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Skull symbolism

Virgin Islands Brother

Registered User
I second that. Being on this forum has truly expanded my thoughts on our favorite subject. As I briefly stated elsewhere, the Vatican papers that clear the knights of heresy, I gained that info. Here. Although I always wondered how you can take a mans word as gospel when he is tortured, I had reservations. I'm good now. So, I state this with no allusion of authority.. Does the s&b also refer to how the Templars buried their dead?
 

phulseapple

Premium Member
I second that. Being on this forum has truly expanded my thoughts on our favorite subject. As I briefly stated elsewhere, the Vatican papers that clear the knights of heresy, I gained that info. Here. Although I always wondered how you can take a mans word as gospel when he is tortured, I had reservations. I'm good now. So, I state this with no allusion of authority.. Does the s&b also refer to how the Templars buried their dead?
Since there is no direct link between the Freemasons and the Templars, any response to that would be pure speculation.
 

phulseapple

Premium Member
There is evidence that the Templar's employed the operative masons in church building
Remember though, the Templar's were the guardians of the Church at the time, the Masons were the stone workers. There is nothing, currently, pointing to The Masons having been created from the Templar's though.
 

widows son

Premium Member
Very true however it is thought that through their employment under the Templars the masons either had a sort of an initiatory degree system already present or the Templars created one for them. On Roslyn chapel in Scotland there are numerous carvings which seem to depict initiatory rites similar to freemasonry, and we know that the Sinclair family were crusaders and then hereditary grand masters of Scottish freemasonry. It's my opinion that there are historical links between the two.
 

CajunTinMan

Registered User
Widows Son now your appealing to my Scottish side. I want to believe that you are right if for no more then the simple fact that you should be. lol Make me want to break out my bagpipes.
 

Virgin Islands Brother

Registered User
Lol you got bagpipes?

Yeah. The neighborhood knows when I practice.

Lol. You guys just made me look like a crazy man. People are watching me. Probably wondering why is he laughing so hard.
Phulseapple, that article succeeded in making me want to investigate this subject some more. I get like that when question marks remain. I'm hoping widows son is correct in his post of 10/31/12 9:25pm.
 

widows son

Premium Member
It is very hard to say for sure, not much in the field of science is helping to uncover the truth there, the majority seems to be independent researchers.
 

phulseapple

Premium Member
I agree, it is a fascinating topic. There are many thoughts on this, and the world may never know for sure. I am of the camp that believes that Masonry predates the Templar's and that the Templar's borrowed from the Masons. This is based based solely on the ritual I have studied thus far, namely Blue Lodge, Chapter and Council. Could it be the other way around, sure it could. But it all depends on interpretation. And, since I have not done the Chivalric degrees yet I won't offer any further speculation on that ritual. If there are any Sir Knights on the board, they may be able to offer more information.
 

widows son

Premium Member
I also accept your theory of the masons preparing the Templars. Stonemason guilds have been around for thousands of years and the romans certainly put them to good use. The last known surviving guild was in York england. While the empire was crumbling, those that were sent to northern Gaul and Britain survived the plunder of Rome. In Macoys dictionary ad encyclopedia of freemasonry he expands on this.
 

Brother JC

Moderating Staff
Staff Member
I suppose it depends on which lodge you're speaking of. In a Craft Lodge there is no 14th degree so it's immaterial. In CA lodge's the skull isn't used, so again immaterial.
 
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