(L-R) A copy of the King James Bible, referred to by Masons as a Volume of Sacred Law for the purposes of their meetings; The corresponding stone, the Rough Ashlar, represents a Freemason at his initiation, rough and unpolished. The system of pulleys suggest the use of his intellect in raising the great weights of such stones to fix them in their proper places; The ubiquitous Square and Compasses, a Freemason symbol; A stained glass relief at Freemasons’ Hall at Coleman Street, depicting the Eye of Providence. PHOTO: Nicholas Yong/Yahoo News Singapore

Mention the Freemasons, the world’s oldest fraternal order, and one thing comes to mind: conspiracy theories.

From Dan Brown’s The Da Vinci Code (Freemasons conspired to hide Jesus Christ’s marriage) to the Nicolas Cage-starring National Treasure (Freemasons helped hide a secret treasure in the United States), outlandish conspiracy theories about the Freemasons have become ubiquitous in popular culture.

This has also been fuelled by the prominence of past Freemasons who were typically rich or powerful men: the first United States president George Washington, former British Prime Minister Winston Churchill, the composer Wolfgang Mozart and even founder of Singapore Sir Thomas Stamford Raffles. Many roads in Singapore are also named after Freemasons, such as the former Attorney-General Thomas Braddell.

For the 650 Freemasons of Singapore, who were first organised as a society here in 1845, wild speculation about their order is something they have gotten used to, along with eyebrow-raising rumours of devil worship.

What of the oft-repeated notion that Freemasons are in league with the Jewish people for world domination? “We have trouble even organising dinner, let alone taking over the world,” said banker Tony Raza, 50, with a chuckle.

The American and Singapore permanent resident, who has been a Freemason for a decade, told Yahoo News Singapore that “exotic” depictions of the Masons in popular culture do bring an increased interest in the order.

“We see the inaccuracies pretty clearly…but I don’t think there’s anything wrong with bringing up these interesting historical stories, and maybe glamourising a little bit. If it brings some interest from the outside world, then maybe that’s not so bad.”

Now, for only the third time in its 139-year history, the Freemasons’ Hall at Coleman Street is opening up to the public.

The Centenary Lodge Christmas Market charity event takes place this Saturday (24 November). The event will include a discussion of Masonic history, a rare demonstration of a Freemason ritual and of course, conspiracy theories. Ticket fees will go to Kidz Horizon, a charity devoted to helping children and women with chronic illnesses.

Changing with the times

(Video by Nurul Amirah Haris)

It is all part of a worldwide effort by the Freemasons to adapt to the modern world, and better explain itself to outsiders. Heavy on symbolism, rituals and hierarchy, complete with secret handshakes and grand titles, the Freemasons can give off the vibe of a boys’ club.

When Yahoo News Singapore visited Freemasons’ Hall last Tuesday, it was the first interviews that the Singapore branch of the order had done in more than a decade.

“Historically, we’ve been guilty of being overly secretive in going about what we do,” admitted New Zealander John Matheson, a business and management consultant.

The 60-year-old added, “But in the modern world…all of our rituals are now public knowledge. The only thing that we keep secret are those special handshakes and passwords…which are frankly a lot of fun, but they are really more of ceremonial importance than anything.”

Historically, their secretive nature has helped lead to persecution – Freemasonry has been banned at different times by numerous countries, while thousands of its adherents were imprisoned or killed by the Nazis. In Singapore, some 250 Masons were also imprisoned by the Japanese during World War II.

But the order has certainly become a lot more open – streaming service Netflix is even airing the documentary series Inside the Freemasons, made to commemorate the United Grand Lodge of England’s 300th anniversary.

Freemasonry was first organised as a society in England in 1717. Organised into units called Lodges, it also has a deep history in the Asia-Pacific, with the first Lodge in Asia established in 1765 in Bencoolen, Sumatra. Since then, Lodges have been founded in Malaysia, Thailand, India, Hong Kong, Japan and elsewhere.

The head of a Lodge is called a Worshipful Master. The 53 Lodges of Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand are grouped under the District Grand Lodge of the Eastern Archipelago, which is led by a District Grand Master. Globally, the man who holds the highest position in Freemasonry is Prince Edward, the Duke of Kent.

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