About Those "Hex" Signs

The use of hex or barn signs is still common among Pennsylvania Germans today. While in almost all cases the display is entirely decorative, there is a more ancient context of the designs as spiritual symbols.

Dennis Boyer has interviewed many followers of traditional Pennsylvania German folk spirituality (Braucherei or Pennsylvania Dutch Pow-Wow) and has found lore about the use of hex signs as charms and protective images. Some of his sources claimed that hex signs were "prescribed" for specific conditions or goals. One of those sources poetically described hex signs as "pure prayer, in artistic form."

While there are cross-cultural examples of similar designs within shamanic traditions, the hex sign is more rooted in the Christian mysticism of Pennsylvania Germans. Far from representing occult practices or