The article examines Masonic folklore in the United States in the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries, focusing on song texts and musical publications included in the works of Thomas S. Webb, The Freemason’s Monitor (1797, 1808), and Jeremy L. Cross, The True Masonic Chart, or Hieroglyphic Monitor (1826). The study analyzes 31 compositions associated with various degrees of the York Rite—from the symbolic lodge degrees to the Royal Arch and Knights Templar. Particular attention is devoted to authorship, thematic content, and the presence of musical notation. It has been established that some texts were written by Thomas S. Webb and other identified authors (J. Stimpson, Bacon, Burns, R.T. Paine, N.H. Wright), while a significant number were published anonymously or under the designations Brother and Companion, reflecting the collective nature of Masonic tradition. The study demonstrates that the song repertoire performed not only aesthetic functions but also didactic, ritual-communicative, and symbolic ones, contributing to the formation of the fraternity’s value system. The research highlights the interconnection between textual and musical components of Masonic culture and traces the evolution of publication practices from the late eighteenth century to the first quarter of the nineteenth century. The article contributes to the study of early American Masonic culture and expands understanding of the role of music and poetry in shaping the corporate identity of fraternal societies.
Source: Shevchenko, Natalia (2026). Masonic Folklore in the United States in the Late 18th – Early 19th Centuries: Authors, Texts, Music. Recorder. 2026. 2(1-1): 58-94
Source web-site: https://easteuropeanhistory.org/journals_n/1771084119.pdf
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