hex sign

plural hex signs

1. PennsylvaniaUSA 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 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.

   3 more examples

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

   1984, Thomas Edmund Graves, The Pennsylvania German Hex Sign: A Study in Folk Process, page 256

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

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

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

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

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