Among priests and Freemasons

Karl XIII as Grand Master of Swedish Masons.
Note the Templar banner in the background!

This is an English summary of an article from “Folkvett” about Swedish Freemasonry, available on the web. “Folkvett” is published by a Swedish skeptics´ group. The article is based on a Norwegian book supposedly revealing the secrets of Swedish (and Nordic) Freemasonry – which it perhaps does. (I haven´t read it, and the article is from 1995.) I also included some info from Swedish Wiki and other sources.

The Swedish Order of Freemasons, Svenska Frimurare Orden or SFMO, has its roots in the 18^th century, and counts Duke Karl, later King of Sweden under the name of Karl XIII, as its most important Grand Master. Indeed, he seems to have developed most of its rituals. SFMO always had a strong connection to the royal court, with the king serving either as the Order´s Grand Master or as its Protector. The present Swedish king, Carl XVI Gustav, is the first since the mid-18^th century who isn´t an active Freemason at all, but he is apparently still counted as formal Protector. The last Grand Master of royal blood, Prince Bertil, passed away in 1997. Since then, all Grand Masters have been commoners.

Internationally, Freemasons are split into many different factions, and very often they only have the name in common. The Swedish Freemasons are recognized as “regular” by Anglo-American Masonry, but seems to have very little in common with them in practice, being more explicitly Christian and even more conservative. The “Swedish rite” or “Swedish system” is also “worked” among the Masons in Norway, Denmark, Iceland and Finland. The Swedish Rite Masons in Finland are affiliated directly with the SFMO (since Finland was originally a part of the Swedish kingdom), while the other groups are independent. The rituals are kept strictly secret, but has inevitably leaked out, although it´s of course difficult to *really* double check claims about secret rituals. Unsurprisingly, the rituals of the higher grades are the most interesting.

In the eight grade, the Mason is dubbed a knight and gets to wear a Templar outfit. He is also expected to design his own coat of arms. Note the aristocratic angle. There were originally two tenth grades, one of which was kept secret to everyone except the initiates. That is, nobody else even knew about its existence. Initiates were supposed to drink a liquid consisting of the blood of every other secret tenth degree member! In Sweden and Finland, this bizarre ritual was abolished during the 1970´s, in Norway it´s only symbolic, while in Denmark it apparently still exists. (No info on Iceland.)

The role of priests in the Swedish Rite is interesting. The eight degree and above have a chapel, the very existence of which is kept a secret to those of lower rank. I assume initiated priests serve in this chapel. The priests also officiate at the “regular” Masonic rituals in the eight degree and above. Instead of being dubbed knights, the priests undergo a ritual similar to their priestly ordination, but in place of regular vestments, they wear Masonic outfits. Duke Karl was steeped in 18^th century esotericism, and the secret teachings of the SFMO are supposed to be a mix of Christianity, Rosicrucianism, Kabbala and even astrology. If anyone really believes this is unclear – according to another source on the web, a visiting brother from New Zealand (i.e. a mainline Anglo-American Mason) was told by the Swedish Masons that these rituals exist mostly for “traditional” reasons, but perhaps they told him this to keep the man in the dark? You never know with esotericists…

The Swedish Order of Freemasons is described as a “dictatorship” by the skeptics at “Folkvett”, since the Grand Master is elected for life by the Supreme Council (consisting of all Masons of the eleventh degree). He can´t be replaced and has unlimited decision-making powers. The other Swedish Rite groups have an identical structure. Note the similarity between the structure of the SFMO and the semi-absolutist regime of late 18^th century Sweden. A royal Grand Master with sweeping powers preside over an organization of “knights” (nobles) and Lutheran priests (the nobles and the priests were the two non-commoner estates in the Swedish Diet). Sweden was allied with pre-revolutionary France, so the similarities between this and Jacobite “Scottish” Freemasonry is probably no co-incidence either.

With that, I end this presentation!