|
Odd Fellows or Oddfellows, also ''Odd Fellowship'' or ''Oddfellowship'', is a fraternity consisting of lodges earliest documented in 1745 or 1730 in London, United Kingdom. The first, Loyal Aristarcus Lodge No. 9, connotes earlier ones in the 18th century. Notwithstanding, convivial meetings were held "in much revelry and, often as not, the calling of the watch to restore order."〔 Names of several British pubs still today suggest past Odd Fellows affiliations. In the mid-18th century, following the Jacobite risings, the fraternity split into the rivaling Order of Patriotic Oddfellows in southern England, favouring William III of England, and the Ancient Order of Oddfellows in northern England and Scotland, favouring the House of Stuart. Early known Odd Fellows from the time include John Wilkes (1725–1797) and Sir George Savile, 8th Baronet (1726–1784), advocating civil liberties and reliefs, including Catholic emancipation. Political repressions such as the Unlawful Oaths Act (1797) and the Unlawful Societies Act (1799), resulted in neutral amalgamation of the Grand United Order of Oddfellows in 1798. Henceforth, the fraternity has remained religiously and politically independent. Notably, King George IV of the United Kingdom (1762–1830), admitted in 1780, was the first documented of many odd fellows to also attend freemasonry, yet with both societies remaining mutually independent.〔 In 1810, further instigations had led to the establishment of Independent Order of Oddfellows Manchester Unity in England. Odd Fellows spread overseas, including with the latter formally chartering the fraternity in the United States in 1819. In 1842, due to British authorities intervening in the customs and ceremonies of British Odd Fellows and in light of post-colonial American sovereignty, the Americans become independent as Independent Order of Odd Fellows under British-American Thomas Wildey (1782–1861), soon constituting the largest sovereign grand lodge. Likewise, by mid-19th century, also the Independent Order of Oddfellows Manchester Unity become the largest and richest fraternal organisation in the United Kingdom.〔 To this day, beyond recreational activities, odd fellows promote philanthropy, ethic of reciprocity and charity, albeit some grand lodges implying Judeo-Christian affiliation. Still largest, the American-seated Independent Order of Odd Fellows enrolls some 600,000 members divided in approximately 10,000 lodges in 26 countries, inter-fraternally recognised by the second largest, the British-seated Independent Order of Oddfellows Manchester Unity.〔(IOOF International Network ), IOOF Grand Lodge of South Australia, www.keyinvest.com.au/ioofsa〕 In total, international branches combined estimate millions of members worldwide. ==Name== Several theories aim to explain the etymological background of the name "Odd Fellows", often spelled "Oddfellows" in British English. In the 18th century United Kingdom, major trades were organised in guilds or other forms of syndicates, but smaller trades did not have equivalent social or financial security. One theory has it that "odd fellows", people who exercised unusual, miscellaneous "odd trades", eventually joined together to form a larger group of "odd fellows".〔 Furthermore, a theory states, in the beginning of odd fellowship in the 18th century, at the time of early rea of industrialisation, it was rather odd to find people who followed noble values such as fraternalism, benevolence and charity.〔Müller, Stephanie (2008): ''The name Odd Fellows'', from (Concept and contents of Odd Fellowship ), Chapter 4 of ''Visit the Sick, Relieve the Distressed, Bury the Dead and Educate the Orphan: The Independent Order of Odd Fellows. A scientific work in the field of cultural studies'', Volume 10 of the "Cultural Studies in the Heartland of America" project, Wissenschaftlicher Verlag, Trier, Germany. ISBN 978-3-86821-093-4. Retrieved on 14 October 2009.〕 The name was supposedly adopted at a time when the severance into sects and classes was so wide that persons aiming at social union and mutual help were a marked exception to the general rule.〔 Possibly, it met a mixed reaction from the upper classes, who saw them possibly as a source of revenue by taxes, but also as a possible threat to their authority.〔Weinbren, Daniel (2010) ''The Oddfellows 1810–2010: Two Hundred Years of Making Friends and Helping People'' Lancaster: Carnegie Publishing, ISBN 978-1-85936207-5〕 More specifically, the odd fellows, at least according to one story, got its curious name from the fact that it was a lodge that opened its doors to anyone irrespective of class or standing, including those who at that time did not ordinarily belong to fraternities - thus "odd". All these theories may or may not be true as odd fellows have been around for a long time and a good many things get lost in the fog of history,〔Burkley M. Gray (n.d.) (Fraternalism in America (1860 - 1920) ), Phoenixmasonry Masonic Museum, www.phoenixmasonry.org.〕 with any implications of history before the 18th century considered mere speculations. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Odd Fellows」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
|