Hexeglaawe: River Witches

While most people think of Salem as the home of Witchcraft in America, Pennsylvania has a rich, but lesser-known history of Witch folklore.  Most notable is Emma Knopp (also known as Nellie Noll) - the River Witch of Marietta.  In 1928, her instructions to break a curse placed upon John Blymire resulted in Blymire and two accomplices committing the murder of Nelson Rehmeyer.  

In Fayette County, Mary “Moll” Derry, the Witch of Monongahela, was believed to have the ability to fly, and her curses could cause the death of anyone who crossed her.  Rattlesnakes were said to guard the door to her home along the Monongahela River.

In a wooded area by Ridley Creek, at the edge of the Delaware River in Eddystone Township, the Legend of the Witch of Ridley Creek is told.  Accused of causing sickness and death of local livestock and appearing to witnesses in ghostly form, Margaret Mattson stood trial for her crimes in 1683.  Thanks to the involvement of the colony's proprietor William Penn, Mattson was found guilty of having the reputation of a witch, but not guilty of bewitching animals, and was released.  A popular legend tells of William Penn dismissing the charges against Mattson by affirming her legal right to fly on a broomstick, saying "Well, I know of no law against it."

Pennsylvania's colony was founded on religious tolerance, and accusations of Witchcraft were treated far differently than in Salem, Massachusetts.  This tolerance may have made the Commonwealth a haven for those who practiced, leading to a surge in strange sightings and occurrences, with many still being reported even today.  

Hexeglaawe: Rehmeyer's Hollow

In 1928, after years of bad luck, John Blymire believed that he had been cursed, or hexed, by a local folk healer named Nelson Rehmeyer, who practiced pow-wow or Braucheri (Pennsylvania Dutch folk magic). The source of Blymire’s hex was confirmed by another powerful local healer, Nellie Noll - the River Witch of Marietta. To break the curse, she instructed Blymire to obtain a lock of Rehmeyer’s hair and his spell book and bury them six feet underground.  In November of 1928, Blymire, along with two accomplices, broke into Rehmeyer's home.  A confrontation ensued, ending in Rehmeyer's death. The three men charged with the crime then set fire to the house, hoping to remove the curse and to destroy evidence of the murder.  However, the house did not burn down as they had hoped.  This reinforced the belief that Rehmeyer was a witch and that his power prevented the destruction of the house. 

Rehmeyer's home, where he was murdered, still stands on Rehmeyers Hollow Road. The area has now come to be known as Hex Hollow.  Many locals believe it to be haunted.

This is the first entry in a series of blog posts investigating the folklore of Pennsylvania.  Hexeglaawe (the PA Dutch word for 'superstition') will hopefully reveal photographic evidence of rural legends, hauntings, folklore, and roads less traveled.

Thanks, Wren, for this neat idea and project.  I have a feeling we're just gonna find some monsters out there.

More information here. 

Order Rehmeyer's spell book here.

Trailer: Hex Hollow

Perhaps the greatest name of any location EVER.  Ashamed to admit that this Pennsylvanian has never heard of Nellie Noll nor of Hex Hollow, but I officially want to live there now.

Click below...

Thanks, Wren!