The Legendary Hexenwolf

For those who are unfamiliar with the Hexenwolf videos that appeared at the Virginville Film Festival in 2006, they are available on YouTube.

Those who are familiar with these parody videos, however, may not be aware that the Hexenwolf is indeed a character in some little-known Pennsylvania German folktales. Much like the Jersey Devils wreak havoc across the Pine Barrens, the Hexenwelf (plural form) inhabit tracts of land across much of eastern Pennsylvania. Some folks say they are generally invisible, but they can manifest themselves in a visible form at will. Others say that they are not actually invisible, but, like a cuttlefish, are able to blend into their environment in an extremely effective way. Although those who claim to have seen it describe an animal similar to a Jersey Devil, the Hexenwolf has never been said to have wings. 

Dwayyo/Hexenwolf

It is more likely that the Hexenwolf is identical to the Dwayyo, which is a mythic creature mentioned in the Deitsch regions of Maryland. The Dwayyo is said to be the predator of another mythic creature, the Schneller Geischt or the Snallygaster.

They are nocturnal creatures, perhaps baneful wights or spirits, that have little use for humans, particularly humans' streetlights, headlights and flashlights. Thus, the Hexenwelf tend to hunt at night and sleep during the day. However, crossing their path while they are hunting could be deadly... Even if you are not physically harmed, these creatures are said to be able to exert a dark force upon you, which leaves a blemish and plagues you with bad luck.

Many tales of the Lenape did not survive the Colonial era, so we will never know whether these are native creatures or whether they came over with our ancestors, hidden among their possessions.

They have been said to dwell in woods or meadows near Oley, on the ridges by Cushion Peak, Eagle's Peak, The Pinnacle, and in the Welsh Mountains. Some say they inhabit the woods atop Mount Penn at the far end from the Pagoda, and on some nights hunt in packs, on two legs or on four. The wooded areas not far Angelica Lake seem to be a favorite home. In the north, they are said to avoid the Blue Mountain Ridge, perhaps due to the presence there of Der Ewich Yeeger, the Eternal Hunter, but on the other side of the ridge, the stories re-emerge in the wooded areas just north of Mauch Chunk/Jim Thorpe.

Stories indicate that they occasionally let out howls like wolves; other stories say they have the ability to project their thoughts into the minds of those whose gaze they catch, and that is one way they stop their prey.

They have been rumored to have ransacked root cellars and garbage cans. They have also allegedly attacked livestock, chickens, but for some reason they do not attack dogs and cats. In fact, cats have been reported among their numbers on occasion, traveling comfortably with the pack.

So make what you will of these almost-forgotten tales, and if you are hiking along the back roads of Deitscherei, be wary of the night hunters, and keep your flashlight on!

How the Deitsch Nation Was Born...

There are the historical facts of the Great Migration of the German settlers from Europe to the British Colonies in America. Then there are the folk tales that relate to the unseen mechanisms behind this Migration.

Every good Deitsch person, regardless of religious identity, should recognize Francis Daniel Pastorius as the foremost leader of the Deitsch nation. There were plenty of others who operated throughout the Colonial and Early Republic eras to bring about the creation of Germantown, PA, and the spread of the Deitsch nation down the Appalachian Mountains and into the Midwest.

Pastorius Monument, Vernon Park, Philadelphia

There's a backdrop story to this Migration, though, and it falls into the misty folk memory of the old Teutonic gods and goddesses. This is not a new story. Although Holle is sometimes conflated with the Gnostic Sophia in different versoins of this tale, Her role in the creation of the Deitsch nation is a longstanding myth in Braucherei and Hexerei.

How the Deitsch Nation Was Born

The gods and goddesses were saddened by the compulsory conversion to Christianity and all of the strife that the folk had suffered as a result of the persecution by the Church and the subsequent religious wars. The deities had sent tribes out from the north to settle distant lands, such as Iceland, and to try to keep the believers isolated. However, the deities guide but do not force humans to make the right decisions, and the ruling classes continued to embrace the power that the Church power structure imbued in them.

Thus, the folk continued to lose its way due to leadership by greed- and power-driven rulers.

The Thirty Years' War served as the breaking point in the deities' patience. They watched as interdenominational war plagued the lands of the Germans, wiping out huge portions of the population of the German states, with Württemburg losing 75% of its population! The economy of Central Europe was destroyed, and the political importance of the Palatinate was thoroughly obliterated. 

The goddess Holle was horrified by the destruction that took place all around Her lands. She recognized that the folk were stuck in a cycle of religious confusion and war, with blame to be laid primarily at the feet of the leadership that cared more about power and control than about the folk's success. She, therefore, subtly guided the most peaceful of the folk, regardless of religious identity,  to lead the Migration.

Holle's hand became a moving force in the Migration through the manipulation of the leadership to bring about an emigration for any reason. The targeted lands were the relatively peaceful colonies of the Americas. The most desired people were the peasants, serfs, and farmers, who remained a step closer to the Old Ways than did the ruling classes. Among these folks would be the healers of Braucherei and the practitioners of Hexerei; these groups would carry the Old Ways with them to the New World. The agricultural folk had no desire to destroy; instead, they looked to nurture an independent life in a peaceful land. 

The deities aided the Migration at every step, even if credit were improperly being attributed to the power structure of another religion. Upon arrival, though, the conflicts of Europe quickly eroded; religious bodies that were at each other's throats in Europe found themselves sharing resources in America. The Deitsch moved into the hinterland of the Colonies, kept peaceful relations with the Lenape, sympathized with the slaves in the South, and used their skills to build the countryside. 

As the peace spread over this land, now called Deitscherei in the regional vernacular, Holle took a seat upon the mountain pillar known as Hexekopp (Hexenkopf), from which She would watch the progression of Her new nation, the Pennsylvania Germans, now called the Deitsch, as they embraced the old deities and recognized the rightful place of humanity on the Tree of Life (Lewesbaam).

This is how Holle came to be the Mother of the Deitsch Nation.

Old and New Deitsch and Urglaawe Mythology

The Deitsch culture is full of old stories. It is full of old references that are missing their full stories. It is full of recent tales and stories of mythical creatures, deities, and spiritual elements. The Deitscherei is a vibrant region with a resurging cultural identity. That identity needs its old and new mythology placed into an accessible and convenient format.

This site presents such a repository.