Lecture: the Invocation and day of Tiamat

In the religion of ancient Babylon, Tiamat is a primordial goddess of the salt sea, mating with Abzû, the god of fresh water, to produce younger gods. 

She is the symbol of the chaos of primordial creation. She is referred to as a woman, and described as the glistening one. 

It is suggested that there are two parts to the Tiamat mythos, the first in which Tiamat is a creator goddess, through a "Sacred marriage" between salt and fresh water, peacefully creating the cosmos through successive generations. 

In the second "Chaoskampf" Tiamat is considered the monstrous embodiment of primordial chaos. Some sources identify her with images of a sea serpent or dragon.

In the Enûma Elish, the Babylonian epic of creation, she gives birth to the first generation of deities; her husband, Apsu, correctly assuming they are planning to kill him and usurp his throne, later makes war upon them and is killed. 

Enraged, she, too, wars upon her husband's murderers, taking on the form of a massive sea dragon, she is then slain by Enki's son, the storm-god Marduk, but not before she had brought forth the monsters of the Mesopotamian pantheon, including the first dragons, whose bodies she filled with "poison instead of blood". Marduk then forms heavens and the earth from her divided body.

Calendar of the Sun

7 Blutmonath

Tiamat's Day

Color: Sea green
Element: Water
Altar: On a sea green cloth place a large chalice of salt water, strings of pearls and beads in a spiral pattern like a whirlpool, and figures of dragons and sea serpents.
Offerings: Pour water on yourself. Allow yourself to experience conflicting and turbulent emotions that you would otherwise avoid.
Daily Meal`: Fish. Seafood. Seaweed. Soft food with sauce whirled in a whirlpool pattern.

Invocation to Tiamat

Mother of Dragons
Mother of Serpents
Sea of Aether that swirls
Deep within our minds
From the waters we came
From the waters we are born
To the waters we shall return
For our rebirths.
You whose body is the world
Who is all around us
Sacrificed in order to become
Omniscient
Mother of Dragons
Mother of Serpents
Lead us onward through the tides
Of our uncertain lives.

Chant: Aiyu Tiamat Tiamat Tiamat
Your body all around

(Each person stands forth and speaks of themselves as an emotion, saying, "I am happiness" or I am sorrow". Then one person who has been chosen to do the work of the ritual takes a sword and walks around the circle, miming slaying each person, who falls to the ground, saying, "Die, and become one with the earth.". All lay on their backs with hands joined, heads facing inward, and each visualizes themself as part of the earth, and they speak out what part of the earth they and their emotion have become - "I who was joy am now rivers!" "I who was anger am now desert." "I who was wonder am now mountain ranges!" and so on. End in a choral OM.)

Hungarian mythology

A 9th century fastener unearthed in Kirovohrad Oblast, Ukraine; the finding belongs to the possibly Hungarian "Subotcy find horizon"

Hungarian mythology includes the myths, legends, folk tales, fairy tales and gods of the Hungarians, also known as the Magyars.

Sources of knowledge

Much of Magyar mythology is believed lost. However, a significant amount of Hungarian mythology has been successfully recovered in the last hundred years.

The most important sources are:

• Folklore, as many mythical persons remain in folk tales, folk songs, legends, also special traditions linked to special dates, unknown elsewhere
• Medieval chronicles such as codices and manuscripts
• Secondary sources such as accounts about Hungarians by other authors (mostly before 850)
• Mythological cosmology

The World Tree carved on a pot

In Hungarian myth, the world is divided into three spheres: the first is the Upper World (Felső világ), the home of the gods; the second is the Middle World (Középső világ) or world we know, and finally the underworld (Alsó világ). In the center of the world stands a tall tree: the World Tree / Tree of Life (Világfa/Életfa). Its foliage is the Upper World, and the Turul bird dwells on top of it. The Middle World is located at its trunk and the underworld is around its roots. In some stories, the tree has fruit: the golden apples.

Upper World

The gods and the good souls live in the Upper World. Gods have the same rank, although the most important figure of them is Isten (Hungarian for "God"). He controls the world, shapes the fate of humans, observes the Middle World from the sky, and sometimes gives warning by lightning (mennykő). Isten created the world with the help of Ördög("the devil" representing Evil). 

Other gods include: 

• Istenanya ("Mother God"), also known as Boldogasszony ("Blessed Lady", literally meaning "happy/merry woman"; later identified with Catholicism's Virgin Mary), and Hadúr ("warlord" or "commander").
• The major celestial bodies, (the Sun and the Moon), are also located in the Upper World. The sky was thought to be a big tent held up by the Tree of Life. The several holes in it are the stars. The Sun, Moon, and symbols of the cosmic word, are known from Hungarian grave findings from the period of Hungarian conquest.

Middle World

The Middle World is shared among humans and many mythological creatures; the latter are often supernatural.

 There are ghosts of the forests and waters, who are ordered to scare humans.

 They have different names in different places. There are females, for example, the sellő(mermaid), which lives in water and has a human torso with the tail of a fish. 

The wind is controlled by an old lady called Szélanya (Wind Mother) or Szélkirály(Wind King). 

The Sárkány (dragon) is a frightening beast: he is the enemy of many heroes in fairy tales, symbolising the psychical inner struggle of the hero.The Sárkány usually has 1-7 heads. 

The lidérc is a ghostly, mysterious creature with several different appearances, its works are always malicious.

 The manók (elves / goblins) and the törpék (dwarfs) are foxy beings living in woods or under the ground.

 Óriások (giants) live in the mountains. They have both good and bad qualities. 

Favourite creatures are the tündérek (fairies), who are beautiful young virgins or female creatures (often depicted either as personified purity and innocence, or as playful and foxy). They aid humans, who sometimes can ask three wishes from them. 

Their opposites are the bábák, who are equated with catty old witches. (Bába means "midwife" in modern Hungarian, and originally they were wise old women, later equated with witches as Christianity became widespread.)

Underworld

The Underworld is the place of bad souls (this includes evil spirits and the souls of dead people who were cruel and evil in their lives) and the home of Ördög, creator of everything bad for humans: for example, annoying animals such as fleas, lice, and flies.

Religion

One of the theories about the ancient Hungarian religion is that it was a form of Tengrism, a shamanic religion common among the early Turkic and Mongolian people, that was influenced by Zoroastrianism from the Persians whom the Hungarians had encountered during their westward migration.

 Another theory ties the religion to that of the Huns and Scythians due to similar or even identical legends to the Hungarian origin myth. 

Speculation about contact with early Varangian settlers and merchants West of Atil also prevail due to similarities shared with Germanic / Norse mythology.

The shamanic role was filled by the táltos ("wise man / blessed scholar"). Their souls were thought to be able to travel between the three spheres via révülés (meditation). They were also doctors. A taltos was selected by fate; their slight abnormalities at birth (neonatal teeth, caulbearer, white hair, and additional fingers were believed to be the sign of a divine order. The steps of their introduction:

Climbing up on the "shaman ladder / shaman tree" symbolized the World Tree;

Drenching the ghosts: drinking the blood of the sacrificed animal.

They had the ability to contact spirits by specific rituals and praying. Thus, they interpreted dreams, mediated between humans and spirits, cured and removed curses, and had an ability to find and bring back lost souls. They directed animal sacrifices and guessed the reason of an ancestor's anger.

After death, the human soul leaves the body. The body is buried by relatives on the other bank of a river, looking towards east. If the soul had been good, it gets to the Other World (Túlvilág), for eternal peace. If it had been bad, it must suffer in the underworld (Alsó Világ / Alvilág), where Ördög ("the devil") and numerous evil ghosts live.

Deities

Arany Atyácska (god)Meaning "Golden Father." He was the consort of Hajnal Anyácska and father of Hadúr, Napkirály and Szélkirály.

Boldogasszony(Mother goddess)Also called "Istenanya." Her name means "Blessed Lady" or "Bountiful Queen". She was the goddess of motherhood and helped women in childbirth.  

After Hungarians were Christianized with the help of St. Gerard of Csanad, her figure fell out of favor for that of the Virgin Mary. In later years the name "Boldogasszony" and "Nagyboldogasszony" (Great Blessed Lady) was primarily used as a moniker for the Virgin Mary. She is also considered the "Queen (Regina) of Hungary".Hadúr (god)Short for Hadak Ura, meaning "Warlord" or "Master of Armies" and was the war god in the religion of the early Hungarians. He was the third son of Arany Atyácska (Dear Golden Father) and Hajnal Anyácska (Dear Dawn Mother) and was also the metalsmith of the gods. He wore armor and weapons made of pure copper, which is his sacred metal, and it was said that he forged the Sword of God (Isten kardja) which was discovered by Attila the Hun and secured his rule. It was customary for the Hungarians to sacrifice white stallions to him before a battle.

Hajnal Anyácska(goddess)Meaning "Dawn Mother." She was the consort of Arany Atyácska and mother of Hadúr, Napkirály and Szélkirály.

Isten (god) Meaning simply "God." Isten was the god of the sky and the head of the Hungarian pantheon.

Nap Anya(goddess)Meaning "Sun Mother."Napkirály(god)Meaning "King of the Sun", he is the Hungarian sun god and is the oldest son of Arany Atyácska (Dear Golden Father) and Hajnal Anyácska (Dear Dawn Mother), brother of Hadúr and Szélkirály. He rides his silver-haired horse from East to West every day, seeing everything below him.

Ördög (god)He was the god of death, diseases and wicked things, and ruled the underworld realm Pokol.

Szélanya(goddess)Meaning "Wind Mother," she is the goddess of wind and female counterpart of Szélatya. She is a wise, elderly woman who lives in a cave on top of a huge mountain somewhere at the end of the world. She rides the winds and creates storms and whirlwinds.

Szélkirály(god)Meaning "King of the Wind", also called Szélatya ("Wind Father"), he is the Hungarian god of wind and rain and male counterpart of Szélanya. He is the second son of Arany Atyácska (Golden Father) and Hajnal Anyácska (Dawn Mother), brother of Hadúr and Napkirály. His armor and weapons are made of pure silver, his sacred metal.

Tűz Anya(goddess)Meaning "Fire Mother." The goddess of fire and the female counterpart of Tűz Atya.

Tűz Atya (god)Meaning "Fire Father," also called Tűz Apa. The god of fire and the male counterpart of Tűz Anya.

Víz Anya(goddess)Meaning "Water Mother." The goddess of water and the female counterpart of Víz Atya.

Víz Atya (god)Meaning "Water Father," also called Víz Apa. The god of fire and the male counterpart of Víz Anya.

Animals and spirits

Csodaszarvas(animal)A central figure in the legends surrounding the origin of the Hungarian people. The name translates to "Miraculous Deer". 

According to Hungarian legend, preserved in the 13the century chronicle Gesta Hunnorum et Hungarorumby Simon of Kéza, while out hunting, the brothers Hunor and Magor saw a miraculous white stag(sometimes described as golden). They pursued the animal, but it always stayed ahead of them, leading them westward into Levedia, where they married two princesses and founded the Huns and Hungarian people. One of the main reasons for claims of religious and cultural ties between Huns and Hungarians is the stag and the brothers Hunor and Magor. 

Bába(creature)Meaning "old woman", she was originally a good fairy who later degraded and became evil. Although she had magical abilities, she was not a witch (boszorkány). She was thought to live in fountains, and if young children went too close to her lair, she lured them in.

Boszorkány(witch)A hostile, harm-doing, supernatural old lady, the witch. She had an ability to transform, fly and curse. A boszorkány corrupted the animals, for example, soured the milk of the cows. For humans, she brought an abrupt illness. They "operated" in the night, or in the nightfall.

Bubus (spirit)A small being that lives in caves. See →Mumus.

Fene (spirit)The demon of illness. Today, a common saying still uses its name: "A fene egye meg!", which literally means "Let it be eaten by the fene!", and is uttered when something does not occur as one wishes. "Fene" is also considered the place where demons roam, i.e. the popular Hungarian curse "menj a fenébe!" is equivalent to the English "go to hell!".

Guta (spirit)A fearsome Hungarian demon who beats his victims to death, often associated with strokes, heart attacks, or sudden paralysis.

Lidérc(creature)A unique supernatural being of Hungarian folklore. It has three known varieties, which often borrow traits from one another: a miracle chicken or csodacsirke(the traditional form); a temporal devil or földi ördög; and a Satanic lover, ördögszerető.

Szépasszony(spirit)Meaning "Fair Lady", she is a female demon with long hair and a white dress. She appears and dances in storms and hail, and seduces young men.

Turul (animal)The great bird resembling to a falcon that was sent forth by Isten to guide the creation and destiny of the Magyar people. The first kings after St Stephen I. were the hereditiary of Turul("Turul nemzetség")

Vadleány(creature)Meaning "Wild Girl", she is an elusive forest sprite who seduces shepherds, saps their strength and makes the forest rustle. She is usually nude and her long hair reaches the ground. She can sometimes be lured and caught with one boot (she tries to put two of her feet to one boot).

Griff (animal)Also known as griffin in other European countries, but without special features. 

In Hungarian mythology, it is similar to turul. Featuring in some fairy tales (like Fehérlófia, The son of the white horse), it is a cruel, greedy bird eating humans, but it's the only way to get back from Under World to Middle World.

Sárkány(dragon)Appearing in almost all folk tales, a creature not similar to dragons. It is always man-shaped, can ride a horse, and has usually seven heads, sometimes three, 12 or 21 (relating to numbers in astrology). 

Dragons usually symbolized human behaviour or character, i.e. when the hero was fighting with him, he was fighting to overcome his own bad behaviour, habit or characteristic.

Heroes and human figures

Hunor and Magor(people)Legendary twin patriarchs of the Huns and Magyars (Hungarians), respectively. They were said to be the sons of the Biblical Menrot (Nimrod), or of Japhethaccording to a slightly different version of the legend.

Álmos(person)Son of Ügyek and Emese. He was a semi-legendary figure born in c. 819 and the ancestor of the house of Árpád. Álmos ruled the Magyars in Levedia and Etelköz. His name means "dreamy" as his birth was foretold in his mother's dream (see the legend of his birth at Emese.)

Emese(person)Wife of Ügyek, mother of Álmos (meaning, "the one from/with the dream"). She was impregnated by a turulbird, which appeared to her in a dream and told her "a river will spring from your womb, which will flow and spread to a new land". The táltos (shaman) explained the dream as saying that she would give birth to a son, who would be the ancestor of a great ruling family in a foreign land.

Dula(person)Dula's name appears in the Legend of the Csodaszarvas. He is said to be a prince of the Alans. In fact, he probably was a kind of chief of the Volga Bulgarians.

Garabonciás(person)A male figure who learned magic, unlike the →táltos, who had the ability by birth. He is able to create storms. Some alumni were thought to possess these abilities as late as the 19th century.

Göncöl(person)A legendary táltos (shaman) who was believed to have medicine that can cure any illness. He, or his wagon (known as Nagy Göncöl) is represented by the stars of the Big Dipper.

References

• ^ Attila Turk, HUNGARIAN ARCHAEOLOGY, The new archaeological research design for early hungarian history, 2012, p. 3
• ^ Türk Attila Antal: A szaltovói kultúrkör és a magyar őstörténet régészeti kutatása. In.: Középkortörténeti tanulmányok 6. A VI. Medievisztikai PhD-konferencia (Szeged, 2009. június 4-5.). szerk.: G. Tóth P. –Szabó P. Szeged (2010) 284–285, és 5. kép,
• ^ Bokij, N. M. – Pletnyova, Sz. A.: Nomád harcos család 10. századi sírjai az Ingul folyó völgyében. AÉ. 1989, 86–98.
• ^ András Róna-Tas, Hungarians and Europe in the Early Middle Ages: An Introduction to Early Hungarian History, Central European University Press, 1999, p. 366
• ^ Diószegi 1998
• ^ Hoppál 1998
• ^ Hoppál 1975
• ^ Hoppál 2005
• ^ Hoppál 1994
• Hungarian Mythology I
• Hungarian Mythology
• Excerpt of the legend of creation from the Hungarian saga

RELATED ARTICLES

Shamanism in Siberia

Soul dualism

Shamanistic remnants in Hungarian folklore

Content is available under CC BY-SA 3.0 unless otherwise noted.

Letter from the Editor

Greetings Everyone,

I would like to say Domo arigatōgozaimashita or thank you for your patronage to My Little Occult Shop.

Since Yule is nearly apon us I thought that it was time to spend some time a give My Occult Shop a new look.

I hope you all have a great and safe travels this holiday season where ever you are.

Some of the changes I plan on doing is a series of lectures on the occult on podcast. And I may need to hold off on making any videos on YouTube until I can get better video software.

On Facebook I was able to get 8,000 views these few weeks and 800 views on the blog in just two days, I'm looking at being blessed in having a record month.

Ideally I'd like to be in a place where I can give out free swag and when I do I will.

Fair well
Magus

The Masonic Teachings of the rosettes

The origin of rosettes on the F.C. and M.M. aprons is, believe it or not, unknown. In England they were a comparatively late introduction, and were not prescribed officially until 1815, when they were specifically designed to differentiate the three grades. It is probable, however, that their original purpose was purely ornamental. However, there is extant a German Masonic medal or jewel, from mid 18th century, which shows an apron with three rosettes.

Unfortunately, there is no trace of a Grand Lodge during this period, either English or European, which prescribed the use of rosettes, and in the circumstances one is compelled to assume that they were purely decorative. This does not exclude the possibility that they may have had a more practical significance in the Lodges in which they were worn but a likely suggestion is that they were adopted then as a means of distinguishing the grades of Brethren. The love of ornamentation was possibly another factor as will be seen later.

First let us define today's understanding of what may be considered a Rosette with examples.

Then my intention is, I hope, to inform you as to how the worn rosette entered public life in general and how it may have arrived into Masonic tradition in particular. Comment will also be made on the other decorative elements, tassels and Taus [levels], to be found on the apron as they seem to have been adapted into regular usage from about the same period.

I shall be discussing mythology, astrology, Phoenician and Classical Greek art motifs, chivalry, Masonic philosophy and symbolism, botany and linguistics, both of which are heavily influenced by the Hebrew language and the world of colour and culture.

Rosette- Rosette,. [F., dim. of rose, a rose. Cf. {Roset}.]

1. A imitation of a rose by means of ribbon or other material, -- used as a ornament or a badge. [1913 Webster] 2. (Arch.) A ornament in the form of a rose or roundel, -much used… (The Collaborative International Dictionary of English)

Rosette -Etymology: French, literally, small rose, from Old French, from rose, from Latin rosa. Date: 1790 an ornament usually made of material gathered or pleated so as to resemble a rose and worn as a badge of office, as evidence of having won… (New Collegiate Dictionary)

Rosettes are also sometimes called bowknots, due to their shape.

From the latter definition let me expound on "Worn as a badge of office, as evidence of having won…"

A rosette worn, more often than not, is a symbol of recognition and it announces uniquely, with subtle

dignity, the affiliations or associations of your life. They are an enduring symbol of pride and achievement.

Obviously I shall end this paper in reference to Masonry but first and foremost we all know that one of the better known applications of this is within the Chivalric Orders where a civilian may wear the rosette only as a boutonniere. This is a small round lapel button covered with the colours of the Order. A cloth or metal bar of different ribbons may be worn at the same time BUT only one rosette may be worn.

Note the following examples:

In the United States, the only medal today currently issued with a rosette is the Medal of Honour. The rosette is authorized for civilian wear. The rosette is presented with the Medal of Honor neck ribbon and ribbon bar at the same time. In times past, the Purple Heart was also presented with a rosette, but now has been replaced by a metallic lapel pin.

RIBBON AND ROSETTE

On May 2, 1895 Congress authorized "a rosette or knot to be worn in lieu of the medal and a ribbon to be worn with the medal." Today's Medal of Honor Ribbon is blue with FIVE stars, 2 at the top and 3 at the bottom. (One of the most common mistakes people make when displaying Medal of Honor graphics is to display the ribbon up-side down.)The six-sided blue silk rosette bears 13 stars and is worn on civilian attire. Medal of Honor recipients also wear the Medal itself around the neck of civilian attire for special occasions.

France

Several of the top decorations of France, including the Légion d'honneur , La Patrie Reconaisance Honneur Medal and the Ordre national du Mérite, are presented with a rosette along with the medal. The Legion of Honor authorized a rosette for those who have the rank of officer or above. If the grade is higher, the rosette is adorned with gold and/or silver bars (or "half-knots") which are place beside each side of the rosette. The officer wears the badge on a ribbon with rosette on his left chest.

Award ribbons can be simply a flat piece of ribbon, a flat-folded ribbon, or fancier manipulations of the ribbon material, such as rosettes. A rosette consists of ribbon that is pleated or gathered and arranged in a circle so that it resembles a rose, usually with streamer ribbons attached.

Ribbons are usually, although not always, imprinted with information about the award, such as the name of the event, the sponsoring organization, the placement (such as first place, second place, etc.), and the date. Some sophisticated awards also include the name of the recipient. See examples of modern day rosettes can be seen below:

The single rosette is the most basic motif of hex signs and it is one of the most ancient designs in western culture. The rosette appears on buildings, furniture, gravestones and pottery. The rosette design is a symbol for luck and the scalloped border symbolizes smooth sailing. The color red is used to symbolize strength and green is a life color. This sign with the red rosette is a potent safeguard against harm and portends good luck in life.

I wish to discuss ancient Jewish literature as our starting point in this paper because Hebrew is a very ancient , if not the original source language for other languages, and it may be wise to peruse the linguistic influence on the word we are about to discuss.

Before I enter the world of linguistics I wish to embellish the word rosette with its major component, namely the word ROSE, for a rosette is nothing more than a diminutive of rose, as seen from the dictionaries above. Also please bear in mind not only the shape of such a flower but its coloration as we know it today.

In the Jewish world of celebration, one month before Passover, the story of Esther and Mordechai [Purim] in ancient Iran is recited, and in the prayers following, the phrase שושנת יעקב 'shoshanat yaakov' is mentioned.

Literally this means "rose of Jacob". But other translations have "lily of Jacob".

So is it a rose or a lily? Does it matter? Are they related?

In referring to dictionaries it becomes more interesting. Some scholars identify shoshan with the lotus and ranunculus. [Related to Aramaic שושנתא (whence Ugaritic twt, Arabic sausan, Vulgar Arabic susan), Akkadian sheshanu (= lily), Syriac shishno (= butomus flowers).

Several scholars derive these words from Egyptian sshshn and sshn, Coptic shoshen (= big flower; lotus). According to others the above, such words go back to Akkadian shushu (six-sided), shishshu (= sixth). Greek souson, from whence Latin Susanna, are Semitic loan words.]

Note the influence of the worldly shesh meaning a reference to the number six in several languages.

And before you check in your own dictionaries please ignore any references to shesh (the fabric) and

shayish שיש (marble). It is agreed by linguistic scholars that shesh (linen) and shayish are originally Egyptian words. (Homonystic, both being white)

One famous Hebrew commentator, Ibn Ezra, connects shoshana to shesh in his commentary on Shir HaShirim [ Song of Songs] 2:2 stating "It is a white flower of sweet but narcotic perfume, and it receives its name because the flower has, in every case, six [shesh] petals, within which are six long filaments."

So if a fairly modern day commentary on the biblical shoshan(a) indicates very strong preferences to the lily, when did it become associated with the rose?

Of interest I would like to point out that the symbolism of the lily has passed from the Jews to the Christians, so that the angel of the Annunciation is conventionally represented as bearing lilies without filaments.

But prior to this period the diminutive rose, the rosette, has been a symbol associated with many Goddesses, but it is especially sacred to Inanna, Ishtar and Astarte. Some scholars think that the Rosette is a symbol for the star of Venus. The Rosette is the "Star of the Earth" and grows up from the underworld beneath the ground. It is the Earth's star, as Venus is the star of the heavens. Many carved rosettes have survived, they vary widely in their patterns, but all are clearly representations of the rosette.

The lily, in Modern Hebrew, shoshanah, is used generically, as it embraced other related flowers. Lilies grow on hills and in the field. The choicest of lilies were those that grew in the valleys, in the proximity of water. Perah - flower in the Bible - is often rendered shoshanah - i.e. lily in the Targum. [An Aramaic commentary]

Targum Onkelos to Exodus 25:31-34 and Deuteronomy 8:4 there are examples of perach being translated as shoshana.

This seeming inaccuracy is explained by the generic term of shoshan which might have included such flowers as the lotus [see later] and even the rose.

In fact, the Midrash [a compilation of homiletic teachings (commentaries) on the Tanakh (Hebrew Bible)], contains a few passages which speak of a soft lily, and the choicest of this kind is the lily of the valley, paralleling the rose of the valley.

Besides these allusions, the Midrash specifically mentions a shoshanah shel wered -a lily-rose - which grows in orchards, which is also the symbol of Israel. This indicates that the shoshana shel vered שושנה של ורד was a subset of the more generic shoshana.

Now we come to a word familiar to all modern Hebraists, namely vered ורד.

Vered is a post-biblical word, its etymology being from the Aramaic ורדא, borrowed from Iranian *wrda, whence Greek rodon, whence Latin rosa (= rose)

Ben Yehuda [the person who introduced Hebrew back into modern day Israel] says that the association of the rose with the shoshana eventually led to later commentators to identify the shoshana with the rose in general. He gives two reasons:

a) because the rose was viewed as the most beautiful flower and
b) the rose was well known to them, whereas they had difficulty initially in identifying the Biblical shoshana.

Another two possible reasons:

a) the shoshana is described as the queen of the flowers - which could apply to the rose, and
b) the word vered doesn't appear in the Tanach, so they didn't need to say that shoshana = lily and vered = rose.

Notice that there is no verse in the Hebrew writings stating definitively the colour of the shoshana or shoshan mentioned - leaving room for it to be either the white lily or the red rose.

Rashi [a well known biblical commentator] in particular reinforced the identification of shoshana with the rose in his commentary on Shir HaShirim 2:2, [Song of Songs] where he describes it as always remaining red (although he doesn't mention the word rose or vered.) The kabbalistic book of Zohar also identifies the shoshana as a rose.

From a human point of view it is interesting to note that female immigrants to Israel from Europe with names related to Rose - Raisel, Rosa, etc often changed their names and generally adopted the name Shoshana. So while vered was still known to be "rose", we can assume that it was more of a technical term, and less of a popular one. However, today the name Vered is also quite popular - probably because the flower rose is generally and more popularly known as vered.

Which translation is right? We now live in a scientific age, where every plant and animal is classified and sub-classified into genus and species. So we could expect that the Hebrew names should reflect that level of precision.

But the ancients weren't as concerned with that level of detail as we are today, and therefore shoshana could refer to a number of different flowers - even those fairly distantly related botanically - as mentioned above, to the extent that lily and rose became interchangeable.

At this point I wish to elaborate on the Egyptian 'sesen' or the Coptic shoshen i.e. the lotus.

The Lotus is not a separate genus. In fact it is THE lily family and a short discussion of this flower ensues.


Water lilies encompass 5 species of Lotuses, three in the genus Nymphaea and two in Nelumbo; both genera are members of the water-lily family, Nymphaea lotus, and the Egyptian white lotus is believed to be the original sacred lotus of ancient Egypt. It and the Egyptian blue lotus, N. caerulea, were often pictured in ancient Egyptian art. The common Egyptian "lotus" is actually correctly called a water lily: the white lotus opens at dusk; the blue water lily opens in the morning. The white lotus is a shallow-water, night-blooming plant with a creeping rootstock (rhizome) that sends up long-stalked, nearly circular, dark green leathery leaves, which float on the surface. The flowers, up to 25 cm (10 in) across, remain open until midday. The blue lotus [centre] is a smaller, less showy day-blooming plant.

The Lotus flower has for thousands of years symbolized spiritual enlightenment. Indeed, this flower essence's purpose is to accelerate spiritual evolvement and enhance healing on every level within the system. The blue lotus was native to the Nile and used to be abundant. Its narrow, pointed petals and round, spotted leaves appear as the more common lotus in every conceivable opportunity for Egyptian artistic imagery. And more than often the leaf and spots are not shown.

The white lotus' rounded petals appear with round, scalloped edge leaves.

Mythology

The Rosette has been a symbol associated with many Goddesses, but it is especially sacred to Inanna, Ishtar and Astarte. Some scholars have concluded that the Rosette is a symbol for the star of Venus. The Rosette is the "Star of the Earth" and grows up from the underworld beneath the ground. It is the Earth's star, as Venus is the star of the heavens. Many carved rosettes have survived, they vary widely in their patterns, but all are clearly representations of the rosette. The rosette is also considered to have royal symbolism.

The lotus is a very important flower for Eastern civilizations. The Hindus believed that Brahma, their creator god, was born from a golden lotus [see fig. 14] and so the flower is often associated with the spirit being elevated from one realm to another.

Moreover, because it has buds, blossoms, and seed pods simultaneously on the same plant, it has symbolized the past, present, and future.

The lotus flower appeared in legends originating from ancient Egypt. It played an important part in ancient Egyptian religion. The pure white lotus flower, the only plant to fruit and flower simultaneously, emerges from the depths of the muddy swamp. Growing from the mud at the bottom of ponds and streams, the exquisite Lotus flower rises above the water and is usually white or pink with 15 or more oval, spreading petals, and a peculiar, flat seedcase at its center.

Sesen: A Lotus Flower. This is a symbol of the sun, of creation and rebirth. Why? Because at night the flower closes and sinks underwater, and at dawn it rises and opens again. According to one creation myth it was a giant lotus which first rose out of the watery chaos at the beginning of time. From this giant lotus the sun itself rose on the first day.

A symbol of Upper Egypt.

The lotus flower played a prominent role in the version of the creation story that originated in Heliopolis. Before the universe came into being, there was an infinite ocean of inert water which constituted the primeval being named Nun. Out of Nun emerged a lotus flower, together with a single mound of dry land. The lotus blossoms opened, and out stepped the self-created sun god, Atum, as a child. In another version originating in Hermopolis, the sun god who formed himself from the chaos of Nun emerged from the lotus petals as Ra. The lotus is a flower which opens and closes each day. His history went on to say that the petals of the lotus blossom enfolded him when he returned to it each night. The lotus flower has been featured extensively throughout the art of ancient Egypt. In various works of art, you may see it held in the hand of a god or human, serving as a border to outline a section of the artwork, unfolding to reveal various gods or humans, and many other depictions. The ancient Egyptians from the 4th dynasty greatly valued the sacred lotus, in religious ceremonies and funerals. To the ancient Egyptians the symbol of three sacred lotus lilies represented "plant" meaning Tree of Life". They have tree stems curving to the left as though blown into Life by the breath of Hu, the Celestial Sphinx. On top of each stem is the Lotus flower [fig.15] which was used in Ancient Egypt to represent Life and Resurrection.

It is from this hieroglyph that the French "fleur de lis" [fig.16] traces its origin. The "fleur de lis" represents the Tree of Life.

The glyph which denotes the sacred knowledge associated with Hu is also formed by the three stems of the three sacred lotus lilies. The Osiris Crown can be similarly considered in these terms.

Following the role model of Osiris, in 1346 AD Edward the Black Prince won three feathers at Crecy which he adopted as his emblem. If the three feathers are gathered at the stems a 'fleur de lis' is created. [fig.17]

But Edward was not the first. Crusaders introduced lilies into European Christian art; because of its association with the Crusaders, the lily came to stand for chivalry, and the French nobility adopted the fleur-de-lis as its symbol. The motif was first used by King Philip I (1052-1108) of France in the 11th century. The 'Lilies' are said not to have appeared in the French arms until the time of Philip Augustus (1165-1223). In Christian symbolism, the fleur-de-lis is used as a symbol of the Holy Trinity and as an ensign of the Virgin Mary, mimicking the rose.

The ancient Egyptians developed the art of counting to a high degree, but their system of numeration was very crude. For example, the number 1,000 was symbolized by a picture of a lotus flower, and the number 2,000 was symbolized by a picture of two lotus flowers growing out of a bush.

Hindus associate the lotus blossom with creation mythology, and with the gods Vishnu, Brahma, and Lakshmi. From ancient times the lotus has been a divine symbol in Hindu tradition. The growth of its pure beauty from the mud of its origin holds a benign spiritual promise. Borrowing from Hinduism, in Buddhist symbolism, the lotus represents purity of body, speech, and mind, floating above the muddy waters of attachment and desire. The Buddha is often depicted sitting on a giant lotus leaf or blossom, as seen above.

What of the rose?

A rose is a perennial flower shrub or vine of the genus Rosa, within the family Rosaceae, which contains over 100 species and comes in a variety of colors

The rose is the traditional flower of lover and romance since the Victorian era. The praise of roses goes back to ancient times and across many civilizations. A Roman legend claims that this flower received its color when Jupiter caught Venus bathing and a white rose turned red in her reflection. The Greeks believed that red roses sprang forth from the ground where Adonis and Aphrodite spilled their blood. By Christian times, the red of the rose had come to also symbolize the blood of martyrs, the rose itself being a symbol of the Virgin Mary, the 'Mystic' rose.

The rose has always been valued for its beauty and has a long history of symbolism. The ancient Greeks and Romans identified the rose with their goddesses of love referred to as Aphrodite and Venus. In Rome a wild rose would be placed on the door of a room where secret or confidential matters were discussed. The phrase sub rosa, or "under the rose", means to keep a secret - derived from this ancient Roman practice. (more about this later)

Modern times

The rose is the national flower of England and the United States, as well as being the symbol of England Rugby, and of the Rugby Football Union. It is also the provincial flower of Yorkshire and Lancashire in England (the white rose and red rose respectively), of Alberta (the wild rose) in Canada, and of Islamabad Capital Territory in Pakistan. It is the state flower of four US states: Iowa and North Dakota (R. arkansana), Georgia (R. laevigata), and New York (Rosa generally). Portland, Oregon counts "City of Roses" among its nicknames, and holds an annual Rose Festival. The Greek island of Rhodes is known as the Island of Roses or Rose of the Aegean, but does not use the rose as its symbol.

More recently, from the last century [Paris 1968] a red rose (often held in a hand) became a symbol of socialism or social democracy: it is used as a symbol by British, Irish, French, Spanish, Portuguese, Norwegian, Danish, Swedish, Finnish, Brazilian, Dutch and other European labor, socialist or social democratic parties. The White Rose was a World War II non violent resistance group in Germany.

I have already spoken of the SIX leafed flower. There are also references to eight-petal rosettes

Eight-petalled rosettes can be found on various ancient game boards as well as on many other objects. They were generally a symbol for the sun, or more precisely its cycle of birth, death, and rebirth, and so indicated the passages from one state of existence into another.

We know that the eight-leaf rosette was also the emblem of the fertility in Mesopotamia goddess Ishtar and her planet Venus. In a well-known myth, Ishtar descended into the underworld and was held there as dead before she returned to life and to life-giving, just as Venus the evening star disappears from the sky for some time and then heralds as morning star the return of the life-giving light. The symbolism is the same as that derived from the cycles of the sun.

A tentative astrological connection can be noted as follows bearing in mind the number eight. Venus and the sun also both match the eight leaves of the rosette with their observable behaviors. Venus disappears for an average of eight days in the glare of the sun during its transition from evening to morning star. Furthermore, five complete Venus cycles of 583.92 days each come close to eight solar years of 365.2422-days each, and they match them exactly, at 2920 days, when both periods are rounded to whole numbers.

In general, the contexts in which we find the eight-leaf rosette suggest that it represented the birth, death, and rebirth of the sun (and/or of the planet Venus), in many of the ancient Near Eastern religions which could have influenced the maker of the Disk.

Symbol

An idea, sign, device or object which has within itself something else ; an idea, or fact, even a proposition - which it guards from facile scrutiny, but which it may yield, if it be studied. Some symbols are simple, others very complex. In Freemasonry, certain symbols denote somewhat vaguely certain "virtues" or "facts', while others are capable of a wide interpretation.

Emblem

A symbolic device, but its meaning does not have to be discovered; its meaning is obvious, known and accepted by common agreement: e.g., a crown means royalty, white means purity.

Badge

A mark or sign by which a person or object is distinguished. In other words it is a device used to make known membership of any corporate body serving its owner to establish his identity, as indeed his own name does.

Masonry uses all three, symbol, emblem and badge, and in some cases symbol and emblem seem to be the same.

That the apron is a 'badge' is without question.

Are the blue edged ribbon, the rosettes, the seven-chained tassels symbols or emblems? Have they any worth apart from artistic forms or embellishments?

The Masonic apron varies according to the constitutions. For example, the Dutch wear an apron bordered with black and with skull and crossbones on the flap. Scottish lodges each have their individual right to choose the design, colour and shape of their aprons; some employ a tartan, while many others have a circular rather than a triangular flap. This is the reason why all four Scottish lodges dress in different regalia whilst all English lodges have adopted the same model. Irish aprons appear to be a bizarre attempt at standardization with tinges of individualisation in the apron borders and embroidery.

The colour of the Master Mason's apron, which is that of Cambridge University, and likewise that used by Parliament when fighting King Charles, has a much deeper significance than is generally known. It is closely related to the colour of the Virgin Mary, which in itself has been brought forward from Isis, Astarte and other Mother Goddesses of the ancient world, whose symbol was always the moon and seven stars. You may have noticed that many statues of the Virgin Mary show her wearing a diadem or crown of seven stars on her head and her cloak is light blue, the colour of the English Constitution Masonic apron.

In contrast, the aprons of District and Grand Lodge Officers have Garter Blue, often connected with certain Orders of Knighthood, but note that this blue is the colour of Oxford University, and the colour associated with the Royalist cause during the Civil War. Thus the two aprons in use amongst Brethren of the English craft employ the colours of the two great Universities of England. The dark blue colour [which I wear as we practice a South African- modified Dutch ritual which had evolved from the Rites Francaise, operating in Israel under Scottish Rite with special dispensation from the Grand Lodge of the State of Israel] therefore can be said to represent the rulers in the Craft, and represent the masculine element. Light blue, on the other hand, represents the feminine or passive aspect, and is most appropriate for the ordinary Master Mason, whose duty it is to obey and not to command.

The other significant emblems representative of the female aspect are the three rosettes, symbol of the rose itself and itself a well known substitute for the Virgin Mary herself as the Mystic Rose, as aforementioned. The three rosettes on a Master Mason's apron are arranged so as to form a triangle with the point upwards, interpenetrating the triangle formed by the flap on the apron, alluding to the square and compass. The two rosettes on a Fellow Crafts apron stress the dual nature of man and could have a clear reference to the two Pillars. The two rosettes also point out that the Fellow Craft has not yet a complete Freemason as it requires a third rosette to form a triangle. The Fellow Craft's apron thus represents the wearer's status as being superior to an Entered Apprentice but inferior to that which in due time he will attain and which the third rosette will invariably complete in the form of the interlaced square and compass. As the Master Mason advances and becomes Master of his Lodge, the rosettes of his apron give way to three Tau or levels as they are generally called.

Before discussing the Tau, a short word about the appearance of the rosette in Scottish Rite masonry, the Lodges of Perfection, is apt. The 18th Degree in Scottish Rite masonry is the Rose Croix Chapter and is essentially an intrinsic Christian degree and as such, based upon which I have already mentioned, utilizes the rose as its main emblem.

In Israel the degree has been modified to permit our Jewish brethren to advance the Perfection ladder, and rightly so. Some say that the rose in Kabbalistic Judaism also represents the Garden of Eden and the expulsion wherefrom of Adam and Eve.

This beautiful image of the Hermetic Rose Cross (fig.23), obtained with grateful thanks from the Hermetic Fellowship, will clearly show to anyone familiar with the common colour attributions of the Kabbalistic Tree of Life how closely related are the disciplines of Kabbalah and Rosicrucianism.The apparent central rosette is actually 'bricks' of Hebrew letters. The four arms of the cross represent fire [red],water[blue], air[yellow] and earth[colour mixture].The 4*3 =12 prominences symbolise the twelve planetary signs.

Below is an example of The Cross of Kabbalah and two illustrations of the kabbalistic tree of life. They too are composed of lookalike rosettes.

The Zohar introduces Rabbi Chezkiah who opened [his discourse] and said: "It is written: 'As a rose among the thorns, so is my beloved amongst the daughters' (Songs 2:2). Who is the rose? This refers to ' Knesset Yisrael' - the Collective soul roots of Israel, malchut. (For there is one level of a rose and there is another level of a rose - i.e. duality) (Zohar I, Intro. pg 1)

In its opening discourse, the Holy Zohar explains how the Shechina (otherwise known as the Divine Presence, referred to as Knesset Yisrael, the "Community of Israel") is compared to a rose that has the two colors, white and red, within it. In addition, the rose has thirteen petals and five sepals surrounding her to protect from the thorns. Similarly, the Shechina possesses two general qualities: loving kindness and judgment corresponding to white and red, respectively.

So in the same manner is the lily which sits upon 5 sepals - resembling the 5 fingers. And this lily corresponds to the goblet of blessing.

We have already made mention of the word 'sub-rosa' - keeping a secret. This is very relevant in Freemasonry. How did this arise? It would appear that the whole is based on the mythological Horus.

Horus is the Falcon headed god of ancient Egyptian mythology. Like many other gods the nature of what he was and the legends and stories that went with him changed over the course of history. Horus was an amalgamation of other, related deities, all of whom where sun gods and associated with the royal prerogative and the sky. Because Horus was a combination of other gods, it is rarely correct to refer to "Horus" as Horus was as much a family of related deities (though many had differing parentages) unified in one being; something similar occurs in many Christians' interpretation of the one God who manifests in three parts.

Heru-ur (also called Harmerti) is the oldest version of Horus, and was a falcon creator-god who was known for restraining Apep. His eyes were the sun and the moon; during a new moon, he was blind and was called Mekhenty-er-irty ("he who has no eyes") and open the return of his sight, he was called Khenty-irty ("he who has eyes").

As a child, Horus was called Har-pa-khered ("Horus the child" and called Harpocrates by the Greeks) and was a son of either Osiris and Isis or Banebdjetet and Hatmehit. He was depicted as a naked boy with a finger in his mouth, sitting on a lotus with his mother. In this form, he was a fertility god and was depicted with a cornucopia.

The story is as follows:

Aphrodite gave a rose to her son Eros, the god of love; he, in turn, gave it to Harpocrates, the god of silence, to ensure that his mother's indiscretions (or those of the gods in general, in other accounts) were kept under wraps. Paintings of roses on the ceilings of Roman banquet rooms were also a reminder that things said under the influence of wine (sub vino) should also remain sub rosa. In Christian symbology the phrase "sub rosa" has a special place in confessions. Pictures of file-leaved roses were often carved on confessionals, indicating that the conversations will maintain secrecy. The phrase has also understood to make reference to the mysterious virginal conception of Christ, which will remain a secret to a rational mind.

More recently, "sub rosa" activities have become a byword for covert operations, usually by security services. Originating primarily in the Canada and the USA Special Forces, this meaning has been gradually spreading to other countries and in particular the United Kingdom.

Har-pa-Khered became very popular during the time of the Roman Empire, when he was depicted riding a goose or ram (note Banebdjetet, his father, was a ram god).

In the above we already can see an inkling of Masonic symbolism. [ ..and maybe anti-Masonic ]

At this point I would like to add an observation of my own which I have never seen recorded elsewhere.

Under the history of Egyptian mythology I discussed the symbol of the three sacred lotus lilies representing "plant" meaning "Tree of Life".

Another picture of the Osiris Crown and hieroglyphics will help explain my thoughts.

If one looks carefully at the glyph there is an uncanny resemblance to the Hebrew letter 'SHIN' pronounced 'SH'; and as we know 'SH' [ or 'shush'] is the sound made by the human when requesting silence, invariably placing the finger to ones lips at the same time!

In Hebraic literature the Rabbis [especially the famed Chofetz Chaim, Rabbi Yisrael Meir Kagan, born 1839 ] placed great stress on NOT gossiping, implying 'silence is golden'. The Vilna Gaon quotes a Midrash saying that for every instant that a person holds his silence he will receive the highest rewards. In effect silence will guarantee one a 'long life' because often it is the spoken word which causes the human the most pain.

I suspect that this is a coincidental observation but nevertheless a very important one. I make mention of this as a 'figure of silence' is used in the initiation ritual of our South African- modified Nederlandic ritual.

The Additional Decorations

The Tau is the symbol of the Creator and also the symbol of the Royal Arch. At one time all Masters had to be exalted to that supreme degree before he could accept the Chair in a Craft lodge.

Now a short word about another important feature of the apron, namely the tassels, which originally represented the ends of the string used to tie the apron round the waist.

It was only a matter of time before these strings were decorated with tassels and even today certain aprons, such as those worn by members of the Royal Order of Scotland use this type of string with ornamental tassels which when properly tied together at the front cause the two tassels to stick out from under the flap. Craft aprons have now replaced the string or cord with a band attached to a hook and eye and so tassels have been replaced by two strips of ribbon on which are attached seven chains. The seven chains themselves are full of symbolic meaning and represent various Masonic allegories such as the seven liberal Arts and Sciences; the number of Masons needed to form a perfect lodge and the number of years it took King Solomon to build the temple, etc. The two ribbons and chains might also be representative of the old pillars that used to adorn the apron before these were replaced with the existing form.

Finally we arrive at the band with the hook and eye attachment that perhaps nobody may be aware is also full of symbolic significance. It is no accident that the snake was selected for this purpose. The snake is the traditional symbol of evil, but it is also associated with wisdom. Thus the serpent in our apron denotes that we are encircled by Holy wisdom. You will also notice that the serpent is biting its own tail, thus forming a circle which has always been regarded as the emblem of eternity, and more especially the Eternal Wisdom of God.

I would like to state at this juncture that it is my belief that the rosette entered Freemasonry as a direct result of the passionate love by the French for rosettes adorned to indicate status. I refer back to their medals. No one else uses them the way they do, past or present. As an award, their Medal of Honor has existed since the days of Louis XIV. In addition, we see the influence of the fleur-de-lis, as aforementioned, in early coats of arms e.g. Paris, which dates back to 1358, (see fig. 26) and in association with French monarchy from early times.

In addition we also know that in 1797, the first Chapter of Rose Croix was formed in New York City by a group of Frenchmen. In other words I believe that it was the French who influenced the British. We know that there was a marked two-way traffic of masons from the 18th and 19th centuries from England to mainland Europe.

Brethren, I hope I have been able to clarify some of the background to the nature of what is referred to as a rosette and at the same time show how it adds to the symbolism of the apron. The apron is an important piece of regalia which happens to be, by virtue of the rosette and tassels etc decorative and colourful. Indeed the apron is a vital part of our ritual and any Mason who is not wearing his Masonic apron in a lodge is considered quite rightly to be improperly dressed. Thus we accept that our apron is a very honourable garment, one that we should treasure. It is an apron made of lambskin, pure white, without fault or stain - the colour of the Soul as mortal man sees it. It is ours and it now depends upon each of us to keep it without blemish - to keep it as a mirror of our behaviour that we may stand the final test when we reach that spiritual edifice - not built by hand, eternal in the Heavens.