The Story of Hiram Abiff(The Widow's son)

  Hiram Abiff is the main character of an allegory for the Free Masons. His story was told to Masons in their third degree masonry. Hiram was the chief architect for King Solomon and was this role for King Solomon's Temple. Towards the end of creation, Hiram was confronted by three fellow craft masons(one degree above on apprentice) were attempting to get information about the secret passwords used by the Masons. Each one approach him at different points asking for the same thing. Hiram refused to all of them and each one struck him with a different mason tool. The first two blows injured him and the last blow killed him. His last words before death were, "is there anyone who can save the widow's son." My father told me that when this is said by a mason that it means they are in trouble and seek help from his brothers.  Now there are multiple theories behind this story, but the free masons believe in this story and pass it down to their followers. There is also a version were Hiram didn't exist and it was multiple masons working on the temple. Another theory was that Hiram was actually the Egyptian King Seqenenre Tao II who died in an identical manner, but most Masonic scholars say this is false. The Masons use this story to show how greatly their word is kept and the secrets should be held till death.