Pfranger 1

Brad Pfranger

Math 280-07

Dr. Derek Bruff

July 13. 2009

Masonic Cipher

According to Simon Singh, the Masonic cipher or Pigpen cipher is a

monoalphabetic substitution cipher. This form of encryption is a cipher and not a code,

even though it uses symbols instead of letters or numbers, because as Singh explains in

The Code Book, “technically, a code is defined as substitution at the levels of words or

phrases, whereas a cipher is defined as substitution at the level of letters (Singh, pg. 30).”

Fred Wrixon, author of Codes, Ciphers, Secrets, and Cryptic Communication, expands on

the definition offered by Singh by also stating it is a Geometric cipher. Wrixon explains

that this type of cipher family, including the Zig Zag cipher and the Rosicrucian cipher

came into existence during the seventeenth century, and utilizes geometric shapes to

encipher a plain text. Those shapes can be seen written across the top of the gravestone

below.
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(Source: http://www.flickr.com/photos/evissa/614217307/)

The Masonic cipher gets its name from the Freemasons, who invented this cipher

and used it during the seventeen hundreds. The reason for the Masons creating this secret

writing was “to protect their business from public scrutiny (Wrixon, pg. 183).” The other

name for the cipher, Pigpen, apparently comes from the look of the ciphertext itself, as

people thought it resembled the shape of pigpens. Below is another sample of Masonic

use of the cipher.

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(Source:
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/e/ee/Thomas_Brierley_memorial.jpg/30
0px-Thomas_Brierley_memorial.jpg:

According to Wrixon, the cipher was extremely effective during the time when the

construct of the cipher was unknown. Cryptoanalysts did not know if they were looking

at a code or cipher, though the enciphering process was tremendously simple. Because of

the simplicity of the cipher and importance of the information involved, “as a result of

security breaches, most U.S. Masonic grand lodges no longer created written ciphers,

preferring to use vocal instruction in private ceremonies (Wrixon, pg. 183).”

To encipher a plain text using the Masonic cipher, a cryptographer must first start

with four geometric grids.

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(Source: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Pigpen.png)

Next, the cryptographer would fill each of the twenty six spaces located in the geographic

grids with one letter of the alphabet.

(Source: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Pigpen.png)
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The cryptographer has now constructed the cipher key. It is important that the recipient

have the same key as there are many possible variations. Actually, there are

403,291,461,126,605,635,584,000,000 ways in which a cryptographer can arrange the

alphabet in the grids.

After establishing the cipher key, the cryptographer can then encipher his or her

plain text. The plain text for this example will be:

ONE IF BY LAND, TWO IF BY SEA

To begin, the cryptographer will encipher the first letter of the text, ‘O.’ They will go to

the cipher key, find the location of ‘O’ and replace the letter in the sentence with the

geographic shape around that letter.

Next, they would find the letter ‘N’ in the cipher key and do the same as was done with

the letter ‘O.’

The cryptographer would continue finding the letters in the cipher key and replacing the

letters in the text with the corresponding symbols. Punctuation and spacing would also

be omitted for heightened security.

Now the cryptographer has completed enciphering the message which is ready to send.
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The receiver would do the reverse to find the intended message. What would a

cryptoanalyst do to break this cipher having received it without the cipher key? Simon

Singh says the best way to find the meaning since it is merely a monoalphabetic cipher, is

to use frequency analysis.

Though the Pigpen cipher has been abandoned by the Freemasons, it is still a

subject of interest to amateurs. It can be found, not only in history books, but also as a

fun activity in children’s books, like Chris Sasaki’s Detective Notebook: Secret Agent

Codes. There are also many websites dedicated to the Masonic cipher, even one by

author Simon Singh, which not only explains the history, but also allows the browser to

use an online tool to encipher and decipher Pigpen texts.

The Masonic cipher is moving into its fourth century of use, and though it is not

regarded as an elite way of writing in secret, it can still generate plenty of fun for anyone

interested in cryptic writing.

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Works Cited

Singh, Simon. “The Pigpen Cipher.” The Black Chamber. July 2009.
<http://www.simonsingh.net/The_Black_Chamber/pigpenWithMenu.html>

Sasiki, Chris. “Detective Notebook: Secret Agent Codes.” Barnes and Noble, Inc. July
2009.
<http://search.barnesandnoble.com/Detective-Notebook/Chris-
Sasaki/e/9781402713996>

Brierley, Mark. “Thomas Brierley's memorial, Mellor.” Thomas Brierley. Wikipedia.

July 2009.
<http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/e/ee/Thomas_Brierley_memori
al.jpg/300px-Thomas_Brierley_memorial.jpg

Evissa. “In memory of a freemason.” Flikr. Castleton, Derbyshire. July 2009.

< http://www.flickr.com/photos/evissa/614217307/>

Singh, Simon. The Code Book. New York: Anchor Books, 1999

Wrixon, Fred B. Codes, Ciphers, Secrets and Cryptic Communication. New York: Black
Dog & Leventhal Paperbacks, 2005.

“Pigpen Cipher.” Purple Hell. July 2009.

< http://www.purplehell.com/riddletools/pigpen.htm>

“File:Pigpen.png.” Wikimedia Commons. 5 May 2009.

< http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Pigpen.png>