Enjoy brothers

 The origins of the

Golden Fleece – Roman Eagle – Star and Garter 

Presented at Shelby Lodge  #  662,  F.&.A.M. Waddy, Kentucky
by Bro. Steve Case

as they apply to the lambskin or white leather apron of a Mason 

and the meaning thus conveyed in the Entered Apprentice’s lecture
 

Brothers, a couple of months ago I was assisting another brother in studying for his proficiency on the Entered Apprentice’s Degree.  That brother would ask, on several occasions, for more information on just what the Golden Fleece, the Roman Eagle, and the Star and Garter meant as it related to the “Badge” of a Mason. 

I will have to admit that my answer was somewhat lacking in detail.  My answer and the answer of another brother present was something along the lines of “they are ancient and honorable orders bestowed upon some individual who has done some great deed.”  But even as I spoke the words, it seemed to me to be an answer lacking in some detail.  I could also tell that our Entered Apprentice was still looking for more information.  Therefore, I have done some research on the topic and hope I can now give a better answer. 

While I did utilize our little library here in the Lodge, the Encyclopedia, and Webster’s Dictionary for source materials, my best source of information actually came from an article on the Internet.  It turns out that Bro. Steven W. Sanford of Fredericksburg Lodge No. 4 in Fredericksburg, Virginia, had already worked up an article on just this topic.  I hereby freely acknowledge his work and thank him for making it available to other brothers. 

Brothers, during your EA Degree you were presented with a lambskin or white leather apron and were told that it, quote; “is an emblem of innocence and the badge of a Mason, more ancient than the Golden Fleece or Roman Eagle, more honorable than the Star and Garter, or any other order that could be conferred upon you at that time, or at any future period, by King, Prince, Potentate, or any other person except he be a Mason.” 

From time immemorial, symbolic emblems, medals, and high orders of recognition were created by those in power to recognize outstanding individuals and to create orders of honor and chivalry.

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“More ancient than the Golden Fleece or Roman Eagle.” Sounds like something we may have learned about in high school, in Greek Mythology from “Homer and the Iliad” with Jason and the Argonauts performing a heroic deed in rescuing the Golden Fleece in 939 BC.  Well, you are right.  Mythology holds that the Golden Fleece was supposed by the Greeks to be hidden in a remote land far across the trackless sea. This precious fleece grew upon the back of a ram, the gift of one of their gods. The ram was constantly guarded by bulls that breathed fire and by a dragon that never slept. The promise to the Greeks was (or so the fable went) that if they could find and recover the Golden Fleece and bring it to Greece, wealth and prosperity would abound in that country. The hope of redeeming that promise led to the formation of an order which embraced in its membership many of the most illustrious men of that period, who were called Argonauts from the name of the ship, Argo, on which they sailed. Tradition is replete with the daring deeds and suffering of those men in the cause in which they enlisted.  

Somewhat later, in England, Philip, the Duke of Burgundy, founded the Order of the Golden Fleece in 1429 as an Order equal to the English “Star and Garter” as a means to keep alive chivalry, to honor old knights, and as a means to tie this Order to his title, which would in turn extend his heritage.   The name of the Order and its badge, a pendant sheep’s fleece made of gold, was a new device for the House of Burgundy and was certainly intended to represent the fleece sought by Jason and the Argonauts, an heroic legend which paralleled the Arthurian origins of the Order of the Garter. The adoption of a pagan image as the badge of a Christian Order led to a protest by the Order’s first Chancellor, Jean Germain, Bishop of Nevers, who preferred that it should recall Gideon’s fleece (which was neither gold nor a prize for courage). Later in the century, Chancellor Guillame Filastes added the fleeces of Jacob, Mesa, Job and David to be associated with this image, making six in all and supposedly corresponding to the virtues of magnanimity, justice, prudence, fidelity, patience and clemency. The badge was to be suspended from a Collar adapted from an earlier livery badge to that of a Fire-Steel or (fusil).
 

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The Roman Eagle became the symbol of imperial power about a century before Christ.  It was the most prominent fixture or symbol throughout the Roman Empire intending to remind everyone as to who was in power and it preceded all Roman armies when marching to and from battle.

But, the ritual use of the Apron has a much earlier history than these.  The Bible mentions a garment worn by the High Priest, called the Ephod, described as an apron or skirt covering the body from the waist down, and made of white linen with shoulder straps, possibly a bib. It also had a "girdle", described by the Bible as "curious," with no other details. Elijah and John the Baptist wore aprons of leather.  Isaiah wore an apron of hair-cloth.  Jeremiah wore an apron of Linen.  The ancient Druids wore a white apron for the sacred duty of cutting mistletoe.  Priests of the Roman gods wore white when making sacrifices.  It is obvious that these various faiths chose a white garment to symbolize the importance of purity of heart when going about the work of God.  To us, as Speculative Masons, it is a reminder of our very ancient and divine heritage.

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Our ritual goes on to describe the apron as being "more honorable than the Star and Garter or any other order that can be conferred”.   King Edward III founded the Order of the Garter in 1348 as a noble fraternity consisting of the King, the Prince of Wales and 24 Knights Companion.  One picturesque version of its founding tells of King Edward at a ball where a lady lost one of her garters.  Bending down to pick it up, the lady blushing and those present laughing, the King remarked, "Honi Soit Qui Mal y

” meaning “dishonor to him who thinks evil of it.” He tied it around his own leg and vowed to turn it into the most honored garter ever worn.  Since its inception, it remains to this day as the highest Order of English Chivalry.  The Order of the Star, created by King John II of France in 1351, was an imitation of the English Order.  The apron as professed by our fraternity confers a greater honor than the very highest orders of chivalry.  But, it also requires an extremely high standard of conduct for he who would dare to wear this emblem.

These Orders do not have much meaning to our present day society, however, during those time periods; non-masons considered these orders to be the ultimate honor that could be bestowed upon individuals.  High honors that we can all identify with today, range from the Medal of Honor to the Nobel Peace Prize.  Either way, our Masonic Fraternity wants each Entered Apprentice, Fellowcraft, and Master Mason to know that from the very beginning of their Masonic journey, that the ultimate honor that can ever be bestowed upon them is their white leather apron.

In Europe, the practice is that upon initiation you are given an unblemished white leather apron (as we do), and as you progress in the Lodge you are allowed to sew Masonic emblems and symbols of offices you held upon it.  Also each lodge has chosen specific colors for the border of the apron to identify their lodge from others.  Essentially it becomes your own personal visual Masonic record.

 Ending Comments

Brother Sanford, from Fredericksburg Lodge # 4, comments that it is much too easy for us to attach symbols to our lapels, come to lodge, and tie an apron about our waist without pausing to give these emblems even the slightest passing thought.  And finally my Brethren, over the centuries, and in our various lodges throughout the world, we see many varied and ornate aprons.  But remember my Brothers, there is nothing; I repeat nothing, which confers a greater honor than the plain white lambskin that you were presented with upon your initiation as an Entered Apprentice, which you will wear on that journey from who’s borne no man returns, and to that temple not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.

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