# "Brother to pirates and corsairs"



## Lazza21 (Nov 5, 2015)

Having an interest in the history and origins of the Craft I am reading 'Born in the Blood' by John J. Robinson.
He suggests its roots lie with the Knights Templar. It's an interesting theory which may have merit but I am not
convinced there are so many flights of fancy around this subject. He quotes in several places that a MM is informed that he becomes "a brother to pirates and corsairs" . Does anyone recognise this ? it's not in any English Ritual that I'm aware of.


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## coachn (Nov 5, 2015)

Brother Robinson was not a Brother at the time of his book writing.  I find error throughout his book.


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## coachn (Nov 5, 2015)

...or, it could be that they were all Yale Graduates, members of the secret "Skull & Crossbones" society and got caught in the Bermuda Triangle on a bad time-travel day. 

That's Right!  Pirates who used the Jolly Rogers were unfortunate Yale Graduate time travelers from the future!  No wonder they always looked angry and wanted to drink, burn and pillage!  YAAARRRRR!!!!!!!


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## Jason A. Mitchell (Nov 5, 2015)

For good measure, I just went back through the kindle edition of Born in Blood (ease of search). Robinson provides no source for the statement other t_han it's in the MM ritual_. It is also worth noting he has no references for those keywords in the index at the end of the book either. And in my collection of ritual regular and otherwise I can find no such reference amongst the Craft or Hauts Grads.  Back in 2013 I was unable to find the source, and took to the old Masonic Light Yahoo Group. The archives and answers there (largely from brother Clay Anderson) essentially come down to this: there is _no ritual source available_, and _Robinson _when pressed _couldn't remember where it got it_.

Long story short, as Brother Dafoe once said "_the simple fact remains that there is not sufficient evidence to support the idea that the Templars became Freemasons and plenty of evidence to show that they did not" .
_
I highly recommend Dafoe's The Compasses and the Cross to dispel the Masonic-KT mythology.


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## Lazza21 (Nov 5, 2015)

I agree with Coach John about the many errors in the book, but as it's written by an American
I am unable to tell whether they are all errors or differences in practice. Certainly the obligations
seem to include a lot I have never seen or heard and he doesn't mention that UGLE has removed the
physical penalties from the obligations and are referred to elsewhere in the ceremonies as the "traditional penalties."


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## Warrior1256 (Nov 5, 2015)

coachn said:


> ...or, it could be that they were all Yale Graduates, members of the secret "Skull & Crossbones" society and got caught in the Bermuda Triangle on a bad time-travel day.
> 
> That's Right!  Pirates who used the Jolly Rogers were unfortunate Yale Graduate time travelers from the future!  No wonder they always looked angry and wanted to drink, burn and pillage!  YAAARRRRR!!!!!!!


LOL, LOL, LOL......you're killing me here!!!!


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## coachn (Nov 5, 2015)

Jason A. Mitchell said:


> For good measure, I just went back through the kindle edition of Born in Blood (ease of search). Robinson provides no source for the statement other t_han it's in the MM ritual_. It is also worth noting he has no references for those keywords in the index at the end of the book either. And in my collection of ritual regular and otherwise I can find no such reference amongst the Craft or Hauts Grads.  Back in 2013 I was unable to find the source, and took to the old Masonic Light Yahoo Group. The archives and answers there (largely from brother Clay Anderson) essentially come down to this: there is _no ritual source available_, and _Robinson _when pressed _couldn't remember where it got it_.
> 
> Long story short, as Brother Dafoe once said "_the simple fact remains that there is not sufficient evidence to support the idea that the Templars became Freemasons and plenty of evidence to show that they did not" .
> _
> I highly recommend Dafoe's The Compasses and the Cross to dispel the Masonic-KT mythology.


Kudos!

If you want to read something that further dispels the myth, you might want to pick up the last two volumes of the _Building Better Builders series of Uncommon Masonic Education_.  Volume 8 is "*Building Free Men*" and Volume 9 is "*The Craft Unmasked! The Uncommon Origin of Freemasonry and its Practice.*" 

That is, if you can handle the truth.  If you can, you'll never be able to see Freemasonry the same way ever again.


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## chrmc (Nov 5, 2015)

I'd be cautions about Born in Blood from the simple fact that it's an unsubstantiated book, with no sources or references and a number of leaps to conclusions. It can certainly tell a good tale, but don't think it holds much truth.


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## MarkR (Nov 6, 2015)

You might also want to read The Rosslyn Hoax by Robert L.D. Cooper.


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## Jason A. Mitchell (Nov 6, 2015)

MarkR said:


> You might also want to read The Rosslyn Hoax by Robert L.D. Cooper.



A great book. Well worth the price.


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## Lazza21 (Nov 6, 2015)

Just ordered "The Rosslyn Hoax" from Amazon. Written by somebody with genuine knowledge!!


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## Jason A. Mitchell (Nov 6, 2015)

Brother Cooper such is an excellent writer and presenter that even if I disagreed with him, I'd buy his works just to appreciate the craft of his delivery and performance.


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