Free Masons Book 1915!

[dannyday5821]

i found a book (dont ask where!) but its a pocket book and inside it says,

"the perfect ceremonies of the supreme order of the holy royal arch"

the at the bottom says "privatley printed for (someones name :P) - London 1915"

the next page says "these ceremonies are strictly copyright, much of the matter having never been printed before in any form."

i can read, but this book is VERY difficult to read - its as if its full of abreviations, and the book assumes you know what they mean! anyway out of ignorance i just googled the first thing i read figuring if this is from 1915, someones gotta know something about it and this is what i found -

"Supreme Order of the Holy Royal Arch - The crypt of York Minister" (which is interesting concidering i found it somewhere in yorkshire!)

"FREEMASONRY, under the English Constitution, reaches its climax and conclusion in the Order of the Holy Royal Arch. There exists a variety of other degrees ramifying from the main stem of the Masonic system which either elaborate side-points of its doctrine or re-express its teachings in alternative symbolism"

even thats frickin complecated! now, i know nothing about this kinda stuff apart what most people think, secret society... and stuff. so when i found it was like "awsome!" ...but is it just a boring book that means nothing? or was it really printed privatley for a member?

is it worth anything? are these rare?

[Anlyn]

I'll start the bidding at £5.00 :)

[jomifl]

A Dan Brown fan might be interested, it could hold the key to the mysteries of the universe (at least the freemason part of it)

[boxtops]

Masons might be interested to buy it, particularly people in the Royal Arch. Have a look on eBay or Amazon, see if anyone's selling anything similar. IMO it sounds like the book which is given to brothers when they join, to familiarise themselves with ceremonies.

[dannyday5821]

lol :P well whatever about the worth of it im not that bothered i just wanted to know if its really a freemasons members book!

[starone]

I would like it for my son (he is a Mason) but I can see the bidding is going to go up so I think I will just watch and wait.

[jomifl]

I'm not bidding.

[Clanad]

Your book is one used by Masons as they advance in the degree system. I have a fairly old one (here in the U.S.) for the First (Entered Apprentice) Second (Fellow Craft) and Third (Master Mason) degrees. Each degree requires an "examination" of the applicant by several Masons of a Duly Appointed Lodge. The examination is a series of questions that require memorized, specific answers, all in archaic and symbolic language, for which the applicant studied from a book like yours.
They were printed by the thousands, over time, and would probably have value, as already stated, only to collectors of such memorabilia... Good luck!

[dannyday5821]

thanks clanad :)

[woofgang]

well books about freemasons and the ritual aren't rare...
http://www.abebooks.c...&kn=freemasonry&sts=t