Bristol Masonic Ritual : The Oldest and Most Unique Craft Ritual Used in England

Bristol Masonry is unlike anything seen elsewhere in England. In the first degree alone one witnesses unusual ceremonies and hears statements which will surprise even the well-read Mason. Have you ever heard "the Nile, the Ganges, the Euphrates, [and the] Mississippi” mentioned in an Entered Apprentice degree? How about "the immeasurable wilds of the scattered Indian tribes across the mighty Atlantic...the wandering Arabs, roaming tartars, or far distant Chinese”? Have you ever seen the "circle of swords,” the "cup of affliction” or the "writing test” given to an Entered Apprentice? It is all here, and much more. As one of the most unusual rituals in the English language, Masons travel from all over the world to witness these fascinating ceremonies. Boasting what is probably the oldest Craft working in England, Bristol ritual retains aspects which are similar to the unpublished Irish workings, but also resembles Continental Masonry in some regards. Official or no, most English and Scottish rituals are available through booksellers, but copies of the Bristol ritual are difficult to come by, as the ritual has previously only been circulated in manuscript and typescript, and are frequently sold by used book dealers for as high as £60 per section. By this is meant that the ritual manuscript is divided into sections containing the parts of individual officers, few Brethren having a complete copy of the text. This book collates, for the first time, the entire ritual.