Who Are We?

Background to the Order

The guilds in the Middle Ages were an important part of life in Medieval times. A higher social status could be achieved through guild membership. There were many advantages of becoming a member of a guild, for instance Guild members in the Middle Ages were supported by the Guild if they became sick.

The word "guild" is from the Saxon gilden, meaning to pay, and refers to the subscription paid to the Guilds by their members and this is reflected in our Order by the Reception fee of One Guinea to be paid on admission. The Guilds have always been associated with the principles of brotherhood, company, fellowship, fraternity and, of course, companionship. The Guilds of the Middle Ages were licensed from 1170 and were similar to modern unions where the Guilds set standards for their professions and protected the interests of their members and consumers.

The Reception Ceremony of the Guild Companions of the Ark is based upon the biblical story of Noah in the Book of Genesis chapters 6-9. When God saw how wicked the people had become, he decided to wipe mankind from the face of the earth. However, one righteous man among all the people of that time, Noah, found favour in God's eyes. With very specific instructions, God told Noah to build an ark for him and his family in preparation for a catastrophic flood that would destroy every living thing on earth.

God also instructed Noah to bring into the ark two of all living creatures, male and female, along with every kind of food to be stored as food for the animals and his family while on the ark. Noah obeyed everything God commanded him to do.

After they entered the ark, rain fell on the earth for a period of forty days and nights. The waters flooded the earth for a hundred and fifty days, and every living thing on the face of the earth was wiped out. As the waters receded, the ark came to rest on Mount Ararat, in the mountains of Armenia. Noah waited a while, he then sent out a raven and a dove to see if there was dry land. But the dove could not find a place to rest, so it came back. He waited a week and then sent it out again. This time the dove came back with an olive leaf in her mouth. And Noah knew that the waters were lower. So, he waited another week, then he sent her out again. She did not come back. Noah and his family continued to wait for almost eight more months while the surface of the earth dried out.

Finally, after an entire year, God invited Noah to come out of the ark. Immediately, he built an altar and worshiped the Lord with burnt offerings from some of the animals. Then God established his covenant with Noah and his sons and with all living things, and placed the rainbow in the clouds, being the sign of the covenant that He had established between Himself and all mankind, that He would never again send a flood to destroy the earth and kill all the people.

the Ark came to rest on Mount Ararat in the mountains of Armenia where Noah and his three sons settled and their descendants were dispersed over the whole earth. The offspring of Shem were called the Semites, who became the Hebrew people. The offspring of Japheth were called Japhethites, who became the peoples that populated Europe and Asia. The offspring of Ham were called Hamites, the Canaanite tribes which originally inhabited Palestine, and were later conquered by the offspring of Shem and Japheth.

The reason for this seeming neglect and disgrace of Noah’s youngest son is related in Genesis Chapter 9 v 20 – 27. After the flood Noah began to work the earth and planted a vineyard. When he had made wine of the juice of the vine and had drunk it, he became intoxicated because he did not know, as yet, the strength of wine, and taking his clothes off, he lay naked in his tent. His son Ham, the father of Canaan, saw this and acting without proper respect for his father he told his brothers about it. Shem and Japheth, however, took clothing, and came up to their father in such a way as not to see his nakedness and covered him. When Noah woke up and learned about the action of the youngest son, Ham, he condemned and cursed him in the person of his son Canaan, and said that his offspring would be in slavery to the offspring of his brothers.

It is in this respect that we show Noah and his sons in the officers of the lodge: The Grand Companion of the Ark being Noah; the Commander representing Shem, Noah’s second and most favourite son and Japheth, Noah’s eldest son, as Deputy Commander. His youngest son Ham, because of his shame has been given the lowest Ceremonial office in the lodge, that of Guard.

The words Antediluvian and Noachite are terms often used when talking about Noah and can be explained thus. The antediluvian period was the epoch that preceded the Great Flood of Noah and the title of Noachite denotes the descendants of Noah, and signifies all of mankind.