hexerei

The Pennsylvania Dutch term for witchcraft. It is said that the Sixth and Seventh Books of Moses are the source of many formulas for witchcraft. The effects of hexerei may be good or bad, depending on the circumstances and whether the hex is placed or removed. A person who has become the victim of a spell is called ferhexed ("bewitched").

Witches are evenly divided between men and women; power cannot be passed on to one of the same gender.

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The German word for witchcraft is also hexerei while the Dutch word is hekserij.

References

Source

  • Leach, Maria, ed. (1984). Funk & Wagnalls Standard Dictionary of Folklore, Mythology, and Legend. New York: HarperCollins.