Santa and Hiram are two figures with which most of us are familiar, yet we don't think about them in the same sense. Still, they do have quite a bit in common; it's just not immediately obvious. My lovely daughter, Linzi, is coming up on the age when she'll be asking questions about Santa Claus, and this fact made me think about how to explain the jolly old elf to her. Coincidentally, I have been thinking about the legend of Hiram quite a bit. Looking at both figures at the same time caused me to draw a parallel, actually several parallels, I had never noticed before.

Yes, Linzi, there is a Santa Claus. There was such a man, St. Nicholas, but today Santa Claus, his modern representation, has evolved into a mythological figure that adults conspire to perpetuate on their children. On the other hand, others understand that Santa Claus serves as a symbol for charity, love for our fellowmen. So, you have a sequence of stages: the youthful understanding of a gift-giving kindly old man; the realization of the history and mythology behind that figure; then, eventually, the understanding of the true meaning of the symbol.

Hiram parallels this same growth of the mind. On the surface, we see Hiram (the allegedly real person and Master Architect) and the details of his story. When our intellect is ready, we realize that quite a lot of the story has been invented. Eventually, we understand the true meaning of the Hiramic legend and how it relates to our growth as Masons. The Lodge of Perfection, 4°–14°, is a great help to us in "perfecting" our understanding of this legend. Like understanding Santa Claus, it is a growing process to arrive at the real meaning of each legend. If we determined at our children's tender age that Santa Claus (as we originally perceived him) did not exist and if we did not go on to further understand it, would we teach the same lesson of love and charity to our children? I doubt it. Further understanding is needed.

Another parallel to Santa can be seen in how Hiram is struck down and how Santa Claus "dies" in the minds of our youth. Hiram was met at the first principal gate and struck with the Rule, inflicting the first wound. He is struck in the throat, the place of our voice. Is it not by word of mouth from their fellow school children (or siblings) that Santa Claus is also first struck?

Hiram was met at the second principal gate and struck a second wound by the Square. He is struck in the chest or heart, the place of our affections. Is it not normally by the word of the parents, those who stand upright in the minds of the child, that the first realization about Santa Claus is confirmed? And doesn't it almost always break their hearts to hear this news? They are growing up.

Hiram is met at the third gate, and the final blow by the Setting Maul is dealt to his head, the place of our intellect. Similarly, children aware of the true nature of Santa forcefully kill Santa in the minds of other children by ridiculing, often with blistering logic, those who still believe in Santa. Finally, there is no belief. It is only with personal growth and acquired wisdom that a full realization comes of the symbolism of Santa Claus and how he can represent love of our fellowmen. This understanding takes time and thought, but this eventual understanding is what actually inspires us to perpetuate the Santa Claus myth with our own children. Santa Claus, like Hiram, has life after death, albeit a different life. Is it any wonder that the Christmas tree, like the acacia, is evergreen?

The symbols of Masonry are rich. Do you have to buy into this explanation? Absolutely not! It is only my interpretation of the Hiramic figure at this particular time in my own Masonic journey, a journey I hope will continue to grow as I recognize the faults in this explanation. I do hope, however, that this speculation leads you to reflect and study so that you can decide for yourself and, perhaps, come closer to your own understanding of Freemasonry.

The lessons of Masonry conceal more Light than we can at first perceive. To gain more insight, we have to be truly ready to advance our understanding, and each of us does so at his own pace. "More Light" doesn't necessarily mean "different" Light, but more of the same expanding, opening the aperture, and letting the Light shine in.

Gaylord Z. Thomas is a Major in the USAF and a navigator by trade. He currently serves as Commander, 324th Training Squadron (Basic Military Training School), Lackland AFB, Texas. A member of Branchville Lodge No. 496, Branchville, Indiana, the Guthrie Scottish Rite Bodies, Guthrie, Oklahoma, and other Appendant Bodies, including the Nemnuf Clowns of Alzafar Shrine Temple. His Shrine clown name is "Zeeby," and he serves as the Webmaster for the International Shrine Clown Association.