A Glossary of Powwow Terms

The tradition carries its own vocabulary, much of it from the Pennsylvania Dutch dialect (Deitsch). Here are the words you’ll meet most often on this site.

Powwow / Powwowing — The common English name for the Pennsylvania German tradition of Christian folk healing: the use of prayer, spoken charms, herbs, and ritual gesture to bring healing to man and beast. The origin of the word is debated and, despite appearances, has no real connection to Native American usage.

Braucherei — The Pennsylvania Dutch name for the same tradition, from the dialect verb brauche, “to use” or “to employ.” To many practitioners, Braucherei and Powwow mean the same thing.

Brauche — The act of practicing the tradition; “to powwow” or “to try for” a cure.

Braucher / Braucherin — A practitioner of the tradition: Braucher (a man) or Braucherin (a woman).

Hexenmeister — Literally “master of hexes.” A practitioner skilled not only in healing but in recognizing and undoing the work of witchcraft. Robert uses Powwow and Hexenmeister to describe himself.

Hexerei — Witchcraft or sorcery — most often the harmful counterpart that the Powwower is called to overcome.

Hex — A spell or curse. The word also lends its name to the hex signs.

Hex sign — The geometric “barn star” folk art of the Pennsylvania Dutch — rosettes, stars, birds, and hearts. Decorative by tradition, and to some, protective.

Distelfink — The stylized goldfinch of Pennsylvania Dutch folk art, a symbol of good luck and happiness. A pair of distelfinks appears in this site’s emblem.

Himmelsbrief — A “heaven’s letter”: a written charm or letter believed to protect the one who carries or keeps it.

The Long Lost Friend (Der lang verborgene Freund) — John George Hohman’s 1820 collection of charms and household remedies, the most famous and influential of the Powwow chapbooks.

The Three Highest Names — The Holy Trinity: Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, invoked at the heart of nearly every charm. The mark + + + in a charm directs the practitioner to make three crosses in the three highest names.

N. / N.N. — Placeholders within a charm for the patient’s name: a single N. for the first (Christian) name, N.N. for the first name and surname together.

Deitsch / Pennsylvania Dutch — The language and culture of the German-speaking families who settled Pennsylvania. “Dutch” here comes from Deitsch (German) — not from Holland.

Fraktur — The ornate calligraphic folk art of the Pennsylvania Dutch, found on birth and baptismal certificates, house blessings, and charms.

Wildfire (erysipelas) — An old name for a spreading skin infection, frequently the target of a healing charm.