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Out of all the animals why a goat?

JMartinez

Registered User
We've all been through the whole "we're getting the goat ready" and "hope you're ready, the goats awfully mean today" thing. So why a goat? Is it ritually or historically significant at all?


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Bloke

Premium Member
I don't actually know, cause I tend to ignore the volumes written on this because it really does not interest me anymore, but I guess it would be the goats association with male subversiveness and the " occult " (Templar, Masonic, etc ) associations made by writers and critics with Baphomet. But I'm keen to hear other views, I should know more about this than I do..
 

coachn

Coach John S. Nagy
Premium Member
We've all been through the whole "we're getting the goat ready" and "hope you're ready, the goats awfully mean today" thing. So why a goat? Is it ritually or historically significant at all?
Although it started out as a joke in an expose targeting the Oddfellows fraternity in 1845, the fact remains that the origin of what the Craft practices and the tragedy that it re-enacts both allude to goat. However, you'll have to dig deep to understand the connection 'cause your lodge education won't educate you I any way to help you understand. It is both ritually and historically significant, but it's significance to the re-enacted tragedy is even more telling.
 

deministri

Registered User
Same here, i think is more of the Templar Legends, and the people tend to refer us to Cults including Baphomet. My father left me several templar books, but cant say i really know about the subject.
 

MBC

Twice Registered User
Premium Member
Although it started out as a joke in an expose targeting the Oddfellows fraternity in 1845, the fact remains that the origin of what the Craft practices and the tragedy that it re-enacts both allude to goat. However, you'll have to dig deep to understand the connection 'cause your lodge education won't educate you I any way to help you understand. It is both ritually and historically significant, but it's significance to the re-enacted tragedy is even more telling.

I heard two versions of it before, the one is the same exactly as John said about the Oddfellows.
The other one is because they sometimes refer the GAOTU as God Of All Things at that time...
 
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dfreybur

Premium Member
Hazing is forbidden. Solemnity is mandatory. Jocularity happens anyways.

Near anagram for Grand Of Architect The universe.

Scapegoat was separated from society and blamed for the sins of the year. An okay metaphor for some of the worst of views by outsiders, but its also a metaphor for breaking off the rough and superfluous parts of our lives using the lessons of our working tools so it's not a bad double layered meaning. Classic hidden mystery of the sort that we can shout from the rooftops and most don't get it so it remains secret.

Billy goats eat anything. You've been to enough rubber chicken and canned green bean meals at enough Masonic functions to get that meaning, right? ;^)

Kid skin is softer than lamb skin, so it would make a really nice apron other than the fact that it's a physical error. And yet I know lodges that give out Naugahyde aprons. I figure the group that tells stories of the wild Nauga is the Loyal Order of the Water Buffalo not us. ;^)

Slight of hand of the parlor magic type. Sets the candidate up to be more impressed by the story he might have already known.
 

MRichard

Mark A. Ri'chard
Premium Member
Several organizations use the term riding the goat. Not sure the reference is necessarily masonic in its beginnings.
 

dfreybur

Premium Member
Trust me, not everything you are told in Texas is right.

True of all jurisdictions and all lodges. Brothers teach what they learned, whether it was ever correct or not. The ritual is standardized in US jurisdictions. The rest is not. Brothers also lose track of what has changed since they were taught.

I've heard all sorts of statements that weren't the case. Some jokes some misconceptions.
 

acjohnson53

Registered User
G-greatest
O-of
A-all
T-time

Don't get it twisted we all had to mount that stead at one time or another, I just so happen to catch him when he was half full, and I rode the whole 8 seconds, before he kicked dirt in my face....
 
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MRichard

Mark A. Ri'chard
Premium Member
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