Customer Reviews

Hex Signs: Pennsylvania Dutch Barn Symbols & Their Meaning: Revised & Expanded

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
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The authors take a pragmatic approach to the subject of the many round decorations that have graced barns and homes of Pennsylvania for hundreds of years. Especially among Pennsylvanians of "Deutch" or German ancestry, the fancy round "hex signs" are a cultural identification as well a decoration for their barns. Perhaps these signs also have magickal meaning as a ward or protection. The term "hex" means a magic spell in German, and "hexen" means witch. The authors shy away somewhat from a serious inquiry into the magickal meanings and efficacy of protection hexes. They do offer a collection of good photos of many old and new signs, interviews with current painters and discussion of those available commercially.

"It is an excellent book on history of Pa.Dutch Hex Signs" Colorful and very informative!

This little gudie is great if you are interested in the Pow Wow practice of Pennsylvania Dutch hexerei. Though these writers are interested in the cultural and commercial aspects of the barn hexes, they do offer an introductory discussion of the hex marks and a brief history of its appearance in teh New World. Totally worth your time to peruse and worth your money to have

I bought this book in preparation for a lesson on hex signs i was doing with a Kindergarten art class. I found the book to be filled with generous amounts of information as well as beautiful images. This is a very informative book.

Provides the basics on the region of SE PA known for PA Dutch hex signs. I purchased it to provide ideas for creating my own hex signs. It will be a big help for this purpose. Lots of great photos of beautiful barns.

I am not from Pennsylvania, but have been living here for more than 3 decades. The Pennsylvania German culture is largely unknown to the rest of the country, even though everyone knows about the Pennsylvania Dutch, or thinks they do. (No, they don't wear wooden shoes or come from Holland). Hex signs are not "Amish" -- the Amish do not decorate their barns -- but are from other branches of Pennsylvania Dutch culture.

Pennsylvania Germans were one of the major groups of early immigrants to colonial America and brought with them their own language, culture and art which continued to evolve over the years. Hex signs or barn stars are a big tourist attraction. Most tourists have only a hazy idea of what they are all about. This book goes a long way to explaining them, in the context of Pennsylvania German culture. It's quite interesting and worth some study if you are interested in folk culture and early America. The geometric designs and symbolism expresed in hex signs are uniquely American, although they did develop from earlier symbology in Europe and possibly further back in history. Similar symbols may be found in the ancient folk art of various Mediterranean cultures.

Don Yoder is a respected author and academic who comes from that tradition and in this book he explains some of it to interested readers.

I know this will disappoint the tarot and wiccan crowd, but there's really nothing in this book for you.

This book is a great introduction to hex symbols and contains some great photos and illustrations. I would recommend it as a starting point for someone who wants to learn more about this art form. It's a quick read but it is filled with information.