Twelve centuries separate the decline of Roman Mithraism from the dawn of Freemasonry. Twelve centuries during which the mysteries of Mithras have remained more secret than ever.
Alex Cruz
Excelente trazado de arquitectura, agradezco que la hayan compartido.
I appreciate this article as it spawned and actual (gasp!) conversation on the facebook group. Mithraists are such a secretive bunch. 😉 There were a few bits I didn't agree with, but in the main, I too feel that when Mithras could no longer command the members it once had, it simply changed its outward appearance and kept going as the Masons. A fresh coat of paint, a change of clothes, and TA DA! Easy peasy.
Gracias por compartir tu artículo, Roberto. Es difícil determinar en qué momento la masonería especulativa incluyó tantos aspectos de los misterios de Mitra, si fue desde el origen a través —como mencionas en tu escrito— de otras corrientes medievales que conservaron un saber más antiguo o durante su evolución en siglos posteriores, pero lo cierto es que cuesta creer que tantos paralelismos se deban al azar.
Ricardo Restaldi
Excelente artículo Hermano. La Masonería sigue siendo la gran heredera de los antiguos misterios. Mitraístas y masones son hermanos a través del tiempo. Pensar que nuestros antepasados fueron muchos de ellos adoradores de Mitra. Saludo fraternal a todos!
Hello Gabriel,
the article you present on the relationship between the religion of the unconquered sun and 18th-century English Masonry notes the similarity of the (supposed) rituals. It is possible to draw attention to a few visual aspects:
- the followers face each other
- initiation was secret
- there are several levels of progression in the ritual
- temples are small and often private
- the temples are oriented according to the sun, and the place of the Pater (with his solar crown) is theoretically in the east (rising sun).
- In 1976, Richard Gordon showed that each Mithraic grade corresponded to a star, in particular the sun and the moon, and had a specific place in the lodge. Similarly, Masonry has retained references to the moon and the sun, and a specific place for each officer.
- Mithraism works according to the path of the souls in the rotating wheel of the Zodiac. Particularly the cycle of resurrection, Masons also venerate the 'Eternal East'. The Orthodox make the Pilgrimage of the 12 Prayers, which recalls the 12 signs of the Zodiac.
- Finally, the Masonic ritual uses a biblical esotericism with the use of many Hebrew words that have nothing to do with Judaism. The link between these two secret societies is missing. It is probably to be found in the organisation of Chapters within Catholic monasteries, reserved for monks, and secrets, whose rituals and organisation are also close to Mithraism. Mithraic symbols can also be found in medieval sculpture.
All this points to the survival of Mithraism after the 6th century in a pseudo-biblical form that had nothing to do with the religion of Moses. It would have constituted the esoteric side of Catholicism, hidden in the form of 'crypts', which, as the name suggests, were secret.
Salve Dominique and thank you for all the additional parallels you mentioned. Since I wrote this little article, I have indeed found new examples here and there. Quite a fascinating subject, isn't it? I hadn't heard much about the links between Mithraism and Monachism, though. I have read about survivals of Mithraism in the Middle Ages. Certainly Richard Veymiers has written about it. I think there is even a filmed conference on the web where he explores the subject in depth, but I would love to know more about Monachism and Mithraism if you have more of it.
One hypothesis is that the mythology of the Roman secret society of Mithras was transformed into an esoteric society, still secret, using the Bible as a screen. Let's take an example: a secret password for today's Masonic lodges is 'Shiboleth'. Shiboleth' means 'ears of wheat', i.e. abundance. Is not the tail of the bull of Mithras an ear of wheat? There are probably dozens of passwords like that. So Hebrew became a secret language for the followers of Mithras, who continued the cult after the fall of Rome, in sanctuaries located near springs or spas, at the same time as the cult of Hercules. Many of these places can be found in France, dating from the 7th to the 10th century. Crypts dating from the 8th and 9th centuries can also be found under Romanesque churches (the church at 'Saint Savin sur Gartempe' has a crypt dating from 800 AD, and a church built above it in 1030 AD). This crypt has a clear mithraeum shape. The modern Masonic rites were probably written in the 15th or 16th century in certain monks' chapters in France or Germany. This would explain why in the 17th century 'pro-Masonic' lodges sprang up in several different parts of Europe: Germany, Ireland, Scotland etc.... the French lodges or guilds were destroyed by Louis XV.
It makes perfect sense. My hesitation would lie in the time gap that separates Mithraism and Freemasonry. I admit that certain knowledge has been passed down through the centuries in oral form from all sorts of mystical traditions that spread from the Middle Ages to modern times, including the Cathars, the Bogomiles, even the Knights Templar if you like, but I think there is a missing piece and that is perhaps the greatest Mithraic scholar of all time, Monsieur Franz Cumont. Even if he wasn't a Freemason, he was a pretty good friend of some notorious ones at the time he was rediscovering the Mysteries. Among them was Eugène Goblet d'Alviella, Grand Maître du Grand Orient de Belgique from 1884 to 1886 and Souverain Grand Commandeur du Suprême Conseil in 1900.
The modern Masonic lodge is organised around the starry vault, but the officers are still arranged in a very similar way to the Mithraeum, respecting the two solstices and the two equinoxes. The Venerable Master in the East is at the spring equinox, the first sign of the ancient Zodiac, and the seat of Mithras, from where he intervenes in the journey of souls.
this capital from the cloister of the abbey of Monreal in sicily dates from the 12th century and is very disturbing. It’s exactly Mithras (upside down). This means that, contrary to the idea we have of the past, the cult of Mithras was known and understood in the 12th century. Probably less violently than we do today. All this had to be known and respected.
I knew this amazing capital in Monreale. In Sicily, isn’t it? It’s quite remarkable, even if Mithras has lost his usual Phrygian cap for a turban, which makes sense if we consider that the eastern stereotype changes over time and a turban would be a better way to represent him in the 12th century. We could theorise that the oriental nature of the god was better known than most scholars now assume, at least to the stonemasons who worked on the building of Monreale Cathedral. There is a lot to say about this. Thanks for sharing.
The Mysteries of Mithras is an independent Initiatic Order which is inspired by and uses the allegory of the lost and ancient Mithraic Mysteries also known as Mithraism a previously influential Roman Cult of the same name.
The mithraeum brought the cave of Mithras into the inhabited Roman world. Its benches, images and ritual furnishings created a place where a community could gather around the god and understand its sanctuary as an image of the cosmos.
Although the gates near Van Fortress are the most famous, few people know that there is also a gate at Ashotakert. Such gates/doors were associated iwth God Haldi, who was later equated with Mihr/Mher in the Armenian pantheon.
"Yeşilalıç Kapı (Yeşilalıç Gate) is an Urartian open-air cult monument, located near the village of Yeşilalıç (formerly known as Pagan), approximately 60 km east of the city center of Van and 35 km south of the Özalp district center. The monument lies on the southern slopes of Mount Nazarabad, about 1,5 km southeast of the village as the crow flies. Although the area is now far from main roads, in the Urartian period it was situated on a major route connecting the Lake Van region to northwestern Iran."
"Among locals, it is also known as the Stone Gate or Ashotakert (Ashot Gate)—the latter being the former name of the region. The monument was first discovered and its inscription copied by J. Wünsch, who visited the region in 1882, and it was first published by D. H. Müller in 1886.
The monument is carved into the southern face of a rock outcrop, and in terms of shape and dimensions, it is similar to Meher Kapı, though it is about 1 meter taller. Inside the niche is a 10-line cuneiform inscription (A 3‑2), and just like at Meher Kapı, the same text is repeated twice. However, this inscription is significantly shorter. The inscription indicates that the monument was built during the joint reign of King Išpuini and his son Minua, in the last quarter of the 9th century BCE, same like Meher Kapı. Nevertheless, researchers believe that the Yeşilalıç monument predates Meher Kapı slightly.
In front of the monument is a platform carved into the rock, accessible by a set of steps. On this platform are stele sockets arranged in two groups of three. Although no stelae have survived in the area, it is believed that these sockets once held stelae similar to the uninscribed ones found side-by-side at Altıntepe.
The word “susi”, which appears in the Yeşilalıç Kapı inscription, is generally associated with tower-type Urartian temples, leading researchers to link this monument to a nearby temple structure. One hypothesis suggests that such a temple may once have existed within the ruins of a small fortress located about 100 meters west of the monument. More recent studies propose that the foundation traces identified on the rock directly above Yeşilalıç Kapı could indicate the former presence of a temple structure at that location."
Seal from Artashat (Artaxata) with Parthian inscription of Mithra
Zhores Khachatryan proposes the following interpretation:
"N1021 (3 specimens): Parthian. (1) mtr > Mihr (or Miθr); (2) BYRT: fortress. In the documents on the Nisa ostraca, Mtrdtkrt BYRT = Mihrdātkirt diz "Mihrdātkirt Fortress" (V. A. Livshits). According to Livshits, in some documents, the abbreviated form Mtr appears instead of Mtrdtkrt. In other words, this is the seal of the Mihrdātkirt fortress, with which there was some official or commercial connection. "
Clay figurine of Mithra (Mihr) on horseback from Artashat (Artaxata)
"During the Parthian period, the figure of a deified and immortalized horseman—who held cultic significance—was widespread across Western Asia and the Roman Empire. It is possible that the aforementioned figurines depict this very figure. Could these horseman figurines embody Mihr—the son of Aramazd and the god of the sun and fire—whose cult was also prevalent in Armenia and in whose honor horses were sacrificed during Mihraic festivals? In any case, the horseman’s magnificent attire, the style of depiction, the dynamic posture, and the fluttering cloak all suggest that he is no ordinary mortal. This is further evidenced by the resemblance between the attire of these horsemen and the robes worn by Antiochus I and Mihr in the reliefs at Nemrut Dağ."
"The snake is also considered one of Mihr’s companions; on the Nemrut monument, the ends of Mihr’s mantle are shaped like snake heads. Thus, in all likelihood, the aforementioned clay figurines—depicting a figure on horseback with a mantle draped over the sides—represent Mihr. In other words, Mihr is portrayed just as Lucian describes the Great Mihr: in "Persian attire and headdress." "
Sources:
1. Аракелян, Б. Н. - Очерки по истории искусства Древней Армении
2. ZHORES KHACHATRYAN - THE ICONOGRAPHY OF CLAY FIGURINES
Clay figurine of Mithra (Mihr) from Artashat (Artaxata)
It is interesting to note the following details: the artifact’s resemblance to the specimen from Hoghmik, as well as the presence of a bull behind Mithra.
"...Thus, it can be assumed that not only were the myths of the Great Mother and the dying-and-rising gods built upon a shared conceptual framework, but their iconography was also similar. Attis, Ara, Mihr, and Eros are depicted as extraordinarily beautiful and are associated with vegetation. Like Attis and Adonis, Ara dies from a fatal blow. The cult of Attis and Adonis bears a resemblance to the cult of the Armenian figure Ara the Beautiful. Attis has been depicted in various compositions—merged with other deities, winged, performing a sacred dance, playing the reed pipe, and so forth. The statuettes of Attis discovered in Armenia are winged, indicating a fusion with Eros; he was also identified with Mihr, Men, and other deities. Terracotta figurines from the Hellenistic period, depicting Attis in his characteristic attire and with the wings of Eros, have been discovered in Myrina (Asia Minor) and in regions along the northern Black Sea coast. Literary sources from the Late Antique period attest that reed pipes were also played during the rituals of Cybele and Attis and their associated deities. Attis was also a shepherd; figurines depicting him playing the reed pipe—both with and without a shepherd’s crook—are known to exist." (p.200-201)
"The aforementioned clay figurines discovered in Armenia enrich our understanding of the material and spiritual culture of the ancient period. We hope that future excavations will yield significant new material regarding Armenian pagan mythology—specifically the worship of Anahit and Mihr—and provide an opportunity to reinterpret various issues related to these cults."
Shared meals, offerings and ceremonies of initiation brought the mysteries into the lives of his worshippers. Within the mithraeum, members took their places in a community whose activities recalled the deeds of the god and reflected the order of the heavens.
Although no complete ancient account of Mithras’ myth survives, the monuments of the Roman world preserve many scenes from the sacred narrative of the Mithraic mysteries.
After Christianity was adopted, most pagan monuments were destroyed or abandoned. Garni, however, was preserved at the request of the sister of King Tiridates II and used as a summer residence for Armenian royalty.
![The Door/Gate from Ashotakert (Yeşilalıç Kapı)
Although the gates near Van Fortress are the most famous, few people know that there is also a gate at Ashotakert. Such gates/doors were associated iwth God Haldi, who was later equated with Mihr/Mher in the Armenian pantheon.
"Yeşilalıç Kapı (Yeşilalıç Gate) is an Urartian open-air cult monument, located near the village of Yeşilalıç (formerly known as Pagan), approximately 60 km east of the city center of Van and 35 km south of the Özalp district center. The monument lies on the southern slopes of Mount Nazarabad, about 1,5 km southeast of the village as the crow flies. Although the area is now far from main roads, in the Urartian period it was situated on a major route connecting the Lake Van region to northwestern Iran."
"Among locals, it is also known as the Stone Gate or Ashotakert (Ashot Gate)—the latter being the former name of the region. The monument was first discovered and its inscription copied by J. Wünsch, who visited the region in 1882, and it was first published by D. H. Müller in 1886.
The monument is carved into the southern face of a rock outcrop, and in terms of shape and dimensions, it is similar to Meher Kapı, though it is about 1 meter taller. Inside the niche is a 10-line cuneiform inscription (A 3‑2), and just like at Meher Kapı, the same text is repeated twice. However, this inscription is significantly shorter. The inscription indicates that the monument was built during the joint reign of King Išpuini and his son Minua, in the last quarter of the 9th century BCE, same like Meher Kapı. Nevertheless, researchers believe that the Yeşilalıç monument predates Meher Kapı slightly.
In front of the monument is a platform carved into the rock, accessible by a set of steps. On this platform are stele sockets arranged in two groups of three. Although no stelae have survived in the area, it is believed that these sockets once held stelae similar to the uninscribed ones found side-by-side at Altıntepe.
The word “susi”, which appears in the Yeşilalıç Kapı inscription, is generally associated with tower-type Urartian temples, leading researchers to link this monument to a nearby temple structure. One hypothesis suggests that such a temple may once have existed within the ruins of a small fortress located about 100 meters west of the monument. More recent studies propose that the foundation traces identified on the rock directly above Yeşilalıç Kapı could indicate the former presence of a temple structure at that location."
Source:
[ref:6aa51f9a6cd1d]](https://www.mithraeum.eu/album/post/921b372f354cf785.jpg)
![Seal from Artashat (Artaxata) with Parthian inscription of Mithra
Zhores Khachatryan proposes the following interpretation:
"N1021 (3 specimens): Parthian. (1) mtr > Mihr (or Miθr); (2) BYRT: fortress. In the documents on the Nisa ostraca, *Mtrdtkrt BYRT* = *Mihrdātkirt diz* "Mihrdātkirt Fortress" (V. A. Livshits). According to Livshits, in some documents, the abbreviated form *Mtr* appears instead of *Mtrdtkrt*. In other words, this is the seal of the Mihrdātkirt fortress, with which there was some official or commercial connection. "
Source:
Ժորես Խաչատրյան - Հայ-իրանական կապերը ըստ Արտաշատի կնքադրոշմների [ref:6aa51dd35a124]](https://www.mithraeum.eu/album/post/ab803b1cd3337e43.png)
arar.sci.amՀայ-իրանական կապերը ըստ Արտաշատի կնքադրոշմների - Համահայկական թվանշային գրադարանNasza Biblioteka Cyfrowa is... Here put the description for the main page matadata, visible e.g. when sharing on Facebook.
![Clay figurine of Mithra (Mihr) from Artashat (Artaxata)
It is interesting to note the following details: the artifact’s resemblance to the specimen from Hoghmik, as well as the presence of a bull behind Mithra.
"...Thus, it can be assumed that not only were the myths of the Great Mother and the dying-and-rising gods built upon a shared conceptual framework, but their iconography was also similar. Attis, Ara, Mihr, and Eros are depicted as extraordinarily beautiful and are associated with vegetation. Like Attis and Adonis, Ara dies from a fatal blow. The cult of Attis and Adonis bears a resemblance to the cult of the Armenian figure Ara the Beautiful. Attis has been depicted in various compositions—merged with other deities, winged, performing a sacred dance, playing the reed pipe, and so forth. The statuettes of Attis discovered in Armenia are winged, indicating a fusion with Eros; he was also identified with Mihr, Men, and other deities. Terracotta figurines from the Hellenistic period, depicting Attis in his characteristic attire and with the wings of Eros, have been discovered in Myrina (Asia Minor) and in regions along the northern Black Sea coast. Literary sources from the Late Antique period attest that reed pipes were also played during the rituals of Cybele and Attis and their associated deities. Attis was also a shepherd; figurines depicting him playing the reed pipe—both with and without a shepherd’s crook—are known to exist." (p.200-201)
"The aforementioned clay figurines discovered in Armenia enrich our understanding of the material and spiritual culture of the ancient period. We hope that future excavations will yield significant new material regarding Armenian pagan mythology—specifically the worship of Anahit and Mihr—and provide an opportunity to reinterpret various issues related to these cults."
Source:
ZHORES KHACHATRYAN - THE ICONOGRAPHY OF CLAY FIGURINES [ref:6aa51835e3f17]](https://www.mithraeum.eu/album/post/8b50b9469dd5f5c0.png)
![Graeco-Armenian polytheist.
[ref:6a5fb16eaa410]](https://www.mithraeum.eu/album/member/daa81bf9c6eb61f5.jpg)
the article you present on the relationship between the religion of the unconquered sun and 18th-century English Masonry notes the similarity of the (supposed) rituals. It is possible to draw attention to a few visual aspects:
- the followers face each other
- initiation was secret
- there are several levels of progression in the ritual
- temples are small and often private
- the temples are oriented according to the sun, and the place of the Pater (with his solar crown) is theoretically in the east (rising sun).
- In 1976, Richard Gordon showed that each Mithraic grade corresponded to a star, in particular the sun and the moon, and had a specific place in the lodge. Similarly, Masonry has retained references to the moon and the sun, and a specific place for each officer.
- Mithraism works according to the path of the souls in the rotating wheel of the Zodiac. Particularly the cycle of resurrection, Masons also venerate the 'Eternal East'. The Orthodox make the Pilgrimage of the 12 Prayers, which recalls the 12 signs of the Zodiac.
- Finally, the Masonic ritual uses a biblical esotericism with the use of many Hebrew words that have nothing to do with Judaism. The link between these two secret societies is missing. It is probably to be found in the organisation of Chapters within Catholic monasteries, reserved for monks, and secrets, whose rituals and organisation are also close to Mithraism. Mithraic symbols can also be found in medieval sculpture.
All this points to the survival of Mithraism after the 6th century in a pseudo-biblical form that had nothing to do with the religion of Moses. It would have constituted the esoteric side of Catholicism, hidden in the form of 'crypts', which, as the name suggests, were secret.