The Cabletow
by Harold Meij
The first thing most of us do when encountering a new
word, is reach for the nearest dictionary. Although other variations, such
as Cable-length and Cable-laid were found, the word
Cabletow, could not been found outside of Masonic
publications, despite trying different spellings and different (older)
dictionaries.
Breaking cabletow down, we find the word
cable and tow. Webster’s lists three words in this
context, namely tow-line, hawser, and cable. It
defines a tow-line as “A small hawser, used to tow a
ship”, a
hawser as “A small cable; or a large rope, in size between a cable and a
tow-line”, and
a cable as “A large strong rope or chain, used to retain a vessel at
anchor; composed of three strands; each strand of three ropes; and each
rope of three twists. A ships cable is usually 120 fathom, or 720 feet, in
length. “ Furthermore, the encyclopedia of knots describes a
cable as three hawsers, twisted so that they spiral to the
left.
In any case, it is clear that the one of the main
purposes of a tow-line, hawser and cable is to pull and secure heavy
objects, and is an essential piece in construction. Ancient builders used
cables extensively, and although it is unclear exactly when the term
cabletow came to be used in Masonry, it is no stretch of the imagination
to suggest it came from terms and equipment operative masons were using
which speculative masons then adopted.
Symbolism of ropes around a neck:
Other religions and societies have used a device similar
to a cabletow in their religious ceremonies, commonly referred to as a
halter, or a rope put around a candidate during religious ceremonies,
presumably as a symbol to indicate the mercy of the candidate to whatever
was awaiting him after an initiation.
However, the main symbolism of having a rope around
one’s neck, is
submission. Many cultures put halters, or collars, around prisoners and
slaves, an example of which can be seen in the illustration
below.
Usages in Masonry:
It seems that the first time the word Cabletow came in
use was 1730, when it was described as a cable rope, and also as a
tow-line. Part of the FC obligation is that “wi an al du si an re su se me fr a
Lo of Fe Crs or gi me by a Br of ths de, if wi the le on my
ca-to”. This
useage probably stemmed from the fact that Medieval Masons were required
to attend their annual or triennial “assemblies” except in case of sickness or
“in peril of
death”. Others
have said that certain assemblies specified what that distance was,
ranging from 3 to 50 miles.
What is interesting is the term is used as
“my cabletow”, implying that it is an
individual thing, and hence unique. If so, many have said that the length
of ones cabletow, and hence the ability to attend Lodge, depends on the
individuals circumstances, like work obligations, family, distance and the
like.
It is also interesting to note that in some Masonic
ceremonies, the number of times the cabletow is bound around a candidate
increases as the candidate progresses higher in the degrees, symbolizing
the increasing importance of the lessons therein taught. The opposite also
exists, where the number of times a candidate is bound is decreases,
signifying the increased "trust" the candidate receives as he
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