Hex Signs Vs. Werewolves
Hex signs are a Pennsylvania Dutch tradition. They have been found on barns and in homes in the region since at least the 1850s. There is some controversy about hex signs. Some scholars insist the signs are purely artistic but generations of people practicing the region’s folk magic, known as Powwow, would argue such a point.
Hex signs did indeed become a popular folk-art tourist item in the 1940s and since then, they can be found for sale at craft stores and shops around the state. A lot of interesting pieces of information can be found in traditional folklore indicating an older magical tradition connected to the signs. Many families have records of specific designs being used for defined purposes such as warding off evil. Author Lee Gandee describes Hex signs as “painted prayers.” It’s believed many of the designs originated with Alpine Germans.
There’s no doubt that early European settlers in the region brought their traditions with them when they came to America. This included folk magic, healing traditions and of course, knowledge of supernatural creatures.
Digging through old folklore out of the region, I came across an interesting record of hex signs being used in an attempt to ward off one particular type of supernatural beast—werewolves.
The incident took place in Pennsylvania’s logging region. Although it isn’t dated, indications are it is from the pre-civil war era:
"The wolfish creatures which infested Elk Creek Gap in Centre County, between Throne's Farm in Brush Valley and Millheim, were probably werewolves. There was twenty-four-hour hauling of lumber through the gap, and at night what seemed to be gigantic dogs or wolves came off Hundsrick Mountain and got on the loaded sledges; they were of such weight that they bogged down the horses, making hauling an almost impossible task. Others put their front paws on the backs of the sleds, holding them down as if they were made of iron, and making the horses balk after their frantic efforts under the drives' cruel sjamboks or blacksnake whips. Once they got out of the hollow gap, the runners slid over the icy surfaces, but the horses were always badly spent. Hechs (or hex) signs were chalked on the gears and six-inch breechings but had little or no effect, and gradually the hauling to sawmills at the Blue Rock and L & T R.R. at Coburn slowed down at sundown.”
To date, I have yet to discover any follow-up reports. The account is all the more intriguing considering that many modern researchers believe the region is a hot bed for “dogman” sightings which are, or course, described as werewolf like, bipedal canids.