A lot more than meets the eye
Thousands of heritage-happy Buddies visited Paisley’s beautiful buildings on Doors Open Day.
Yet few were aware of cryptic ceremonies enigmatically enacted during the construction of the town’s illustrious churches, civic buildings and factories.
These mysterious rituals originated 3,000 years ago in one of history’s most sacrilegious slaughters.
Turn back the clock to the late 19th and early 20th centuries when work started on many of Paisley’s most impressive buildings.
Landmarks constructed then include George A. Clark’s Town Hall, the museum, Mile End Mill and Sheriff Court House.
These momentous foundation stone-laying occasions were highly prestigious affairs, with rousing speeches from civic dignitaries and ministers’ sermons.
Streets were flag-festooned, with bands playing music.
There were magnificent musters of Paisley’s Freemasons, Good Templars, Ancient Free Gardeners, Ancient Order of Foresters, Loyal Order of Derek Parker knew many of Paisley’s secrets – the grimy and the good.
He wandered every corner in search of the clues that would unlock Renfrewshire’s rich history.
These tales were shared with readers in his hugely popular Parker’s Way column.
We’ve opened our vault to handpick our favourites for you. This article was first published on June 10, 2003
Ancient Shepherds, Alexander Wilson Lodge of Oddfellows and other philanthropic fraternities dedicated to the advancement of civilisation and the Universal Brotherhood of Man.
The stone-laying ceremonies culminated with the secreting and sealing of phials of corn and oil in the foundations of the embryonic edifices.
Rooted in the religious symbolism of King Solomon’s Temple at Jerusalem, corn represented the bread of life, while oil emblemised the anointing of a person or building for sacred purposes.
Oil also symbolised divine light because it ignited lamps.
Travel back in time another 2,900 years and Hiram Abif, principal architect of King Solomon’s Temple, lies brutally bludgeoned and bleeding to death by three villains in the tabernacle’s hallowed cloisters.
He had refused to reveal the hidden secrets of a Master Mason to profane people unworthy of divine knowledge.
Just as the Jerusalem Temple was the blueprint for Western sacred and secular architecture, Hiram Abif and his masterpiece encouraged unedified men to mould themselves spiritually into bricks, pillars and arches in the New Jerusalem Temple prophesied in the Biblical Book of Revelation.
Known in Masonic ritual as the Death of the Master Builder – or Death on the Building Site – the slaying of Hiram Abif inspired these esoteric rituals performed when foundation stones were laid at Paisley’s historic buildings.
Just as the Master Builder sacrificed his own life in the creation of the Temple, the corn and oil concealment was a sacrificial offering to the Great Architect of the Universe who shapes Man in his own divine image and whose craftsmanship is the cosmos.
Mine of information