The New York herald., 1920-01-11
HOW THE EWFIITELAMBSKING GOT INTO FREEMASONRY
ISEXPLAINED WITH FULL HISTORIC REFERENCES
Mr. Higgins Writes of a Topic
That Long Has Interested
the Craft.
BY FRANK c. HIGGINS,
81 A-A.A.S.R.

brother Mason gathered in the
fulness OF Gods purpose TO the
Grand Lodge on High" have wondered
as they admired the reverence with which
some members OF the departed brothers
lodge has laid across his folded hands
the symbolic square of white lambskin,
| treasured during. perhaps, long years for
that exclusive purpose.
No Master Mason properly invested can
ever forget the hallowed moment or the
solemn circumstances, under which he
first receives 1t. 1t is perhaps above All
other distinguishing marks the particular
badge Of Mason, and he who wears it
worthily before God and men need fear
little of either Divine displeasure or
human contempt
Masonic tradition will have II that the
emblem of the lambskin is extremity an
cient and when we examine into it's ma
terial archaeology we are forced to ac-
cept the statement as absolutely authen-
tic. How old. however, or when or why
1t came TO possess it's peculiar prestige
few Masons can even conjecture
| The apron Is shown by countless frionu-
rnents and remains OF antiquity to have
been the special badge OF priests and ini-
tiates In the mysteries of the ancient re-
| ligions. From the elaborate Serpent
apron of the Egyptian priests of Ammon
Ra, to the simple triangular flap of the
Mayas of Yucatan and the marvellous
representation OF the great and sacred
name of Jehovah. worn as an apron by
the prehistoric Guatemalans, there is an
imposing array OF varieties, all OF which
teach one and the same story of the as
ISOLATION OF geometricai principles with
that or generation sort of mute platonic
God eternally geometrizes" united with
the equally Infinite mystery OF the preser-
walton OF the human race. 1t is not GER
tain by any means that all these ancient
aprons were OF lambskin. We may sur
misc that in Egypt they were. but in
America they were probably more of tex
tile fabrics, as the great prototype of all
Hamb and ram skin symbols. the zodiacal
sign of the ram called by the Greeks
Aries or 'Ariete," was not apparently
known to primitive American astronomy.
although tho civilizations of Central
america undoubtedly possessed a zodiac
or twenty eighteen degree signs. indi-
Gated by variety of symbolic animals.
The Masonic employment OF the lamb
skin apron in connection with the frater-
nal burial OF the dead is a direct survival
or ancient Egyptian custom and a sure
index to its original s'gnificance
Making Mummies.
In the mummification of the Egyptian
dead 1t was the custom to first extract
brain. heart, lungs and viscera, which
were the most perishable parts of the
body. and mixing them with caustic soda
or some other des,ccating composition, to
put them in four eartf1en jars placed
around the mummy case at tho four
points OF the compass. the lids of the jars,
called 'canopio vases" being decorated
with heads symbolic OF the four celestial
quarters. In the thoracic cavity from
which the heart had been extracted was
placed large stone scarabaeuks, certain
details of which were cut on a specific
geometrical plan, usually referring to the
great pyramid. as the scheme of our own
modern Masonic apron undoubtedly does.
This was In order that the awakening
spirit might recognize that the defunct
had been an initiate in tho mysteries and
was entitled to have his heart restored to
him that he might live again. The Egyp-
tlans seemed to have been unable to con-
ceive of renewed life without restoration
OF the physical framework and material
flesh. In this they differed from the more
Eastern nystics, who conceived of an
etheric double or astral body, as a post
mortem vehicle of the spirit. The Chris
tian doctrine OF the literal resurrection Of
the body from the identical dust which
once formed 1t is therefore OF the Alexan-
drian school.
The non-inquiring mind may be entirely
satisfied with an explanation Of the
Mary had a little lamb" type which
would associate the symbol Of this patient
young animal with innocence and limit
less self-abnegation, typical OF what n
Mason ought TO be. but seldom is. Just
as the average Mason is fully developed
impetuous man who has lived much, done
much. dared much and deliberately chosen
I'd a. t,tr
moral preference, so the ram" which
was the real type in ancient initiati was
tho symbol OF the head" as the "lion'
was that of the heart" The lying down
together of the lion and the lamb" by no
means signifies N gastronomical truce be-
tween these little congenal animals, but
is a parable OF n future condition in which
the heart of man will accord patiently with
the dicta tes OF reason. Any one who will
examine a good plato representing Mi
nerva or Pallas Athena, goddess of Wis
dom. win discover the figure OF ram to
be the principal decoration OF her helmet
and II is also a fact that when the later
Greeks and Romans renamed the twelve
signs OF the zodiac after the twelve gods
Of Olympus. they accorded tho sign Of the
ram 70 this very Minerva. The ram had
further zodiacal significance in that II
was the nocturnal domiciie or astrological
house OF the planet Mars and therefore a
symbol of tho God Of War The Romans
had terrible instrument for the purpose
Of breaking down the gates OF besieged
cities called from Its brazen head bat
tering ram" The correlation OF the ram
dea with the intellect is very speaking
type because OF the habit OF that animal
to attack with It's head in preference. The
day house OF tho same planet, Mars. is
the sign Of tho Scorpion. which in ancient
symbolism was that of the procreative
principles, seat OF the passions and con-
cupisencc.
Mars and Man.
The character of Mars the planet as an
influence over man, aS all the planets
were once supposed TO be, is well define
ated in Shakespeare's famous Seven
Ages of Man" which as few stop to think
was really an astrological conception
And then the soldier. full OF strange
oaths.
And bearded like the pard."
Mars, the planet. OF n fiery blood red