Freemasons

E66071

The Freemasons are a centuries-old fraternal organization known for its secretive rituals, symbolic traditions, and influential networks across politics, culture, and society.

Observed surface forms (5)


Statements (110)

Predicate Object
instanceOf fraternal organization
initiatory society
secret society
allowsText Bhagavad Gita
Bible
Quran
Torah
hasActivity Community service
Moral instruction through allegory
Philanthropy
Social networking
hasAlternativeName Freemasons
surface form: Freemasonry

Masonic fraternity
hasBeliefRequirement Belief in a Supreme Being
Belief in the immortality of the soul
hasCharitableArm Masonic charities
Masonic children’s hospitals
Masonic homes for the aged
Shriners International
hasControversy Accusations of political influence
Accusations of secrecy and elitism
Conspiracy theories about world domination
Religious opposition from some churches
hasCoreUnit Masonic lodge
hasDegree Entered Apprentice
Fellowcraft
Master Mason
hasDocument Anderson’s Constitutions of 1723
Book of Constitutions
Landmarks of Freemasonry
hasGeographicOrigin England
Scotland
hasGoverningBody Grand Lodge
Grand Lodge
surface form: Grand Orient
hasHigherDegree Knights Templar
surface form: Knight Templar

Royal Arch Masonry (in many systems)
surface form: Royal Arch Mason

Scottish Rite degrees
surface form: Scottish Rite 32°

Scottish Rite degrees
surface form: Scottish Rite 33°
hasHistoricalRoot Medieval stonemasons’ guilds
Operative masonry
hasInfluenceOn Architecture of lodge buildings
Civic associations
Enlightenment thought
Philanthropic organizations
Revolutionary-era political culture
Symbolism in popular culture
hasKeyEvent Anti-Masonic movement in the United States in the 1820s
Formation of the Premier Grand Lodge of England in 1717
Spread to North America in the 18th century
Suppression under totalitarian regimes in the 20th century
Grand Lodge
surface form: Union of the Grand Lodges in England in 1813
hasLanguageOfRitual Symbolic language
hasMeetingPlace Masonic hall
Masonic Temple (Chicago)
surface form: Masonic temple
hasMemberDesignation Brother
Freemasons self-linksurface differs
surface form: Freemason

Mason
hasMembershipPolicy Traditionally male-only in most jurisdictions
hasMotto Brotherly Love, Relief, Truth
hasOppositionFrom Roman Catholicism
surface form: Roman Catholic Church

Some evangelical Protestant groups
hasOrigin Early 17th century
Late 16th century
hasPolicy Prohibition on discussing partisan politics in lodge
Prohibition on discussing sectarian religion in lodge
Secrecy of signs, tokens, and words
hasPractice Allegorical lectures
Charitable fundraising
Lodge meetings in tiled (closed) form
Masonic funeral rites
Use of passwords
Use of ritualized signs
Use of secret handshakes
hasRelatedOrganization Continental Freemasonry
surface form: Co-Freemasonry

DeMolay International
International Order of the Rainbow for Girls
Job’s Daughters International
Order of the Eastern Star
Women-only Masonic orders
hasRite Emulation Rite
French Rite
Scottish Rite degrees
surface form: Scottish Rite

Swedish Rite
York Rite Craft Masonry
surface form: York Rite
hasSacredText Volume of the Sacred Law
hasScope International
hasSymbol Eye of Providence
surface form: All-seeing eye

Letter G
Level
Perfect ashlar
Jachin
surface form: Pillars Boaz and Jachin

Plumb rule
Rough ashlar
Square and Compasses
Trowel
hasTheme First Temple in Jerusalem
surface form: Building of King Solomon’s Temple

Legend of Hiram Abiff
Moral architecture of the self
hasVirtue Brotherly love
Charity
Fraternity
Moral improvement
Relief
Tolerance
Truth
transitionedTo Speculative masonry
usesRitual Initiation ceremony
Obligation on a volume of sacred law
Passing ceremony
Raising ceremony

Referenced by (35)

Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.

this entity surface form: Freemasonry
subject surface form: Boaz and Jachin
this entity surface form: Freemasonry
Fellowcraft associatedWith Freemasons
this entity surface form: Freemasonry
Rosslyn Chapel associatedWith Freemasons
this entity surface form: Freemasonry
subject surface form: Royal Arch Masonry
this entity surface form: Freemasonry
this entity surface form: Freemasonry
subject surface form: legend of Hiram Abiff
this entity surface form: Freemasonry
this entity surface form: Freemasonry
Pope Pius VII condemned Freemasons
this entity surface form: Freemasonry
Freemasons hasAlternativeName Freemasons
this entity surface form: Freemasonry
Grand Secretary hasDomain Freemasons
this entity surface form: Freemasonry
Freemasons hasMemberDesignation Freemasons self-linksurface differs
this entity surface form: Freemason
Grand Marshal hasRoleIn Freemasons
this entity surface form: Freemasonry
Filiki Eteria inspiredBy Freemasons
this entity surface form: Freemasonry
this entity surface form: Freemasonry
Grand Treasurer isAssociatedWith Freemasons
this entity surface form: Freemasonry
Tyler isAssociatedWith Freemasons
this entity surface form: Freemasonry
Fellowcraft isDegreeOf Freemasons
this entity surface form: Speculative Freemasonry
Grand Lodge isPartOf Freemasons
this entity surface form: Freemasonry
this entity surface form: Blue Lodge Masonry
Tyler isRoleIn Freemasons
this entity surface form: Blue_lodge
Eye of Providence isUsedBy Freemasons
Pierre Bezukhov joins Freemasons
Joseph Warren memberOf Freemasons
this entity surface form: Freemasonry
Junior Deacon religiousTradition Freemasons
this entity surface form: Freemasonry
this entity surface form: Freemasonry
this entity surface form: Freemasonry
Grand Tyler roleIn Freemasons
this entity surface form: Freemasonry
Nazism targetsGroup Freemasons
Masonic iconography usedBy Freemasons
this entity surface form: Freemasonry