What is the Order of Royal Ark Mariners?

The Order of Royal Ark Mariners is a Masonic body centred on the Old Testament narrative of Noah, his family, the building of the Ark, and the Great Flood 1. The Provincial Grand Lodge of Mark Master Masons of Northamptonshire and Huntingdonshire records that the earliest authenticated working of the degree in England dates to 1790. Historical accounts from 1798 describe its early assemblies as "Royal Ark Vessels" presided over by a "Grand Noah," with members calling themselves Sons of Noah or Noachidae 1. The degree is believed to have arisen among eighteenth-century operative Masons as a vehicle for mutual support and fellowship 2.

In English practice, candidates must first be Mark Master Masons 1. The Grand Lodge of Mark Master Masons states that the degree has fallen under its jurisdiction since 1871, following its purchase of full rights to the Grand Lodge of Royal Ark Mariners in 1884 for £25. Under this administrative structure, the Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of Mark Master Masons serves *ipso facto* as the Grand Master of the Royal Ark Mariners, governed through the Grand Master's Royal Ark Council. Individual Royal Ark Mariner lodges are governed by a Worshipful Commander and are attached, or "moored," to a Mark Master Mason lodge, sharing its number on the roll 2.

The primary ceremony of admission in the Order is termed the Ceremony of Elevation, as noted by the Provincial Grand Lodge of Mark Master Masons of Middlesex. The Provincial Grand Lodge of Mark Master Masons of Bristol records that the lodge's three principal officers represent Noah and his sons, Shem and Japheth. Regalia used in the degree features a distinctive rainbow pattern accompanied by ark and dove symbolism 13. Internationally, the degree is conferred under distinct governing authorities, including the Supreme Grand Royal Arch Chapter of Scotland and sovereign Masonic colleges in the United States 1.

Attachment of the Degree of Royal Ark Mariner to the Mark degree arose following the administrative realignments that accompanied the nineteenth-century unification of English Craft Masonry, which left various additional degrees to forge independent alliances or seek shelter under existing bodies 2. Although commentators such as Arthur Edward Waite observed that the degree was joined to the Mark "for almost unsearchable reasons" 3, the administrative unification was formally initiated in the late nineteenth century.

In 1870, the Reverend Canon Portal, Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of Mark Master Masons, announced that because the Royal Ark Mariner degree had been worked within Mark Lodges since at least 1790, the Mark Grand Lodge would place it under the protection of a newly established Grand Master's Royal Ark Council. The Order of Royal Ark Mariners was officially brought under the jurisdiction and protection of the Grand Lodge of Mark Master Masons in 1871.

Complete administrative control was established on June 10, 1884, when the Grand Lodge of Mark Master Masons purchased all remaining rights and ownership of the degree from Brother Morton Edwards for the sum of £25. Under this administrative framework, Royal Ark Mariner Lodges are "moored" to Mark Master Mason Lodges, adopting the same name and roll number as the Mark Lodge to which they are attached.

Rainbow symbolism in the Royal Ark Mariner degree derives directly from the biblical narrative of Noah and the Flood 3. Mark and Royal Arch Masons Victoria states that the rainbow in Noahic tradition and Royal Ark Mariner teachings signifies a covenant and serves as a symbol of harmony.

Arthur Edward Waite explains that rainbow colouring distinguishes the degree because of its fundamental connection to the legend of the Flood 3. He notes further that as a complementary blending of red and blue, the rainbow is considered an emblem of union 3. Historical accounts from 1798 show that this symbolism was visibly integrated from the degree's early days, recording that members assembling in Royal Ark Vessels wore a broad sash ribbon representing a rainbow 1.

Noah's centrality to the Order of Royal Ark Mariners rests upon the degree's foundational narrative, which is drawn directly from the Old Testament account of the Deluge, the building of the Ark, and the preservation of Noah and his family 1. Mark Masons' Hall records that the principal officers of a Royal Ark Mariner Lodge explicitly represent Noah, who presides as the Worshipful Commander, alongside his sons Japheth and Shem as the Wardens.

Early historical accounts from the late eighteenth century demonstrate that members assembled in lodges designated as "Royal Ark Vessels" under the direction of a "Grand Noah," taking the title of "Sons of Noah" or "Noachidae" 1. In Masonic symbolism, this title designates Masons as preservers of a sacred deposit of moral truth handed down from Noah as their ancient progenitor 1.

The Provincial Grand Lodge of Mark Master Masons of Cornwall notes that the construct of the Ark is used symbolically to illustrate the virtues of wisdom, strength, and beauty—specifically referencing Noah's wisdom in its design, his strength of character, and the beauty of his craftsmanship. As the Provincial Grand Lodge of Mark Master Masons of Oxfordshire explains, Noah's journey and divine instructions serve as a sustained moral allegory for survival, spiritual renewal, resilience, perseverance, and obedience to divine order.

Noahic traditions extend into other Masonic bodies as well. In the Scottish Rite, the degree of Patriarch Noachite incorporates legends concerning Noah's descendants 1, while broader Masonic literature treats the ark and the deluge as enduring symbols of preservation, divine covenant, and moral instruction 1.

Jurisdictions outside England place the Royal Ark Mariner degree under various governing bodies, often attaching it to Mark or Royal Arch Masonic structures depending on local tradition. In New Zealand, the Supreme Grand Royal Arch Chapter of New Zealand states that the Royal Ark Mariner degree is governed and worked under its jurisdiction.