Black Star Emblem?

[Rustler9]

I've been to many Mennonite churches, from the very liberal to the old order Haldeman (black bumpers). Most services are in English but I've heard some in German. The Amish here always speak German except to the outside world whom they call the English no matter what the nationality is. There are Mennonites who allow the women to cut their hair and wear jewelry and then there are those who have a standard that is very severe in that the ladies have to wear their dresses a certain length above the ankles and no more and they also have to wear dark hose of a certain thickness.

The old order Amish that we have in our area drive buggies, have no electricity, use gasoline motors on some things but basically live like folks did two hundred years ago. The men will however smoke a pipe and drink the occaisional beer. They won't smoke a cigarette because that's what the world does as a rule.

 

[3MR]

I've been to many Mennonite churches, from the very liberal to the old order Haldeman (black bumpers). Most services are in English but I've heard some in German. The Amish here always speak German except to the outside world whom they call the English no matter what the nationality is. There are Mennonites who allow the women to cut their hair and wear jewelry and then there are those who have a standard that is very severe in that the ladies have to wear their dresses a certain length above the ankles and no more and they also have to wear dark hose of a certain thickness.

The old order Amish that we have in our area drive buggies, have no electricity, use gasoline motors on some things but basically live like folks did two hundred years ago. The men will however smoke a pipe and drink the occaisional beer. They won't smoke a cigarette because that's what the world does as a rule.

A local mennonite girl who works a the seed store was wearing a tye dye frock the other day. It was kinda cool. Everythign else was like you would expect, right out of Little House on the Prarie, except it was tye dye.

 

[Just Curious]

The thing about the rubber tires, engine or steering wheel was an old joke.

Too bad... It was probably a valiant attempt at Mennonite humour... And he was probably disappointed that I didn't get it...

 

[dun]

When the Amish were here building the hay barn they had to call the lumber yard because the second load of material hadn't arrived yet. The barn was being built on the south side of a rdie at the bottom, the house is on top of the ridge. They couldn;t get cell phone reception down there, it's spotty anytome you're below the ridge on the south. David came up on the ridge and called and had good recepetion. Bear with me, that was all a prelude to the joke.
The next day they had a question about something and David called me at the house from the cell phone down at the barn. I asked him how he had gotten recpetion, if he'ld climbed up on the roof of the barn or what? Without skipping a beat he sadi, "I turned the crank faster".
Folks claim the Amish don;t have a sense of humor, but I sure haven;t seen it.

 

[tpaetkau]

Hi. I came across this post, not sure if you have the answer you are looking for however I can help you out with the accurate meaning of the black stars. They represent pacifism which is a core tenant of the Anabaptist/Mennonite doctrines. The branding or land-marking of buildings with a black star was a convenient way to display this ideology. This was actually a method of discerning religious and political beliefs initiated by the Nazi and enforced heavily during WWII. Pacifism was not tolerated; along with Jewish peoples displaying yellow stars and conversely brown and red stars by nomadic and POW, each had different significance in internment camps. Pacifists were allowed to remain if they permitted these stars to hang and serve as markers for troops seeking refuge, rest, hospitalization and sundries. This tradition was brought to the Americas and has nothing to do with mysticism, folklore or any other such foolishness.

 

[tpaetkau]

Also, do not confuse the black stars with the hexagonal metal rod ties that large farm buildings use to keep them together. They often have decorative emblems not confined to stars and in no way are indicative to superstitious belief systems. Wiki has incomplete and misleading information.

 

[tpaetkau]

They could be mennonites. I know ky and such has high populations of amish and mennonites. Which both sects are anabaptist. Basically the mennonites are an offshoot of the amish.

I don't think so. I was in Amish country but these were the typical Central Ohio crop farms with all the modern equipment and buildings.

It is the other way around Amish left the liberal Mennonite church.

 

[lavacarancher]

Sorry to dissagree

Its also an Oklahoma thing and I imagine several other western states. Any way you slice it its a Barn star, not the Lone Star.

I will conceed the one with the circle around it is known as the Texas Barn Star or the Western Barn Star. But it most assuredly is a "Barn Star".

WELL, SORRY TO DISAGREE WITH YOU BUT ROCKSPRINGS IS RIGHT. IT IS A TEXAS THING REPRESENTING THE "LONE STAR STATE".

I have several of these stars around my place. I bought and hung them to represent patriotism to the State of Texas. Y'all can use them for what ever purpose you chose.

I have noticed they seem to keep all, well, some, of the bad JuJu from around my place. They haven't done very well with the rain though. And they certainly don't keep the hogs away. Maybe if I attach a few flashing LED's around the star ........ Naw, that won't work. Someone will think it's a Lone Star beer sign and stop in for a cool one.

If it is an Amish thing maybe they hung them to represent wishing they were in Texas. Pentagram???? I don't think there that many pentagram worshipers in the rural communities around the country.

 

[CottageFarm]

Being a history buff this got me wondering....

Anybody know the origins of the Texas Lone Star emblem?

If the black barn star is of German origin, and since there was a heavy German settlement of Texas, I'm wondering if there's a connection. Was the circle added, at some time, to the old barn star custom as a symbol of unity...or something along those lines....?

 

[lavacarancher]

Being a history buff this got me wondering....

Anybody know the origins of the Texas Lone Star emblem?

If the black barn star is of German origin, and since there was a heavy German settlement of Texas, I'm wondering if there's a connection. Was the circle added, at some time, to the old barn star custom as a symbol of unity...or something along those lines....?

Don't know if there is symbolism attached to the ring around the star - I always thought the ring was put on there to hold the star together. I'll see what I can find on the Star of Texas.

 

[lavacarancher]

Found this bit of Texas history that talks about the origin of the Lone Star.


"Lone Star State - A single star was part of the Long Expedition (1819), Austin Colony (1821) and several flags of the early Republic of Texas. Some say that the star represented the wish of many Texans to achieve statehood in the United States. Others say it originally represented Texas as the lone state of Mexico which was attempting to uphold its rights under the Mexican Constitution of 1824. At least one "lone star" flag was flown during the Battle of Concepcion and the Siege of Bexar (1835). Joanna Troutman's flag with a single blue star was raised over Velasco on January 8, 1836. Another flag with a single star was raised at the Alamo (1836) according to a journal entry by David Crockett. One carried by General Sam Houston's Texian army (which defeated Mexican General Santa Anna at the Battle of San Jacinto ) may have been captured and taken to Mexico. Another "lone star" flag, similar to the current one but with the red stripe above the white, was also captured the following year (1837) and returned to Mexico. The "David G. Burnet" flag, of "an azure ground" (blue background) "with a large golden star central" was adopted by the Congress of the Republic of Texas in December of 1836. It continued in use as a battle flag after being superseded in January of 1839. The 1839 design has been used to symbolize the Republic and the �Lone Star State� ever since."

As I understand it, the original Lone Star did not have the ring around it although there are several official state documents and symbols that have a "ring" around the Star as a place to put writing. The Star's that I have use the ring as a method of reinforcement. The Star's were built in Mexico and are pretty flimsy at best. The ring just hold everything together.