Hexes and Curses
A theological and historical overview of hexes, curses, witchcraft, and the Hexenmeister tradition within Pennsylvania German Powwow.
Hexes and curses
en hex mus immer ebber gwele
A witch must always be tormenting someone.
Luschtig gelebt un selig g’schtorwa. Is’m Deiwel sei Rechling verdorwa.
—Pennsylvania German Proverb
Holy Father, always be our path and guide, our protection and shield, our consolation and strength. Set our feet, minds, and hearts onto your path of divine peace. Make your holy and divine Word, which you allow us to hear, vibrant and active in our hearts so we might please and serve you until the end of our lives. Amen.
—Die Ernsthafte Christenpflicht
Some terms to become familiar with
Before we dive into the discussion of hexes and curses, let’s clear up a little matter about titles.
Generally speaking, a powwower is known as a powwower. That title has been sufficient for a very long time and faithfully describes a practitioner of Pennsylvania German Powwow.
Another word you may come across is “braucher”. This title, while accurate, can also refer to an actual system of magic that has German roots that exists outside the realm of what may be considered as “powwowing”. This is a tricky subject, but it’s important to understand that a braucher and a powwow may not necessarily be the same thing. For instance, there are neopagans who practice paganized versions of powwowing that refer to their magic as “braucherei”. This is not necessarily the same as the historical and cultural practice of powwowing as found in Pennsylvania but could encompass pre-Christian Heathen practices from Germany or Scandinavia, for example.
A hex is generally thought of as a witch. And a witch, in the context of powwowing, is a practitioner of malevolent magic. We do not consider modern witches (such as practitioners of Wicca or some other neopagan strain) to be the same as the historical hex. Modern witchcraft has largely moved away from the idea of curses and harmful magic.
A Hexenmeister is a powwower who also removes curses cast by malevolent witchcraft.
Another term for a hexenmeister is a Hex Doctor. A Hex Doctor is one you can go to for the removal of a curse.
I personally refer to myself as a powwow but alternatively as a Hex Doctor because I specialize in removing and reversing malevolent magic.
Hexerei: the practice of the witch
The German word for witch is hex. Hexerei is the practice of witchcraft. This should not be confused with some of the more modern practitioners of folk magic that refer to themselves as witches, who often offer their work much in the way the historical powwow does — to heal and help, although the definition of hex can fit a modern practitioner if they cross ethical lines. What distinguishes the historical witch from the modern witch — or the bad witch from the good witch, if you will — is intent. Back in the day, witchcraft was believed to be malevolent magic worked by practitioners who were in league with the devil. Iwweldaeder (worker of evil). I realize it’s unpopular today to think of it this way and many individuals prefer to stick to a more romanticized idea of the historical witch, but history is what it is.
The very idea of hexing and cursing may seem ridiculous to most people and, indeed, it is difficult to imagine in this day and age that there are people who still believe in such things. However, within the Pennsylvania German culture (as in many cultures), such concepts are more than just frivolous or barbaric superstition. The use of magic to cause harm is very real.
Don’t misunderstand me. I do not live my life in fear of verhexing, and neither should you.
The majority of emails I receive are from individuals who believe they are the victims of black magic. An interesting occurrence also seems to be common amongst Pennsylvania residents who believe they have been cursed. The cursings seem to involve property in some way. There are reports of curses on houses, farm lands, and even in one instance there was believed to be a curse on the actual paper deed. I’ve heard of ‘generational curses’, which seem to have been placed on the family generations ago and have been passed on from person to person until modern times. Curses are powerful things.
A few commonalities have prompted me to put together this checklist, of sorts. Don’t let this list fool you into believing you are verhexed. It is offered as a resource to refer to, just in case you think you might have something else going on in your life that can’t be explained away easily…
- Do you know someone who practices black magic? Would that individual have any reason to verhex you?
- Do you have any evidence that you and/or your family are the victims of a curse? Evidence can include written or handmade talismans that are given to you or placed on your property. They may also include old notes or letters found in family bibles. Evidence of curses is rare, but, like powwowing, there can be physical items used in the process.
These, and many other things, are important considerations when discussing curses. Please don’t immediately jump to the conclusion that you have been verhexed as this can lead to unnecessary fear and paranoia. However, it is important to consider all things going on in your life and all possible explanations.
How to become a witch
There is a belief amongst the Pennsylvania Germans that if one chooses to become a witch, all you need do is create a circle on the floor in your kitchen out of flour, step inside, and hold out your left hand, palm facing up. This is your invitation to the Devil to take your hand and give you the powers of witchcraft.
Some superstitions about witches
This information comes directly from Beliefs and Superstitions of the Pennsylvania Germans by Edwin Miller Fogel, Ph.D. 1995
Fasten a sprig of St. John’s wort to the door to keep out witches or flies.
Put the foot of a goose (draw a pentagram?) on the stable door to keep the witches out.
Nail a toad’s foot over the stable door to drive and keep the witches out of the stable.
To keep away witches, draw toads feet with chalk on the bedstead or in the room above window or door.
When bewitched, lay the broom before the door. The first person to come along and pick it up is the witch.
Throwing a loaf of bread into water will drive out witches.
If bread won’t rise, it is bewitched.
To discover a witch, cut the two sleeves out of your husband’s shirt and burn them.
The historical witch in Pennsylvania
It was believed that hexerei itself was like a curse. To be bound to the devil to practice his nefarious works was not something that was intentionally sought out. It was passed down from mother or grandmother to daughter, through ritualistic actions that we have only gathered bits and pieces of from a few of the older folks willing to talk about it.
I knew an old woman in my church who remembers her grandmother putting her in a circle of flour in the kitchen and was about to perform the ritual necessary to pass on her witchcraft when the event was disrupted by the little girl’s mother. As such, the grandmother passed away without passing on the curse, and the girl (now an old woman) believes that her grandmother’s angry and restless spirit still haunts her, to this very day.
It is also well known that a witch could be hidden in plain sight, as they say, practicing powwow by day — helping the community, healing the sick, all in the name of Christ — but in secret practicing nefarious magic in the name of Satan.
Two hundred years ago in Pennsylvania, such a phenomenon would have been unheard of. Certainly there were powwowers, but even these are believed to have been limited to one or two in a community. They were respected and feared members of the community. And certainly there were the hexen. These were even more rare.
Curses in the old grimoires
In some of the old grimoires there are a few curses to be found. As a powwow, it’s important to know these curses so you can recognize them if they are being used against your clients. This section is for educational purposes.
Hair, fingernail clippings, urine, saliva, blood, and semen seem to be common components of the old curses. These things are believed to directly connect the magic to the intended target. In some cultures, it is believed that if a witch knows your baptismal name, he or she can hex you.
For example, an old Irish curse to cause hatred between two people in love directs you to take a handful of dirt from a fresh grave and shake it between the two people while saying “Hate ye one another! May ye be as hateful to each other as sin is to Christ, as bread eaten without blessing is to God.” You can see that in this example, the curse references Christian imagery.
An Italian curse to “bewitch your enemy” directs you to take cuttings of your victim’s hair, soak it in your own urine, then throw the hair back onto his or her property. It goes on to say “then he will have no rest by night or day”.
This example is one of the more extreme anti-hex charms that I’ve collected. However, it’s an important look into how the historical witch was viewed. She was so feared, and believed to have so much power over a community, that it was an option for the powwower or cunning man to work for her death. Certainly I am not advocating for this type of magic, and would suspect some very harsh divine judgment against anyone who worked this type of spell, but if we are going to be honest about powwowing and its history, then we should embrace the fact that witches were viewed unfavorably. In fact, one of the things that sets the historical cunning man and powwow apart from modern practitioners of certain folk magic traditions is our willingness to combat witchcraft and work against the influence of the devil.
Talismans and Amulets
Generally speaking, talismans are made to draw something toward you, while amulets are designed to protect you from specific influences. Talismans and amulets can be created from metals that correspond to certain astrological data. This is alchemy at its most base form. In the 16 and 1700’s in Pennsylvania, there are records of paper talismans being mass-produced and given as protection to the early settlers. Most households held these charms to be both Holy and Protective. Some were even made up of biblical passages written on small slips of paper that would be given to those who would speak offensive words, to dissolve on the tongue to absorb blessings from God.
The idea of the red string is an interesting one. In Jewish folklore the red string was protective. It is believed by some that the red string tied around the wrist of a newborn will protect that child from a form of night demon called lilitu until that child is circumcised. In Biblical terms, the red string also represents the blood of the sacrificial lamb that was marked on doorways during Passover when God struck down the firstborn of every Egyptian family, and spared only those households that were marked with the lamb’s blood.