Origin and meaning of the Director of Ceremonies' cane

Each time the Director of Ceremonies moves ritually around the Lodge, he carries a cane, which he must hold in his right hand. This applies to almost all Masonic workings, and the only exception seems to be the Rectified Scottish Rite. Where does the use of the Director of Ceremonies' cane come from? Is it simply a device used to emphasise the solemnity of Masonic ceremonies ? Freemasons like to say to the new Entered Apprentice: "Everything here is symbolic!" The Cane of the Director of Ceremonies certainly has a symbolic meaning and cannot be a mere decorative accessory. Let's discover the Cane of the Director of Ceremonies, its origin and its meaning.




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Origin and development of the cane

The cane is probably one of the oldest human inventions, if not the oldest. Originally a simple stick, this 'tool' had many uses: it could be used to reach objects beyond the reach of the hand, it could be used to aid walking and, of course, it could be used as a weapon.

An extension of the arm, or perhaps a phallic symbol, the cane soon became an external sign of power. No fewer than thirty canes were found in Tutankhamun's tomb, some of them gold-plated and curved like modern canes. The humble staff had clearly become an object of prestige worthy of a king, priest or military leader. Stylised and sometimes shortened, the cane became a king's sceptre, a bishop's crosier or a marshal's staff.



Tutankhamun's canes

Closer to our own time, the cane came into vogue in the 17th century when, in its long form, it became the prerogative of kings and nobles. It lent nobility and prestige to the simple act of walking. The cane came into a more general use in the 19th century, when it became a fashion accessory for the bourgeoisie, on a par with hats and gloves. But the cane also remained a weapon, as shown by the sword cane and cane fencing, which flourished in France from the mid-19th century.

Of course, the cane also remained a utilitarian object, designed to help the elderly or disabled walk. It is almost exclusively in this form that the cane survived into the second half of the twentieth century, although a few eccentrics continued to use it as a fashion accessory.

The cane in Freemasonry 

As we have seen, the use of the cane in Europe took a major turn in the seventeenth century, the period that saw the birth of the first English speculative Freemasonry. Were the first Freemasons, and perhaps even more so those of the eighteenth century, inspired by the cane used by the nobility ? If we remember that, in French Freemasonry, the wearing of hat and sword in a lodge was a way of asserting the equality of the nobility and the bourgeoisie, we cannot rule out the possibility that the cane appealed to Freemasons and enabled them to add solemnity to their ceremonies. Given that the cane was used solely for ritual purposes, to mark movements in the lodge, it is tempting to think that it had no function other than to add dignity to the ceremonies.

But there is, of course, another reason for the cane's presence in Freemasonry, this time a symbolic one. The cane is not just a simple ceremonial accessory, a sign of social status or a weapon; it is also a tool used by operative Masons. Medieval illustrations often show the Master Mason holding a long cane, alongside other tools such as a compass and a square.

This cane was a measuring tool known in French as a 'Pige des Bâtisseurs’ or a 'Quine' because it contained the five basic measurements used at the time : the hand, the palm, the span, the foot and the cubit. Each measurement was marked with a line, or the tool was made up of five articulated sections, as is the case today with a folding ruler. These measurements were given different values according to the region, but here is an example, expressed in centimetres :

Hand : 6.74 - Palm : 12.36 - Span : 20 - Foot : 32.36 - Cubit : 52.36. This gives a cane of 124.72 cm.


Folding ruler

The advantage of the Quine was that it made it possible to use the proportions of the Golden Number in practice, without knowing the algebraic value phi (1.618). If you add the hand and the palm, you get the span; the palm and the span, you get the foot; the span and the foot, you get the cubit. It's a Fibonacci sequence. And if you divide a measure by the one that precedes it (for example, the cubit by the foot), you always get 1.618. Try using the values in the example above, and you'll see. A fine example of the practical knowledge of medieval builders !

The cane is also found among the Compagnons du Devoir, who have no doubt retained a more complete understanding of the cane than the Freemasons. For them, the cane retains its symbolic significance, but is also used as a walking stick and as a weapon of defence.

The cane certainly has its place in Freemasonry, and the Director of Ceremonies' cane is a timid reminder of the importance that this tool held for the ancient Builders. One would hope that its operative use would be more openly explained in Masonic rituals and instructions.



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