THE SQUARE AND COMPASSES - IN SEARCH OF FREEMASONRY
By Donald H B Falconer
CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE
THE TRACING BOARDS
Operative origins
Speculative development
Speculative craft freemasonry
The Ancient and Accepted Rite
The tracing boards enable a freemason to represent his deepest thoughts in
visible form.
Operative origins
The tracing board is an emblem in speculative freemasonry that is derived
from the tracing boards used in design and the laying out tables used in the
stone yard or on the construction site by operative freemasons. In operative
times the tracing boards and laying out tables were often called trestle
boards, because they were large flat boards set up on trestle legs so that
they could easily be moved when required. The master mason used the drafting
or tracing board, equivalent to the modern drawing board, to prepare a
general layout and the overall design for the required building. The laying
out tables also were important items of equipment, because the details of the
structural components and the joints required for fabrication and erection
were worked out on them. These details were then transferred to working plans
drawn up on the drafting or tracing board. In its original context "to trace"
did not mean "to copy" as it does in modern architectural offices. It
signified to trace out or to draw, in the sense implied by the Latin word
tractus, from which it was derived and come down to us through the Italian,
Spanish and French languages. In the process of evolution, the word acquired
many diverse meanings, including to sketch, to scheme and to devise, as well
as to plan. The Fabric Rolls of the York Minster provide one of the earliest
known records of the use of tracing boards in England. From the inventory of
stores for 1399 we know that "ij tracyng bordes" were then in use.
In operative freemasonry the kind of laying out table or tracing board that
was used varied to suit the specific purpose for which the drawings were
required. For example, full-scale details of joints and special fixtures were
often set out on the site of the building, using the floor as a laying out
table. Details found necessary during erection of the building and therefore
required for immediate use, were often sketched on a portable slate.
Archaeological excavations at several sites have unearthed slates used for
that purpose and have also revealed design details that had been prepared on
stone floors and on dressed stones later incorporated into the building. The
final layout and detailed plans were usually drawn to scale on parchment that
had been soaked and stretched wet over a drawing board, or on skins specially
prepared for that purpose. In the Exeter Cathedral there are old documents
recording the purchase of parchment in 1377, for preparation of the drawings
required to continue the work that was begun in 1270 to transform the Norman
church that had been built from 1112 to 1206. Those documents also record
that a skin was purchased in 1389 for the working drawings required to
complete the east window.
Speculative development
As the early speculative craft lodges were usually held in rented rooms, it
was customary to sketch appropriate emblems on the floor in chalk or
charcoal, so that they could easily be erased at the end of the meeting. A
temple and other symbols were usually drawn, often encircled by a wavy cord
having open looped knots and tassels at the ends. This was the indented
tassel or indented tarsel referred to in the old catechisms, but it is not,
as is sometimes suggested, the indented or tessellated border that is
referred to in modern rituals. The knotted and tasselled cord symbolises the
universal bond of friendship that should unite every freemason with his
brethren. The four tassels often seen in the corners of the mosaic pavement
have the same significance as the indented tassel, but those depicted at the
corners of a modern tracing board in the first degree represent the tassels
suspended in the corners of a lodge to represent the four cardinal virtues.
Tassels are ancient symbols, which are derived from the Hebrew word tsitsith,
or Sadhe Yod Sadhe He, which means both tassels and fringes. Numbers 15:37-40
in the New English Bible tells us that the tassel should be used as a
reminder:
"The Lord spoke to Moses and said speak to the Israelites in these words: You
must make tassels like flowers on the corners of your garments . . . Into
this tassel you shall work a violet thread . . . to ensure that you remember
all my commandments and obey them . . ."
As lodges became larger, the floor sketches gave way to durable floor cloths
that could be rolled up after the meeting. Later these cloths were stretched
over a trestle table or trasel, sometimes incorrectly called a tarsel. Still
later the cloths were hung on the walls to save wear and tear, but nowadays
they are usually replaced by less expensive printed tracing boards. The
tracing board is called a jewel of the lodge, in which sense it is an
important emblem in its own right, because it represents the spiritual
tracing board that comprises the sacred scriptures in which are laid down the
moral plans and divine laws that should govern our lives and actions. Each
degree in speculative craft freemasonry has a tracing board comprising a
multiplicity of emblems that have their individual symbolisms, but also are
used collectively to illustrate the important truths communicated in that
degree. The meanings of the symbols on a tracing board are explained in an
associated lecture. In modern freemasonry tracing boards are mainly used in
speculative craft lodges, although in earlier times they were widely used in
most orders of freemasonry, some of which will be discussed. A very early set
of tracing boards in the modern format was prepared for the Chichester Lodge
by one of its members in 1811, Brother Josiah Bowring. He was a well-known
portrait painter of London, who was initiated in the lodge in 1795. Most
tracing boards now used in speculative lodges are derived directly or
indirectly from a set prepared by Brother John Harris and published in about
1821. Brother Harris was a miniature painter and architectural draughtsman
whose designs generally followed those of Brother Bowring.
Tracing boards in speculative craft freemasonry are usually rectangular with
sides that are in the proportion of the phi ratio, which is called the Golden
Section. It is mathematically and aesthetically elegant and results in the
rectangular shape that is most pleasing to the human eye. The phi ratio
equals half the sum of unity and the square root of five, which is 1.618
approximately. It also is the ratio that the sum of the length and width of a
rectangle bears to its length. The phi ratio has some remarkable mathematical
properties, including the fact that the square of phi equals phi plus one and
the reciprocal of phi equals phi minus one. It is linked to the Fibonacci
Series, in which each term after the second is the sum of the two preceding
terms, beginning with 0, 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13 and continuing to infinity. The
ratio of each number to its predecessor progressively converges on the phi
ratio as infinity is approached. The Fibonacci Series is frequently found in
nature, like the ratios between the planetary orbits and the Mendelian laws
of heredity. The phi ratio was the proportion used in the design of the
Parthenon in Athens and in many other ancient classical buildings. In
architectural and decorative work that is designed to utilise standardised
components like tiles, rectangles in the proportions of 8:5 or a ratio of 1.6
are often used for convenience as an approximation of the phi ratio.
Interpreted symbolically, the phi ratio represents the human soul, while the
repeated application of the ratio reflects the human soul's dynamic dev
elopment in an upward spiral. This suggests that, in the speculative degrees
of craft freemasonry, the designers of the tracing boards were not only
concerned with physical form and external symbolism, but also with aesthetics
and inner spiritual symbolism.
Physical form, mental development and moral progress are represented by
several different rectangles. The perfect square symbolically represents the
physical plane, the external and lowest plane in the material nature of the
universe, as well as the lower mental plane and basic knowledge. The oblong
square has a ratio of two to one and symbolises the upward mental and moral
progress of mankind in its search for the divine. In early speculative lodges
this was represented by the perpend ashlar, which is a perfect square in
cross-section and an oblong square in elevation. The Holy Place in the
tabernacle and also in the temple at Jerusalem was an oblong square. It is
represented in speculative lodges by the mosaic pavement, which therefore
should be and usually is an oblong with sides in the ratio of two to one. The
temple square has the proportions of three to one and represents the pi
ratio, which is approximately 3.142, from which the circumference of a circle
can be calculated being equal to 2 pi times the radius. The pi ratio reminds
us of that important ancient symbol, the point within a circle, which
typifies the creative power and infinite wisdom of God. Interpreted
symbolically, the pi ratio represents the human search for the divine, for
spirituality and for eternity. The tabernacle and its successor, the temple
at Jerusalem, each had a ground plan in the proportions of three to one,
which is called a temple square. The dimensions of the temple at Jerusalem
were 60 cubits long from east to west and 20 cubits wide, twice those of the
tabernacle. This proportion has always been adopted for the floor plan in
lodges of operative freemasons. The tabernacle and also the temple at
Jerusalem had a Holy Place and a Holy of Holies. The Holy Place was in the
proportion of two to one, called an oblong square or a double square. The
Holy Place has an important counterpart in the double cube of the altar of
incense that stood in front of the entrance to the Holy of Holies. The altar
of incense was two cubits high and square in section with sides of one cubit,
made of acacia wood and overlaid with pure gold. The Holy of Holies was a
square in plan and cubical in shape, with sides of 10 cubits in the
tabernacle and 20 cubits in the temple.
Speculative craft freemasonry
The tracing boards used in the three degrees of speculative craft freemasonry
differ significantly both in presentation and purpose. They are all in the
proportion of the phi ratio and are presented in an upright or portrait
format. Their main features will now be summarised. In the first degree an
indented border of black and white triangles surrounds the tracing board, the
black triangles outside and the white inside. Usually a tassel is depicted at
each corner. Symbolically the viewer is facing the east, the orientation
being identified with west at the bottom and east at the top. Within the
borders a perspective view of the interior of a symbolic lodge is shown with
a mosaic pavement of black and white tiles. The symbolic lodge has no walls
and is open to the heavens, which suggests the universality of the science.
Three pillars, one each of the Ionic, Doric and Corinthian orders, are shown
standing freely on the pavement in the east, west and south respectively.
Various implements are depicted on the mosaic pavement, in the centre of
which there is a pedestal supporting an open volume of the scriptures on
which are placed the square and compasses. A ladder rests on the scriptures
and reaches to a blazing star in the heavens, where the sun, moon and seven
stars also are shown. The rungs of the ladder support several symbols that
represent the moral virtues. There is an explanatory lecture, which gives
details of the symbolic teachings of the degree and sets out the precepts on
which speculative freemasonry is based, of which a belief in God is the
central tenet.
The tracing board in the second degree is intended to represent the interior
of the first temple at Jerusalem, looking towards the Holy of Holies in the
west. This representation of the temple is entirely hypothetical, because the
arrangement differs significantly from the description recorded in the
scriptures. In particular, an entrance to the Holy Place is shown on the
left, which would be in the southeast corner, with a pillar on each side.
Those pillars represent Jachin and Boaz, which flanked the only entrance to
the temple that was in reality at the eastern end of the building. A winding
stair is shown leading from the entrance depicted in the southeast to the
Holy of Holies in the west. In fact there was no winding stair in the Holy
Place, although there were two in the chambers surrounding the southern,
western and northern walls of the temple, one in the southeast and the other
in the northwest. Although the River Jordan was east of the temple, on the
tracing board it is towards the southwest when looking through the entrance
shown in the southeast. A small waterfall can also be seen and an ear of corn
growing nearby, reminding us of the defeat of the Ephraimites by Jeptha and
his army. The lecture on the second tracing board describes the two great
pillars in detail and explains how King Solomon's temple was constructed.
The tracing board of the third degree usually has a solid black border as a
symbol of mourning and also to represent an open grave. As might be expected
this tracing board is orientated facing west, opposite to the tracing board
in the first degree, thus emphasising the differences between our entrance to
and exit from this mortal existence that are symbolically represented in the
two degrees. Within the grave is a coffin with its foot at the eastern end,
the traditional orientation of graves to face the rising sun. An acacia bush,
an ancient emblem of immortality, is placed at the western end of the grave
near the head of the coffin. The interior of the temple is depicted in a
vignette shown on and near the centre of the coffin, looking towards the Holy
of Holies in the west. The emblems of mortality and the working tools of a
master mason are displayed at the head of the coffin, while the working tools
of a craftsman are near the foot. Also near the head of the coffin is a
plaque, which has inscriptions similar to those of an epitaph on the
headstone of a grave. Various other inscriptions also appear on the coffin.
The accompanying lecture recapitulates the circumstances surrounding the
untimely death of the principal architect and the subsequent recovery of his
body. The importance of fidelity is emphasised and we are reminded of the
faithful and diligent service that is required of us, in accordance with
God's laws and for the benefit mankind, if we hope to receive our reward in a
life hereafter.
Mark and Royal Arch freemasonry
The instruction of a craftsman begins in the second degree and is continued
in the degree of mark master mason, in which the work is closely related to
the construction of King Solomon's temple at Jerusalem, before the untimely
death of the master craftsman. The tracing board of the mark degree also is
in portrait form, in the proportions of the phi ratio. It shows an external
view of the temple and surrounding countryside, looking towards the west. A
sunbeam can be seen striking the roof of the temple, as a symbol of the
commencement of a new cycle of life. Although the River Jordan is east of the
temple, it is shown in the distance on the right, which is to the north. The
scene is framed within an arched gateway of dressed stones decorated with
various symbols.
In the centre of the keystone that completes the crown of the arch, is a
circle circumscribing an equilateral triangle. From ancient times the
equilateral triangle has been a symbol of the deity, because it is regarded
as one of the most perfect figures. The circle, which is also regarded as a
perfect figure, is a symbol of the all-embracing aspects of divine
manifestation and is an emblem of eternity. Eight Hebrew characters, Heth
Beth Aleph Aleph Sadhe Shin Mem Sin, are engraved within the circle. They are
the initial letters of the words of two quite different Hebrew sentences. One
sentence relates to the principal artificer at the time when preparations
were being made for construction of the temple. The other relates to Hiram
King of Tyre, at the time when construction of the temple had been completed
and Solomon King of Israel was arranging for its dedication. When the two
Hebrew sentences have been translated into English, the initial letters of
the words in each sentence are HTWSSTKS. In the corners of the tracing board,
immediately above the archway, there is an inscription in Hebrew that is
taken from Psalm 118:22 and reads "The stone which the builders rejected has
become the chief corner-stone". This statement is repeated and amplified in I
Peter 2:7-8, when the apostle Peter writes his first general letter to the
Christians in the five provinces of Rome.
An open volume of the sacred writings and an All-seeing Eye respectively
adorn the two stones uppermost in the arch, one on each side of the keystone.
The sacred writings are to govern our faith and the All-seeing Eye reminds us
that the eye of the Almighty is always upon us to aid us in our laudable
undertakings. Most of the other symbols depicted on the arched gateway
represent well-known working tools of an operative freemason. In addition a
rope and anchor, a ladder and an hourglass are also depicted. The rope and
anchor represents our spiritual attachment to the deity and is a symbol of
that firmly grounded hope that arises from a life of true and faithful
service in the sight of the Lord. The ladder represents Jacob's ladder and is
a symbol of the faith we entertain of being rewarded for a well-spent life in
a life hereafter. The hourglass reminds us, by the speedy passage of its
sands, that human life is only of a transitory nature and that as a
consequence we must carry out our allotted tasks while it is yet day, before
the night comes when no man can work. The hourglass is intended to emphasise
the important and fundamental lessons of life that were imparted to the
candidate when he received the degree of Master Mason.
The working tools depicted on the arched gateway are the mallet, the chisel,
the plumb rule, the trowel, the twenty-four inch gauge, the square and
compasses, the level, the cramp and the axe. The mallet is the operative
freemason's tool that is similar to, but not identical with, the common gavel
in symbolic speculative craft freemasonry. The mallet is used to impart a
driving force, especially to the chisel. Morally it teaches us to correct
irregularities, to curb ambition, to restrain envy, and to moderate anger. As
the chisel is the operative freemason's tool used to cut and dress the
stones, so emblematically it represents the education and discipline that is
required to develop the latent virtues of the mind and develop human
knowledge. The plumb rule is used by operative freemasons to try and when
necessary to adjust the upright elements of a structure when setting them on
their proper bases. It denotes that justness and uprightness of life and
actions that ought to be practised by every freemason. The trowel is a tool
used by operative freemasons to spread the mortar that binds the stones where
required to complete the structure. Symbolically the trowel teaches us to
spread the mortar of kindness and affection that should unite all members of
our fraternity and ensure that brotherly love, relief and truth are practised
in all of their aspects.
In speculative freemasonry the twenty-four inch gauge is a modern implement
that replaces the straight edge, the twelve-inch rule and the three-foot rule
that were used by operative freemasons in medieval Britain. No doubt the
twenty-four inch rule was chosen for this purpose because its twenty-four
parts could be used symbolically to represent the twenty-four hours of the
day. The apprentices in operative freemasonry did not have a graduated rule,
but they used a straight edge as a guide for the chisel when cutting a stone.
The craftsmen used the graduated rules when marking out the stones ready for
cutting and together with the straight edge when checking the dimensions and
finish of the stones when being dressed and polished. Symbolically the
twenty-four inch gauge reminds us that we must correctly apportion our time
for labour, refreshment and sleep, having due regard to the duties we owe to
our creator and to our fellow men, as well as for the benefits accruing to
our families and ourselves. The symbolism associated with the rungs of the
ladder is closely interrelated with that of the subdivisions of time
associated with the twenty-four inch gauge. As we have received, so we should
freely give. Our labours should not be focussed on the gratification of
individual ambition, but should be directed for the benefit of all mankind,
reflecting the virtues of faith, hope and charity that are represented in the
ascent of the ladder.
The symbolism of the square and compasses is so well known that only a brief
summary will suffice. The square teaches us to regulate our lives and actions
by the principles reflected in the use of the line and rule by the operative
freemason. The compasses teach us to limit our desires suitably in every
position of life, so that we may rise in station by merit, live respected and
die regretted. The level is a perfect complement to the square and compasses,
being an implement used by the operative freemason to lay levels and prove
horizontals. Symbolically it is an emblem of equality, reminding us that all
are equal in the sight of God, so that rank and fortune will not be criteria
for our advancement to a life hereafter, only goodness and service to God and
man. The cramp is an implement used by the operative freemason to lift stones
and other objects of great weight and put them in their proper places.
Symbolically it represents that close and strong union that ought to bind
together all members of our fraternity and help to overcome any difficulties
that may be encountered. The axe is used by the operative freemason to cleave
stones. Symbolically it has been an implement of punishment from time
immemorial, reminding us of the punishment that awaits us if we fail to obey
God's laws and commit offences towards God or man.
In the foreground of the tracing board, immediately in front of the left hand
column supporting the arch, the craftsmen can be seen receiving their wages.
Immediately opposite, in front of the right hand column, are the perfect
cubic ashlar of the master, the keystone of the senior warden and the perpend
ashlar of the junior warden. The cubic ashlar is distinguished by the
master's square and the perpend ashlar is distinguished by the junior
warden's plumb. The keystone is fitted with a lifting ring attached to the
stone by means of a lewis and has the same markings as the keystone that
completes the crown of the arch. These three stones occupy prominent
positions on the tracing board so as to impress upon our minds the important
lessons imparted to the craftsman during the ceremony of his advancement as a
Mark Master. Finally, in the lecture though not illustrated on the tracing
board itself, there is a dissertation on the masonic cipher that in earlier
times was of considerable importance to the operative freemason. It is a
symbolic reminder that we must keep secret a brother's confidences with the
same strict caution as we maintain our own private affairs.
The royal arch degree relates to reconstruction of the temple at Jerusalem
after the Israelites had returned from their captivity in Babylon. The
tracing board in portrait form is in the proportion of the phi ratio. It
depicts the ruins of the temple on which is superimposed a view of the
interior of the temple, placed over an underground vault shown in section and
representing the secret vaulted shrine in which the Sacred Word was
deposited. The interior view of the temple is entirely symbolic and it is
surrounded seventeen standards or banners. The royal arch banner, a Triple
Tau within a circle, is depicted in the middle of the four principal banners
under which the Israelites marched through the wilderness and camped around
the Tabernacle, all arranged as an arc near the ceiling. The other twelve
standards are the banners of the tribes of Israel, arranged in two columns of
six, one on each side. In the centre of the pavement six candlesticks are
placed to delineate a greater and a lesser equilateral triangle. A circle
circumscribes the greater triangle. The circle represents the Sacred Word
itself and the greater triangle represents the creative, preservative and
destructive powers of the deity. Each light of the lesser triangle bisects a
side of the greater triangle. These lights represent the Light of the Law as
it was revealed in the Patriarchal, Mosaical and Prophetical Dispensations.
An open volume of the scriptures, a scroll and various working tools rest on
the mosaic pavement that forms the floor of the temple. A pedestal of pure
virgin marble stands on the floor of the vaulted shrine, within a circle
inscribed with the twelve signs of the zodiac. Twelve is regarded as a
complete number, which represents all that can be seen or perceived. The
zodiac is an ancient symbol of the cycle of life through which the soul
accomplishes its development. On top of the pedestal there is a plate of pure
gold inscribed with a circle, an equilateral triangle and various Hebrew
characters. These inscriptions represent the Sacred Word and several
attributes of the deity. All are brilliantly lit by sunlight shining through
the cavity that was prepared by the workmen when clearing away the rubbish of
the old temple, reminding us that the creator is the source of all life and
light and the spring and fountain of virtue.
The Ancient and Accepted Rite
The Ancient and Accepted Rite is of French origin. Although many degrees of
the Rite have tracing boards in the proportions of the phi ratio, some of
them are a square, or an oblong square, or a temple square, as is appropriate
to the symbolism of the degree. The 9º tracing board is in the upright
portrait form and the 10º is in the horizontal landscape form. The 9º and 10º
are concerned with the search for the three ruffians after the untimely death
of the master craftsman and with bringing them to justice. Both of these
tracing boards are in the proportions of the phi ratio, alluding to the
return of the principal architect's soul to God who gave it. Scenes of the
search for and recovery of the ruffians are shown on the boards. These
tracing boards are in contrast to that of the 11º, which is a square, because
it deals with the mundane matter of selecting and appointing twelve princes
to administer the districts occupied by the twelve tribes of Israel. The
tracing board of the 11º depicts the physical details of the temple,
reminiscent of the second tracing board of speculative craft freemasonry and
also the tracing board of a mark master mason. However, to stress the
importance of God in all matters, the board is surmounted by a triangle in
which one of the names of God is inscribed in Hebrew. A square tracing board
is also used in the 16º, which relates to other temporal matters, in
particular the troubles caused by the Samaritans before the erection of the
second temple at Jerusalem, which necessitated Zerubbabel's journey to
Babylon. That was when Zerubbabel sought to have the Edict of Artaxerxes
rescinded by Darius and to obtain from Darius written confirmation that he
would honour the Decree of Cyrus, enabling the children of Israel to live and
work in Jerusalem unmolested and to commence the reconstruction of the
temple. Within the square is a heptagonal figure with an open volume of the
scriptures in the centre and an irradiated sword above it. Various temporal
emblems are at the seven corners
The 7º and 8º relate to the appointment of a group of specialists immediately
after the death of the principal architect, to ensure that the preparation of
the working plans continued in accordance with the designs that had been
approved by the three Grand Masters and also that the work would continue to
be carried out in accordance with those designs. As these activities
symbolise the upward mental and moral progress of humanity in its search for
the divine, the tracing boards of these two degrees are oblong squares in the
proportion of two to one. In the centre of the board of the 7º is a pedestal
in the form of a perpend ashlar, supporting an open volume of the scriptures
with the square and compasses on it. On the 8º board all of these are
replaced by an emblem, which is an open pentagon in which an equilateral
triangle encloses a circle circumscribing a nine pointed star, within which
are three concentric equilateral triangles with three Yods at their centre.
The lecture explains how this emblem represents the many attributes of the
Deity. Both boards also include temporal emblems and have at their heads an
irradiated triangle inscribed with different characters.
The 4º, 5º and 6º tracing boards are in the proportion of three to one, the
shape of a temple square, representing the pi ratio and symbolising man's
search for the divine, for spirituality and for eternity. In the tabernacle
and later in the temple the Ark of the Covenant in the Holy of Holies
represented those aspirations. These degrees relate to the time immediately
after the death of the master craftsman who had been personally responsible
for the Holy of Holies. The temple was nearing completion, but the Holy of
Holies required work of a special nature beyond the competence of an
individual mason. Accordingly the work was entrusted to a group of seven
skilled masons under the leadership of Adoniram and substitutes were provided
for the secrets that were lost on the death of the master craftsman. King
Solomon also made arrangements for the transfer to Hiram, King of Tyre, of
the twenty cities in Galilee that had been promised to him in recognition of
his assistance during the building of the temple. The tracing board of the 4º
is subdivided into a double square to represent the Holy Place at the eastern
end and a square to represent the Holy of Holies at the western end. In the
centre of the Holy Place is a volume of the scriptures with the square and
compasses on the open pages. Various items of the temple furnishings are
arranged around it. Symbols representing the Divine Spirit are depicted in
the Holy of Holies. In the 5º the orientation is reversed and the temple
furnishings are replaced by a hollow square of mosaic pavement and other
symbols. Both boards include representations of the two great pillars
correctly oriented at the eastern end of the tracing board. The tracing board
of the 6º is entirely symbolical. It has reminders of this earthly existence
at the foot of the board, whilst at the head of the board a Yod placed in the
centre of an upright oblong square represents God in his celestial sphere.
The Hebrew characters Beth, Nun and Shin are arranged in the centre in the
shape of an equilateral triangle, signifying a covenant, a promise and peace,
to remind us of God's special relationship with mankind.