hex sign

English

Two hex signs on the side of a barn.

Etymology

Compound of hex +‎ sign, coined in English.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈhɛks saɪn/

Noun

hex sign (plural hex signs)

1. (US, chiefly Pennsylvania) A geometric design usually consisting of a star or flower placed in a circular field, used by the Fancy Dutch on buildings such as barns, often said to be intended as a ward against evil in former times.
   • 1984, Thomas Edmund Graves, The Pennsylvania German Hex Sign: A Study in Folk Process, page 256:

     This association will partially pay for the repainting of hex signs in the tourist areas.

   • 1984 Futharc A Handbook of Rune Magic, Edred Thorsson, Samuel Weiser Inc, 0-87728-548-9, page 107.

     Common in Dutch hex signs and a powerful framework for talismans and visual magic.

   • 2006, Patricia Wanger Smith, “Southeastern Berks County”, in Postcard History Series, Arcadia Publishing, →ISBN:

     Note the hex signs on the barn, an old Pennsylvania Dutch custom used to ward off the evil spirits.

   • 2008, Ivan E. Hoyt, Hex Signs: Tips, Tools, and Techniques for Learning the Craft, Stackpole Books, →ISBN:

     The original hex signs were created by the Pennsylvania Dutch, a cultural group composed of several different groups of people.

2. (Germanic paganism) A protective symbol used in Heathenry comprising a six-petaled flower or star set within a circle, as a New Age adaptation of the above.

See also

• hex

Anagrams

• hexings