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Powwowing and Folk Medicine
Definition
According to Kriebel, powwowing or brauche is a magico-religious practice whose chief purpose is the healing of physical ailments in humans or animals, although it can also be used to further other ends such as conferring protection from physical or spiritual harm, bring good luck, or revealing hidden information (Kriebel). Donald (Abe) Roan, a history teacher and folklorist from Berks County, identifies powwowing as one of four categories of PA Dutch folk medicine. The four categories are: 1) powwowing or conjuring, 2) herbal folk medicine, 3) sympathetic folk medicine, and 4) witchcraft and/or other occult arts (Folk medicine workshop). (Note that sympathetic folk medicine refers to those practices in which a physical object is used to effect a cure.) Folk healers need not use all four aspects of the art, and most deny that their practice has anything to do with witchcraft or the occult. Furthermore most powwow practitioners (like Peter Baucher who lived in 1895) characterize their art as very Christian in nature and much akin to faith healing.
Powwowing and folk medicine developed a means to fill the needs of a rural culture in which few medical professional were unavailable for those who were in needed of healing or medical care. Generally the woman of the house was in charge of the medical needs and the nursing of the family members. If she was unable to help, the family member sought the aid of a more knowledgeable woman in the community. If this person was unable to help, the person would seek the advice of a "professional" folk medicine practitioner. If all of these failed, the next step was to seek out a medical doctor. If a medical doctor could not help, the last resort was to seek a witch (hexerei) or a person who healed through black magic.
Like the practitioners of long ago, modern day practitioners can also be classified as belonging to one of two groups: professionals or nonprofessionals. Nonprofessionals usually limit their practice to family members and friends and are honored by a family address such as "mother, aunt, granny, etc." On the other hand professional healers usually draw their clients from the general population and use more prestigious addresses such as "doctor" or "professor".
There are various norms that are more or less common to the practice. For example most healers will only teach their art to a member of the opposite sex. Many practitioners will not require a fee for their services, but a free will offering will be accepted. Often faith in the power of the practitioner, or the power of God working through the practitioner, is seen as a prerequisite for positive results.
Powwowing ritual
Powwowing rituals involve the use of verbal incantations, bodily posturing and/or gestures, and the plying of specific materials. The actual ritual can vary in complexity and length, but a 15-20 min session is common. Kriebel recounts his observations concerning two powwowing sessions that were performed on him at his request.
Various types of common and uncommon items may be used as part of the powwowing ritual. The follows list of miscellaneous items include those objects that are uniquely associated with the art:
Books used in powwowing
The following list of books have been associated with the practice of PA Dutch folk medicine. However the predominant texts are the Bible and the Long Lost friend.
* The Bible
* The Long Lost Friend (= Der lang verborgene Schatz und Haus
Freund) by John George Hohman
* Egyptian Secrets by St. Albertus Magnus (Albert the Great)
* Secret of Sympathy by William Wilson Beissel
* The Sixth and Seventh Books of Moses
Miscellaneous items
* Assafoetide bag (a small bag filled with fetid gum. The bag is
suspended by a string and worn around the neck. It is used to repel
diseases. A picture is shown in the article "Folk Medicine
Workshop")
* Erdspeigel (= earth mirror)
Folk Remedies
Specific folk remedies are outlined in various place. All of the books listed above, with the exception of the Bible, have a section on folk remedies. The Reading Eagle newspaper article entitled Pennsylvania Dutch remedies also lists some recipes. (Note that Reading Eagle articles are now available to our on-campus users through www.readingeaglearchives.com.)
Notable Powwowers
"Aunt" Sophia Bailer
Peter Bausher
Mary Derry
Mary Derry is also known as Old Moll, Mary Dell, and Moll Wampler. She was
born around the year 1765 and died in May or June of 1843. She is known as
the fortune teller of the American Revolution. Mary lived in Fayette County some
three miles south of Haydentown.
"Doctor" John Rhoads
Mountain Mary Young
Mountain Mary Young was a Berks County hermitess and healer who lived near
Pikeville in Pike Township for some 30 years. She is also know as Maria
Jung, and Die Berg Maria. She probably immigrated here from Germany
sometime before the Revolutionary War. She died in 1819. Some of her
documents are on file at the Berks County Court House. In her time some
regarded her as a saint, and exaggerated histories have been produced.
(See the work by Wollenweber) Exposés
on Mountain Mary are included in both Don Yoder's book and Mary Hark's work.
(See below) Of the two, Yoder's work is much more authoritative.
There is a road named Mountain Mary Road in Pike Township.
Resources
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Hark, Ann. Blue hills and shoofly pie. Phila.: Lippincott, 1952.
Main Collection: F160 G3H372 1952 -
Kriebel, David W. Powwowing: a persistent American Esoteric Tradition
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Kriebel, David W. Belief, power, and identity in Pennsylvania Dutch brauche, or powwowing. Ann Arbor: UMI, 2000.
Main Collection: GR 111 G47K74 2000 -
"Folk medicine." Reading Eagle 25 Feb 2002: 21.
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"Folk medicine workshop set for Sunday." Reading Eagle 6 Mar 1992: 40.
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"Pennsylvania Dutch remedies." Reading Eagle 25 Feb 2002: 21.
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Wollenweber, Ludwig August. Mountain Mary : an historical tale of early Pennsylvania. York, PA: Liberty Cap, 1974.
Main Collection: PT 2583 W36 -
Yoder, Don Discovering American Folklife. Ann Arbor: UMI, 1990.