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Anyone read The Lost Rites and Rituals of Freemasonry?

hanzosbm

Premium Member
I recently saw this book pop up by Dr. David Harrison. I was wondering if anyone here has read it and what their thoughts on it were.
 

Roy_

Registered User
I finished it yesterday. I expected a larger book, but it's under 150 pages in text. Many of the "lost Rites" are covered in about half a page. Most interesting is the information about the local workings of British lodges (some retained "pre-union" elements) which are recently dying out because lodges are merging or 'dimming the lights'. The book is a fun read, but it remains fairly superficial.
 

hanzosbm

Premium Member
I finished it yesterday. I expected a larger book, but it's under 150 pages in text. Many of the "lost Rites" are covered in about half a page. Most interesting is the information about the local workings of British lodges (some retained "pre-union" elements) which are recently dying out because lodges are merging or 'dimming the lights'. The book is a fun read, but it remains fairly superficial.
Thank you VERY much for that review. While I don't necessarily see that as a bad thing, that is quite a bit different from what I was expecting, so I'm glad I asked and even more glad you answered.
 

Roy_

Registered User
Now this is of course a public book, but Harrison obviously worked through a lot of rituals, so it would be interesting if he'd make a (less public) book with more comparisons. He only does that here and there in the current book. There are also images of handwriting of John Yarker and such, but usually fairly small.
I think the book is most fun for British Masons, since the author mentions a lot of (almost) lost British Rites that arose in the time before and just after the union when rituals weren't printed yet.

Like I said, it's an alright read, but don't expect more than anecdotes and 'petits histoires'.
 
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