Ritual , Secrecy , and Civil Society • Vol . 7 , No . 2 • Spring 2020
The Origins of Freemasonry and the Invention of Tradition
Andrew Prescott and Susan Mitchell Sommers
Abstract
The distinguished French historian Marc Bloch , the 75th anniversary of whose death coincided with the 2019 World Conference on Fraternalism in Paris , criticised the obsession of historians with what he called the ' idol of origins '. Bloch described how origin stories in history are frequently manipulated to bolster networks of power and enhance the position of elites . This paper argues that our understanding of the history of freemasonry has been profoundly distorted by an obsession with seeking a point of origin and a failure to analyse the power politics inherent in the institutional dynamics of freemasonry across the centuries . In particular , it draws attention to the way in which the myth that the Grand Lodge in London , and by extension modern freemasonry , was created in 1717 was a creation of the Victorian period and played an active part in the schism between the British Grand Lodges and the Grand Orient of France .
Keywords : Historiography , Freemasonry , Fraternalism , Annales School , Friendly Societies , Marc Bloch , Robert Freke Gould , George Oliver , Tradition , Oddfellows , Stonemasons , Artisans
Los orígenes de la masonería y la invención de la tradición
Resumen
El distinguido historiador francés Marc Bloch , cuyo 75 aniversario de su muerte coincidió con la Conferencia Mundial sobre Fraternalismo de 2019 en París , criticó la obsesión de los historiadores con lo que llamó el “ ídolo de los orígenes ”. Bloch describió cómo las historias de origen en la historia se manipulan con frecuencia para reforzar las redes de poder y mejorar la posición de las élites . Este artículo argumenta que nuestra comprensión de la historia de
1 doi : 10.18278 / rscs . 7.2.2