The ‘High Degrees’ of Le Droit Humain

When Le Droit Humain started, there were no ‘high degrees’. The reason, supposedly, that Georges Martin didn’t want them. It was only later (but not that long) that ‘high degrees’ found their way into the system of Le Droit Humain.

In “The early days of Le Droit Humain” I write that only a 1901 (Le Droit Humain had been founded in 1893) a “Supreme Council” was formed, a common name for an umbrella organisations for ‘high degrees’.

I ran into a “Tuileur Géneral de l’Obédience Maçonnique Mixte International Le Droit Humain Fondée à l’Or. de Paris le 4 avril 1893 (E.V.)”. The archive that holds this publication, has it published in 1893, I suppose because of the date on the cover.

“Tuileur” has been a common word in French Masonic circles to refer to “tyler” publications which contain abbreviations of degrees, listing a summery of the story, the steps, signs, words, etc. I suppose this is a reference to a book that a tyler can use when (s)he needs to remember how to check if a visitor has the required degree. These “Tuileur”s go back to the early days of French Freemasonry.

This little LDH book that I found, contains such summaries of the following degrees:

1, 2, 3, 4, 12, 13, 17, 18, 29, 30, 31, 32 and 33. Hence: it is an Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite booklet of 63 pages. If -indeed- there were no ‘high degrees’ until 1901, the booklet can never has been printed in 1893. It doesn’t say it is, it only gives the date that LDH was founded.

The book opens with the following text:

Le Tuileur de la Maçonnerie Mixte Internationale <Le Droit Humain> est celui du Rite Ecossais Anc. et Acc, ainsi qu’il avait été décidé par le Convent International de 1 920. Ce Tuileur est semblable à celui adopté par le Convent des Supr. Cons.•. Ecossais, réuni au Zén.•. de Lausanne en 1875, E.V.

Or in English:

Le Tuileur de la Maçonnerie Mixte Internationale <Le Droit Humain> is that of the Anc[ient] and Acc[epted] Scottish Rite, as decided by the International Convent of 1920. This Tiler is similar to that adopted by the Convent of the Scottish Supr[eme] Co[uncil]. Convent, held at the Zén[ith]. in Lausanne in 1875

I suppose this means that in 1920 it was decided to publish this little book, not in 1893.

After the quote above it says that not all degrees are worked and a list follows of the degrees included in this “Tuileur”. Then follows a history of 33 years of Le Droit Humain.

So, dated incorrectly, but still an interesting document of early co-Masonry.