of enthusiastically received performances. While The Magic Flute would live on as a well-loved masterpiece, the attempt at creating an influential Masonic coda was generally lost on the public, and would soon be completely overshadowed by more serious repressions of Freemasonry as the monarchy changed.

After the release of The Magic Flute, Mozart received a commission to write a requiem for a Count Von Walsegg. It is said that the commission was delivered to Mozart by a mysterious and unidentified hooded stranger. As the story goes, after beginning the requiem Mozart fell to brooding about his own mortality, and eventually became convinced that the requiem he was writing for Von Walsegg was in reality being written for himself. Mozart’s health began failing, and quickly deteriorated. He passed away on December 5, 1791, at the age of 35, just three short months after the opening of The Magic Flute.

The attending physician at Mozart’s death failed to issue a death certificate identifying the cause of death, and no autopsy was performed. These oversights paved the way for a slew of rumors and theories. The first rumors had it that Mozart had been poisoned, which begged the obvious question—by whom?

One unsubstantiated and implausible set of theories laid blame directly at the feet of the Freemasons. This series held that the Freemasons were upset with Mozart for revealing too many Masonic secrets in The Magic Flute, and went on to claim that Mozart had created an anti-Masonic sub-subtext underlying the Masonic subtext of the opera. This was later embellished to include the mysterious hooded stranger as a Masonic messenger of doom. These theories completely ignored the fact that Mozart wrote only the music to The Magic Flute, but that oversight in conspiratorial theory mongering was later appended to include the notion that the Freemasons later murdered Emmanuel Schikaneder.

95
THE PRIORY OF SION

The Priory of Sion is a fascinating study in both history and conspiracy, especially in regard to its alleged connection to Jesus Christ, Mary Magdalene, the Medieval Knights Templar, and ultimately to Freemasonry courtesy of secret documents and various associations in history. In regard to the Priory, there is no lack of conspiracy theories which splinter in all directions from the eleventh century to the present.

 

Its origins as a secret organization are most definitely in dispute, some saying the group was founded in the 1950s, others claiming it dates back to the time of the Crusades in 1099 A.D. Add to the mix a set of secret documents, connections to France’s mystical Rennes-le-Chateau, and the alleged lineage of Mary Magdalene that became the Merovingian dynasty and one can see why the Priory is a subject rife with controversy.

The Prieure de Sion, or Priory of Sion, was founded in Annemasse, France, in 1956 by Pierre Plantard. With a membership of five men, the society claimed it was originated from the Ordre de Sion founded by Frenchman Godfroi de Bouillon in 1090. A leader during the Crusades, de Bouillon became the first ruler of the Kingdom of Jerusalem in 1099. It wasn’t long after de Bouillon’s death that the Knights Templar were officially recognized. Some experts have speculated that it was the Prieure de Sion who created the Knights Templar as their military and administrative order. The name Prieure de Sion was allegedly changed in 1188 to the Priory of Sion when its members and the Templars parted company.

The Priory of Sion was said to have been a secret society that during various eras was led by Grand Masters including Leonardo da Vinci, Isaac Newton, Victor Hugo, and Sandro Botticelli. The first Grand Master was Jean de Gisors, who served from 1188 to 1220. Plantard himself claimed he first served as secretary-general before serving as Grand Master of the Priory from 1981 to 1984. If indeed the Priory existed, the list of previous Grand Masters includes aristocracy, occultists, alchemists, and Freemasons.

In 1975, a set of parchments was discovered in Paris’s Bibliothèque Nationale, documents that came to be known as Les Dossiers Secrets. How the Dossiers came to the Paris library is unclear, but some speculate that it was through Plantard himself, in an effort to further his Priory’s claim to antiquity. In order to understand the contents of the documents, which included genealogies and some type of Masonic charter, it’s necessary to examine one of the legends associated with the discovery.

It is said that Plantard’s Priory disbanded in 1957, but that he made an attempt to revive it several years later. In doing so he enlisted the help of French author Gerard de Sède and filmmaker and journalist Philippe de Chérisey to create documents that would substantiate the Priory’s claim to Godfroi’s original Priory of Sion.

The documents are said to have originated at Rennes-le-Chateau in Languedoc, France, a mysterious church that has long been an intriguing study of scholars and researchers for its alleged links to the Holy Grail, the Ark of the Covenant, Noah’s Ark, and the hidden treasures of Solomon’s Temple. The parish priest of the Chateau was Berenger Saunière who allegedly discovered four parchments within a hollowed out Visigoth pillar.

The tale Plantard told his friend Gerard de Sède was that the documents Saunière had uncovered confirmed French lore that Jesus had in fact evaded death and lived in France with Mary Magdalene. Their lineage resulted in the Merovingian dynasty. The Holy Grail, as Plan-tard asserted, or San Greal in French, literally translates to “Holy Blood.” The implication was, of course, that the blood of Christ flowed through the Merovingian lineage. When the dynasty eventually fell and the descendants went underground, the Priory of Sion were their protectors, along with their associates which included the Knights Templar and the Freemasons who among others were intimately involved with the Priory.

Whether or not Plantard’s story is true or if he and his cohorts did or didn’t create the documents of the Dossiers Secrets is an ongoing debate. As for another of Plantard’s Masonic connections, there is an additional theory that links Plantard and the Dossiers Secrets to the Swiss Grand Loge Alpina. It is alleged that “Les descendants Merovingiens ou l’enigme du Razes Wisigoth,” which was the first of the four documents, was published at the Swiss lodge. To date there is no proof of this claim, and the lodge itself has denied any involvement.

One theory suggests Plantard and his colleagues Gerard de Sède and Philippe de Chérisey eventually had a falling out and that Plantard made it known that two of Sède’s published parchments were indeed fabricated by Chérisey. There are no firm answers to the mystery of the Priory of Sion, but many exceptional books have been written about the legendary organization’s existence and possible connection to the Knights Templar, Freemasons, and other individuals, groups, and events in history.

96
PRINCE HALL MASONRY

In free societies, racial segregation and discrimination is manifestly condemned, but the fact remains that the early history of the United States is inherently infused with legal and socially accepted segregation that spans a timeline from the birth of the country to the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Culturally, Prince Hall Masonry stands as a unique testimony to the fundamental and universal concepts of Freemasonry. It is also a lasting tribute to the perseverance, integrity, and social consciousness of a single man.

 

The story of Freemasonry and its attraction to a freed slave in eighteenth-century America is compelling and remarkable. Prince Hall’s birth and early life are the subject of some controversy, and there is little documentation to support the various theories. The best estimates of Prince Hall’s date of birth put it between 1735 and 1738. The exact whereabouts are unknown. The most reliable sources indicate that Prince Hall was a slave belonging to William Hall, a Boston leather worker in the 1740s.

After twenty-one years of service to William Hall, documentation shows that Hall gave Prince Hall, now probably in his early to mid thirties, his freedom on April 9, 1770. To put this into historical perspective, that date was nearly one month to the day after the infamous Boston Massacre. Upon gaining his freedom, Prince Hall married and supported himself in the leather craft, and would eventually open his own leather shop in Boston.

It is thought that Prince Hall approached the St. John’s Masonic lodge in Boston in early 1775, but was turned away. He and fourteen other free black men subsequently approached a British Army lodge (Irish Lodge No. 441) attached to the 38th Foot Regiment, which was stationed on the outskirts of Boston.

Prince Hall and his fourteen comrades were initiated into the lodge on March 6, 1775. Just over a month after their initiation, on April 19, the first shot of the Revolutionary War was fired near Lexington, only a dozen miles from Boston. For British strategic reasons, the 38th Foot Regiment would soon withdraw from the area, but before doing so, British Army Sergeant John Batt, who had overseen the Masonic initiation of Hall and his group, issued a permit that allowed the newly inducted African American Masons to join together and hold their own meetings. On July 3, 1775, Prince Hall’s group officially formed African Lodge No. 1, which became the first African American Masonic lodge in history.

There has been much speculation that the Masonic induction of Prince Hall and his fourteen comrades may have been irregular, and that the permit issued by John Batt held no authoritative value. However, there is no question that this group of African Americans actively pursued Freemasonry, and treated their initiation and membership with absolute sincerity and great respect.

97
CHARTING A COURSE

As a result of the chaotic conditions of the Revolutionary War, there are no known records of African Lodge No. 1 activities during the final years of the conflict. The lodge was still in existence, but still without a permanent charter. In June of 1784, Prince Hall sought to remedy this by writing to William Moody, the Most Worshipful Master of the Brotherly Love Lodge No. 55 in London, seeking his aid in securing a charter from the Grand Lodge of London (the “Moderns”).

 

In his second letter to Moody, Prince Hall indicated that African Lodge No. 1 had been operating under a “permet” issued by John Rowe, the Grand Provincial Master of North America, which allowed the lodge to march on St. John’s Day and bury their dead in Masonic tradition. Evidence of this “permet” is extremely sketchy, and John Rowe was not appointed Grand Provincial Master of North America until three years after African Lodge No. 1 was originally formed. Whether or not the lodge was operating under the original permit from John Batt or a new permit from John Rowe is unclear.

Prince Hall also indicated in the letter that he had been pushed by unknown entities to apply for a charter to the Grand Lodge of France, but chose not to pursue that course for undisclosed reasons. This coincides with the rift in Freemasonry of the two independently operating Grand Lodges in Great Britain, and the Grand Lodge of France. One can speculate that Prince Hall, by this statement, had effectively taken a position against the French Grand Lodge.

Prince Hall’s plea to William Moody was successful and three months later, in September 1784, a charter was issued from the Grand Lodge of London to African Lodge No. 459, with Prince Hall designated as Grand Master.

In historical perspective, it’s interesting to note that the United States Congress ratified the peace treaty with Great Britain on January 14, 1784, five months before Prince Hall’s request for a charter. There were two Provincial Lodges operating in what was now the State of Massachusetts, two Grand Lodges operating in Britain, and the Grand Lodge of France. It can be surmised that Prince Hall, despite the political affiliations of warfare and inter-Masonic disputes, considered the Grand Lodge of London to have stewardship over Freemason lodge charters. During Prince Hall’s tenure as Grand Master, he ardently continued his civil and social support of African-American causes in Massachusetts, while continuing his battle against slavery.

Although slavery had technically been abolished in Massachusetts, participation in the slave trade continued. Prince Hall played a pivotal role in the abolition of the practice after three African-American Boston residents were kidnapped and shipped to the island of Martinique, where they were sold into slavery. The incident became public knowledge, and Prince Hall, along with twenty-one fellow Masons, petitioned the legislature on February 27, 1788, expressing their outrage and demanding legal intervention.

The next month, the state legislature declared the slave trade illegal, and went so far as to provide monetary compensation for kidnap victims. The cultural significance of Prince Hall Masonry is unique in the annals of Masonic history. Prince Hall rose from the degradation of enslavement to embrace the very foundations and ethical conduct of Freemasonry. His efforts on behalf of his racial heritage, and his persistence in sharing and spreading equality and knowledge in the face of intense social opposition is one of the most inspirational lessons in American history. Prince Hall continued his tenure as Grand Master until his death on December 4, 1807.

98
MASONS IN LITERATURE

There are far too many books to mention that over the centuries have included references to Freemasonry, both subtle and blatant. Authors like John LeCarré, Ernest Hemingway, Arthur Conan Doyle, and Rudyard Kipling are among the hundreds who have brought Masonry into their writings. Kipling, in particular, made numerous references to the Craft in his writings and poetry.

 

In 1976, Stephen Knight’s book Jack the Ripper: The Final Solution caused a stir with the alleged “royal conspiracy” theory. His second book, The Brotherhood: The Secret World of the Freemasons, continued his theoretical speculations about the fraternity. Knight’s is among many controversial books, which, like those speculating about any other historic subject, have been countered by a number of factual books.

Several contemporary writers have again brought Freemasonry into the public eye with their bestselling books. Masons Christopher Knight and Robert Lomas have written several books, among them, The Hiram Key: Pharaohs, Freemasons and the Discovery of the Secret Scrolls of Jesus, in which they explore the origin of Masonry back to Egyptian times. A book by John Young (Sacred Sites of the Knights Templar) investigates hidden interests in spiritual aspects of astronomy that appears in Templar sites such as Rennes-le-Chateau and also in some of the symbolism and ritual of Freemasonry.

Dan Brown’s 2003 bestseller The Da Vinci Code focuses on the Priory of Sion and alleged Holy Grail Mary Magdalene. The story revolves around a Harvard professor, cryptologist, and the murdered curator of the Louvre. It has been speculated that his sequel, The Solomon Key, will focus on American Freemasonry.

99
SMALL-SCREEN BROTHERHOODS

Television has had its share of fictional fraternities, most presumably drawing influence from real fraternal organizations like the Masons, Shriners, Elks, and others. Many of the classic sitcoms had—for better or for worse—fictional fraternal links. Dallas had the Daughters of the Alamo, Dobie Gillis had the Benevolent Order of the Bison, and Northern Exposure featured the Sons of the Tundra.

 

On Mama’s Family, starring Vicki Lawrence, Ken Berry’s character Vinton Harper joined the Cobra Lodge, which was under the guidance of the Grand Viper. They had a secret hissing cobra handshake, and anyone violating their oaths was hissed out of the lodge.

Other small-screen fraternities include:

Married with Children. Al Bundy was a member of the misogynist National Organization of Men Against Amazonian Masterhood.

The Honeymooners. Ralph Kramden and his best pal Ed Norton were members of the Raccoons.

Laverne and Shirley. Lenny and Squiggy were initiated into the Fraternal Order of the Bass.

The Drew Carey Show. Drew’s father was a member of the Wildebeests.

Cheers. Cliff Clavin belonged to an alcohol-free lodge called the Knights of the Scimitar.

The Andy Griffith Show. Andy and Barney were members of the Regal Order of the Golden Door to Good Fellowship. The Order’s password was “Geronimo!”

As most cartoon aficionados can attest, there have been more than a few animated portrayals of the fraternal kind, two of which are part of television history—The Simpsons and The Flintstones.

In a 1995 episode of The Simpsons entitled “Homer the Great,” Masonry makes an appearance when Homer becomes a member of the Springfield chapter of the Sacred Order of the Stonecutters. His initiation ceremony is replete with symbols of Freemasonry including a square and compass, and an eye within a triangle. In true Simpsons fashion, the initiation closes with the following declaration:

The Sacred Order of the Stonecutters has, since ancient times, split the rocks of ignorance that obscures the light of knowledge and truth. Now let’s all get drunk and play ping-pong.

During the course of his initiation, the brethren discover that Homer has the birthmark of the “Chosen One,” which is a birthmark shaped like a pair of hammers. He is then appointed Grand Exalted Leader.

A millenia-old fraternity, a member either had to be the son of a Stonecutter or save the life of one. Part of Homer’s symbolic initiation ritual was a “leap of faith” off a five-story building (which was actually a leap off a stage). The trio of rituals that follow are “Crossing the Desert,”

the “Unblinking Eye,” and the “Paddling of the Swollen Ass.” And then there’s the infamous Stonecutter’s song, which pokes fun at conspiracy theories in which the Freemasons are blamed.

Who controls the British Crown?

Who keeps the metric system down?

We do. We do.

Who keeps Atlantis off the maps?

Who keeps the Martians under wraps?

We do. We do.

Who holds back the electric car?

Who makes Steve Guttenberg a star?

We do. We do.

Who robs cave fish of their sight?

Who rigs every Oscar night?

We do. We do.

Fred Flintstone and Barney Rubble were no strangers to chaos, chicanery, and hilarity. Much of the latter was due to their membership in what was originally called the Loyal Order of Dinosaurs but which later became the Loyal Order of Water Buffaloes Lodge No. 26. From 1960 to 1966, The Flintstones had more lodge fun than they could stand, complete with a Grand Poobah, secret handshakes, a furry oversized horned hat, and a secret password.

During the course of the show, Fred and Barney get roped into all kinds of lodge activities, including judging the Water Buffaloes’ annual beauty pageant, a Poobah-ordered lodge meeting during Fred and Wilma’s anniversary, and Fred and Barney feuding like the Hatfields and McCoys over the Water Buffalo of the Year campaign. There’s even an episode where Wilma and Betty sneak into the lodge after the men veto a motion to allow women! One of the more hilarious lodge screw-ups is Pebbles’s birthday party, in which the caterer confuses the entertainment for her party with that of a Water Buffalo party.

100
FREEMASONS IN CINEMA

Many films have made references to Freemasonry over the decades, some merely including subtle shots of a square and compass, others launching into full-fledged conspiracy theories. Still others have many times included other secret societies such as the Illuminati, who in most cases, are the bad guys. Films like From Hell, Murder by Decree, Tomb Raider, National Treasure, and The Godfather Part III, have based much of their plot on alleged Masonic connections.

 

From Hell and Murder by Decree were both based on Stephen Knight’s book Jack the Ripper: The Final Solution, which highlighted the so-called royal conspiracy implicating the Freemasons, among others, in the legendary murders. The third installment of The Godfather is said to be loosely based on Italian Masonic events.

The more recent film National Treasure finds Nicolas Cage’s character Benjamin Franklin Gates in pursuit of a treasure trove—including scrolls from the Library of Alexandria—procured by the Knights Templar and secretly hidden by Freemasons, including the founding fathers of the United States. Adding to the mystery are the clues, which happen to be concealed, among other places, on the Declaration of Independence.

101
THE LEGACY OF THE FREEMASONS

If Freemasonry has established a legacy for itself, which includes even those comic representations of its history, it is, no doubt, reflective of the strong ties its members have to one another. Never has a fraternal organization endured over centuries and remained true to its goals and objectives. In truth, like any other organization, there have been tumultuous times, eras of persecution, scandals, and a few bad seeds, but Masons remain true to themselves and the quest for spiritual and educational enlightenment that serves to benefit individuals and society.

 

Enveloped in history, mystery, symbolism, and controversy, the legacy of the Brotherhood continues. Of course no discussion of Freemasonry would be complete without the good, the bad, and the ugly, but when studying this alleged secret society, one finds that when events and action are understood in context, there is much to be learned and much to admire about an organization that has survived for centuries.