Pow-wow (folk magic)
Encyclopedia
Pow-wow is a system of American folk religion
and magic
associated with the Pennsylvania Dutch
.
, written by John George Hohman
and first published in German as Der Lange Verborgene Freund in 1820. Despite the appropriation of "pow-wow
", taken from an Algonquian
word for a gathering of medicine men
, the collection is actually a very traditional collection of Europe
an magic spells, recipes, and folk remedies of a type familiar to students of folklore
. The formulas mix prayers, magic words, and simple rituals to cure simple domestic ailments and rural troubles.
; its adepts are hexenmeisters. The tradition of Hex sign
s painted on Pennsylvania
barns in some areas originally relates to this tradition, as the symbols were pentagram
s thought to have talisman
ic properties; though many current hex signs are made simply for decoration.
Also important to the pow-wow practitioner was the work Sixth and Seventh Books of Moses, a magical text attributed to Moses, and claimed as an esoteric sequel to the Biblical Five Books of Moses, or Pentateuch. Various versions of the work can be traced to 18th and 19th century German sources, while an english translation was published in New York in 1880 by the German antiquarian, Johann Scheible.
Another characteristic practice of pow-wow magic is the Himmelsbrief
or "heaven's letter" and Teufelsbrief, a "devil's letter," which presumably is meant to bestow a curse
. Significantly, the Long Lost Friend assures its owner that:
A 1988 film, "Apprentice to Murder," stars Donald Sutherland
as "Pow-Wow" doctor John Reese, and Chad Lowe
as his young apprentice Lucas Haas. Reese practices the folk magic rituals in a small Pennsylvanian town which the residents believe has fallen under a curse. The film makes use of the "Pow Wows or the Long Lost Friend" cited above.
Folk religion
Folk religion consists of ethnic or regional religious customs under the umbrella of an organized religion, but outside of official doctrine and practices...
and magic
Magic (paranormal)
Magic is the claimed art of manipulating aspects of reality either by supernatural means or through knowledge of occult laws unknown to science. It is in contrast to science, in that science does not accept anything not subject to either direct or indirect observation, and subject to logical...
associated with the Pennsylvania Dutch
Pennsylvania Dutch
Pennsylvania Dutch refers to immigrants and their descendants from southwestern Germany and Switzerland who settled in Pennsylvania in the 17th and 18th centuries...
.
Origin of the name and practices
Its name comes from the book Pow-wows, or, The Long Lost FriendPow-Wows; or, Long Lost Friend
Pow-Wows; or, Long Lost Friend is a book by John George Hohman published in 1820. Hohman was a Pennsylvania Dutch healer; the book is a collection of home- and folk-remedies, as well as spells and talismans...
, written by John George Hohman
John George Hohman
John George Hohman , who was active between 1802 and 1846, was a German-American printer, book seller and compiler of collections of herbal remedies, magical healings, and charms...
and first published in German as Der Lange Verborgene Freund in 1820. Despite the appropriation of "pow-wow
Pow-wow
A pow-wow is a gathering of North America's Native people. The word derives from the Narragansett word powwaw, meaning "spiritual leader". A modern pow-wow is a specific type of event where both Native American and non-Native American people meet to dance, sing, socialize, and honor American...
", taken from an Algonquian
Algonquian languages
The Algonquian languages also Algonkian) are a subfamily of Native American languages which includes most of the languages in the Algic language family. The name of the Algonquian language family is distinguished from the orthographically similar Algonquin dialect of the Ojibwe language, which is a...
word for a gathering of medicine men
Medicine man
"Medicine man" or "Medicine woman" are English terms used to describe traditional healers and spiritual leaders among Native American and other indigenous or aboriginal peoples...
, the collection is actually a very traditional collection of Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
an magic spells, recipes, and folk remedies of a type familiar to students of folklore
Folklore
Folklore consists of legends, music, oral history, proverbs, jokes, popular beliefs, fairy tales and customs that are the traditions of a culture, subculture, or group. It is also the set of practices through which those expressive genres are shared. The study of folklore is sometimes called...
. The formulas mix prayers, magic words, and simple rituals to cure simple domestic ailments and rural troubles.
Hexwork
The tradition is also called hex or hex work, or Speilwerk in Pennsylvania DutchPennsylvania Dutch
Pennsylvania Dutch refers to immigrants and their descendants from southwestern Germany and Switzerland who settled in Pennsylvania in the 17th and 18th centuries...
; its adepts are hexenmeisters. The tradition of Hex sign
Hex sign
Hex signs are a form of Pennsylvania Dutch folk art, related to fraktur, found in the Fancy Dutch tradition in Pennsylvania Dutch Country. Barn paintings, usually in the form of "stars in circles," grew out of the fraktur and folk art traditions about 1850 when barns first started to be painted in...
s painted on Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
barns in some areas originally relates to this tradition, as the symbols were pentagram
Pentagram
A pentagram is the shape of a five-pointed star drawn with five straight strokes...
s thought to have talisman
Amulet
An amulet, similar to a talisman , is any object intended to bring good luck or protection to its owner.Potential amulets include gems, especially engraved gems, statues, coins, drawings, pendants, rings, plants and animals; even words said in certain occasions—for example: vade retro satana—, to...
ic properties; though many current hex signs are made simply for decoration.
Also important to the pow-wow practitioner was the work Sixth and Seventh Books of Moses, a magical text attributed to Moses, and claimed as an esoteric sequel to the Biblical Five Books of Moses, or Pentateuch. Various versions of the work can be traced to 18th and 19th century German sources, while an english translation was published in New York in 1880 by the German antiquarian, Johann Scheible.
Another characteristic practice of pow-wow magic is the Himmelsbrief
Himmelsbrief
Himmelsbrief in Pennsylvania Dutch, Himmelsbriefe in Standard German is a name for religious documents said to have been written by God or a divine agent....
or "heaven's letter" and Teufelsbrief, a "devil's letter," which presumably is meant to bestow a curse
Curse
A curse is any expressed wish that some form of adversity or misfortune will befall or attach to some other entity—one or more persons, a place, or an object...
. Significantly, the Long Lost Friend assures its owner that:
- Whoever carries this book with him, is safe from all his enemies, visible or invisible; and whoever has this book with him cannot die without the holy corpse of Jesus Christ, nor drowned in any water, nor burn up in any fire, nor can any unjust sentence be passed upon him. So help me.
A 1988 film, "Apprentice to Murder," stars Donald Sutherland
Donald Sutherland
Donald McNichol Sutherland, OC is a Canadian actor with a film career spanning nearly 50 years. Some of Sutherland's more notable movie roles included offbeat warriors in such war movies as The Dirty Dozen, , MASH , and Kelly's Heroes , as well as in such popular films as Klute, Invasion of the...
as "Pow-Wow" doctor John Reese, and Chad Lowe
Chad Lowe
Charles Conrad "Chad" Lowe is an American actor. He is the younger brother of fellow actor Rob Lowe. He won an Emmy Award for his supporting role in Life Goes On as a man suffering with HIV. He has also had recurring roles on ER, Melrose Place, and Now and Again...
as his young apprentice Lucas Haas. Reese practices the folk magic rituals in a small Pennsylvanian town which the residents believe has fallen under a curse. The film makes use of the "Pow Wows or the Long Lost Friend" cited above.
Cure For The Headache
- Tame thou flesh and bone, like Christ in Paradise; and you who will assist thee, this I tell thee (name) for your repentance sake. + + + This you must say three times, each time lasting for three minutes, and your headache will soon cease. But if your headache is caused by strong drink, or otherwise will not leave you soon, then you must repeat these words every minute. This, however, is not necessary in regard to headache.
To Remove Bruises and Pains
- Bruise, thou shalt not heat;
- Bruise, thou shalt not sweat;
- Bruise, thou shalt not run,
- No more than Virgin Mary shall bring forth another son. + + +
To Pull the Heat from Burns
- Two angels came down from the north;
- one named Fire, the other Frost;
- Frost said to Fire go away, go away;
- in the name of Jesus go away.
See also
- BarnstarBarnstarA barnstar is a decorative painted object or image, often in the shape of a five-pointed star but occasionally in a circular "wagon wheel" style, used to adorn a barn. They have no structural purpose, but may be considered lucky, akin to a horseshoe mounted over a doorway...
, Pennsylvania DutchPennsylvania DutchPennsylvania Dutch refers to immigrants and their descendants from southwestern Germany and Switzerland who settled in Pennsylvania in the 17th and 18th centuries...
good luck charms - PentagramPentagramA pentagram is the shape of a five-pointed star drawn with five straight strokes...
- DowsingDowsingDowsing is a type of divination employed in attempts to locate ground water, buried metals or ores, gemstones, oil, gravesites, and many other objects and materials, as well as so-called currents of earth radiation , without the use of scientific apparatus...
- Pow-wowPow-wowA pow-wow is a gathering of North America's Native people. The word derives from the Narragansett word powwaw, meaning "spiritual leader". A modern pow-wow is a specific type of event where both Native American and non-Native American people meet to dance, sing, socialize, and honor American...
, a gathering of Native AmericanIndigenous peoples of the AmericasThe indigenous peoples of the Americas are the pre-Columbian inhabitants of North and South America, their descendants and other ethnic groups who are identified with those peoples. Indigenous peoples are known in Canada as Aboriginal peoples, and in the United States as Native Americans...
s
External links
- E-text of Pow-wows, or, the Long Lost Friend
- E-text of The Sixth Book of Moses
- E-text of The Seventh Book of Moses
- A Himmelsbrief text
- Another Himmelsbrief text
- Powwowing: A Persistent American Esoteric Tradition by Dr. David W. Kreibel