by Dan Green
Since 2005 I have been offering all manners of seeming evidences from all different angles that allude to a potential great secret contained within the grounds of Lincoln Cathedral, England. I have been fortunate that over those 13 years what I have shared has been found appealing to a high percentage of those receiving it, consequently drawing interested private visitors usually from the UK and America. Numerous times I have felt there is simply nothing more I can offer and stare contentedly in the face of retirement. In February of this year, however, the kaleidoscope happened to turn again when one of those interested parties and visitors pointed out to me something all too intriguing to ignore.
Pic 1; Door Knocker, Main Temple, Supreme Council 33 Degree Freemasons, London
The door knocker to the Main Temple of The Supreme Council 33 Degree Freemasons at Duke Street, London, is no stranger to me for it is that of the infamous Lincoln Imp found sitting high up between two arches on the North side of the Angel Choir of the Cathedral. The Temple is located inside the building in their basement. Why should English Freemasonry be using this icon when they even have their own designed ones? Why have they chosen an emblem exclusive to the city of Lincoln? Upon enquiring, the best I was offered, apart from ‘it may be impossible to answer’, is that it may have been there since 1911 or even brought from their previous building or even owned by the previous occupants, who had been a group of nuns. Seriously!
Pic 2; The imp twisted spire of Chesterfield
Being the mighty metropolis London, why need to draw attention to Lincoln Cathedral, home of the imp? The only other London association with the city is Lincoln Inn, one of the four Inns of Court, address, ironically when we might be on a treasure trail, ‘The Treasury Office’. Its origin is not fully known and whilst believed to be named after Henry de Lacy 3rd Earl of Lincoln, it appears just as likely that it was named after Thomas de Lincoln, a senior practitioner at law with no connection to the city. It was at Lincoln’s Inn that Sir Francis Bacon, often thought to be the real ‘Shakespeare’ set up his secret society ‘The Order of the Knights of The Helmet’. In my 2014 and 2015 World Mysteries Blogs ‘Shakespeare and The Magdalene – His Code to Her Abode’, and ‘Tennyson’s secret and Shakespeare’s curse – Freemasonry decoded’ I explained about a code in Shakespeare’s church. I’ll add a little more to that in a moment but for now let us return to Lincoln Cathedral.
Pic 3; The Freemasonic carved Lincoln Imp
The most prominent 14th century legend of the Lincoln imp usually goes like this; The Devil himself sends down two imps to earth to cause trouble. After twisting the spire of Chesterfield’s Parish church (Note the Grail connection given that supporters of the artefact being at Roslin Chapel place it under their finely twisting spiral ‘Apprentice Pillar.’) they arrive in Lincoln Cathedral smashing up tables and chairs and tripping up the Bishop before moving on to destroy St Hugh’s Angel Choir. Presently they are halted by an appearing Angel who turns one to stone – he’s the one sitting high up the spandrel – whilst the other made a hasty exit.
Given that much in Freemasonry is metaphorical, I wondered if perhaps this tale had been written by either a Freemason or somebody wanting to infer, by hidden metaphors, a Freemasonic involvement with the Cathedral, who themselves, regarding the Imp, have no qualms in stating that it was carved by a Mason although, they prefer to say, simply out of boredom or for mischief. But what if it has a greater significance, such as an unmoveable marker for a great secret hidden nearby?
Pic 4; St. Hugh’s Angel Choir, Lincoln Cathedral
Let us return again to the legend and a brand of my own ‘speculative’ Masonry. The newly arrived imps were smashing up tables and chairs and tripped up the Bishop. Used as a verb, ‘The Table’ is a meeting place or forum for formal discussions held to settle issues or disputes. A Freemason’s Lodge? A ‘table’ is a slab or board, and a ‘Board’ is a Council table, a council or authorised body. Freemasons? The imps were smashing tables. Perhaps they were turning them over as in the colloquialism ‘turning the tables’ meaning to reverse one’s position relative to someone else, to turn a disadvantage to an advantage, as is often an accusation pointed at Freemasonry?
‘Under the table’ refers to secretly or covertly. Freemasonry? A ‘Chair’ can mean the Seat or Office of one in authority, to place in a seat of authority ie Bishop. ‘Cathedral’ origins from the Greek word ‘Kathedra’ meaning ‘a seat’. To ‘trip someone up’ is to detect or expose someone in a mistake or inconsistency. When the imps were ‘tripping up the Bishop’, could this possibly mean there was something awaiting exposure? A great Freemasonic secret?
Pic 5; Main Temple, Supreme Council of the 33 Degree Freemasons
There are 28 carved Angels in the Angel Choir and this just happens to be the exact number of the tomb (out of 56 recorded there) opposite the south-east corner of the Cathedral at St Margaret’s burial grounds where the culmination of my research suggests here, deeper underneath, is hidden a ‘Great Secret’, so perhaps no coincidence that our imp sits like a sore thumb high up in the Angel choir.
Pic 6; St. George, Shakespeare’s church, Stratford-Upon-Avon
Returning to the sole purpose of a door knocker – to knock on a door – there is a stain glass depiction at the St George window at Shakespeare’s church, Holy Trinity, Stratford-upon-Avon, of St George himself, Patron Saint of England, looking rather like a Knights Templar and knocking at a door. If this is meant to represent the door knocker at The Freemasonic Main Temple then maybe that the knocker in the glass is shown prominently below the scroll the fellow is reading out is meant to draw attention to the Temple knocker and hence to Lincoln. The sheath of his sword strapped to his waist points down to a Freemasonic chequer board floor upon which is resting a star. A short distance away from Lincoln Cathedral at Greetwell Gate, stands another Inn dating back to 1781. Facing the east of the Cathedral it is called ‘Morning Star’. Once frequented by Freemasons, it is now with an Inn sign that shows St George on his steed.
Pic 7; Morning Star with St. George on steed
Maybe there ARE deliberate signs of Freemasonry influence about! If so, could there be any nearer the home of a possible concealed ‘Great Secret’ over at the concluding St Margaret’s?
It would be good if we could find a Keystone which in symbolic Freemasonry announces an entry into either chamber or vault containing manuscript material; or the Freemasonic symbol that is an Arch; or a Freemasonic Divider or Compass that represents the spiritual, intellectual and moral portion of the double nature of Humanity and which when visible signifies an area important to Freemasons. Well, be it coincidental or otherwise, I can show you them all!
Pic 8; Greestone Stairs – Jacob’s Ladder?
Let us start on our ascent up to St Margaret’s at the foot of what is known as Greestone Stairs, the steep ascent of which may be also be symbolic, that of ‘Jacob’s Ladder’. Originally named Grecian Stairs, a corruption of Greesing Stairs, Greesing (Steps) still survives in the architectural word ‘Grees’ and more importantly in the compound word ‘de-grees’, for the word ‘degree’ means one of a series of steps in a process relating all the way to the top of the 33 degree Freemasonic ladder.
From Temple Gardens and onto the bottom of Greestone Stairs we pass a number of old fashioned lamp posts with the lantern in the shape of the Freemasonic Keystone, whether this is by chance, design or even an unconscious representation.
Pic 9 & 10; The Freemasonic Keystone. Lantern shape indicates Freemasonic Keystone
Nearing the top of the steps we pass through a Freemasonic- looking Stone Arch, appearing to be made of two pieces of stone.
Pic 11; Freemasonic symbology- The Arch
At the top of the Stairs, at Greestone Place, there is the final Keystone shaped lantern attached to the wall adjacent to the entry to St Margaret’s and her assembly of tombs.
Pic 12; Greestone Place ‘Keystone’ facing St Margaret’s burial grounds
I have written much about the mystery associated with the ‘marker’ tomb number 28 but now I will draw attention to a nearby adjacent unnamed and unmarked tomb with three steps upon which in total are carved four triangles, one in each cardinal direction, the triangle important in Freemasonry due to connection with their sacred number three. Even more interesting and welcoming, carved upon this crumbling tomb, the architecture displays an unmissable Freemasonic Compass.
Pic 13; Freemasonic Compass and Triangles on the unnamed tomb
From our ascension of the (De)Greestone Stairs, passing through an Arch and with attendant ‘Keystone’ shaped lamps onward into Margaret’s burial grounds towards tomb number 28, and now with the ‘approval’ of the triangle and the Compass facing over at it from an unmarked grave, are these accumulating clues suggestive of a deliberate Freemasonic involvement guarding a great secret?
Some, entitled to their opinion, will say I have presented nothing other than a flight of fancy, others will say it is clear indication of a directional hint. But this is how it is with all allegations involving Freemasonry. Who knows? The truth might even be right under our nose…
Pic 14; Freemasonic Compass faces ‘marker tomb’ number 28
Copyright 2018 by Dan Green
More articles by this author: https://blog.world-mysteries.com/category/dan-green/
PS
A straight line from the vantage point of the Imp shows him facing Greestone Place:
