Heart in Hand
The Heart in Hand (also commonly and historically referred to as the Heat and Hand) is a traditional emblematic expression within Odd Fellowship representing the unity of compassion and action. The symbol and phrase emphasize that charity, friendship, and benevolence must be carried out not only with labor and assistance, but also with sincerity, willingness, and genuine feeling.
The phrase is closely associated with the charitable mission of the Order and reflects the principle that service to humanity should be performed wholeheartedly and without reluctance.
Meaning
Within Odd Fellowship symbolism, the heart represents sincerity, compassion, sympathy, and fraternal affection, while the hand represents labor, assistance, charity, and practical action.
Together, they symbolize the idea that good works should be performed both willingly and actively. Charity without compassion is viewed as incomplete, while compassion without action fails to relieve suffering.
The concept is commonly associated with:
- Visiting the sick
- Relieving the distressed
- Burying the dead
- Educating the orphan
- Acts of charity and benevolence
- Fraternal support between members
Historical Description
An explanation of the symbolism appears in the Handbook of the Order:
“The command of our law is, that we visit the sick, relieve the distressed, bury the dead, and educate the orphan. What our hands find to do in these respects, therefore, we should do cheerfully, with the whole heart; not grudgingly and unwillingly. True friendship goes out with alacrity to the service required of it; and heart and hand should go forth in concert in the cause of suffering humanity; they must not be divided in their energies.”
— Independent Order of Odd Fellows, Handbook of the Order, 1876–1878 edition, p. 199.
Symbolism
The Heart and Hand theme appears throughout Odd Fellowship symbolism and literature and is often connected to broader teachings regarding:
- Friendship, Love and Truth
- Charity
- Brotherhood
- Relief
- Duty to humanity
- Fraternal labor
In artwork and regalia, the concept may be represented literally through imagery of a hand and heart, or symbolically through scenes of charity and assistance.
Use Within the Order
The phrase and symbolism continue to appear in:
- Lodge lectures
- Educational material
- Fraternal publications
- Charity programs
- Artwork and regalia
- Speeches and official writings
The concept remains one of the foundational moral teachings associated with Odd Fellowship.
Influence
The Heart and Hand symbolism has influenced modern Odd Fellowship educational efforts, charitable messaging, and publishing projects, including the naming of organizations and initiatives inspired by the traditional principles of the Order.
Trivia
- The logo of this wiki uses the Heart in Hand symbol. The free sharing and preservation of knowledge is viewed by some Odd Fellows as an act of charity and service consistent with the symbolism of the Heart in Hand.
- An early alternative considered for the wiki logo was the Beehive, a traditional symbol representing cooperation, industry, and many individuals laboring together toward a common purpose.