A Video of Parallelepipedon

The Grand Lodge of Nova Scotia welcomes Masons to gather online at a scheduled time. Each week we are welcomed by a Past Grand Master, and a skilled Brother running the technology. And we enjoy social mirth! There are Brethren attending from across the province of Nova Scotia, across Canada, across the Caribbean, across the United States, and from places far across the seas.

I had the opportunity to address these Brethren in this forum. My presentation to them was on just one word: “parallelepipedon”. This is the word used in the Ritual I know (the Canadian Ritual) to describe the form of the Lodge. In some other Rituals, the form of the Lodge is described as an oblong square.

So for those who use the word parallelepipedon, my lecture added to their understanding of just one word in the lecture to the new Mason. And for those who’ve never heard the word before, well, it was just fun!

I am grateful that the Brethren who organize and support the online gatherings recorded my presentation and made it available to me.

Click here to see the recording of my lecture on the word “parallelepipedon”.

Parallelepipedon

Here is the definition of another word that is used in Masonic Ritual, but is not common outside the Lodge room.

Parallelepipedon.

The Entered Apprentice hears this word as a description of ‘the form of the lodge’. Every Entered Apprentice I’ve spoken with after his Initiation admits that he has never before heard the word parallelpipedon. And he admits he has no idea what it means!

I try to help with the explanation that it is a shape defined in the first English translation of the works of the geometrician Euclid. It is a shape or space having six sides of which the opposite sides are parallel.

And I can add that in this year of 2020, the word is now 550 years old! A detailed explanation of my research is accepted for publication in Ars Quatuor Coronati Volume 133, to be released in November 2020. You may subscribe to receive it at www.quatuorcoronati.com.

And here is a short video courtesy of Bro. Danny McLaughlin and ‘Squaring the Circle’.

I’ve never heard that word before!

Here is a definition of a word found within Masonic ritual that is not common outside of Masonic Lodge rooms.

Parallelepipedon. The Entered Apprentice hears this word as a description of ‘the form of the lodge’.  Every Entered Apprentice I’ve spoken with after his Initiation admits that he has never before heard the word parallelepipedon.  And he has no idea what it means.  I try to help with the explanation that it is a shape defined in the first English translation of the works of the geometrician Euclid: that of having six sides of which the opposite sides are parallel.

Image of a copy of the 1570 Billingsly Euclid at the University of Waterloo. The book includes many drawings which may be copied, cut out, and used to form the geometric shapes that are defined and described in the text.

And I can add that in this year of 2020, the word parallelepipedon is now 550 years old! A detailed explanation of my research is accepted for publication in Ars Quatuor Cornonati 133, November 2020.  Subscribe at www.quatuorcoronati.com

The first ‘pop-up’ book was Euclid?

One of the world’s first ‘pop-up’ books was also the first English translation of Euclid’s work.  And it was the first time the world knew the definition of a parallelepipedon!  All the details are forthcoming in AQC 133.  Subscribe at www.quatuorcoronati.com