LOST WORD AND SUBSTITUTED WORDS

WE KNOW that almost all traditions allude to something that is lost or has disappeared, something that always has the same fundamental meaning, however it may be symbolized. We could say 'the same meanings,' for as in all symbolism there are several, although they are in any case closely linked with one another. What is really in question in all of this is the spiritual obscuration which by virtue of cyclical laws has come about in the course of human history, so that it is above all a matter of the loss of the primordial state, and also, as a direct consequence, of the corresponding tradition, for that tradition is in fact one with the knowledge essentially implied in the possession of that state. We have already considered this in one of our works,^[1] where we referred more particularly to the symbolism of the Grail, in which moreover the two aspects just described are clearly expressed as relating respectively to the primordial state and to the primordial tradition. To these aspects we could add a third, concerning the primordial abode, but it goes without saying that to dwell in the 'Terrestrial Paradise', that is, literally, at the 'Center of the World', in no way differs from possession of the primordial state itself.

On the other hand, it should be noted that the obscuration in question does not occur suddenly once and for all, but that after the loss of the primordial state it passed through successive stages, corresponding to as many phases or epochs in the unfolding of the human cycle; and the 'loss' of which we speak may also represent each one of those stages, a similar symbolism always being applicable to these different degrees. This can be expressed by saying that for what was first lost there was substituted something that was to take its place insofar as possible, but this was lost in turn, necessitating further substitutions. This can be seen clearly from the formation of secondary centers after the supreme center withdrew from the sight of humanity, at least in a general way and insofar as the ordinary or 'average' man was concerned—for inevitably there are exceptional cases without which spirituality itself in all its degrees would have entirely disappeared, all communication with this center having been ruptured. We can also say that the particular traditional forms that precisely correspond to the secondary centers mentioned are more or less veiled, or rather hidden, substitutes for the lost primordial tradition, substitutes adapted to the conditions of the various successive ages; and whether it is a question of centers or of traditions, the substitute is like a reflection, direct or indirect, near or remote, according to the case, of the one that has been lost. And by reason of the continuous filiation by which all regular traditions definitively attach themselves to the primordial tradition, one could add that with respect to the latter they are like so many shoots of a single tree, the very tree which symbolizes the 'World Axis' and rises at the center of the 'Terrestrial Paradise', as in the medieval legends, where various shoots from the 'Tree of Life' are spoken of.^[2]

An example of substitution followed by subsequent loss can be found notably in the Mazdean tradition, and in this connection we should add that what was lost is represented not only by the sacred cup, that is, by the Grail or various of its equivalents, but also by its what it contains. This is readily enough understood, for the content, however designated, is actually nothing other than the 'draught of immortality', the possession of which essentially constitutes one of the privileges of the primordial state. Thus it is said that after the Vedic _soma_ became unknown in a certain epoch, it was necessary to substitute another draught that only represented it; and although not positively indicated anywhere, it even seems that this substitute was later lost in turn.^[3] Among the Persians, for whom the _haoma_ is the same thing as the Hindu _soma_, this second loss is on the contrary mentioned expressly: the white _haoma_ could only be gathered on _Alborj_, that is, on the polar mountain representing the primordial abode; it was later replaced by the yellow _haoma_, just as, in the region where the ancestors of the Iranians settled, there was another _Alborj_ which was nothing more than an image of the first; but this yellow _haoma_ was later lost in turn and only its memory remained. And while on this subject it bears recalling that in other traditions wine also substitutes for the 'draught of immortality'; moreover, this is why it is generally taken as a symbol of the hidden or guarded doctrine, namely, esoteric and initiatic knowledge, as we have explained elsewhere.^[4]

We come now to another form of the same symbolism, which, moreover, may correspond to actual historical events; but it should be apparent that as regards historical facts, it is their symbolic value alone that interests us. Generally, each tradition has as its normal means of expression a certain language, which thereby takes on the character of a sacred language, and if that tradition happens to disappear, it is natural that the corresponding sacred language should be lost at the same time. Even if something of it does survive outwardly, it is no more than a kind of 'corpse', since its profound meaning is no longer truly known. Such must have been the case in the first instance with the primeval language through which the primordial tradition was expressed, which is why in traditional narratives we find numerous allusions to such a primeval language and to its loss. And let us add that when a particular sacred language known in our day is sometimes identified with the primeval language itself, it must be understand that it is really a substitute, and consequently that it takes its place for the adherents of the traditional form concerned. According to certain accounts connected with it, however, it would seem that the primeval language subsisted up to an epoch which, however distant it may appear to us, is nonetheless far removed from primordial times. Such is the case of the biblical story of the 'confusion of tongues', which, although it is possible to connect it with a determined historical period, can scarcely correspond to anything but the beginning of the _Kali-Yuga_. Now, it is certain that far earlier than this, particular traditional forms already existed, each of which had its own sacred language, so that the persistence of the unique language of the origins must not be taken literally but rather in the sense that, until then, consciousness of the essential unity of all traditions had not yet disappeared.^[5]

In certain cases, instead of the loss of a language, mention is made of the loss of a word only, such, for example, as a divine name characterizing a certain tradition and representing it as it were synthetically; and the substitution of a new name for the former will mark then the passage from that tradition to another. Sometimes mention is also made of partial 'losses' occurring at certain critical periods in the course of the existence of one traditional form, and when these were restored by the substitution of some equivalent, this signified that a readaptation of the tradition in question was then necessitated by circumstances; in the opposite case, they indicate a more or less serious diminishment of that tradition which cannot later be remedied. To confine ourselves to the best known example, we will cite only the Hebraic tradition, where we find both of these cases. After the Babylonian captivity, a new type of writing had to be substituted for the one that had been lost,^[6] and, given the hieroglyphic value of the characters of a sacred language, this change was bound to imply some modification in the traditional form itself, that is to say a readaptation.^[7] Moreover, at the time of the destruction of the Temple of Jerusalem and the dispersion of the Jewish people, the true pronunciation of the tetragrammatic Name was lost; the name Adonai was substituted, but it was never regarded as the real equivalent of the one that could no longer be pronounced. Indeed, the regular transmission of the exact pronunciation of the principal divine name,^[8] designated _ha-Shem_ or the Name par excellence, was essentially linked to the continuation of the priesthood, whose functions could be exercised only in the Temple of Jerusalem; from the time this latter no longer existed the Hebraic tradition became irremediably incomplete, as is sufficiently proved by the cessation of sacrifice, that is to say of what constituted the most 'central' part of the rites of that tradition; just so, the Tetragram used to occupy within the tradition a truly 'central' position with respect to the other divine names; and it was effectively the spiritual center of the tradition that was lost.^[9] It is obvious that in such an example, the historical fact, which is in no way questionable as such, cannot be separated from the symbolic significance that is its essential _raison d'être_ and without which it would be completely unintelligible.The notion of something lost, symbolized under various forms, is to be found in the very exoterism of the various traditional forms, as we have just seen; and one could even say more precisely that it refers above all to this exoteric aspect, for it is evident that this is where that the loss took place and is truly effective, and also that in a way it can be considered definitive and irremediable, since it is effectively so for the generality of terrestrial humanity as long as the present cycle lasts. There is something which, on the contrary, belongs properly to the esoteric and initiatic order: the search for that lost something, or, as was said in the Middle Ages, its '_quest_'; and this is easily understood, since the first part of initiation, which corresponds to the 'lesser mysteries', has indeed as its essential goal the restoration of the primordial state. We should note that, just as the loss actually took place gradually and in several stages before arriving finally at the present state, so the search will always have to be made gradually, by passing once again in inverse order through those same stages, that is to say by reascending as it were the course of the historical cycle of humanity, from one state to an earlier state, on up to the primordial state itself; and the degrees in the initiation to the 'lesser mysteries'^[10] will naturally correspond to these different stages. We should immediately add that the successive substitutions which we mentioned can likewise be taken up in inverse order, which explains why in certain cases what is given as the 'rediscovered word' may in reality still be only a 'substituted word' representing one or another of the intermediary stages. It should be quite evident that anything communicable outwardly cannot truly be the 'lost word', that it is always only a more or less inadequate symbol for it, as is every expression of transcendent truths; and this symbolism is often very complex by reason of the multiplicity of meanings attached to it, just as are the degrees included in its application.

In Western initiations there are at least two well-known examples (which of course is not to say that they are always well understood by those who speak of them) of the search in question, and these can be taken respectively as types of the two principal forms of symbolism we have indicated: the 'quest for the Grail' in the chivalric initiations of the Middle Ages, and the 'search for the lost word' in Masonic initiation. As for the first, A. E. Waite has rightly pointed out that it contains many more or less explicit allusions to substituted formulas and objects; moreover, can it not be said that the 'Round Table' itself is after all only a 'substitute,' since although it is destined to receive the Grail, this reception never actually takes place? This does not mean that the 'quest' can never be fulfilled, as some might too easily be tempted to believe, but only that, even if it can be so for some few, it cannot be so for an entire collectivity, even when the latter possesses the most incontestable initiatic character. As we have seen elsewhere,^[11] the 'Round Table' and its Knighthood present all the characteristics of the constitution of an authentic spiritual center; but let us repeat that every secondary spiritual center, being only an image or reflection of the supreme center, can really only play the role of 'substitute' with respect to the latter, just as every particular traditional form is properly only a 'substitute' for the primordial tradition.

Coming now to the 'lost word' and the search for it in Masonry, we must note that, at least in the present state of things, this subject is shrouded in obscurity. We certainly cannot claim to dispel it entirely, but the few remarks we will make may perhaps suffice to dispel what might at first be seen as contradictions. The first thing to be noted is that the grade of Master as it is practised in Craft Masonry emphasizes the 'loss of the word', which is there presented as a consequence of the death of Hiram, although there seems to be no explicit indication regarding a search for it, and is even less a question of the 'word found'. This may well seem odd, since, as the final grade constituting Masonry properly speaking, Mastership must necessarily correspond, at least virtually, to the perfection of the 'lesser mysteries', without which its very designation would be unjustified. It is true that one could reply that initiation at that grade is in itself properly only a starting-point, which is after all quite normal; but it would still be necessary that this initiation comprise something permitting one to 'prime', so to speak, the search that constitutes the subsequent task which is to lead to the effective realization of Mastership—and despite appearances, we think such is really the case. The 'sacred word' of the grade is obviously a 'substituted word', and moreover is only given as such; but this 'substituted word' is of a very particular sort: it has been distorted in so many different ways to the point of becoming unrecognizable,^[12] and it has received various interpretations presenting some additional interest through their allusions to certain symbolic elements of the grade, but none of these can be justified by any Hebraic etymology whatsoever. Now, if this word is restored to its correct form, its meaning is seen to be altogether different from those usually attributed to it; this word is really nothing but a question, and the answer to that question would be the true 'sacred word' or 'lost word' itself, that is, the true name of the Great Architect of the Universe.^[13] Once the question is asked, the search is indeed been 'primed', as we have just said; it will then be up to each one, if he is capable, to find the answer and to reach effective Mastership through his own inner work.

Another point to consider is that in conformity with Hebraic symbolism the 'lost word' is generally likened to the tetragrammatic Name; but if taken literally this would obviously be an anachronism, for it is well known that at the time of Solomon and the construction of the Temple the pronunciation of the Name had not been lost. However, we would be wrong to think that this anachronism posed any real difficulty, for here we are not concerned with the 'historicity' of facts as such, which from our point of view matters little in itself, for the Tetragrammaton is only being considered for the value it holds traditionally. In a certain sense it too may very well have been only a 'substituted word' since it properly belongs to the Mosaic revelation, and thus could not really go back as far as the primordial tradition, any more than could the Hebrew language itself.^[14] If we emphasize this point, it is above all to draw attention to the more important fact that in Judaic exoterism the word substituted for the Tetragrammaton, whose pronunciation had been lost, was another divine name, _Adonai_, also formed of four letters but considered as less essential; indeed, there is something that implies resignation to a loss judged irreplaceable, to be only remedied only in the measure still allowed by present conditions. In Masonic initiation, on the contrary, the 'substituted word' is concerned with restoring the possibility of finding the 'lost word' again, and therefore of restoring the state preceding its loss. This is one of the fundamental differences between the exoteric and the initiatic points of view, expressed symbolically in a rather striking way.^[15]

But before going any further, a digression is necessary so that what follows may be clearly understood. Masonic initiation essentially relating to the 'lesser mysteries', as do all the craft initiations, reaches its completion with the grade of Master since complete realization of this grade implies the restoration of the primordial state; but we might well wonder what the meaning and role of what are called the high grades of Masonry can be, some for just this reason having insisted on their being no more than vain and useless 'superfluities'. Here we must first distinguish between grades^[16] linked directly with Masonry on the one hand,^[17] and on the other, grades that can be considered vestiges or memories^[18] of other ancient Western initiatic organizations that have been grafted onto Masonry as it were or 'crystallized' around it. When all is said and done, the purpose of these last grades (assuming one does not consider them as having a merely 'archeological' interest, which would obviously be an altogether insufficient justification from the initiatic point of view), is the conservation in the only way still possible after their disappearance as independent forms, of what can still be preserved of these initiations. There would certainly be much to say about this 'conserving' role of Masonry and the possibility it offers of compensating to a certain extent for the absence of initiations of another order in the present-day Western world, but this lies wholly outside the subject under consideration, for it is only the first case, that of the grades whose symbolism is more or less directly connected to Masonry proper, that concerns us here.

These grades can generally be considered as constituting extensions or developments of the grade of Master, for although in principle the latter is incontestably sufficient unto itself, the fact that it is so difficult to draw out from this grade all that it implicitly contains justifies the existence of these later developments.^[19] Thus it is a matter of an aid offered those who wish to actualize what they still only possess virtually; this is at least the fundamental intention of these grades, whatever reservations one might justifiably entertain as to the degree of practical effectiveness of such aid, of which the least one can say is that in most cases it is, unfortunately, diminished by the fragmentary and too often altered aspect under which the corresponding rituals are presented. But here we need only concern ourselves with the principle involved, which is independent of such contingent considerations. In truth, moreover, if the grade of Master were more explicit, and if all admitted to it were truly qualified, these developments would find their place within it, and there would be no need to make them the object of other grades nominally distinct from the former.^[20] Now, the point we have been aiming at is that among the high grades in question, a certain number place greater emphasis on the 'search for the lost word', that is to say on what, following what we have explained, constitutes the essential work of Mastership. Some grades even offer a 'word found', implying, it seems, the successful completion of their search; but in reality this 'word found' is never anything but a new 'substituted word', and given what we have said it is easy to understand that it could not be otherwise, since the true 'word' is strictly speaking incommunicable. This is especially the case with the grade of Royal Arch, the only grade that should be regarded as strictly Masonic, and whose direct operative origin is beyond doubt: it is the normal complement, as it were, of the grade of Master, with a perspective opening onto the 'greater mysteries.^[21] Since in this grade the term representing the 'word found' appears in a much altered form, as do so many others, it has given rise to various suppositions as to its meaning; but according to the most authoritative and plausible interpretation it is in reality a composite word formed from the union of three divine names drawn from as many different traditions. This is interesting from at least two points of view, first, in its obvious implication that the 'lost word' is indeed considered to be a divine name, and then, in that the association of these different names can only be explained as an implicit affirmation of the fundamental unity of all traditional forms. But it goes without saying that such a compounding of names derived from several sacred languages remains an entirely exterior juxtaposition and could in no way adequately symbolize a restoration of the primordial tradition itself, and that in consequence it is really no more than a 'substituted word'.^[22]

to which he belongs; this is quite clearly expressed in the ancient conception of 'Master of all grades', which seems completely forgotten today.

Another though very different type of example is the Scottish grade of Rosicrucian, in which the 'word found' is presented as a new Tetragrammaton intended to replace the ancient one that had been lost; in fact these four letters, which are moreover only initials and do not form a word, cannot here express anything other than the situation of the Christian tradition vis-à-vis the Hebraic tradition, or the replacing of the 'Old Law' by the 'New Law', and it would be difficult to say that they represent a state closer to the primordial state, unless this were meant in the sense that Christianity has accomplished a 'reintegration' opening certain new possibilities for the return to the latter, which, moreover, is in a way true for every traditional form founded at a certain age as conforming more particularly with the conditions of that age. It is worth adding that other interpretations are naturally superimposed upon the simply religious and exoteric meaning, these interpretations being chiefly of an Hermetic order, which are certainly not without interest in themselves. But aside from leading us away from a consideration of the divine names essentially inherent in the 'lost word', this derives far more from Christian Hermeticism than from Masonry properly speaking, and whatever may be the affinities between the one and the other, they nevertheless cannot be considered identical, for if they make use of the same symbols to a certain extent, they nonetheless proceed from initiatic 'techniques' differing greatly in many respects. Moreover, the 'word' of the Rose-Cross grade obviously refers to the point of view of one specific traditional form, which in any case is far removed from a return to the primordial tradition that lies beyond all particular forms. In this respect, as in many others, the grade of Royal Arch certainly has more reason to declare itself as the _nec plus ultra_ of Masonic initiation.

We think we have said enough about the different 'substitutions,' and in bringing this study to a close we must now return to the grade of Master in order to seek the solution to another enigma that^[1] presents itself on that subject: how is it that the 'loss of the word' is presented as resulting from the death of Hiram alone, whereas according to the legend itself others must also have possessed it? Indeed, we have here a question that perplexes many Masons who reflect on symbolism, and some even go so far as to see in it an improbability which seems altogether impossible to explain in an acceptable way, while as we shall see, it is really something altogether different.

The question we asked at the end of the preceding part of this study can be formulated more precisely as follows: at the time of the construction of the Temple, the 'word' of the Masters was, according to the very legend of the grade, in the possession of three individuals who had the power to communicate it: Solomon; Hiram, King of Tyre; and Hiram-Abi. If this be granted, how can the latter's death suffice to bring about the loss of that word? The answer is that in order to communicate it regularly and in ritual form, the cooperation of the 'three first Grand-Masters' was necessary, so that the absence or disappearance of a single one of them rendered that communication impossible, this being as necessary as are all three sides to a triangle; and despite what those may think who are not sufficiently in the habit of drawing certain symbolic correspondences, this is no mere comparison or more or less imaginary and baseless relationship. Indeed, an operative Lodge can only be opened with the cooperation of three Masters, ^[23] who have in their possession three batons the respective lengths of which are in the proportion 3 to 4 to 5. Only when these three batons are brought together and positioned in the form a Pythagorean right triangle can the opening of works commence. That being so, it is easy to understand, similarly, that a sacred word may be formed of three parts, such as three syllables, ^[24] each of which can only be transmitted by one of three Masters, so that in the absence of one of them the word as well as the triangle remains incomplete and can no longer be validly accomplished, a point we will shortly return to.

And let us point out in passing another case with a similar symbolism, at least with respect to what interests us at present. In certain Middle-Eastern guilds, the chest containing the 'treasure' was provided with three locks, the keys to which were entrusted to three different officers, so that all three had to be present to open the chest. Naturally, those who consider things superficially will see herein no more than a precaution against a possible breach of trust, but as is always the case, this quite outward and profane explanation is entirely insufficient, and even admitting that it may be legitimate in its own order, this in no way prevents the same fact from having an altogether profound symbolic meaning, which constitutes all its real value. To think otherwise is tantamount to completely misunderstanding the initiatic point of view; furthermore, the key itself has a symbolism important enough to justify what we have said here. ^[25]

To return to the right triangle mentioned above, it can be said that, as we have seen, the death of the 'third Grand-Master' leaves it incomplete. In a certain sense and independently of its own proper significance considered as a square, this corresponds to the form of the square of the Venerable One, which has unequal sides, normally in the ratio of 3 to 4, so that they may be considered the two sides of the right-angle of this triangle, the hypotenuse of which always composed of three syllables, which are enunciated separately in its ritual pronunciation.

is then absent, or, if one wishes, 'implied.'^[26] And it should be noted that the reconstitution of the complete triangle, such as is portrayed in the insignia of the Past Master, implies, or at least ought theoretically to imply, that the latter has succeeded in accomplishing the restoration of what was lost.^[27]

As for the sacred word that can only be communicated by the cooperation of three persons, it is quite significant that this characteristic is found precisely in the one who, at the grade of Royal Arch, is considered to represent the 'word found' and whose regular communication is effectively possible only in this way. The three persons themselves form a triangle, and the three parts of the word, which are then the three syllables corresponding to as many divine names in the different traditions 'pass' successively so to speak from one to the other of the sides of this triangle until the word is entirely 'correct and perfect'. Although it is really only a 'substituted' word, the fact that the Royal Arch is the most 'authentic' of all the higher grades in respect of its operative filiation, also gives this mode of communication an incontestable importance in confirming the interpretation of what in this respect remains obscure regarding the grade of Master such as it is practiced today.

In this connection we will add another observation concerning the Hebraic Tetragrammaton: since the latter is one of the divine names most often identified with the 'lost word', there must be in it something corresponding to what we have just discussed, for insofar as the same characteristic is truly essential, it must exist in some manner in everything that represents this word with any adequacy. By this we mean that in order for the symbolic correspondence to be exact, the pronunciation of the Tetragrammaton had to be trisyl-labic; but since on the other hand it was naturally written with four letters, it could be said that, according to numerical symbolism, 4 here relates to the 'substantial' aspect of the word (insofar as the latter is written or spelled in conformity with the writing which plays the role of a corporeal 'support') and 3 to its 'essential' aspect (insofar as it is pronounced integrally by the voice which alone gives it 'spirit' and 'life'). It follows that although it cannot be regarded as the true pronunciation of the Name, which is no longer known to anyone owing to the fact that it has three syllables, the form Jehovah (the very antiquity of which, insofar as it is an approximate transcript in Western languages, might already give us food for thought), because it has three syllables, at least represents it far better than the purely fanciful form Yahweh invented by the modern exegetes and 'critics', and which, having only two syllables, is manifestly unsuited for a ritual transmission like the one involved here.

Much more could of course be said on all this, but we must end these already overlong considerations, which, let us repeat, are only intended to shed a little light on some aspects of the very complex subject of the 'lost word'.