Why are there hex signs on barns?
The markings, colors, and designs on hex signs are believed by many to protect the barns and the animals housed inside from fire, lightning, sickness and the work of evil spirits, demons and witchcraft. They might augment fertility of livestock or encourage the right balance of sun and rain for success with crops.
Do Amish have hex signs?
Hex signs are a form of Pennsylvania Dutch folk art, related to fraktur, found in the Fancy Dutch tradition in Pennsylvania Dutch Country. The Amish do not use hex signs.
What do Pennsylvania Dutch hex signs mean?
The Pennsylvania Dutch may have mounted hex signs on barns for their purported magical properties. Some believed that hex signs provided protection, fertility for livestock, the right balance of sun and rain, and success with crops. Hex signs could feature a variety of symbols, including birds and flowers.
What is a hex mark?
Definition of hex mark : a usually stylized often symbolic design placed on a structure (as a building or an enclosure for animals) for the purpose of warding off evil spirits or simply for its decorative effect — compare hexafoos.
What does Daddy Hex mean?
Claypoole calls this design “Daddy Hex.” He says the symbols mean “to keep away famine, plague and all evils of life.” The rosettes “ward-off disease and pestilence.” This design features a six-point star, which represents the Star of David. It represents peace, happiness, good luck and good health.
Why are quilt patterns on barns?
Barn quilts began as a way to honor a loved one with a gorgeous piece of folk art. In Adams County, Ohio, in 2001, Donna Sue Groves set out to honor her mother, Maxine, and her quilt art by painting a quilt block on her tobacco barn. The idea was a hit, and soon friends and neighbors wanted painted quilts of their own.
What does a star on a barn mean?
good luck
Also known as primitive stars, these metal stars are common in farming settlements with German heritage and they’re believed to bring good luck. Like the superstition of hanging a horseshoe on a barn, the history of the barn star began as an attempt to ward off evil.
Why is a hex called a hex?
The term is derived from the German word hexe, which means ‘witch. ‘ But, as witchcraft evolved from something women were hung for, to a spiritual lifestyle that many people take quite seriously, the ‘hex’ is now a means to register cultural malcontent as much as it is a fantasy curse.
Are hex signs German?
Though hex signs use many of the symbols of Fraktur, the German lettering often used on birth and marriage certificates, they appear to be an American phenomenon for the most part. Few hex signs are found in Germany’s Palatinate, the region from which the Pennsylvania Germans emigrated, Claypoole said.
What is an Irish hex?
A hex sign called an Irish hex sign by Jacob Zook. It is believed that the hex sign evolved from an earlier form of folk art, the Fraktur, a highly stylized document predominantly taking the form of a personal family record, popular among the Pennsylvania Dutch. Hex signs are highly stylized and geometric.
What is the history of hex signs?
The hex symbols were individually hand painted for many years. This approach, naturally very time consuming, limited hex sign use and enjoyment even in the Dutch Country. In the early 1940’s, Jacob Zook, an 11th generation Pennsylvania Dutchman living in the village of Paradise, PA successfully pioneered the hand “silk screening” of hex signs.
How much does a hex sign cost in Pennsylvania?
A printed copy of Hex Signs: Sacred and Celestial Symbolism in Pennsylvania Dutch Barn Stars will be available for purchase for $10. Nestled in the rolling hills and valleys of southeastern Pennsylvania, a cultural treasure lies hidden in plain sight.
Where can I buy hex signs in Lancaster County?
Browse one of the largest selections of hex signs in the area at Lancaster County’s original Amish craft store. Plus, distinctive local Amish-made furniture, jams and jellies, gifts, souvenirs, and a wonderful selection of Amish Country T-shirts. All at The Place That Made Shoofly Pie Famous.
Who is the guest curator of the hex signs exhibition?
The guest curator is Patrick Donmoyer, director of the Pennsylvania German Cultural Heritage Center at Kutztown University. Donmoyer is the author of the exhibition catalogue and also of the 2013 book, Hex Signs: Myth and Meaning in Pennsylvania Dutch Barn Stars .