LUE MAP THEORY, MAYBE SOME CONTEXT

As a Mason, which might mean I am biased, admittedly, this looks very Masonic to me..... not Spanish. Of course, I am no LUE expert, but I do consider myself a Masonic one, and using my "Masonic sense," etc... The author's use of the word Shibboleth (not a spanish word) was the clue, for me, to look at this 'map' Masonically and when I did......boy does it sceam MASONRY. Can you tell me what is Spanish about this 'map?' Did the Spanish use many pyramids, stair-steps, bricks, pillars, and all-seeing-eyes in their maps? (Masons use them all the time, not necessarily in maps though.....) Honest question. I'm not arguing. :) And when I say it looks Masonic, I am referring to the 'map' itself and not any GE images with lines on top, and of course, the author's use of the word Shibboleth.
The bottom, shaded area of Rayano's overlay shows a lot of Masonic symbolism. Like you said, it screams MASONRY.

fold over 2.png
 

Here are lot of the major elements of that map in this Masonic candle here. Triangles, pyramids, blazing stars, bricks, all seeing eye.....
il_794xN.5422869940_ohgn.jpg
 

Here are lot of the major elements of that map in this Masonic candle here. Triangles, pyramids, blazing stars, bricks, all seeing eye..... View attachment 2182714
That's cool. the pyramid is divided into three sections like the small triangle in the lower right quadrant of the LUE map. What is the significance of the pyramid, if you can tell us?
 

Do you have an opinion of the LUE map, could it have been a study guide Tracing Board for the Masonic degrees?
I don't see this being very useful as a tracing board, as we typically use them.
Who knows though... I guess somebody out there may have thought differently, but tracing boards are for deep truths, not strange puzzles. This is a strange puzzle to me. I dont know. Lol, but again I don't see use in this as a tracing board. I wish Ib could tell you better, but I am honestly lost as to what it is, but its inclusion in a treasure book that says its a map written by a man known for honesty, leads me to say map...but I honestly dont know :/
 

mdog,

Your work, as usual, is very compelling and I’m much less skeptical than before that the LUE has a Masonic heritage thanks to your deep dive.

maybe it’s worth looking in detail at what KVM published when his readers were supposedly cracking the LUE code and reported their recoveries to him ?

I don’t have access to Randy’s books (mine are in storage in another state) otherwise I’d look myself, because Randy did a fine job of indexing all the instances of LUE mentions in the Prospector’s Gazette. Building upon ideas that you and others have previously suggested or hinted at - I’m thinking… what if this was an armchair treasure hunt of sorts by KVM, for Masons who would recognize the LUE symbology as such, and they would discreetly confirm their recognition to him by using numbers sacred to Masons ?

For example, KVM might report: “Mr. Johnson of Phoenix recovered 7 gold bars and 11 pots of silver..”

I realize my hypothesis suggests that no one really went looking for LUE treasure; that it was just a game for KVM to identify fellow treasure-hunting Masons via the Postal Service, a wink and secret handshake of sorts. It’s just a thought I had but I do much prefer the idea there is (or was) a huge hoard of gold out there waiting to be discovered :)
 

mdog,

Your work, as usual, is very compelling and I’m much less skeptical than before that the LUE has a Masonic heritage thanks to your deep dive.

maybe it’s worth looking in detail at what KVM published when his readers were supposedly cracking the LUE code and reported their recoveries to him ?

I don’t have access to Randy’s books (mine are in storage in another state) otherwise I’d look myself, because Randy did a fine job of indexing all the instances of LUE mentions in the Prospector’s Gazette. Building upon ideas that you and others have previously suggested or hinted at - I’m thinking… what if this was an armchair treasure hunt of sorts by KVM, for Masons who would recognize the LUE symbology as such, and they would discreetly confirm their recognition to him by using numbers sacred to Masons ?

For example, KVM might report: “Mr. Johnson of Phoenix recovered 7 gold bars and 11 pots of silver..”

I realize my hypothesis suggests that no one really went looking for LUE treasure; that it was just a game for KVM to identify fellow treasure-hunting Masons via the Postal Service, a wink and secret handshake of sorts. It’s just a thought I had but I do much prefer the idea there is (or was) a huge hoard of gold out there waiting to be discovered :)

Hi Ryano,

In my theory of the map, there are three things that make it a treasure map, the two dots in the lower right quadrant and the Sun rays. I understand that the first edition had both dots in the lower right quadrant but the Ram edition, the one I have, didn't. Maybe Cuzimloony can confirm that the two dots also make the circle and the large triangle Masonic symbols, the point in the center of the circle and the all seeing eye in the triangle. Also, von Mueller's use of the word "Shibboleth" in his caption below the LUE map. So it could be that the picture with the dots that he put in the first addition was, like you suggested, a heads up to other Masons.

I hadn't considered that he might have used reports of LUE recoveries as coded information, but it's a good idea.

I don't think von Mueller created the LUE but I think he knew what it was. He also mentioned in his LUE caption that anybody who figured out the LUE would never be able to carry away all the riches they discovered. Maybe because there were no material treasures.

You are also correct that the LUE map could have been created at a desk with no work in the field.

That overlay you made is fantastic and shows a high level of planning by the creator of the LUE map. Thanks again.
 

In Commandary (Templar Lodge) this week we had a special Christmas Observation. The general public was invited. Family and friend were walking around taking pictures of the Lodge. There were very high ranking people w/i the organization there and nobody cared so..... As I said earlier, this is on the facebook page and now surely on the pages of anyone who attended. I feel safe posting this.
This painting is what tells me to look at this map Masonically.
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In Commandary (Templar Lodge) this week we had a special Christmas Observation. The general public was invited. Family and friend were walking around taking pictures of the Lodge. There were very high ranking people w/i the organization there and nobody cared so..... As I said earlier, this is on the facebook page and now surely on the pages of anyone who attended. I feel safe posting this.
This painting is what tells me to look at this map Masonically.
View attachment 2183658
Would this be the representation of "Shibboleth", the falling water and the sheaf of wheat? There also seems to be an eye shape in the tree and five stepping stones in the river. Was it this painting and the word "Shibboleth" in the LUE caption that got your attention?
 

Here are some interesting things that can be found on Ryano's overlay of the LUE map. The shaded area on the bottom half of the map is the overlay. The white lines in the overlayed half are the lines from the top of the LUE map.

fold over 2.png

The map is oriented with east at the top, west at the bottom, north to the left and south to the right. This orientation is correct because the Sun is in the south and the winding stairs are at the south entrance to the Temple of Solomon and part of the Masonic 2nd Degree. Also, in the lower left quadrant. there is a point in the center of a circle, with two parallel lines, on the left and right sides of the circle. This is a Masonic symbol and one line is on the north and the other line is on the south.

It's my belief that the small triangle in the bottom left quadrant of the map, represents the alter that is found in a Masonic Temple. Here's an excerpt from a link that describes the location of the alter, in the Temple.

" From facts and hints such as these we begin to see the meaning of the Altar in Masonry, and the reason for its position in the Lodge. In English Lodges, as in the French and the Scottish Rites, it stands in front of the Master in the East. In the York Rite, so called, it is placed in the center of the Lodge - more properly a little to the East of the center - about which all Masonic activities revolve. It is not simply a necessary piece of furniture, a kind of table intended to support the Holy Bible, the Square and Compasses. Alike by its existence and its situation it identifies Masonry as a religious institution, and yet its uses are not exactly the same as the offices of an Altar in a Cathedral or a Shrine."

As you can see, the small triangle is slightly off center, to the east (top of the map). I also believe the two columns that are joined by the triangle, represent the two columns at the east entrance of Solomon's Temple, these two columns were named Boaz and Jachim. Ryano's overlay shows a small gap between these two columns that would be the entrance into the Temple. This is easy to recognize if you hinge the bottom of the columns, on the east end (top) of the columns. You would have two upright columns with a gap between them, the entrance to the Temple. As you walk between the two columns, you would see the alter (the small triangle) in front of you.

What I was having a hard time figuring out is how do I prove the small triangle is the alter? A clue about the appearance of the alter is that on the front of the alter is the Masonic symbol showing a point in the center of a circle with two parallel lines on the north and south part of the circle. This clue is shown just to the left of the small triangle and is a part of three large triangles that, I believe, is the front of the alter. So, how do I tie the two clues together? This is where Ryano's overlay shows information that you would, otherwise, miss. I took an extra copy of Ryano's LUE overlay and cut out the large triangles. Then I slid the top corner of the triangles along the left side of the dome that is shown in white.

alter 2 crop.jpg


As you can see, the point of the large middle triangle lines up with the small triangle, connecting the large and small triangles.

alter 1 crop.jpg


You can also see that the point of the small triangle touches the small dot that is shown at the top of the large triangle. This is also the correct alignment because the the left parallel line of the point within a circle symbol, is unbroken. I think this proves that the small triangle represents the alter in the Masonic Temple.

Whoever designed the LUE map must have been one smart person. Thanks again Ryano for the overlay.
 

All looks and sounds good. I have nothing bad to say and am still impressed by your determination and progress :). One small point and this is anecdotal as it seems you may be on to something and I do not say this to throw you off. I think I may have said it already. I do not know of any alter with a circumpunct on it. There may be designs with the circumpunct in front of the altar...but its not common, nor is it regulation. If the circumpunct on this map belongs on the 'altar' this would be the first time Ive seen that anywhere.
Other than that.... carry on and good work!
 

All looks and sounds good. I have nothing bad to say and am still impressed by your determination and progress :). One small point and this is anecdotal as it seems you may be on to something and I do not say this to throw you off. I think I may have said it already. I do not know of any alter with a circumpunct on it. There may be designs with the circumpunct in front of the altar...but its not common, nor is it regulation. If the circumpunct on this map belongs on the 'altar' this would be the first time Ive seen that anywhere.
Other than that.... carry on and good work!
I've seen the point within a circle symbol in some of the 1st Degree Tracing Boards, as well as in articles describing the 1st Degree. I also have a book by Julian Rees that mentions the point within the circle on the Lodge Alter.



The Point within a Circle

"On the Altar is inscribed a circle with a point in its center. [22]

This, according to Masonic rituals, represents the bounded space where a Mason cannot go astray. North and south of this circle are two parallel lines, representing the two great Saints John, the Baptist and the Evangelist, who themselves are connected to the two solstices: that in the summer (June 24) with the Baptist, that in winter (December 27) with the Evangelist. In many jurisdictions, including England, attempting to avoid giving a Christian meaning to Masonic symbols, they are explained differently, as representing the prophet Moses and King Solomon. The upper edge of the circle is tangent to the Volume of the Sacred Law. Therefore, when a Mason goes around this circle, he must necessarily touch the two parallels and the greatest luminary of Freemasonry."

Cuzimlooney, thank you very much for your help. The person or persons who created the LUE map were artists and I would like to find out who they were.
 

All looks and sounds good. I have nothing bad to say and am still impressed by your determination and progress :). One small point and this is anecdotal as it seems you may be on to something and I do not say this to throw you off. I think I may have said it already. I do not know of any alter with a circumpunct on it. There may be designs with the circumpunct in front of the altar...but its not common, nor is it regulation. If the circumpunct on this map belongs on the 'altar' this would be the first time Ive seen that anywhere.
Other than that.... carry on and good work!
Sorry, I misunderstood your comments. The circumpunct would be inscribed on the front of the alter. I believe the Bible is on top of the alter.
 



In this video, the presenter says that von Mueller is presenting this map as "written by the padres" or something like that, giving the impression that he wants you to think "Spanish." However, it seems to be the opinion of most here that the map is highly Masonic, to which I agree, whole-heartedly.

I find this odd. Masonry and Catholicism usually don't go together. I'm curious what everyone thinks of this. And...if there have been LUE recoveries like discussed in this video, then what I see about them is very Spanish. Perplexing.
 



In this video, the presenter says that von Mueller is presenting this map as "written by the padres" or something like that, giving the impression that he wants you to think "Spanish." However, it seems to be the opinion of most here that the map is highly Masonic, to which I agree, whole-heartedly.

I find this odd. Masonry and Catholicism usually don't go together. I'm curious what everyone thinks of this. And...if there have been LUE recoveries like discussed in this video, then what I see about them is very Spanish. Perplexing.

In an earlier post, I commented on a possible Spanish/Masonic/Treasure link. This is from my post #335.

"I've wondered about the allegation that the LUE caches were Spanish. I wonder if the LUE map was created by one or more Spaniards. Von Mueller lived during a time, before and during WW II, when Masons were being persecuted by the fascist governments of Europe. The persecution in Spain was brutal. Here's a portion of an article that I posted about that persecution.

Francoist Spain​

[edit]
It is claimed that the dictator Miguel Primo de Rivera ordered the abolition of Freemasonry in Spain.[45] In September 1928, one of the two Grand Lodges in Spain was closed and approximately two-hundred masons, most notably the Grand Master of the Grand Orient, were imprisoned for allegedly plotting against the government.[46]

Following the military coup of 1936, many Freemasons trapped in areas under Nationalist control were arrested and summarily killed in the White Terror, along with members of left wing parties and trade unionists. It was reported that Masons were tortured, garroted, shot, and murdered by organized death squads in every town in Spain. At this time one of the most rabid opponents of Freemasonry, Father Juan Tusquets Terrats, began to work for the Nationalists with the task of exposing masons. One of his close associates was Franco's personal chaplain, and over the next two years, these two men assembled a huge index of 80,000 suspected masons, even though there were little more than 5,000 masons in Spain. The lodge building in Cordoba was burnt, the Masonic Temple of Santa Cruz de Tenerife in the Canary Islands was confiscated and transformed into the headquarters of the Falange, and another was shelled by artillery. In Salamanca thirty members of one lodge were shot, including a priest. Similar atrocities occurred across the country: fifteen masons were shot in
Logrono, seventeen in Ceuta, thirty-three in Algeciras, and thirty in Valladolid, among them the Civil Governor. Few towns escaped the carnage as Freemasons in Lugo, Zamora, Cadiz and Granada were brutally rounded up and shot, and in Seville, the entire membership of several lodges were butchered. The slightest suspicion of being a mason was often enough to earn a place in a firing squad, and the blood-letting was so fierce that, reportedly, some masons were even hurled into working engines of steam trains. By 16 December 1937, according to the annual masonic assembly held in Madrid, all masons that had not escaped from the areas under nationalist control had been murdered.[46]
After the victory of dictator General Francisco Franco, Freemasonry was officially outlawed in Spain on 2 March 1940. Being a mason was automatically punishable by a minimum jail term of 12 years.[47] Masons of the 18º and above were deemed guilty of "Aggravated Circumstances", and usually faced the death penalty.[48]

According to Francoists, the Republican Regime which Franco overthrew had a strong Masonic presence.[citation needed] In reality Spanish Masons were present in all sectors of politics and the armed forces.[49] At least four of the Generals who supported Franco's rebellion were Masons, although many lodges contained fervent but generally conservative Republicans. Freemasonry was formally outlawed in the Law for the Repression of Freemasonry and Communism.[50] After Franco's decree outlawing masonry, Franco's supporters were given two months to resign from any lodge they might be a member. Many masons chose to go into exile instead, including prominent monarchists who had whole-heartedly supported the Nationalist rebellion in 1936. The common components in Spanish Masonry seems to have been upper or middle class conservative liberalism and strong anti-clericism.[51]
The Law for the Repression of Freemasonry and Communism was not abrogated until 1963.[50] References to a "Judeo-Masonic plot" are a standard component of Francoist speeches and propaganda and reveal the intense and paranoid obsession of the dictator with masonry. Franco produced at least 49 pseudonymous anti-masonic magazine articles and an anti-masonic book during his lifetime. According to Franco:[48]

The whole secret of the campaigns unleashed against Spain can be explained in two words: masonry and communism... we have to extirpate these two evils from our land.

End of excerpt

I wonder if any of the Spanish Masons went into exile in the United States. Was the LUE map created to give the locations of Spanish wealth that was left in the United States and Mexico?

The treasure hunter, Charles Kenworthy, was also a Mason. He wrote several books describing symbolism to be found at Spanish cache sites in North America. Was there any connection between the information that Kenworthy introduced to the public, and the LUE map?" This is the end of my post #335.

I did a little more research and found that some Spanish Masons did flee to Mexico.

I saw an interview where a treasure hunter related an unconfirmed story that the Masons asked Kenworthy to hold back on some of the symbols that were provided to him. They also asked him to let them know when he found the "bell" symbol at suspected cache sites.
 

In an earlier post, I commented on a possible Spanish/Masonic/Treasure link. This is from my post #335.

"I've wondered about the allegation that the LUE caches were Spanish. I wonder if the LUE map was created by one or more Spaniards. Von Mueller lived during a time, before and during WW II, when Masons were being persecuted by the fascist governments of Europe. The persecution in Spain was brutal. Here's a portion of an article that I posted about that persecution.

Francoist Spain​

[edit]
It is claimed that the dictator Miguel Primo de Rivera ordered the abolition of Freemasonry in Spain.[45] In September 1928, one of the two Grand Lodges in Spain was closed and approximately two-hundred masons, most notably the Grand Master of the Grand Orient, were imprisoned for allegedly plotting against the government.[46]

Following the military coup of 1936, many Freemasons trapped in areas under Nationalist control were arrested and summarily killed in the White Terror, along with members of left wing parties and trade unionists. It was reported that Masons were tortured, garroted, shot, and murdered by organized death squads in every town in Spain. At this time one of the most rabid opponents of Freemasonry, Father Juan Tusquets Terrats, began to work for the Nationalists with the task of exposing masons. One of his close associates was Franco's personal chaplain, and over the next two years, these two men assembled a huge index of 80,000 suspected masons, even though there were little more than 5,000 masons in Spain. The lodge building in Cordoba was burnt, the Masonic Temple of Santa Cruz de Tenerife in the Canary Islands was confiscated and transformed into the headquarters of the Falange, and another was shelled by artillery. In Salamanca thirty members of one lodge were shot, including a priest. Similar atrocities occurred across the country: fifteen masons were shot in
Logrono, seventeen in Ceuta, thirty-three in Algeciras, and thirty in Valladolid, among them the Civil Governor. Few towns escaped the carnage as Freemasons in Lugo, Zamora, Cadiz and Granada were brutally rounded up and shot, and in Seville, the entire membership of several lodges were butchered. The slightest suspicion of being a mason was often enough to earn a place in a firing squad, and the blood-letting was so fierce that, reportedly, some masons were even hurled into working engines of steam trains. By 16 December 1937, according to the annual masonic assembly held in Madrid, all masons that had not escaped from the areas under nationalist control had been murdered.[46]
After the victory of dictator General Francisco Franco, Freemasonry was officially outlawed in Spain on 2 March 1940. Being a mason was automatically punishable by a minimum jail term of 12 years.[47] Masons of the 18º and above were deemed guilty of "Aggravated Circumstances", and usually faced the death penalty.[48]

According to Francoists, the Republican Regime which Franco overthrew had a strong Masonic presence.[citation needed] In reality Spanish Masons were present in all sectors of politics and the armed forces.[49] At least four of the Generals who supported Franco's rebellion were Masons, although many lodges contained fervent but generally conservative Republicans. Freemasonry was formally outlawed in the Law for the Repression of Freemasonry and Communism.[50] After Franco's decree outlawing masonry, Franco's supporters were given two months to resign from any lodge they might be a member. Many masons chose to go into exile instead, including prominent monarchists who had whole-heartedly supported the Nationalist rebellion in 1936. The common components in Spanish Masonry seems to have been upper or middle class conservative liberalism and strong anti-clericism.[51]
The Law for the Repression of Freemasonry and Communism was not abrogated until 1963.[50] References to a "Judeo-Masonic plot" are a standard component of Francoist speeches and propaganda and reveal the intense and paranoid obsession of the dictator with masonry. Franco produced at least 49 pseudonymous anti-masonic magazine articles and an anti-masonic book during his lifetime. According to Franco:[48]

The whole secret of the campaigns unleashed against Spain can be explained in two words: masonry and communism... we have to extirpate these two evils from our land.

End of excerpt

I wonder if any of the Spanish Masons went into exile in the United States. Was the LUE map created to give the locations of Spanish wealth that was left in the United States and Mexico?

The treasure hunter, Charles Kenworthy, was also a Mason. He wrote several books describing symbolism to be found at Spanish cache sites in North America. Was there any connection between the information that Kenworthy introduced to the public, and the LUE map?" This is the end of my post #335.

I did a little more research and found that some Spanish Masons did flee to Mexico.

I saw an interview where a treasure hunter related an unconfirmed story that the Masons asked Kenworthy to hold back on some of the symbols that were provided to him. They also asked him to let them know when he found the "bell" symbol at suspected cache sites.
"In Salamanca thirty members of one lodge were shot, including a priest."

Interesting. Was the priest a member of the Lodge? We have pastors in my Lodges....priests, implying catholicism, isnt too common. Spain is a different country though.......

I have a couple of Kenworthy's books (not the $500 per copy ones) and I didn't notice anything Masonic but, I didn't have a Mason hat on when I read them. I will reread them while "thinking Masonically."

Bell symbol = new to me :) Can a bell be confused with an owl?

Communism: Lodges, like anything else, can be subverted. In that part of the world, at that time (war time), I THINK there is evidence of Lodges in Spain, France and Germany, working together against Germany and its partners. And since Germany saw themselves as fighting communism or bulshavism......all Masons are therefore commies.
That said: Some Masons ARE commies, but not so much here in the US, imo. So, this may be an unfortunate "reality" in the history of the craft.
Please keep it coming. I am becoming more interested in this as the days go on........
 

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"In Salamanca thirty members of one lodge were shot, including a priest."

Interesting. Was the priest a member of the Lodge? We have pastors in my Lodges....priests, implying catholicism, isnt too common. Spain is a different country though.......

I have a couple of Kenworthy's books (not the $500 per copy ones) and I didn't notice anything Masonic but, I didn't have a Mason hat on when I read them. I will reread them while "thinking Masonically."

Bell symbol = new to me :) Can a bell be confused with an owl?

Communism: Lodges, like anything else, can be subverted. In that part of the world, at that time (war time), I THINK there is evidence of Lodges in Spain, France and Germany, working together against Germany and its partners. And since Germany saw themselves as fighting communism or bulshavism......all Masons are therefore commies.
That said: Some Masons ARE commies, but not so much here in the US, imo. So, this may be an unfortunate "reality" in the history of the craft.
Please keep it coming. I am becoming more interested in this as the days go on........
I have Kenworthy's books and he shows a drawing of a bell that he says indicates a mission. However, in the interview that I watched, the bell meant church treasure. Would the Masons have been interested in the recovery of religious artifacts?

You ask if the priest murdered in Salamanca, Spain was a Mason. I don't know the answer to that but it reminded me of an event that took place in February of 1934, during the Spanish Civil War. A priest was murdered after the theft of a valuable religious artifact, the Cross of Caravaca. The people of the town blamed the priest, so they murdered him. The cross had been guarded by the Knights Templar but responsibility for the cross was turned over to the Knights of Santiago. As far as I know, the cross was never recovered but I wonder who was responsible for the theft of such a valuable artifact. I would guess that, in the chaos of war, it was either the Catholic Church or the Masons, both groups would have been interested in protecting the artifact.


 

I have Kenworthy's books and he shows a drawing of a bell that he says indicates a mission. However, in the interview that I watched, the bell meant church treasure. Would the Masons have been interested in the recovery of religious artifacts?

You ask if the priest murdered in Salamanca, Spain was a Mason. I don't know the answer to that but it reminded me of an event that took place in February of 1934, during the Spanish Civil War. A priest was murdered after the theft of a valuable religious artifact, the Cross of Caravaca. The people of the town blamed the priest, so they murdered him. The cross had been guarded by the Knights Templar but responsibility for the cross was turned over to the Knights of Santiago. As far as I know, the cross was never recovered but I wonder who was responsible for the theft of such a valuable artifact. I would guess that, in the chaos of war, it was either the Catholic Church or the Masons, both groups would have been interested in protecting the artifact.


"Would the Masons have been interested in the recovery of religious artifacts?"

I am a Mason. I am interested. Does that count? :)

Thank you for that link...... reading it now :)
 

"Would the Masons have been interested in the recovery of religious artifacts?"

I am a Mason. I am interested. Does that count? :)

Thank you for that link...... reading it now :)
Yes that would count.

Something of interest about the Knights of Santiago is that Knights of the order were responsible for moving a lot of treasure from the New World back to Spain. There is also a legend that one of the Knights stole some religious artifacts from the Temple at Jerusalem, to protect them from the monarchs in Europe. The theft, allegedly took place during the early 1700's. I guess the interesting point about the theft was that he felt he was protecting religious artifacts from Monarchs and the Catholic Church.
 

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