Ashlars- Building Stones of Freemasonry

And the king commanded, and they brought great stones, and costly stones, and hewed stones, to lay the foundation of the house. “And Solomon’s builders and Hiram’s builders did hew them, and the stonesquarers; so they prepared timber and stones to build the house.” (I Kings, V 16-17)

Masons are builders. Our fraternity is based on a tradition of building. We claim that we are descended from the builders of King Solomon's Temple. The ritual informs us that the stones (Ashlars) for that building were all squared in the quarry so that it was able to be put together without the sound of iron axe or hammer.

Ashlar is a 14th century word meaning:
1: hewn or squared stone; also : masonry of such stone
2: a thin squared and dressed stone for facing a wall of rubble or brick





Ashlar Masonry puts these stones together so that they will fit perfectly to make a complete wall from which a building is constructed.

The wall on the right was put together by primitive man with very sophisticated building skills. It is an Inca wall at Machu Picchu, constructed in ashlar masonry

Wikepedia tells us that Ashlars have symbolic meaning for Freemasons and those in masonic schools. In Freemasonry, the ashlar comes in two forms: the rough ashlar represents a rough, unprepared or undressed stone, and is an allegory of the uninitiated Freemason prior to his discovering enlightenment; the smooth ashlar represents the dressed stone as used by the experienced stonemason, and is an allegory of the Freemason who, through education and diligence, has achieved enlightenment and who lives an upstanding life.

In many lodges you will see two ashlars placed somewhere in the lodge room. I have not really contemplated these before until someone suggested that I research the Broached Thurnel. I had never heard of this before. I found that it takes the form of a cube or tower surmounted by a pyramid shaped spire.

The word Broach or Broche is an old English word for tower.
Broach or Broche is an old English term for a spire.” Thurnel is
from the old French tournelle, meaning a turret or little tower. So
the Broached Thurnel is a Pointed Cubical Stone and was a model
upon which the Operative Mason had to learn because it was the model on which apprentices could learn the principles of the art as it contained the forms of the Square and the Triangle, the Cube and the Pyramid.

As a matter of fact, no one really “knows” just what our ancient brethren meant by Broached Thurnel; what we do know is that somewhere in the early formative period of the modern ritual, Broached Thurnel gave way to Perfect Ashlar.

Why did we drop the perpend ashlar or the broached thurnel from the ritual in favor of a rough and a smooth ashlar? There are many things that have been changed over time. Perhaps the perpend ashlar was dropped when we created the third degree in the early 18th century?

There are other changes in ritual. For instance, I am told in some rituals, the candidate is actually handed a chisel and a hammer, and told to have a go at a rough ashlar with them, to teach him the difficulty a mason endures in breaking off the rough and superfluous parts of his own rough ashlar… a rough ashlar that looks a lot like a broached thurnel, though it is not so described.

The ritual is what it is, timeless and unchanging… except where we correct it. We now have the rough and perfect ashlars in the first degree, though as long as we do not forget our history. So let us not forget the broached thurnel, and that it was replaced by the Perfect Ashlar.

Rough Ashlar, man in his untutored state;

Perfect Ashler, man educated, refined, with mind filled light.

It is this symbolism which Brother J.W. Lawrence evidently had in mind when he wrote:

“The Perfect Ashlar, as a symbol, is the summum bonum of Freemasonry. That is to say, everything else in Masonry leads up to it. The V. of S.L. describes it, the checkered pavement illustrates it, ... When the craft has fashioned the Perfect Ashlar, it has nothing else to do.” With part of which all can agree; if some think that there yet remains building to be done, after the Ashlars are hewn to perfection, we may still make our own the thought that the Grand Master of the Grand Lodge Above wants only perfection in the spiritual stones for the “House Not Made With Hands.” But the symbolism can be carried further. In this subject “Introduction to Freemasonry” reads:
“The common Gavel, which breaks off the corners of rough stones, the better to fit them for the builders use, joins the Rough and Perfect Ashlars in a hidden symbol of the Order at once beautiful and tender... In the Great Light We read: ‘The Kingdom of Heaven is Within You.’ We are also there taught that man is made in the image of God. As Brother Borglum has so beautifully said, images are made by a process of taking away. The perfection is already within. All that is required is to remove the roughness and excrescences, ‘Divesting our Hearts and Consciences of the Vices and Superfluities of life’ to show forth the perfect man and Mason within.”

To me the Ashlars are examples of the individual person. The rough ashlar is the individualist who does not necessarily "fit" with others. He may be unique and beautiful in his individuality and he definitely has a place in our society. However the perfect ashlars will fit together into a common mass or brotherhood much like the wall of Machu Picchu above. They are useful and strong and serve a purpose more glorious than an individual stone.

I enjoy being an individual. I also treasure being a part of the Masonic building. I still have a lot of rough corners to break off. I kind of look at my Brother Masons as my "homeys" or my "posse" and I do like to be a part of the fraternity. I like to think of myself as a part of that Temple which we are building with our individual character. I also know that I have a long way to go to achieve that goal. It is a lifelong endeavour and quite possible will continue past the experience of transition to the next life. I do know that when I drive my car I look ahead on the road, I don't look right in front of the car. If I am working on a project I try to visualize the finished project. It helps to have the goal firmly fixed in my mind before I attempt it.

Masonry sets that goal before me and as I attempt to shape my perfect ashlar it gives me a model to follow.

I have recently learned of the passing of two Masons. One is from Iowa and the other from California. Both of these men have worked upon their ashlars in Masonry. One of them I had met personally the other I knew through the internet by reading his blog. I know that they have gone to the Great Lodge above with the "workmanship of their Masonic Character and devoutly wish that they shall hear the words - "Well done thou good and faithful servant, enter thou into the joy of thy Lord." I extend my sympathy to their families and to their Brethren. May the Great Architect of the Universe bring them comfort and peace.