hex

July 19のThe Japan Times Onlineの次に示す記事タイトルにある単語の意味がわかりません。
History, hexes feature in criminal potpourri
"hex" の「１６進法」とか「六角の」の意味は知っていますが、ここではその意味では通じません。
新聞記事の場合は記事の内容を読むと分かる場合が大半なので記事を読みます。記事は結構長いのですが、"hex" が次の様に出て来ました。
"The problem was that a photo of a woman’s face was superimposed on the doll’s head,” a police source explained. “Several nails had been driven into the doll’s head and body. The suspect said he had performed the hex ‘to make himself feel better’ after having been rejected by the woman.”
...
Hex kits that include a straw doll, nails and instructions for use have been sold as a novelty item for quite some time. They are even peddled via Amazon Japan.
どうやら"hex" はここでは「のろい」の意味の様です。辞書で確認します。
・Oxford English Dictionary: A magic spell; a curse: a death hex: They throw curses and hexes around without a second thought.
・Cambridge English Dictionary: an evil spell, bringing bad luck and trouble: Someone's put a hex on my computer this morning - it keeps crashing.
例によってVocabulary.comの詳しい説明も下に引用します。
A hex is a magic spell or charm that's meant to cause harm. A witch in a story, for example, might put a hex on a prince that turns him into a chicken.
If you believe in magic, you might either fear hexes or aspire to learn how to put them on your enemies -- to hex them. In the Pennsylvania Dutch tradition, "hex signs," forms of stars, flowers, and circles, are commonly painted on barns. Though tourists often interpret these as having superstitious meanings, they're really just folk art symbols. The Middle High German root of hex is Hexe, or "witch."
配達先を自宅近くのコンビニを指定できるので、オンライン通販で最近はアマゾンを利用することが多いのですが、Hexキットがアマゾンでも販売されているとは驚きです。