Hex Signs

1 - 9. Hexes of traditional design about the turn of the century (Pennsylvania). To quote one authority: "The hexafoos are supposed to be a continuance of a very ancient tradition according to which these decorative marks were potent to protect the barns, or, more particularly, the cattle, from witches." They are preserved today only for their decorative value, or, in the local vernacular, "chust for nice."