what does the rainbow symbolise in the royal ark mariner degree and do the writers agree on its meaning

13 Oct 2026 1 of 5 Royal Ark Mariner Mark Masonry symbolism Royal Arch

Rainbow colouring represents a direct connection to the biblical account of Noah's Ark and the Deluge 1 2. In the Royal Ark Mariner degree—conferred under the Grand Mark Lodge in England and the Supreme Grand Royal Arch Chapter in Scotland—members wear a broad sash ribbon depicting the rainbow as part of their regalia 2.

The supplied sources record no disagreement among Masonic writers over the rainbow's symbolic meaning; both Arthur Edward Waite and Albert C. Mackey treat it simply as an explicit reference to the flood legend 1 2. Waite does observe, however, that the historical rationale for attaching the degree to Mark Masonry remains obscure 1.

Works cited

From the library. Each claim above is numbered to the work and page it came from.

Arthur Edward Waite A New Encyclopædia of Freemasonry (Ars Magna Latomorum) and of Cognate Instituted Mysteries: Their Rites, Literature and History 1921 · p. 140 Waite explains that rainbow colouring in the Royal Ark Mariner degree directly connects to the flood legend, though he considers its attachment to Mark Masonry puzzling.
Albert C. Mackey Encyclopedia of Freemasonry and Its Kindred Sciences p. 1610 Mackey documents the early history of the Royal Ark Mariner degree, noting that its members wore a rainbow sash and that the degree centers on the biblical deluge.

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