Book review

Pacy, intriguing and thrilling

By
Randeep Wadehra

The Lost Symbol by Dan Brown
Bantam Press. Pages: 509. Price: Rs. 699/-

Dan Brown seems to have perfected the formula for writing bestsellers. Take ladleful of established facts, real institutions and persons, add dollops of myths and legends, cook it on the simmering heat of suspense, garnish it with action and serve the resultant dish as cathartic climax in a beautifully crafted narrative. This time it is an explosive mix of Noetic Science, Freemasonry, murder, mystery and action.

Brown has obviously done a lot of research both on Noetic Science as well as Freemasons. In 1973 The Institute of Noetic Sciences was founded by former astronaut Edgar Mitchell and industrialist Paul N. Temple. Headquartered in Petaluma, California, the institute is dedicated to research in extended human capacities, alternate healing, integral health and healing as well as emerging worldviews, which include such topics as meditation, spontaneous remission, psychic abilities, spirituality, consciousness and survival of consciousness after bodily death. “Noetic” is derived from a Greek word that stands for intuitive knowing. Freemasonry as well as its history has been shrouded in myth, secrecy, persecution and prejudice. There are several theories about its origins. Knight and Lomas, in their book Uriel’s Machine, suggest that freemasonry may have evolved from Megalithic tribes (7100 BC – 2500 BC) who had discovered science and astronomy and constructed amazing astronomical observatories. Many historians aver that the modern Freemasonry owes its genesis to medieval stonemasons. But how it evolved intellectually is not clear. Still others note that Freemasonry draws much imagery from the history and construction of King Solomon’s Temple circa 945 BC.

There is evidence that Operative Masonic guilds existed in Scotland as early as 1057 and possibly in England from 1220 onwards when, reputedly, the Masons Livery Company was in existence. Those guilds, associations or Compagnonnage as they were known in France and mainland Europe, were conscripted to produce sufficient masons of all qualities to satisfy the aspirations of Kings and the Church in their respective building programmes. In days where travel and communication for all but King and Church were highly restricted, the guilds are believed to have developed their own methods of introduction and secret modes of recognition when working on various programmes around the country. These were essential in order to distinguish a skilled master from the aspiring apprentice. This was important because there were no written credentials in those days because only top Master Masons could read, let alone write letters of introduction on expensive parchment.

Some historians observe that modern Freemasonry developed from charitable beginnings. In the 1600s many trades operated what have become known as box clubs where their members would set aside earnings for the group or individual members to fall back on if they suffered hard times. Those without such assistance usually starved through lack of other reliable welfare support. Evidently, these box clubs began to admit members outside their trade and had many of the characteristics of early Masonic lodges. Perhaps Freemasonry arose from an early and successful box club framework which was later taken over by the leading intellectual lights that emerged in the seventeenth century.

Various experts assert that no discussion on Masonic history would be truly complete without a reference to Roslyn Chapel, situated 5 miles south of Edinburgh and built in 1446 by Sir William St Clair. Roslyn Chapel took 40 years to build and is highly embellished with Templar, Enochian and possibly some Masonic imagery. Given that it was constructed in an age when books could be censored or burned, it seems that William St Clair was intent on leaving permanent and peculiar encoded messages in the fabric of the chapel for posterity. The chapel contains the astounding “Apprentice Pillar” and numerous other intriguing stone carvings.

Coming back to the novel, Brown’s favorite protagonist Robert Langdon, the Harvard symbologist, is ostensibly summoned by his friend Peter Solomon, who is philanthropist, historian and scientist – as a last minute guest speake

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