Braucherei or Pow-Wow

Dennis Boyer has spent nearly 20 years examining the folk spirituality of the Pennsylvania Germans. During those efforts he came to feel that the misunderstood folk medicine practices of Braucherei/Pow-Wow were the most important links to understanding the Pennsylvania German joys of the simple life and their sense of magic in everyday life.

The term Braucherei is related to the noun Brauch (custom, usage, rite) and the verb brauchen (to make use of, to use up, to take medicines, to go through a cure, to enjoy). One can see that the meanings are heavily context driven. That brings us to Braucher, one who uses the customs and rites for healing and enjoyment. Thus we arrive at Braucherei, collective practices of Braucher practitioners and, perhaps, the mystical state of mind required of practitioners and adherents. In North America these practices came to be known by the Algonquin word "pow-wow," which conveys the same sense of healing power as Braucherei.

Folklorists and social scientists long derided Braucherei as backward superstition. Several things call for a reappraisal of this dismissive attitude. First is the more enlightened anthropological openness to the folk wisdom of native cultures. Second is the medical profession's increasing acknowledgment of the mind-body connection in healing.

After the publication of Once Upon a Hex, Dennis hopes to work on a book related to Braucherei. In it he hopes to explore the past and speculate on the future, including how a renewal of Braucherei might become one more feature of Pennsylvania German cultural preservation.

Those who wish to be part of a dialog on these matters are invited to contact Dennis online .