In order to fully understand the term that concerns us now, we must first proceed to discover its etymological origin. In this case, it must be stated that it is a word that derives from Latin because it is the result of the sum of these two clearly delimited elements:
-The prefix “co-“, which can be translated as “jointly” or “union”.
-The verb “frater”, which is synonymous with “fraternal”.
It is called brotherhood to a group formed by various individuals with a specific goal. The concept can refer to different kinds of groups: congregations, guilds, brotherhoods, etc.
In the field of religion, the group created by the union of devotees for the development of works of charity and activities linked to the dedication is called a brotherhood. These brotherhoods arise with the endorsement of the corresponding religious authorities.
There are different kinds of brotherhoods according to their purpose. The Gloria brotherhoods are centered on the cult of an invocation, while the sacramental brotherhoods are oriented to the Blessed Sacrament. The penitential brotherhoods, for their part, perform penance at Easter. It is common for brotherhoods to carry out processions.
In addition to all that is indicated, we cannot ignore the existence of a film that has the word in question in its title. We are referring to the comedy “My dear brotherhood”, which premiered in 2018 under the direction of Marta Díaz and with actors such as Gloria Muñoz, Pepa Aniorte, Juan Gea and Carmen Flores in the cast.
The protagonist is none other than Carmen, a woman who for three decades has devoted herself to the brotherhood of her town. For this reason, her dream is to become her older sister, but it is going to be difficult because she is still “ruled” by men. Hence, Ignacio is finally chosen as his older brother. This man is accidentally knocked unconscious by Carmen.
What the woman will do is hide him in her house, but everything will be complicated when her daughter, after having argued with her husband, decides to return to her mother.
In the field of literature, we find many works with the term in question as “The Brotherhood of the Invencible Army” by Emilio Luis Lara López.
Beyond the religious environment, there are brotherhoods that are armed with institutional or union objectives. In the Middle Ages, for example, theatrical activity was regulated through brotherhoods founded by bishops or monarchs. There were brotherhoods in Spain, France and other countries.
According to DigoPaul, a historic brotherhood was the group created by the German composer Robert Schumann (1810-1856): the Brotherhood of David. This entity sought the expression of the aesthetic considerations of Schumann and his followers, even through a magazine.
In colloquial language, finally, it is usually known as a brotherhood to different groups of people who meet with different motivations. The university brotherhoods are groups of students, often secret, who have initiation rites. There may also be artistic, intellectual and social brotherhoods, among others.
