Ecossism
In the word Ecossism, one easily traces out the word Ecosse, the kingdom situated north of Great Britain, this french word origintes from the latin Scotia, close to the English scotland meaning the land of the Scots. Indeed, to the Romans the word scotia meant the gallics i.e. the inhabitants of present Scotland and Ireland.
Which kind of relation may there exist between Ecossism [1] and the foundation of the masonic Grand Lodge of England in 1717 ?
In the XVIIth century and at the time of the foundation of the masonic Grand Lodge of London, the terms fellowcraft and master were equivalent. Speculative masonry, later on denominated as modern, worked the two degrees inherited from operative masonry, to wit entered apprentice and fellowcraft or master. The third degree was created while dividing the contents of the old fellowcraft degree. In 1730, Samuel Pritchard describes three degrees : Entered Apprentice, Fellowcraft and Master. Master Hiram Abif, the victim of the bad three fellowcrafts dies but revives into the new Master who is raised thanks to the five points of mastership. It is likely that this new third degree was elaborated in several places at the same period. The 1726 Graham Ms, [2]from the English operative tradition discloses a Rite composed of three degrees : apprentice, fellowcrafts and masters. In that Rite, Noë is the prototype of Hiram Abif, his corpse is raised by his three sons : Sem, Cham and Japhet who came to his tomb in the hope of discovering the secrets of the Arch builder. Noë had not been assassinated,but his corpse was raised by the five points of the fellowcraft. In the Master’s degree of speculative masonry issued from the scission of the fellowcraft degree, Hiram Abif replaces Noë but becomes the victim of a sordid project devised by the three fellowcrafts. The introduction of the Master’s degree will progressively develop and become more and more adopted.
Several forms of the degree will take place and become prevalent. Some relate to the necessity of searching for Hiram Abif’s body so as to inter him. Others deal with the urgency of carrying on with the uncompleted construction of the Temple, which implies resorting to a Surveyor of the Buildings. Others still consider that Hiram must be avenged, that his murderers must be found and be punished after having been judged…In this way, the rituals following the Master’s degree are being created.