Primitive Scottish Rite
Encyclopedia
The Primitive Scottish Rite is a Masonic Rite
. According to Robert Ambelain, an esotericist who "awakened" it in 1985, it was the rite used by the St. John of Scotland Lodge in Marseille
, which was introduced to France in Saint-Germain-en-Laye
from 1688; these claims are disputed by historians.
followers of the deposed Stuart
King, James II of England
(James VII of Scotland). The Lodges' soldiers were widely numbered enough in 1725 to form a "Very Old and Honorable Society of Freemasons in the Kingdom of France." Their rituals were introduced to Marseille
in 1751 by Georges de Wallnon (or Waldon), founder of the Lodge Saint Jean d'Écosse de Marseille. They would also greatly inspire the rite of the Rite of Strict Observance
and Scottish Rectified Rite. The motto of the Primitive Scottish Rite is "Primigenius More Majorem." This is the lineage claimed for the current, "Awakened," Primitive Scottish Rite by Robert Ambelain in 1985.
, and have nothing to do with the Primitive Scottish Rite that emerged in the twentieth century, either in source or form.
, that the Lodge "the Perfect Equality" of Saint-Germain-en-Laye recalled its creation in 1688 by the "Royal Irish Regiment" arriving in France following the exile of James II and VII Stuart. Historians believe this claim to be probable , but have not recovered any ritual from this early period.
As for the Lodge, "Saint Jean d'Écosse de Marseille", like the other French Lodges of that era, it claimed the prestige of having been founded not by an English or continental source, but by a patent made directly by a Scottish Jacobite aristocrat, in this case a certain "Duvalmon," "Valmont" or "Valuon"; this claim was made in 17 June 1751 by its first Venerable Master, a certain Alexander Routier. However, it was never able to present the original license, but only copies, the oldest of which dated from 1784. Moreover, it was subsequently shown that the archives of the Grand Lodge of Edinburgh contained no trace of this supposed patent. Historians today believe that the origin must be regarded as legendary and particularly stressed in 1784 in order to claim an independent origin and justify the Lodge's refusal to submit to the authority of the Grand Orient de France
.
I. Apprentice
II. Companion (French for "Fellow Craft")
III. Master (or "Confirmed Companion")
IV. Installed Master (or Master of St. John or Master of Lodge)
V. Scottish Master and / or Knights of St. Andrew of Chardon
I. Apprentice
II. Companion
III. Master
Red Lodges
IV. Installed Master (or Master of St. John or Master of Lodge)
V a. Master Scottish Knight of Saint-André
V b. Knights of Jerusalem (grade alternative to previous)
Internal Order
VI. Squire Novice of the Temple
VII. Chevalier du Temple
As the years passed, Robert Ambelain lost the control of the Grand Lodge he created and it fell more or less into disuse.
It subsisted only in Désiré Arnéodo, Worshipful Master of the Respectable Lodge "La Lumiere Ecossaise" of the Orient of Ollioules, who, had faithfully conserved his titles of Grand Master "of the Rite for the South of France and Beyond the Sea" and of "Grand Lodge conforming to the Patent" which was delivered by Robert Ambelain.
Robert Ambelin died in 1997. Only after that could Désiré Arnéodo pride himself on this affiliation with Robert Ambelain and the Primitive Scottish Rite, as he then inherited the title of "Most Serene National Grand Master for Life".
The French Grand Lodge of the Primitive Scottish Rite "was succeeded in 2001 by the Grand Lodge of Primitive Scottish Rite". It is a Masonic obedience with aims to perpetuate the Primitive Scottish Rite. Its lodges are working "to the Glory of God Almighty, the Sublime Architect of the Universe". In 2008, there were 9 lodges with approximately 300 members.
The Grand Lodge of the Primitive Scottish Rite claims to hold the exclusive legal and universal right to the practice of its rituals. It likewise claims that no other Masonic power is legally entitled to administer these Rites; for this reason the Primitive Scottish Rite is one of the rare rites which is not practiced by the Grand Orient of France.
Freemasonry
Freemasonry is a fraternal organisation that arose from obscure origins in the late 16th to early 17th century. Freemasonry now exists in various forms all over the world, with a membership estimated at around six million, including approximately 150,000 under the jurisdictions of the Grand Lodge...
. According to Robert Ambelain, an esotericist who "awakened" it in 1985, it was the rite used by the St. John of Scotland Lodge in Marseille
Marseille
Marseille , known in antiquity as Massalia , is the second largest city in France, after Paris, with a population of 852,395 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Marseille extends beyond the city limits with a population of over 1,420,000 on an area of...
, which was introduced to France in Saint-Germain-en-Laye
Saint-Germain-en-Laye
Saint-Germain-en-Laye is a commune in the Yvelines department in the Île-de-France in north-central France. It is located in the western suburbs of Paris from the centre.Inhabitants are called Saint-Germanois...
from 1688; these claims are disputed by historians.
History Claimed by the Rite
According to Robert Ambelain, the Primitive Scottish Rite was practiced by the military Jacobite Lodges, founded by exiled Scottish and Irish JacobiteJacobitism
Jacobitism was the political movement in Britain dedicated to the restoration of the Stuart kings to the thrones of England, Scotland, later the Kingdom of Great Britain, and the Kingdom of Ireland...
followers of the deposed Stuart
House of Stuart
The House of Stuart is a European royal house. Founded by Robert II of Scotland, the Stewarts first became monarchs of the Kingdom of Scotland during the late 14th century, and subsequently held the position of the Kings of Great Britain and Ireland...
King, James II of England
James II of England
James II & VII was King of England and King of Ireland as James II and King of Scotland as James VII, from 6 February 1685. He was the last Catholic monarch to reign over the Kingdoms of England, Scotland, and Ireland...
(James VII of Scotland). The Lodges' soldiers were widely numbered enough in 1725 to form a "Very Old and Honorable Society of Freemasons in the Kingdom of France." Their rituals were introduced to Marseille
Marseille
Marseille , known in antiquity as Massalia , is the second largest city in France, after Paris, with a population of 852,395 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Marseille extends beyond the city limits with a population of over 1,420,000 on an area of...
in 1751 by Georges de Wallnon (or Waldon), founder of the Lodge Saint Jean d'Écosse de Marseille. They would also greatly inspire the rite of the Rite of Strict Observance
Rite of Strict Observance
The Rite of Strict Observance was a Rite of Freemasonry, a series of progressive degrees that were conferred by the Order of Strict Observance, a Masonic body of the 18th century....
and Scottish Rectified Rite. The motto of the Primitive Scottish Rite is "Primigenius More Majorem." This is the lineage claimed for the current, "Awakened," Primitive Scottish Rite by Robert Ambelain in 1985.
The rituals of the rite
The term "Primitive Scottish Rite," or "Early Grand Scottish Rite", appeared very late in the nineteenth century in a book entitled "The Rituals of the Degrees of the Early Grand Scottish Rite," published in 1890 by Matthew McBlain. These rituals are actually the first compilation of rituals of the standard Rite of the Grand Lodge of ScotlandGrand Lodge of Scotland
The Grand Lodge of Antient, Free and Accepted Masons of Scotland was founded in 1736 – although only a third of all lodges were represented at the foundation meeting of the Grand Lodge....
, and have nothing to do with the Primitive Scottish Rite that emerged in the twentieth century, either in source or form.
Criticism and Historical Research Status
It was only in 1777, when ordered to integrate into the Grand Orient de FranceGrand Orient de France
The Grand Orient de France is the largest of several Masonic organizations in France and the oldest in Continental Europe, founded in 1733.-Foundation:...
, that the Lodge "the Perfect Equality" of Saint-Germain-en-Laye recalled its creation in 1688 by the "Royal Irish Regiment" arriving in France following the exile of James II and VII Stuart. Historians believe this claim to be probable , but have not recovered any ritual from this early period.
As for the Lodge, "Saint Jean d'Écosse de Marseille", like the other French Lodges of that era, it claimed the prestige of having been founded not by an English or continental source, but by a patent made directly by a Scottish Jacobite aristocrat, in this case a certain "Duvalmon," "Valmont" or "Valuon"; this claim was made in 17 June 1751 by its first Venerable Master, a certain Alexander Routier. However, it was never able to present the original license, but only copies, the oldest of which dated from 1784. Moreover, it was subsequently shown that the archives of the Grand Lodge of Edinburgh contained no trace of this supposed patent. Historians today believe that the origin must be regarded as legendary and particularly stressed in 1784 in order to claim an independent origin and justify the Lodge's refusal to submit to the authority of the Grand Orient de France
Grand Orient de France
The Grand Orient de France is the largest of several Masonic organizations in France and the oldest in Continental Europe, founded in 1733.-Foundation:...
.
The original scale of grades
After 1985, and several consecutive variations probably due to the progress of his research, Robert Ambelain terminated the degree hierarchy of the Primitive Scottish Rite at its fifth grade, Scottish Master / Knight of Saint Andrew. At that time, hierarchy of the Primitive Scottish Rite comprised the following grades:I. Apprentice
II. Companion (French for "Fellow Craft")
III. Master (or "Confirmed Companion")
IV. Installed Master (or Master of St. John or Master of Lodge)
V. Scottish Master and / or Knights of St. Andrew of Chardon
Grades Practiced Today
Blue LodgesI. Apprentice
II. Companion
III. Master
Red Lodges
IV. Installed Master (or Master of St. John or Master of Lodge)
V a. Master Scottish Knight of Saint-André
V b. Knights of Jerusalem (grade alternative to previous)
Internal Order
VI. Squire Novice of the Temple
VII. Chevalier du Temple
The French Grand Lodge of the Primitive Scottish Rite
By the initiative of Robert Ambelain, Albert Cools and Andre Fages, the "Grand Lodge of the Primitive Scottish Rite" was formed in December 20, 1991; it attracted several other Lodges, such as « Les Ecossais Fidèles » (The Faithful Scots) from the Orient de Toulouse.As the years passed, Robert Ambelain lost the control of the Grand Lodge he created and it fell more or less into disuse.
It subsisted only in Désiré Arnéodo, Worshipful Master of the Respectable Lodge "La Lumiere Ecossaise" of the Orient of Ollioules, who, had faithfully conserved his titles of Grand Master "of the Rite for the South of France and Beyond the Sea" and of "Grand Lodge conforming to the Patent" which was delivered by Robert Ambelain.
Robert Ambelin died in 1997. Only after that could Désiré Arnéodo pride himself on this affiliation with Robert Ambelain and the Primitive Scottish Rite, as he then inherited the title of "Most Serene National Grand Master for Life".
The French Grand Lodge of the Primitive Scottish Rite "was succeeded in 2001 by the Grand Lodge of Primitive Scottish Rite". It is a Masonic obedience with aims to perpetuate the Primitive Scottish Rite. Its lodges are working "to the Glory of God Almighty, the Sublime Architect of the Universe". In 2008, there were 9 lodges with approximately 300 members.
The Grand Lodge of the Primitive Scottish Rite claims to hold the exclusive legal and universal right to the practice of its rituals. It likewise claims that no other Masonic power is legally entitled to administer these Rites; for this reason the Primitive Scottish Rite is one of the rare rites which is not practiced by the Grand Orient of France.