Corna

Metal-Rules.com – "I want to ask you about something people have asked you about before but will no doubt continue to talk about, and that is the sign created by raising your index and little finger. Some call it the "devils hand" or the "evil eye." I would like to know if you were the first one to introduce this to the metal world and what this symbol represents to you?"

R.J. Dio – "I doubt very much if I would be the first one who ever did that. That's like saying I invented the wheel, I'm sure someone did that at some other point. I think you'd have to say that I made it fashionable. I used it so much and all the time and it had become my trademark until the Britney Spears audience decided to do it as well. So it kind of lost it's meaning with that. But it was…I was in Sabbath at the time. It was symbol that I thought was reflective of what that band was supposed to be all about. It's NOT the devil's sign like we're here with the devil. It's an Italian thing I got from my Grandmother called the "Malocchio". It's to ward off the Evil Eye or to give the Evil Eye, depending on which way you do it. It's just a symbol but it had magical incantations and attitudes to it and I felt it worked very well with Sabbath. So I became very noted for it and then everybody else started to pick up on it and away it went. But I would never say I take credit for being the first to do it. I say because I did it so much that it became the symbol of rock and roll of some kind."
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• Parliament-Funkadelic and their fans have used the gesture regularly for decades, actually preceding the use of the gesture in heavy metal. {Link without Title}

• The gesture is often used by supporters of sports teams, without evoking vulgar or Satanic associations. The University Of Texas , is one such team, where it is known as Hook 'em Horns , an approximation of the shape of the horns of a Texas Longhorn steer. Additionally, Northwestern State University in Natchitoches, Louisiana (whose mascot is Vic The Demon ), utilizes the '''Fork 'em Demons,''' as well as the University Of South Florida (with the mascot being a Bull ) and the New Mexico Lobos .


• This gesture is the Hand Sign for Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc. , most often displayed with the palm facing inward.


• In Baseball , the gesture, especially when the forearm is rotated, indicates "two outs." In the common signal for "two" (the index and middle finger raised), the fingers may be too close together for distant outfielders to distinguish the two fingers from one. Elston Howard is commonly credited with originating this use.


• This is also the primary sign for the Mara Salvatrucha, or MS-13 street gang found throughout Central America and the U.S. Many of the first generation of MS-13 members had been heavy-metal enthusiasts and fans of Black Sabbath.


• In 1996 WCW (World Championship Wrestling) begin using the symbol for their nWo heel stable with Hulk Hogan, Scott Hall and Kevin Nash. However taken the middle and ring finger and connecting them to the thumb to give the symbol the look of a "wolf" for their nWo "Wolfpac" symbol.


• Spiderman is frequently portrayed making the sign to activate his web-shooters which are triggered by pressing his palms.

• In the United Kingdom , the gesture is also known as the "hex".


• In The Netherlands , the gesture is known as the "Bokkegroet" ( Buck greeting).


• In Israel , (In addition to the usual metal usage) the gesture is known as "Shabi" for its similarity to a snail from a children's TV show, Parpar Nehmad .


• In Turkey the sign is popular as a nationalist symbol for the Turkish People . It signifies Wolf 's ears, because of many legends that state wolves were guardians of ancient Turkish tribes near Western China. The tips of the thumb and middle fingers are pressed together to symbolise the wolf's face.


• The sign is also seen displayed by John Lennon of The Beatles on the cover of the soundtrack for the '' Yellow Submarine '' film.


• In Hinduism and Buddhism , this gesture is known as the Karana Mudra . Its use in dispelling evil or negative influences is a noticeable juxtaposition to the contemporary uses of this sign.

• Existing most often within the metal circle is a variation in which both hands are used. All digits, with the exception of the little fingers, are closed and the hands are then brought together; thumb on thumb. This form has been referred to as "too much metal for one hand." This technique is often employed by Kirk Hammett of Metallica as well as many other heavy metal musicians.

• Another form almost exclusively used by the metal circle (such as the Brazilian band Angra ) is similar to the version depicted above, except that all digits except the index finger are closed and the hands are brought together with thumbs pointing in opposite directions. It requires somewhat more coordinated arm placement, so not everybody in a heavy metal show can do it properly; others usually resort to the most common single-handed incarnation of the horns.

• Comedian Dane Cook has formulated two variations, One, "Rock n' Roll quotes," involves forming the devil horns and moving the index and little fingers in the manner of Air Quotes . The other, the "superfinger," is inverted devil horns, with the thumb, middle finger, and ring finger extended and other fingers retracted, displayed with the back of the hand to the audience as if giving them the finger.

• In text-based electronic communication, for example on the internet, the gesture is made using various character combinations, such as \m/ or lml.

• Guitarist Olliver Kirby is known to play with his strumming hand as a Corna. Using his thumb to strum.

• Angus Young holds both his hands to the sides of his head with index fingers extended to create "Devil Horns".

• Aleister Crowley made the 'horns of Pan' sign by placing both hands on either side of his head, palms in, thumbs out.

• Some "Satanists" have been seen using a sign in which both hands make a "hang-loose" sign with the index finger, little finger and thumb extended on both hands. One hand's middle and ring fingers are then wrapped around the side of the other hand next to that hand's little finger. Both hands are pointed downward with the backs of both hands facing the person being signed to. This creates a "Pentagram" inverted star image, and is best done is one has hitchhiker's thumbs.

• Musician Butch Walker has been known to extend the index fingers of both hands while interlocking his pinky fingers and displaying the back-of-hand side of this two-handed gesture to the audience, as a two handed version of the gesture, which he calls "Too Much Rock for One Hand" or 2MR41H.

• The Finger


• V Sign

• ¹

• Dio on the misuse of the horns


• [http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2005/01/images/20050120-1_p44294-227-515h.html President George W. Bush gestures the 'Hook 'em, horns," the salute of the University of Texas Longhorns.(...)]


• Ronnie James Dio Re-Claims the Devil Horns


• Rock and Roll Confidential on their logo


• Odyssey of the Devil Horns: Who is responsible for bringing metal’s famous hand signal to the tribe? '' Los Angeles CityBeat '', Sept. 9, 2004


• " Metal Council Convenes To Discuss 'Metal Hand Sign' Abuse " (satire) from ''The Onion'', 9 November 2005: "If your head is neither banging nor thrashing, you should not be throwing the sign."