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Apologetics

New Year & “Auld Lang Syne”

On January 3, 2003 ⋅ Post a comment


Brother T.G. Paterson


Undoubtedly, millions of people throughout the world will sing “Auld Lang
Syne” to see out 1996. Few will know all the words and fewer still what they
mean.


They are attributed to Brother Robert Burns who apparently picked up the
tune and some of the words from an old man singing in the dialect of south-west
Scotland. “Auld Lang Syne” has become the international song of departure,
and it is sung by more people than any other.


The possibility is that Burns only wrote two of the five verses. But, as
he did with numerous other Scottish songs, he modified them and, in some
cases, purified them.


It seems likely that the song was first sung either in Poosie Nancy’s Tavern
in Mauchline, Scotland, or the Bachelors Club in Tarbolton located a few
miles away.


The song was initially centered on two young men who drifted apart after
their early schooling and who, after re-uniting, reminisced about their earlier
times together, the happy experiences they had together, and the kindly folk
they had met.


When Burns became a Freemason at the age of 23 in 1788, he quickly absorbed
the superb symbolism of the Craft. Conviviality was, for Burns, one of the
most important virtues of Freemasonry. For him, “Auld Lang Syne” is a concrete
expression of his love of mankind and his ideal of international brotherhood.


The Masonic routine is to form a circle in which everyone is equidistant
from the center, demonstrating they are all equal. In this regard, the practice
adopted in some Lodges by placing the Masters or other distinguished Brethren
in the center defeats the purpose of the ceremony associated with the song.


At the beginning of the song, the Brethren stand with hands by their sides,
symbolizing they are relative strangers. The early verses should be sung
(or hummed) very softly as Brethren reflect both on cherished memories of
earlier times together and on those Brethren who have since passed to the
Grand Lodge Above.


When they come to the last verse, “And there’s a hand, my trusty frier
(friend)…”, each Brother then extends his right hand of fellowship to the
Brother on his left, then the left hand to the Brother on his right.


This symbolizes two things: first, that they are crossing their hearts; second,
that they automatically form a smaller and more intimate circle of friendship.
Now they have an unbroken chain of Brethren who are close friends. The tempo
should then rise and, to the tapping of feet, all enthusiastically sing the
final chorus. The foregoing routine should be followed as far as is practicable
at non-Masonic functions. If necessary, small circles can be formed around
tables.


At Scottish functions, they usually wind up forming a “snake” and moving
round the hall in increasingly smaller circles as they sing. Then the leader
reverses the movement, and all participants revert to a large circle.






Auld Lang Syne

Original Version

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