Memphis-Misraim
Memphis-Misraïm is a family of Masonic rites and organisations formed through combinations of the Rite of Misraïm and the Rite of Memphis. Both developed in nineteenth-century Europe. Their Egyptian names and imagery belong to a modern Masonic interpretation of antiquity; they do not establish an unbroken organisation descending from the temples of ancient Egypt.[1]
The combined name is commonly associated with the union promoted under Giuseppe Garibaldi in 1881. That union involved particular governing bodies, rather than every lodge using either rite. The history written by Jean Bricaud and revised by Constant Chevillon records both the union and refusals to participate.[2]
The two constituent rites
Misraïm was established in France by the Bédarride brothers during the 1810s. Its published statutes of 1816 identify four series, and the Bibliothèque nationale de France records a dedication signed by Bédarride in the 90th degree.[3]
Memphis was organised by Jacques-Étienne Marconis de Nègre in 1838. It subsequently developed several arrangements of its degrees and governing offices. Marconis brought the rite into the Grand Orient de France in 1862.[4][5]
Degrees and government
There is no single degree count that describes all Memphis-Misraïm bodies. Misraïm's 90-degree scheme, versions of Memphis with 95 degrees, and systems extended to 97 or 99 should be identified by date and jurisdiction. The present Grand Ordre Égyptien of the Grand Orient de France describes its system as a scale of 33 degrees.[1][6] The degree guide explains the difference between numbered degrees, degrees conferred by name, and governing offices.
A rite supplies a system of Masonic work. An obedience is a governing organisation. Several obediences may use a rite bearing the same name while maintaining separate constitutions and membership rules. The Grand Orient de France expressly includes Memphis-Misraïm among its rites.[7] Questions about recognition therefore concern named organisations and their relationships; see Memphis-Misraim organisations and recognition.
Explore this section
- Misraïm and Memphis: their separate origins and development.
- History: chronology, principal figures and later branches.
- Degrees and organisation: how to read differing systems of numbering.
- Egyptian symbolism: public themes and the distinction between symbolic ancestry and documentary history.
- Organisations and recognition: examples of current bodies and their stated policies.
- Regalia and imagery: identified objects and their historical context.
- Sources and further reading: historical publications, library records and modern studies.
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Roger Dachez, Les rites maçonniques égyptiens, PUF, « Que sais-je ? », no. 3931, online edition 2012, publisher’s presentation and contents. Accessed 25 September 2026.
- ↑ Jean Bricaud, historical notes on Memphis-Misraïm (1933), updated by Constant Chevillon (1938), reproduced by L’Initiation as “Historique de Memphis-Misraïm”; an account written by leaders of the rite. Accessed 25 September 2026.
- ↑ Bibliothèque nationale de France, catalogue record for Statuts généraux de l’ordre maçonnique de Misraïm et de ses quatre séries pour la France, Paris: A. Bobée, 1816; including the copy’s dedication by Bédarride, 90th degree. Accessed 25 September 2026.
- ↑ André Combes, “Jacques-Etienne Marconis de Nègre (1795-1868) et le rite de Memphis”, Chroniques d’histoire maçonnique, no. 90, 2022/2, pp. 7–20, DOI: 10.3917/chm.090.0007. Accessed 25 September 2026.
- ↑ John Yarker, “Antient & Primitive Rite of Masonry”, The Kneph, vol. VIII, no. 1, September 1888; historical statement reproduced by the Grand Lodge of British Columbia and Yukon. Accessed 25 September 2026.
- ↑ Grand Ordre Égyptien du Grand Orient de France, official home page, description of its 33-degree system. Accessed 25 September 2026.
- ↑ Grand Orient de France, “Rejoindre le GODF”, section describing its rites. Accessed 25 September 2026.
Memphis-Misraïm: Overview · Misraïm · Memphis · History · Degrees and organisation · Egyptian symbolism · Organisations and recognition · Regalia and imagery · Sources and further reading
People: Bédarride brothers · Marconis de Nègre · John Yarker · Giuseppe Garibaldi · Papus · Jean Bricaud · Constant Chevillon · Robert Ambelain
Background: Hermeticism · Martinism · Masonic glossary · Comparison with related traditions
| Explore the Freemasonry Wiki: Full article index · All articles · All categories · Random article |