The Lost Symbol
by Dan Brown
Doubleday, 2009
ISBN: 978-0-385-50422-5
509 pages
Hardcover
Suspense/Thriller
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When Robert Langdon is asked to stand in as a speaker at a function at the U.S. Capitol building by his old friend Peter Solomon, he just can’t say no. But when he arrives, instead of finding an eager crowd, Langdon not only discovers he’s been deceived but that he’s the recipient of a different and horrifying invitation. Immediately plunged into a world of endless Masonic secrets, the famous symbologist must separate legend from reality or lose his friend and spark a political nightmare of immense proportions.
Millions of readers and countless reviewers have already weighed in on Dan Brown’s latest offering, The Lost Symbol. With this in mind, I’m going to offer you something different.
First, let me say that after reading the horrendous Angels & Demons, I swore I would never read another book by Dan Brown. I stayed true to my word until this past weekend when a good friend asked me (as an accomplished Freemason) about the accuracy of the Masonic content in The Lost Symbol. Well… it’s obvious what the end result of that conversation was. So, here’s what I’m going to do: I’ll offer up my short opinion of The Lost Symbol (as a reviewer), then I’m going to take some time to discuss Brown’s Masonic world. My hope is you’ll enjoy it.
The Review
One cannot dispute Dan Brown’s ability to intrigue us with complex puzzles and keep us in salivating suspense until the last pages of his novels. This is his brilliance. His books are also full of all sorts of well researched oddities. Yet, as a writer, he cheats his readers in terrible ways. For example, The Lost Symbol reads like a guided tour of Washington’s historic buildings. Forget about an interesting story about interesting people. Robert Langdon is the same paper cut-out from Brown’s two previous books. He’s someone to lead us through the puzzle(s) the author has constructed for us. He doesn’t change or isn’t changed by his experiences (okay, the last word in The Lost Symbol is a minor change). In fact, the only well developed character in the entire book is the villain, Mal’akh. So, I ask you… What the hell do I care about arcane puzzles if I have to wade through a travel brochure peopled with obvious constructs? Brown could have saved me the trouble of reading 509 pages by summarizing the simplistic story on the back of a postcard.
The Meat and Potatoes…
Prior to my reading Dan Brown’s latest book, a senior Mason I know stated that 90% of the Masonic content in The Lost Symbol was accurate. However, saying this, he also made sure I understood this information was fictionalized. In other words, much of it is taken out of context and/or used in a way that fits the story but that doesn’t necessarily reflect its actual use in Freemasonry. “However, Brown does portray Masons in a positive way,” he said.
My own opinion now that I’ve read the book? The previously mentioned (Masonic) brother was quite accurate in his assessment.
For example, early in the book, Brown relates a collection of penalties a Mason will face should he reveal the Masonic secrets entrusted to him: these were included in Brown’s book as broken pieces and grouped together in a way that makes no real sense. Yes, the penalties were accurate, but they were incomplete and taken out of context. You see, Brown fails to note the easily discovered fact that the violent penalties are not practiced, that more civilized methods of punishment are used. The threat of violence is there only to make an impression on the candidate, to remind him that his word and honour are not to be taken lightly; Brown uses the threats in the same way, but never completely explains their purpose or the context in which they are used. His way is more exciting, of course.
Later in the novel, there is mentioned an oath all Masons must take to protect vulnerable family members of another Mason and to keep all his secrets—–even if they are unlawful. This is a blatant untruth. The oath Brown is referring to has the Mason swear to keep all of his brother’s lawful secrets, but to not shield other actions, especially heinous crimes like murder. That’s a huge distinction.
Brown also talks about the 33rd degree in Masonry. One should understand that Masonry is actually like the steps leading up two sides of the same pyramid (the ascension of which symbolizes enlightenment). On one side you have what is known as the York Rite, on the other is the Scottish Rite. The 33rd degree exists only in the Scottish Rite, which is primarily practiced in the United States. This degree is bestowed rather than earned, most often being given to a Mason who has made an outstanding contribution to the craft.
During his depiction of the 33rd degree, Brown states initiation includes drinking wine out of a human skull and taking a solemn oath that your primary allegiance is to the 33rd degree Masons. I can’t refute this claim because I am not a 33rd degree Mason. I do however, know that earlier degrees are careful to recommend allegiance to God, country and your family before even considering your Masonic obligations. As degrees in Freemasonry are like building blocks, one being added to another, it just doesn’t make sense that a senior degree would ask you to undermine that which has already been constructed. The skull? I’ve heard a similar reference to drinking wine from a skull in one of the final degrees in the York Rite. Given my knowledge of the craft, however, I can’t help but wonder about context. (I’ll be taking the degree in question within the next few months, so I expect my curiousity will then be satisfied.)
How about the basis for the novel The Lost Symbol? To my knowledge there is no lost symbol or word or secret pyramid pertaining to the senior degrees of either the York or the Scottish Rite. In the 3rd degree we do learn that one of the three Grand Masters involved in the building of the first temple to God in Jerusalem (Hiram Abiff, the architect or Master Builder) is slain because he wouldn’t reveal the secrets (which involve words, tokens or signs) of a Master Mason. As a result the original secrets were lost. King Solomon, also one of the Grand Masters, has temporary secrets created until the original secrets can be rediscovered. These secrets are revealed/recovered in the Royal Arch degree in the York Rite and, I assume, at a similar point in the Scottish Rite.
The Circumpunct, a dot in the centre of a circle, plays a significant role in The Lost Symbol. In this instance, Brown’s depiction of it is accurate. The symbol is introduced early in Masonry. The centre/dot of the circle is equidistant from all points on the circumference and, in my mind represents our effort to strive for perfection in our lives. Why? Because the centre is “a point from which a Mason cannot err.” Also, the centre in a lodge is found by identifying a sacred symbol which depicts God, The Great Architect of the Universe. So, the Circumpunct also represents God.
The Chamber of Reflection mentioned in The Lost Symbol is found only in the Scottish Rite and not in all lodges. It is usually a small room adjoining the lodge, in which, prior to initiation, the candidate is enclosed so that he may contemplate that which he is about to enter. It is also used in some of the advanced degrees for somewhat similar purposes.
This small room or chamber is dark, with the walls painted black. It contains the following: a simple rough wooden table on which is placed: a human skull, usually on two crossbones, a chunk of bread, a pitcher with water, a container, cup or saucer with salt and one with sulphur, a lighted candle or lantern, an hourglass, paper, ink and pen, a wooden stool or chair, a rooster painted on the wall, a sickle, the acronym V.I.T.R.I.O.L.(U.M.) and various sayings. I would have to say Brown’s depiction in this instance is fair and accurate. Such a room offers the Mason an opportunity to contemplate his life and the nature of death. One of the important lessons of Freemasonry is indeed “how to die.”
The following are some examples of the symbolism involved with The Chamber of Reflection:
THE CHAMBER can be seen as a physical depiction of a Mason’s journey from darkness into light. It can also be a considered a birth, a new beginning, even a resurrection.
THE SKULL and CROSSBONES signify decline and decay. One is to contemplate death as per instructions received in certain degrees. Death is also the Great Leveler and, in time, makes us all equal.
BREAD AND WATER are symbols of simplicity, suggesting to the future initiate how he should conduct his life. While the bread and water represent the elements necessary to life, they also remind the candidate that the physical should not be the only objective in one’s existence. The suggestion is, of course, to look toward the spiritual and the intellectual.
THE ALCHEMICAL ELEMENTS, sulphur, salt and mercury are representative of ancient man’s efforts to turn lead into gold and, in Masonry, actually become a metaphor for bringing the new Mason from darkness to light, from a rough stone into one which is polished and valuable. Sulphur symbolizes spirit, salt symbolizes wisdom and mercury refers to vigilance and faith. Mercury is known to have been represented by a Rooster drawn on a wall.
THE HOURGLASS is a reminder of mortality, that we should make good use of the time given us.
V.I.T.R.I.O.L.(U.M.) Vitriol is a substance used in ancient alchemy. Its Latin meaning suggests one must search for truth within oneself, that the truth is hidden there, and that this truth is the real solution to our problems.
I mention some of these symbols because Brown does include one aspect of York Rite Masonry in his book. It involves the York Rite’s version of The Chamber of Reflection. In The Lost Symbol, Robert Langdon solves an initial puzzle with ease, recognizing the simple Masonic Cipher or Pigpen Cipher once used by ancient Freemasons to obscure their meeting notes and messages. However, as is often the case in real Masonry, Langdon then finds the decoded message leads to yet another puzzle.
In the 3rd degree of the York Rite, a tracing board (a pictorial collection of symbols) is available for the instruction of the brethren regarding the topic of that degree, which is contemplation of life and instruction on how to die. One must use the Masonic Cipher in order to decode a number of symbols found on this board. However, once this is done, one realizes very quickly that the resultant message is meaningless: there is yet another puzzle to solve before achieving true meaning. As the meaning of this secondary puzzle involves the secrets of the 3rd degree, I’m not at liberty to share it with you
As you can see, Dan Brown obviously spent a great deal of time researching his subject matter. While he may have revealed certain Masonic mysteries I would have left alone, he doesn’t, except for one instance I won’t mention, reveal the secrets of any of the degrees (which by the way are nothing more than signs, tokens and words by which a Mason can recognize a brother). The author also has fun by naming Langdon’s friend Solomon, after King Solomon, who plays a significant role in many of the Masonic plays that make up the various degrees.
I noticed the same kind of playfulness when Brown dealt with the science of Noetics: research into the potentials and powers of consciousness—including perceptions, beliefs, attention, intention, and intuition. Some prominent names in that field are also used as parts of the names of his characters. His basic research into this new “science” is just as sound as his Masonic research.
On an equally light note, the reader will notice that near the end of the book, Peter Solomon and Robert Langdon have a discussion about religion, based on the power of a word or symbol to fundamentally change mankind’s perception of God and of the individual. I quite enjoyed this talk of God Within, Man as a Temple, even Man as God. It works well to prepare us for the revelation of The Lost Symbol, and it is something every person should think about at some point in their religious lives. Freemasonry, by the way, definitely considers the body a temple, yet requires all members to recognize the existence of a supreme being.
There are many other examples of Masonic knowledge used correctly and incorrectly in The Lost Symbol, but I believe I can end with the following summation: Masonry is not a secret organization; it is an organization with secrets. If you wish to become part of the brotherhood and learn those secrets, ask a Mason. We don’t recruit and we rarely defend ourselves in public. Find the truth (the light) yourself, rather than relying on the suspect ramblings of a writer of fiction.
