his page reflects a rather innocent flirtation with designing my own Pennsylvania Dutch inspired "hex" as a charm hidden within the pages of this website.  While traditionally limited to mainly primary colors plus black and white, Pennsylania Dutch hex designs easily accomodate any color or pattern and practically anything its maker might conjure.  They're fun to play with.  They also look fantastically vibrant on good computer monitors, especially those which are color calibrated.

The two designs above are my interpretations of the Pennsylvania Dutch "Triple Star" hex.  Only my personal color choices are added to the simpler, traditional Triple Star.  The Decorated Triple Star, visible when a cursor is dragged across the circular design, is a more complex and contemporary arrangement of colors and shapes that I made based on traditional Pennsylvania Dutch imagery. 

The green shapes contained by the inner, middle and outer circles are likey the triple stars.  Upon closer inspection, this particular hex actually consists of three, four, five, or six concentric star-like formations, depending on which negative and/or positive shapes are considered "stars" by the viewer.  The Pennsylvania Dutch used star symbols for protection against fires, and to attract love, fertility, energy, harmony, hope, and frequently a hefty dose of good luck.  If "all things good come from above," it is easy to understand why stars are connected with divine influences in many cultures, perhaps almost universally.   According to Migene González-Wippler in The Complete Book of Amulets & Talismans, the Pennsylvania DutchTriple Star is "a symbol of protection by heavenly powers and the giver of prosperity and longevity.  It is a diagram of the internal lines of force which hold matter in form.  As a sign, it seeks permanent enjoyment of abundance."

How is this grand plan achieved in a decorative painting?  Consider the design.  Each diamond is kite-shaped and points toward the center of the circle, as do the triangular pie sections at the core.  These rings of shapes pulling inward from every possible direction are symbolically gathering the "abundance" for which the hex was created.  Rings of eight four-sided shapes are numerologically fitting, too.  Four is a grounded number and obviously related to the number eight, which repesents power (and wealth) itself.  Bright greens, yellow, gold, and brown colors also reiterate the grounding of abundance and wisdom on this earthly plane.  Forifying the hex with symbols of longevity, strength and endurance, oak leaves additionally point inward, balanced by a few leaves pointing outward to thwart greed.  The circle itself is a sacred shape that repesents many things in various cultures, from God, spirit, eternity, and protection, to name a few.  Of course, the "trinity" in both Christianity (the religion of the Pennsylvania Dutch) and in many spiritual philosophies refers to a divine, all powerful source, the creator and protector.  These seemingly naive designs contain voluminous layers of meaning, whether incorporated deliberately, coincidentally, or subconcsciously by their makers.

Nonetheless, for some Pennsylvania Dutch, that meaning is "chust for nice."  It is said that when paint became more affordable afer 1830, the colorful designs and symbols which decorated everything from quilts and furniture to birth and marriage certificates found a place on houses and barns as well.  And those barns could not be missed.  In fact, scholars note that this public display was an assertion of ethnic pride in the midst of Pennsylania's effort to eliminate German language and culture in the state school system.  Many believe the controversial mystery of the Pennsylvania Dutch hex, it's origin and purpose being a statement of beauty and cultural identity, ends here.  But it doesn't.

The derivation of the word "hex" embodies the debate over what hex designs are and why they were and still are made.  One theory states that the Pennsylvania Dutch merely named their frequently six-sided designs after the Greek word "hex," meaning "six."  Perhaps this is so.  But as the Triple Star shows, not all hex designs made by the Pennsylvania Dutch are six-sided.  Some hexes depict birds, or writing, with geometry kept to a bare minimum.

Another theory explains that the word "hex," as used to refer to Pennsylvania Dutch hex paintings, is derived from the German word "Hexe."  Whatever the case may be, both "hex" and "Hexe" mean "witch" in their respective Pennsylvania Dutch and German languages.   It is well known that many Pennsylvania Dutch people believe in "hexerei," which is "witchcraft."  A hex thus serves to protect themselves against hexerei.  This is not to say that the Pennsylvania Dutch live terrified.  Joy and optimism are unimistakable hallmarks of Pennsylvania Dutch hex designs.  In this strangely dualistic manner, fear is managed with a positive attitude, or so it appears.

The Pennsylvania Dutch are also unquestionably religious.  Their hexes incorporate mystical and religious iconography not only derived from Medieval Europe but shared by many cultures throughout human history.  While it is not customary for the Pennsylvania Dutch to discuss hexes with outsiders, there is documentation of their craft by a few outspoken artisans.  For example, one "hexmeister," or hex master, has written an insightful description of the history of her practice as part of her heritage at http://www.dutchhexsign.com.  Rather than focused on witchcraft, her family's hexes are considered to be "painted prayers" to "deity."  Clearly, not all hexes are made soley for decorative purposes.

The "Pennsylvania Dutch" are descendents of German and Swiss immigrants who setttled in Pennsylvania during the eighteenth and nineteenth century.  With their belief in modesty and moral disdain for flamboyance, the Amish, Mennonites, and other groups shun practices such as hex painting.  Only the "fancy" Pennsylvania Dutch, the ones who build big churches instead of using each other's homes to worship together, the ones who are "hochmootisch" or proud in the minds of the "plain" Pennsylvania Dutch, paint hex designs on buildings. "Barn art" is generally limited to Berks and Lehigh counties, and areas of seven surrounding counties in Pennsylvania.  However, hex designs, many reminiscent of those in Pennsylania, have been used in Europe, Scandinavia, and worldwide from long ago to this present day.  It is only natural for a tradition to have roots, if not very long roots.  Few groups of people, if any, have had no historical contact at any time with other cultures, and especially not Europeans.

It is perfectly logical that the Pennsylvanian Dutch would adorn their homes with the decorative embellishments of their own culture, as most other people do.  After all, millions of not particularly religious people celebrate Christmas today with age-old Christian icons and practices simply because it's cheery and/or family tradition, if not just to keep in step with others.  Likewise, the fancy Dutch were competitive folk known for one-upmanship.  Seeing a hexmeister commissioned to paint a neighbor's barn would be plenty of incentive for a fancy Dutchman to do the same or better on his own property.  The truth may be that while Pennsylvania Dutch hexes have been made for magical purposes, not all barns in such communities were necessarily painted with hexes for anything more than "just for pretty."

The term "hex signs" sprouted from commercial enterprise after 1930.  The lure of their rumored powers and their plainspoken beauty still entice consumers.  Like all art, our words, homes, and any other tracks we leave behind, hex signs and our personal impressions of them are reflections of ourselves at a particular moment in time.

Bibliography

Besides my own personal observations and lifelong investigation of metaphysics, the information in this essay was obtained from the following sources.

The Complete Book of Amulets & Talismans, Migene González-Wippler; St. Paul, MN: Llewellyn Publications.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hex_sign

http://www.folkart.com/hex/meaning.htm

http://www.dutchhexsign.com

http://mypage.siu.edu/rae50/Superstition.html

http://mypage.siu.edu/rae50/Fancy.html

http://www.padutch.com/hexsigns.shtml

http://www.themystica.com/mystica/articles/h/hex_signs.html

http://www.amishnews.com/featurearticles/Storyofhexsigns.htm

©Timothy Arzt, January 2007