Hex Sign
Hex signs are the painted circles and eight-point stars fixed to Pennsylvania Dutch barns from the 18th century onward, their bright patterns of tulips, hearts, distelfinks and stars drawn from the folk art and fraktur of German-speaking settlers. The word 'hex' comes from the German Hexe, 'witch', and many outsiders came to believe the signs were charms to ward off witchcraft, bad luck and fire; in local Pennsylvania German, 'hex' can also mean 'spell'. Scholars argue that the protective meanings were largely a popular invention layered over decoration, though some symbols such as stars clear