The Triple Tau
Three T-shapes joined at the foot, the principal emblem of Royal Arch Masonry, usually shown inside a triangle within a circle.
Also called: Royal Arch emblem · triple T
What it means
The emblem of the Royal Arch, the Chapter degree that completes the story of the Master Mason degree in the York Rite system. It is the mark on most Royal Arch pins, rings and aprons.
Its meaning is given in the degree. Published commentators disagree about it, and Mackey's Encyclopedia records several competing readings, which is a good reason to treat any confident one-line explanation you find online with suspicion.
The Royal Arch is appendant to the Craft. A Royal Arch Mason is a Master Mason who has chosen to continue; he does not outrank one who has not.
In context: The York Rite Explained: Chapter, Council, Commandery
Frequently asked questions
What does the Triple Tau mean in Freemasonry?
Three T-shapes joined at the foot, the principal emblem of Royal Arch Masonry, usually shown inside a triangle within a circle.
Who can wear the Triple Tau?
The triple tau is worn by Royal Arch Masons. Do not give it to a brother who has not been exalted in a Chapter.
Sources
Drawn from the published monitors and from what the bodies concerned publish about themselves. Nothing here comes from, or goes beyond, any obligated material.
- Albert G. Mackey, An Encyclopædia of Freemasonry (1873)