What is the meaning of 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. Two schools of thought exist on the meaning of hex signs. One school ascribes a talismanic nature to the signs; the other sees them as purely decorative.
What does Daddy Hex mean?
PHOTO: Eric Claypoole. 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.” PHOTO: Eric Claypoole. This design represents the sun, rain and fertility.
Are hex signs bad?
One says hex signs are intended to ward off evil. 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.
Why is it called a hex sign?
The “fancy” farmers also decorated their large German style bank barns with colorful geometric patterns. Six-pointed star designs were very popular. The German word for six, “sechs”, sounded like hex to their English-speaking neighbors. In time these “hex” patterns became commonly called hex signs.
What does a hex mark look like?
Although hex signs can feature virtually any design, there are some common ones. A “welcome” hex sign often features a large red heart in the center with tulips encircling the heart. The tree of life hex sign usually includes a large tree as the focal point of the sign.
What does a star symbolize?
Stars have been symbolic of divine guidance and protection. The star of Bethlehem representing the guidance of god whilst the star of David is a powerful protection symbol.
What do 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 language do Amish speak?
Pennsylvania Dutch
You may know that Pennsylvania German, also known as Pennsylvania Dutch (PD), is the primary language of most Amish and conservative Mennonite communities living in the United States today. What you may not know is that most PD speakers are ethnically Swiss.
What are the painted signs on barns?
Originally, the Pennsylvania Dutch painted barn stars directly onto the siding of their barns. Gradually, this changed to the practice of painting the six-pointed stars onto large wooden discs and then mounting them onto barns. These wooden signs became known as hex signs.
What are the colorful signs on barns?
Are the Pennsylvania Dutch German?
The Pennsylvania Dutch (also called Pennsylvania Germans or Pennsylvania Deutsch) are descendants of early German immigrants to Pennsylvania who arrived in droves, mostly before 1800, to escape religious persecution in Europe.