Tag Archives: architecture

The All-Seeing Eye

The eye within a pyramid: a symbol of an evil masonic conspiracy?

Actually, no. This symbol was used in European religious art as a representation of God. The eye represents God surveying his creation, reminding Christians that they are accountable to their creator.

That’s not a pyramid either. It’s a triangle representing the Holy Trinity.

Helsinki Cathedral

Pyramids, by the way, don’t really have much place, if any, in masonic art as the mythology of the masonic degrees isn’t located in ancient Egypt.

I found this particular example of the “All-Seeing Eye” not in a masonic building, but in a frieze at the front of the 19th century Helsinki Cathedral when I was visiting that city earlier this week.

I’ve seen the same design in a 17th century German church.

Ample evidence, I hope, that this symbol is not “masonic” in origin. It was obviously borrowed by freemasonry as a symbol for God because it was already familiar to people through religious art.

Further reading: http://freemasonry.bcy.ca/anti-masonry/anti-masonry02.html#eye_pyramid

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