Frequently Asked Questions
Robert Phoenix answers the most common questions about Pennsylvania German Powwow, compiled from lectures, interviews, and events since 2010.
Frequent Questions
In 2010 I did my first lecture on Powwowing. Since then, I’ve done countless lectures at shops, colleges, universities, and in private gatherings; in addition to web interviews, a documentary movie, and newspaper articles. From those events, I’ve compiled this list of Frequently Asked Questions so that you can find your answer quickly before you dive deep into this website.
Is magic anti-Christian?
The history of Christian magic demonstrates ancient Christian spells found in Egypt that are almost exactly like the charms we use in Powwow today.
Did you make this all up yourself?
Nope. I had nothing to do with the creation of powwowing, the naming of the tradition, the history of the tradition, or any of it. I simply study powwowing, practice powwowing, and help preserve the tradition by writing about it, sharing information, and adding my own thoughts and experiences to the ongoing conversation. Some people like to get angry with me about powwowing being a Christian practice or the word “powwowing” or what-have-you, but I promise that I am just one person in a long long line of powwowers, spanning several centuries. I am not the authority on powwowing nor am I the most learned in the tradition. I just happen to have a love for powwowing, a love for Pennsylvania, a love for the culture of my family, and a love for folk magic in general. If something about powwowing or my work makes you unhappy, I’m sorry to hear it, but I’m also not that fussed about it.
Is this stuff for real? Do you actually believe in all this?
These are fair questions. Faith healers are historically looked upon as crackpots and scam artists. However, you have to look at the subject in its cultural perspective. To the Pennsylvania Germans, powwowing was very real. Faith in God and God’s ability to heal is stronger in some cultures than in others. Throughout history, almost all cultures have had some form of faith healing or folk medicine that relied on spiritual means.
Do you use the Ezekiel blood-stopping charm?
The passage is Ezekiel 16:6: “And when I passed by thee, and saw thee polluted in thine own blood, I said unto thee when thou was in thy blood, live. Yea, I said unto thee when thou was in thy blood, live.” I have used this charm a few times. It’s said to be equally effective for distance work as it is for hands-on work. To me this is a curious charm in the sense that whole traditions of healing have sprung up from its use. If you travel south from Pennsylvania, you’ll find entire family lines from West Virginia southward that have used this charm to help people in need. The folks from the Appalachian mountains are quite familiar with this charm.
I am a non-Christian, can I be a powwow?
Traditional Pennsylvania German powwowing is not for you then. If your goal is to preserve an element of Pennsylvania culture and history, then traditional powwowing is the best route.
Here’s a quote from the 1894 Powwow book, Ossman and Steel’s Guide to Health:
“Every word we mention in regard to Powwowing is taken from Scripture, and those who have no faith in the Scripture had better keep their hands off of our book, as they cannot be cured by this method.” — The Guide To Health OR Household Instructor by Ossman & Steel, Wiconisco, PA 1894.
Remember that it is best to learn powwowing from an actual powwower; cross-gender is the traditional method — but not the only method. And that individual, if adhering to tradition, will be a Christian. This does not mean that individual will be an evangelist or “bible thumper”. However, that individual will consider themselves to be a Christian, as the charms and cures used in powwowing assume a Christian worldview.
Do I need to be of Pennsylvania German descent to be a powwow?
Powwow developed within the Pennsylvania German community. It is a culturally specific tradition. That said, many people outside the PA German community have learned and practice it. The key requirement is the Christian worldview and a genuine connection to the tradition.
Where does powwow come from?
Many of the charms and formulas used in powwowing can be traced to a book by John George Hohman, Der Lan verborgene Schatz und Haus-Freund (The Long Lost Friend), published in Reading, Pennsylvania, in 1820. Some of the spells in this collection have been traced back to Albertus Magnus, who died in Cologne in 1280, and some are apparently more ancient.
The precursor to our familiar Long Lost Friend was called The Long Hidden Friend. This edition, translated in 1904 by the Journal of American Folklore (Carleton F. Brown), contains an important preface that discusses the origins of much of this work. Those origins are academically agreed upon to be Medieval Catholic prayers against witchcraft.
“Pow-wowing was essentially a religious movement which regarded illness as the work of the devil, an evil manifestation to be expelled by charms, herbs, manipulations and incantations delivered by an empowered believer in the Scriptures.” — Ned D. Heindel, Lehigh University professor, introduction to Hexenkopf: History, Healing & Hexerei
Pennsylvanian author and newspaperman A. Monroe Aurand, in his 1929 work The “Pow Wow” Book, concurred.
Is powwow a Christianized version of Heathen magic?
No. Powwow is, historically and culturally, a system of magic that was born out of Judeo-Christian mysticism of the early centuries (see: Grimoire traditions), Medieval Catholicism, and later the practices of the German Brauchen. Contrary to popular belief, it was never a system of magic that was later given Christian overtones. It did not exist, as we know it today, in any other sense than Christian/Judeo-Christian. It is a collection of charms and rituals that assumed a Christian worldview was the norm by which people understood religion, science, and the universe. Powwowing works under the assumption that God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit will answer our call for healing and/or protection.
The German provinces were Christianized as early as the 4th Century, roughly 1200 years prior to the popularity of the grimoires. By the time these grimoires became fashionable and were introduced to the German people, those provinces would have been Christian rather than pagan.
Don Yoder said powwowing was a Protestant version of Medieval “old religion”. Doesn’t that mean it’s a Christian version of paganism?
No, the “old religion” in Medieval Europe was Catholicism. By Medieval times, Europe was largely Christianized. The “new religion” was the emerging Protestant church in the 1400’s. The “old religion” was the Catholic church. Many of the anti-witchcraft charms found in today’s Powwowing tradition are directly descended from the Medieval Catholic church’s beliefs and practices regarding diabolical witchcraft. However, since powwowing is less Catholic and largely a Protestant tradition, it can honestly be said to be a new version of the “old religion”. Hohman himself was a Catholic, yet the modern powwow is more likely to be found in what remains of the German Reformed church in Pennsylvania, or the Lutheran church.
Are powwows the same as British Cunning Folk?
That’s a good question. A comparison of powwow with the Cunning men and women of Europe is a fair and accurate description. It is my understanding, based on research, that English Cunning Craft and grimoire magic were popular in both Britain and Germany during the same time period. If you study the English Cunning Craft, you’ll see the same charms that are used in powwowing.
However, there is growing evidence that Braucherei WAS practiced in Southwestern Germany prior to World War 2. With the cultural destruction of Germany by Hitler, the modern Germans rely on the Pennsylvania German community to fill in their folkloric gaps.
“Some of the magical practices and charms of the cunning-folk were passed down and continued to be used after the decline of the cunning-folk tradition.”
Is the Hex Hollow documentary about powwow?
Technically, it’s about the murder of powwower Nelson Rehmeyer in 1928. My role in the movie is minimal. I offer information from the perspective of an actual powwower in order to give an idea of what powwowing is like to help the viewers understand Mr. Rehmeyer a little better. The movie is largely about the three murderers.
Why is this all about Pennsylvania? What about powwowing in other states?
Some powwow charms can be found in other folk traditions, like in the Appalachian folk healing tradition or even further south. However, the tradition as a whole is unique to the Pennsylvania German community and was developed here. The cultural context — the specific grimoires, the community structure, the religious traditions — all tie it firmly to Pennsylvania.
The Long Lost Friend and other grimoires
From The Long Hidden Friend (1904 translation, Journal of American Folklore):
Johann Georg Hohman wrote in German:
“Viele Leute in Amerika glauben an keine Holle oder Himmel. In Deutschland gibt es solche Leute nicht so viel. Ich, Hohman, frage: We vertreibt gleich die Schussblatter, kalten Brand? We stopft das Blut? Ich antworte, und ich, Hohman, sage: Dies thut der Herr. So muss Holle und Himmel seyn, — und auf solche Leute halte ich nichts.”
“Many people in America believe in no hell or heaven. In Germany such people are fewer. I, Hohman, ask, who cures wounds and gangrene? Who stops blood? I answer; and I, Hohman say: The LORD does it. Therefore there is a hell and heaven. I don’t think much of such people.”
Romanus-Buchlein (1788):
Whoever carries this book with him, is safe from all enemies, visible or invisible; and whoever has this book with him, cannot die without the holy corpse of Jesus Christ, nor drown in any water, nor burn up in any fire, nor can any unjust sentence be passed upon him. So help me. +++
From the Sixth and Seventh Books of Moses:
“One thing must not be omitted, in conclusion, and that is, we must first become Christians before we can perform cures by Christ’s name.”
Do you use hex signs in your powwow practice?
Some modern day neopagans like to paint their own versions of hex signs with “runes” on them, as they believe these ancient letters have magic properties. I disagree with these findings. See the Hex Signs page for more information.
Please visit the PENNSYLVANIA GERMAN CULTURAL HERITAGE CENTER for even more info about the Pennsylvania Germans.