. ▁The ▁old ▁religious ▁orders , ▁e . g . ▁the ▁Bened ict ine ▁Order , ▁especially ▁the ▁Order ▁of ▁Cl un y ▁which ▁inaugur ated ▁All ▁Soul ' s ▁Day , ▁also ▁met ▁some ▁of ▁this ▁need . ▁Relig ious ▁con fr atern ities ▁are ▁like wise ▁distinguished ▁in ▁their ▁early ▁beg inn ings ▁by ▁a ▁special ▁dev otion ▁to ▁the ▁sick ▁and ▁bur ial ▁of ▁the ▁dece ased ▁( e . g . ▁the ▁brother hood ▁of ▁Constantin ople ▁which ▁fl our ished ▁in ▁ 3 3 6 , ▁and ▁in ▁the ▁West ▁the ▁Con fr atri æ ▁or ▁Con fr atern it ates ▁of ▁the ▁Middle ▁A ges ). ▁Even ▁medieval ▁gu ild s , ▁established ▁primarily ▁for ▁sec ular ▁purposes , ▁included ▁in ▁their ▁constitution s ▁to ▁require ▁char ity ▁for ▁dece ased ▁members . ▁ ▁The ▁early ▁associations ▁In ▁Northern ▁Europe , ▁the ▁medieval ▁associations ▁of ▁prayer ▁called ▁" fr atern it ates ", ▁" soci et ates ", ▁and ▁" cons ort ium " ▁are ▁not ▁as ▁well ▁known , ▁although ▁some ▁" T oten b ünd e " ▁( G erman ▁for ▁associations ▁for ▁the ▁dead ) ▁existed , ▁aff ording ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁best ▁proofs ▁of ▁the ▁existence ▁of ▁l ively ▁faith , ▁especially ▁among ▁the ▁Ang lo - S ax ons , ▁Fran ks ▁and ▁the ▁German ic ▁pe op les ▁in ▁general . ▁They ▁were ▁founded ▁chief ly , ▁though ▁not ▁sole ly , ▁to ▁assist ▁dece ased ▁members ▁with ▁pray ers ,