Der Lang Verborgene Freund odor Getreuer und Christlicher Unterricht für Jedermann, enthaltend Wunderbare und Probmässige Mittel und Künste, sowohl für Menschen als das Vieh.
Harrisburg, Pa. 1840. Third edition. Small 8vo. 84pp. Quarter calf over marbled boards with rubbing and wear, spine faded, pages toned and foxed, attempted removal of ink writing on front pastedown, very good.
Early and desirable German-language printing of one of the foundational texts of American folk magic. First published in Pennsylvania in 1820, Hohman’s Der Lang Verborgene Freund (“The Long-Hidden Friend”) became the best-known manual of Pennsylvania Dutch “pow-wow” practice — a uniquely American blend of Christian mysticism, folk healing, charms, protective prayers, and practical magic carried into rural German-speaking communities by immigrant traditions. Filled with remedies, blessings, occult protections, and household formulas against illness, witchcraft, thieves, and misfortune, the work occupied the fascinating borderland between devotional handbook and grimoire, and circulated heavily among everyday practitioners throughout the 19th century.
This printing in the original German is especially appealing, preserving the linguistic and cultural context from which these traditions emerged before later English-language editions popularized the text for a broader American occult audience. A cornerstone of Pennsylvania Dutch esoterica and among the most influential Christian folk grimoires produced in the United States.
Price: $1,250.00