Order of Knight Masons
Encyclopedia
The Order of Knight Masons is a secular, chivalric Masonic order, open to all Master Masons who are also members of a Mark Lodge and a Royal Arch Chapter
. Members of the order meet in Councils of Knight Masons which are governed by the Grand Council of Knight Masons based in Dublin, Ireland
.
The Order of Knight Masons is a system of three degrees, namely Knight of the Sword, Knight of the East, and Knight of the East and West. Councils of Knight Masons are individually presided over by an Excellent Chief and the degrees are conferred separately upon candidates. The Degrees communicate the story of the efforts to build the Second Temple
in Jerusalem. They complete the sequence of universal Masonic degrees that are conferred within the Irish system.
, seeking permission from King Cyrus
to return to Jerusalem. This degree is conferred in a Council of Knights of the Sword.
return to Persia to seek the help of King Darius. This degree is conferred in a Council of Knights of the East, and is of huge Masonic significance.
to his countrymen in Jerusalem. The degree is conferred in a Council of Knights of the East and West and was formally known as The Royal Order.
, America's York Rite
, the Ancient and Accepted Rite and others have degrees that bare a close similarity to the Irish Knight Mason Degrees.
In Ireland
the degrees were being conferred within Knight Templar Preceptories until 1923. When compared to similar ceremonies, the Irish version of these degrees are very elaborate and exceptionally detailed, and it was decided that they should be given their own governing body and be allowed to practice independently of Knights Templar
Preceptories. In 1923 within Freemasons' Hall in Dublin the first meeting of the Grand Council of Knight Masons took place and the consecration of new Councils to preserve the Knight Mason Degrees was planned.
In the U.S.A., Knight Masonry quickly flourished and eventually some American Councils formed a separate Grand Council of the U.S.A. This Grand Council governs Councils within many States within the U.S.A., however access to American Councils is strictly by invitation only, within the York Rite.
Today, the Order of Knight Masons under the Grand Council of Knight Masons can be found all over the world. Councils can be found in across the globe in Australia
, New Zealand
, South Africa
and India
. New Councils continue to be founded, most recently in Bermuda
, Greece
and England
.
Holy Royal Arch
The Holy Royal Arch is a degree of Freemasonry. It is present in all main masonic systems, though in some it is part of 'mainstream' Freemasonry, and in others it is an 'additional' degree....
. Members of the order meet in Councils of Knight Masons which are governed by the Grand Council of Knight Masons based in Dublin, Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
.
The Order of Knight Masons is a system of three degrees, namely Knight of the Sword, Knight of the East, and Knight of the East and West. Councils of Knight Masons are individually presided over by an Excellent Chief and the degrees are conferred separately upon candidates. The Degrees communicate the story of the efforts to build the Second Temple
Second Temple
The Jewish Second Temple was an important shrine which stood on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem between 516 BCE and 70 CE. It replaced the First Temple which was destroyed in 586 BCE, when the Jewish nation was exiled to Babylon...
in Jerusalem. They complete the sequence of universal Masonic degrees that are conferred within the Irish system.
Councils of Knight Masons
Councils of Knight Masons are presided over by an Excellent Chief with two other senior officers, namely the Senior Knight and Junior Knight. When meeting officially, Knight Masons are permitted to form Councils of Knights of the Sword, or Councils of Knight of the East, or Councils of Knights of the East and West in order to confer those particular degrees, therefore the three degrees of Knight Masonry are conferred in three separate Councils, all operating within a Council of Knight Masons.Knight of the Sword, or Babylonian Pass
The candidate represents ZerubbabelZerubbabel
Zerubbabel was a governor of the Persian Province of Judah and the grandson of Jehoiachin, penultimate king of Judah. Zerubbabel led the first group of Jews, numbering 42,360, who returned from the Babylonian Captivity in the first year of Cyrus, King of Persia . The date is generally thought to...
, seeking permission from King Cyrus
Cyrus the Great
Cyrus II of Persia , commonly known as Cyrus the Great, also known as Cyrus the Elder, was the founder of the Achaemenid Empire. Under his rule, the empire embraced all the previous civilized states of the ancient Near East, expanded vastly and eventually conquered most of Southwest Asia and much...
to return to Jerusalem. This degree is conferred in a Council of Knights of the Sword.
Knight of the East, or Jordan Pass
The degree of Knight of the East tells the detailed story of Zerubbabel'sZerubbabel
Zerubbabel was a governor of the Persian Province of Judah and the grandson of Jehoiachin, penultimate king of Judah. Zerubbabel led the first group of Jews, numbering 42,360, who returned from the Babylonian Captivity in the first year of Cyrus, King of Persia . The date is generally thought to...
return to Persia to seek the help of King Darius. This degree is conferred in a Council of Knights of the East, and is of huge Masonic significance.
Knight of the East and West, or Royal Order
This degree represents the return of ZerubbabelZerubbabel
Zerubbabel was a governor of the Persian Province of Judah and the grandson of Jehoiachin, penultimate king of Judah. Zerubbabel led the first group of Jews, numbering 42,360, who returned from the Babylonian Captivity in the first year of Cyrus, King of Persia . The date is generally thought to...
to his countrymen in Jerusalem. The degree is conferred in a Council of Knights of the East and West and was formally known as The Royal Order.
History
There are degrees of this nature in appendant orders within various Masonic systems through out the world. For example, the Allied Masonic DegreesAllied Masonic Degrees
The Allied Masonic Degrees are a series of Masonic degrees conferred by Councils of the Allied Masonic Degrees. They are side degrees that can be conferred only by invitation...
, America's York Rite
York Rite
The York Rite or American Rite is one of several Rites of the worldwide fraternity known as Freemasonry. A Rite is a series of progressive degrees that are conferred by various Masonic organizations or bodies, each of which operates under the control of its own central authority...
, the Ancient and Accepted Rite and others have degrees that bare a close similarity to the Irish Knight Mason Degrees.
In Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
the degrees were being conferred within Knight Templar Preceptories until 1923. When compared to similar ceremonies, the Irish version of these degrees are very elaborate and exceptionally detailed, and it was decided that they should be given their own governing body and be allowed to practice independently of Knights Templar
Knights Templar
The Poor Fellow-Soldiers of Christ and of the Temple of Solomon , commonly known as the Knights Templar, the Order of the Temple or simply as Templars, were among the most famous of the Western Christian military orders...
Preceptories. In 1923 within Freemasons' Hall in Dublin the first meeting of the Grand Council of Knight Masons took place and the consecration of new Councils to preserve the Knight Mason Degrees was planned.
In the U.S.A., Knight Masonry quickly flourished and eventually some American Councils formed a separate Grand Council of the U.S.A. This Grand Council governs Councils within many States within the U.S.A., however access to American Councils is strictly by invitation only, within the York Rite.
Today, the Order of Knight Masons under the Grand Council of Knight Masons can be found all over the world. Councils can be found in across the globe in Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
, South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
and India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. New Councils continue to be founded, most recently in Bermuda
Bermuda
Bermuda is a British overseas territory in the North Atlantic Ocean. Located off the east coast of the United States, its nearest landmass is Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, about to the west-northwest. It is about south of Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, and northeast of Miami, Florida...
, Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
and England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
.
Succession of Great Chiefs of the Grand Council of Knight Masons
- Gerard Black, 1923–1939
- Edward H. Burne, 1940-1942
- Joseph H. Hamill, 1943-1963
- John H. Keers, 1964-1978
- James McC Allen, 1979–1984
- James Lutton, 1985-1992
- Arnold J. Cooke, 1993-2000
- Mervyn W. Morrison, 2001-2007
- Bernard V. A. Woods, 2008-present