Conference hydra::dejavu

Just a comment on powwows. I actually knew someone who used the
Pennsylvania "German" practice of powwows, my grandfather.

I am originally from Pennsylvania and while I was growing up, my
grandparents lived with us.
My grandfather, who was born in 1880 (and died in 1963), was quite a
colorful character.  In his earlier days he drove a mule train of mining
supplies between the various coal mining towns.  In one case, he supposidly
performed an almost miraculous cure for a little boy who scalded his hand
very badly while playing around the stove. According to my grandmother, the
neighbor called him over and he did his thing and said a few appropriate
words and the hand healed very quickly and without any lasting damage.

He offered to teach both my mother and myself all about performing a
powwow. We didn't take him up on the offer. Both grandparents used to
give me the willies listening to some of their beliefs and stories, so,
I wanted no part of learning about the powwow. My mother just didn't
believe in stuff like that. (Now I tend to regret not listening to them
more! If for no other reason than to hear about life at the turn of the
century, which my grandfather loved to talk about.)

Until recently, I almost thought I immagined the term as it related to this
practice (and I also thought that maybe it was American Indian, yes, I know...
too many old cowboy movies!)  A very good college friend, who is becoming well
known for his work in painting Pennsylvania German Hex signs, recently
was included in a book on Hex signs called "Hex Signs - Pennsylvania Dutch
Barn Symbols and Their Meaning".  In the book it mentions how one woman
who was interested in buying two hex signs asked the artist if he
"worked" on them. He didn't understand her at first and then he realized
that she was asking did he "powwow".
So now I know I didn't immagine the phrase.  

It was also very interesting to read this note.

Elaine
    

    re: .0 & .1
    
          I guess I'm a little confused, or else there are two
    uses for the word powwow?  AmerIndians that I have known have
    often talked about attending "powwows" and traveled a couple
    of hundred miles to attend them.  Unfortunately, I never asked
    too many questions so I don't know what they consisted of.  I
    had the sense, however, that they sounded somewhat like a big
    gathering of friends, lots of dancing, etc.
          What .1 talks about sounds totally different.  Does anyone
    have any clarification to offer?
    
          Thanks,
    Frederick
    

Note 1421.1       
TLE::EGOLF                                           
    
Did you happen to keep his book?
    
    Mary    

RE: .1, .2

RE: the remark that I made in .1 about the American Indians and Powwows...

	This meant that as a child the only reference I had to the word
	powwow was based on the indian term powwow, which as stated in
        .2 was usually a gathering.  When I used to think back on what
        my grandfather was telling me, I belived I must have remembered the 
	wrong term.  This changed when I came across the word very recently
        in a book on Penna. German Hex Signs.  So this note was also very 
        interesting because there is a book on the Penna. German Powwow.

E.

RE: .3

The book on Hex signs and their meaning is a recent publication.

"Hex Signs - Pennsylvania Dutch Barn Symbols and their meaning"
 by   Don Yoder and Thomas E. Graves 
 with and introduction by Alistair Cooke

 E. P. Dutton publishers  1989

Yes, I have a copy of this book.  I found it by accident and was 
quite surprised to see my friend, Ivan Hoyt, featured as one of the artists.
He has been painting Hex signs for about 18 years and is recently getting
national recognition.  His work has appeared in the Museum of American Folk
Art and the Smithsonian.

E.