The Freemasons have long been a lightning rod for negative attention, with many pointed accusations stemming from the fraternal organization's inclination towards secrecy. Popular culture, including the best-selling novel The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown have snowballed interest and speculation. Produced in 2005 for the National Geographic Channel, Secrets of the Freemasons provides a brief 45-minute look at some of the aspects that form the brotherhood. Modern day Masons give some insight into their closely guarded rituals, theories, development, purpose and practices. Origins are placed both on the stone-cutting guilds of medieval Europe, as well as with the legendary Knights Templar. Sometime in the 17th Century, spurned by the Enlightenment, the Freemasons evolved from a craftsman's guild to a gentleman's society. The documentary looks at famous and powerful Freemasons, including United States Presidents George Washington, Harry S. Truman, Franklin Delano Roosevelt and prominent figures like Benjamin Franklin and the Marquis de Lafayette. Symbols hidden in the layout of Washington, D.C. and on the back of the U.S. Dollar bill provide some debate. The presence of Freemasons at seminal events like the Boston Tea Party and the French Revolution spur further debate about cause and motive. Of particular note and beauty are glimpses inside the historic Rosslyn Chapel in Scotland, long-associated with Masonic symbols and intrigue. More deviant topics, such as alleged connections to the Jack the Ripper murders that terrorized Victorian London are given pause for thought as well. In the end, the mystery of the Freemasons remains intact... still rapt with closely-guarded secrets, but no less intriguing.
