Section 34

Hu. The sacred name of God among the Druids. Bryant
supposes that by it they intended the Great Father Noah;
but it is very possible that it was a modification of the
Hebrew tetragrammaton, being the last syllable read
cabalistically (see Ho-hi) ; if so, it signified the great male
principle of nature. But Hu, in Hebrew XIH, is claimed by
Talmudic writers to be one of the names of God; and the
passage in Isaiah xlii. 8, in the original Ani Jehovah, Hu
Shemij which is in the common version "I am the Lord;

344 Synoptical Index

that is my name," they interpret, "I am Jehovah; my

name is Hu." 185

Hutchinson, William. A distinguished Masonic writer of
England, who hved in the eighteenth century. He is the
author of ''The Spirit of Masonry," pubUshed in 1775.
This was the first Enghsh work of any importance that
sought to give a scientific interpretation of the symbols of
Freemasonry; it is, in fact, the earliest attempt of any
kind to treat Freemasonry as a science of symbolism.
Hutchinson, however, has to some extent impaired the
value of his labors by contending that the institution is
exclusively Christian in its character and design. . . 237

Ih-ho. See Ho-hi.

Immortality of the Soul. This is one of the two religious
dogmas which have always been taught in Speculative

Freemasonry 22

It was also taught in all the Rites and Mysteries of antiquity. 231
The doctrine was taught as an abstract proposition by the
ancient priesthood of the pure or primitive Freemasonry of
antiquity, but was conveyed to the mind of the initiate,
and impressed upon him by a scenic representation in the
ancient Mysteries, or the spurious Freemasonry of the
ancients. Let the reader compare this important fact
with what the Third Degree ceremonies show and teach. 232

Incommunicable Name. The tetragrammaton, so called be-
cause it was not common to, and could not be bestowed
upon, nor shared by, any other being. It was proper to the
true God alone. Thus Drusius, '' Tetragrammaton, sive de
Nomine Dei proprio," p. 108, says, '* Nomen quatuor hter-
arum proprie et absolute non tribui nisi Deo vero. Unde
doctores cathohci dicunt incommunicabile [not common]
esse creaturae." 176

Ineffable Name. The tetragrammaton. So called because it

is ineffabile, or unpronounceable. See Tetragrammaton. 176

Intrusting, Rite of. That part of the ceremony of initiation
which consists in communicating to the aspirant or candi-
date the aporrheta, or secrets of the mystery. . . . 146

Inunction. The act of anointing. This was a religious cere-
mony practised from the earliest times. By the pouring on

Synoptical Index 345

of oil, persons and things were consecrated to sacred pur-
poses. 173

Investiture, Rite op. That part of the ceremony of initiation
which consists of clothing the candidate Masonically. It
is a symbol of purity 130

IsH Chotzeb. Hebrew ^ITt tJ'^55, hewers of stones. The Fel-
low Crafts at the temple of Solomon. (2 Chron. ii. 2.) 92

IsH Sabal. Hebrew bno ID'^i^, bearers of burdens. The Ap-
prentices at the temple of Solomon. (2 Chron. ii. 2.) 92

J

Jah. It is in Hebrew TO, Yaw, whence Maimonides calls it "the
two-lettered name," and derives it from the tetragramma-
ton, of which it is an abbreviation. Others have denied
this, and assert that Jah is a name independent of Jehovah,
but expressing the same idea of the divine essence. See
Gataker, ''DeNom. Tetrag." 190

Jehovah. The incommunicable, ineffable name of God, in
Hebrew Hin'', Yeh-ho-vaw, and called, from the four letters
of which it consists, the tetragrammaton, or four-lettered
name. 177

L

Labor. Since the article on the Symbolism of Labor was
written, we have met with an address delivered by Brother
Troue, before St. Peter's Lodge in Martinico, which con-
tains sentiments on the relation of Freemasonry to labor
which are well worth a translation from the orginal French.
See Bulletin du Grand Orient de France, December, 1868.

"Our name of Freemason, and our emblems, distinctly an-
nounce that our object is the elevation of labor.

"We do not, as Freemasons, consider labor as a punishment
inflicted on man; but on the contrary, we elevate it in our
thought to the height of a religious act, which is the most
acceptable to God because it is the most useful to man and
to society.

"We decorate ourselves with the emblems of labor to aflSrm
that our doctrine is an incessant protest against the stigma
branded on the law of labor, and which an error of appre-
hension, proceeding from the ignorance of men in primitive
times has erected into a dogma; an error that has resulted

346 Synoptical Index

in the production of this anti-social phenomenon which we
meet with every day; namely, that the degradation of the
workman is the greater as his labor is more severe, and the
elevation of the idler is higher as his idleness is more com-
plete.
*' But the study of the laws which maintain order in nature,
released from the fetters of preconceived ideas, has led the
Freemasons to that doctrine, far more moral than the con-
trary belief, that labor is not an expiation, but a law of
harmony, from the subjection to which man cannot be
released without impairing his own happiness, and de-
ranging the order of creation.
"The design of Freemasons is, then, the rehabilitation of
labor, which is indicated by the apron which we wear, and
the gavel, the trowel, and the level, which are found among
our symbols."
Hence the doctrine of this work is that Freemasonry teaches

not only the necessity, but the nobility, of labor. . . 266
And that labor is the proper worship due by man to God. 268

Ladder. A symbol of progressive advancement from a lower
to a higher sphere, which is common to Freemasonry, and
to many, if not all, of the ancient Mysteries. . . .117

Ladder, Brahminical. The symbolic ladder used in the Mys-
teries of Brahma. It had seven steps, symbolic of the
seven worlds of the Indian universe 118

Ladder, Mithraitic. The symboUc ladder used in the Persian
Mysteries of Mithras. It had seven steps, symbolic of the
seven planets and the seven metals 118

Ladder, Scandinavian. The symbolic ladder used in the
Gothic Mysteries. Dr. Oliver refers it to the Yggrasil, or
sacred ash tree. But the symbolism is either very abstruse
or very doubtful 119

Ladder, Theological. The symbolic ladder of the Masonic
Mysteries. It refers to the ladder seen by Jacob in his
vision, and consists, like all symbolical ladders, of seven
rounds, alluding to the four cardinal and the three theo-
logical virtues. 118

Lamb. A symbol of innocence. A very ancient symbol. . 134

Lamb, Paschal. See Paschal Lamb.

Lambskin Apron. See Apron.

Law, Oral. See Oral Law.

Synoptical Index 347

Legend. A narrative, whether true or false, that has been tra-
ditionally preserved from the time of its first oral communi-
cation. Such is the definition of a Masonic legend. The
authors of the "Conversations-Lexicon," referring to the
monkish Lives of the Saints which originated in the twelfth
and thirteenth centuries, say that the title legend was given
to all fictions which make pretensions to truth. Such a
remark, however correct it may be in reference to these
monkish narratives, which were often invented as ecclesi-
astical exercises, is by no means applicable to the legends of
Freemasonry. These are not necessarily fictitious, but are
either based on actual and historical facts which have been
but shghtly modified, or they are the offspring and expan-
sion of some symbolic idea, in which latter respect they
differ entirely from the monastic legends, which often have
only the fertUe imagination of some studious monk for the

basis of their construction 199

Legend of the Royal Arch Degree. Much of this legend
is a mythical history; but some portion of it is undoubtedly
a philosophical myth. The destruction and the reedifica-
tion of the temple, the captivity and the return of the cap-
tives, are matters of history; but many of the details have
been invented and introduced for the purpose of giving

form to a symboUc idea. 214

Legend op the Third Degree. In all probability this legend
is a mythical history, in which truth is very largely and pre-
ponderatingly mixed with fiction. 214

It is the most important and significant of the legendary sym-
bols of Freemasonry • 230

Has descended from age to age by oral tradition, and has been
preserved in every Masonic rite. 231

No essential alteration of it has ever been made in any Ma-
sonic system, but the interpretations of it have been
various. The most general one is, that it is a symbol of
the resurrection and the immortality of the soul, . . 236

Some continental writers have supposed that it was a symbol
of the downfall of the Order of Templars, and the hoped-foi:
restoration. In some of the high philosophical degrees it is
supposed to be a symbol of the sufferings, death, and resur-
rection of Christ. Hutchinson thought it a symbol of the
decadence of the Jewish religion, and the rise of the Chris-

348 Synoptical Index

tian on its ruins. Oliver says that it symbolically refers to
the murder of Abel, the death of our race through Adam,

and its restoration through Christ 237

Ragon thinks that it is a symbol of the sun shorn of its vigor
by the three winter months, and restored to generative
power by the spring. And lastly, Des Etangs says that it is
a symbol of eternal reason, whose enemies are the vices
that deprave and finally destroy humanity. . . . 238
But none of these interpretations, except the first, can be
sustained. 239

Lettuce. The sacred plant of the Mysteries of Adonis; a

symbol of immortaUty, and the analogue of the acacia. . 260

Level. One of the working tools of a Fellow Craft. It is a

symbol of the equahty of station of all men before God. . 97

Liberal Arts and Sciences. In the seventh century, all
learning was limited to the seven liberal arts and sciences;
their introduction into Freemasonry, referring to this
theory, is a symbol of the completion of human learning. 225

Light. It denotes truth and knowledge, and is so explained in
all the ancient systems; in initiation, it is not material but

intellectual light that is sought 147

It is predominant as a symbol in all the ancient initiations. 148

There it was revered because it was an emanation from the

sun, the common object of worship; but the theory

advanced by some writers, that the veneration of light

originally proceeded from its physical qualities, is not

correct 151

Pythagoras called it the good principle in nature; and the
Cabalists taught that eternal light filled all space before the
creation, and that after creation it retired to a central spot,
and became the instrument of the Divine Mind in creating

matter 153

It is the symbol of the autopsy, or the full perfection and

fruition of initiation. 155

It is therefore a fundamental symbol of Freemasonry, and
contains within itself the very essence of the speculative
science. . 157

LiNGAM. The phallus was so called by the Indian nations of

the East. See Phallus 113

Lodge. The place where Freemasons meet, and also the con-
gregation of Craftsmen so met. The word is derived from

Synoptical Index 349

the lodges occupied by the travehng Freemasons of the

middle ages 63

It is a symbol of the world, or universe. . . . 102

Its form, an oblong square, is symbolic of the supposed oblong
form of the world as known to the ancients. . . . 103
Lost Word. There is a Masonic myth that there was a certain

word which was lost and afterwards recovered. . 302

It is not material what the word was, nor how lost, nor when
recovered: the symbolism refers only to the abstract idea

of a loss and a recovery. 303

It is a symbol of divine truth 305

The search for it was also made by the philosophers and
priests in the Mysteries of the spurious Freemasonry. . 308
Lotus. The sacred plant of the Brahminical Mysteries, and

the analogue of the acacia 260

It was also a sacred plant among the Egyptians. . . 261

Lustration. A purification by washing the hands or body in
consecrated water, practised in the ancient Mysteries. See
Purification.
Lux (light). One of the appellations bestowed upon Free-
masonry, to indicate that it is that subUme doctrine of
truth by which the pathway of him who has attained it is to
be illumined in the pilgrimage of hfe. ■ Among the Rosi-
crucians, light was the knowledge of the philosopher's
stone; and Mosheim says that in chemical language the
cross was an emblem of light, because it contains within its
figure the forms of the three letters of which LVX, or Hght,

is composed 147

Lux E Tenebris (light out of darkness). A motto of the Ma-
sonic Order, which is equivalent to "truth out of initiation" ;
light being the symbol of truth, and darkness the symbol of
initiation commenced 156

M

Man. Repeatedly referred to by Christ and the apostles as the

symbol of a temple. 99

Master Mason. The Third Degree of Freemasonry, analogous

to the epopt of the ancient Mysteries 97

Menatzchim. Hebrew D*'n!23')2, superintendents, or overseers.

The Master Masons at the temple of Solomon. (2 Chron.

ii. 2.) 98

350 Synoptical Index

Menu. In the Indian mythology, Menu is the son of Brahma,
and the founder of the Hindoo rehgion. Thirteen other
Menus are said to exist, seven of whom have already reigned
on earth. But it is the first one whose instructions consti-
tute the whole civil and religious policy of the Hindoos.
The code attributed to him by the Brahmins has been trans-
lated by Sir William Jones, with the title of " The Institutes
of Menu." 156

Middle Chamber. A part of the Solomonic temple, which
was approached by winding stairs, but which was certainly
not appropriated to the purpose indicated in the Fellow
Craft's Degree. 212

The legend of the Winding Stairs is therefore only a philo-
sophical myth. 218

It is a symbol of this life and its labors 226

Mistletoe. The sacred plant of Druidism; commemorated
also in the Scandinavian rites. It is the analogue of the
acacia, and like all the other sacred plants of antiquity, is a
symbol of the immortality of the soul. Lest the language
of the text should be misunderstood, it may be remarked
here that the Druidical and the Scandinavian rites are not
identical. The former are Celtic, the latter Gothic. But
the fact that in both the mistletoe was a sacred plant affords
a strong presumption that there must have been a common
idea from which both religions started. There was, as we
have said, an identity of origin for the same ancient and
general symbolic idea 262

Mithras. He was the god worshipped by the ancient Persians,
and celebrated in their Mysteries as the symbol of the sun.
In the initiation in these Mysteries, the candidate passed
through many terrible trials, and his courage and fortitude
were exposed to the most rigorous tests. Among others,
after ascending the mystical ladder of seven steps, he
passed through a scenic representation of Hades, or the
infernal regions; out of this and the surrounding darkness
he was admitted into the full light of Elysium, where he
was obligated by an oath of secrecy, and invested by the
Archimagus, or High Priest, with the secret instructions of
the rite, among which was a knowledge of the Ineffable
Name. 35

Synoptical Index 351

Mount Calvary. Commonly understood to be a small hill of
Jerusalem, not far from Mount Moriah. Masterman in
Hastings' "Dictionary of the Bible," says "it may be
urged that there is no evidence that Golgotha was a hill at
all." The place was much in the minds of the early
Churchmen and prominence was frequently given the loca-
tion in their writings. In the legends of Freemasonry it
is known as "a small hill near Mount Moriah," and is
referred to in the Third Degree. This "small hill" having
been determined as the place of crucifixion of Jesus, the
symbol has been Christianized by many modern Free-
masons 243

There are many Masonic traditions, principally borrowed
from the Talmud, connected with Mount Calvary; such
as, that it was the place where Adam was buried, etc. . 245

Mount Moriah. The hill in Jerusalem on which the temple

of Solomon was built. ........ 244

Myrtle. The sacred plant in the Eleusinian Mysteries, and,"as
symboUc of a resurrection and immortality, the analogue
of the acacia 255

Mysteries. A secret worship paid by the ancients to several
of the pagan gods, to which none were admitted but those
who had been solemnly initiated. The object of instruction
in these Mysteries was, to teach the unity of God and the
immortality of the soul. They were divided into Lesser
and Greater Mysteries. The former were merely prepara-
tory. In the latter the whole knowledge was communi-
cated. Speaking of the doctrine that was communicated
to the initiates, Philo Judaeus says that "it is an incorrup-
tible treasure, not like gold or silver, but more precious than
everything beside; for it is the knowledge of the Great
Cause, and of nature, and of that which is born of both."
His subsequent language shows also that there was a con-
fraternity existing among the initiates like that of the
Masonic institution. He says, with his peculiar mysticism,
" If you meet an initiate, besiege him with your prayers that
he conceal from you no new mysteries that he may know;
and rest not until you have obtained them. For me, al-
though I was initiated into the Great Mysteries by Moses,
the friend of God, yet, having seen Jeremiah, I recognized
him not only as an Initiate, but as a Hierophant; and I