The mano cornuto (horned hand) gesture, also known as the "devil horns", "goat horns", "Hook 'em Horns", or just "the horns" is made by making a fist and extending the index finger and the pinky, . This is not to be confused with , the American Sign language "I Love You" sign made by extending the thumb as well.

Meanings

This gesture has a variety of meanings depending on culture and area. In some places (like Italy and Spain), it is a sexual insult, telling a man that he is a consenting victim of adultery, especially when placed behind his head. Raising two fingers behind his head can have the same meaning. In other cultures it is believed to ward off, or to bestow, the evil eye. In the religion of Wicca, it is a sign for the horned/male god (not the devil, normally Pan).

In heavy metal music, the sign was popularized by Ronnie James Dio, whose Italian mother used it to ward off the evil eye (malocchio). Metal fans embraced the gesture as a vague symbol of mysticism, Satan, evil, or simply "metal-ness," and it soon became nearly as commonplace at concerts as headbanging. The gesture has since spread beyond metal to all forms of rock music, and it is now nearly ubiquitous, although it is often confused with the above-mentioned "I Love You" sign.

It has been argued that the cover of the Beatles' Yellow Submarine in 1969 shows John Lennon displaying the horns, which would predate Dio's use of the gesture.

Sometime before 2004, a variant emerged, , using the pinkies of both hands, often called "too much metal for one hand". Some repeat this ad nauseam, with more participants, .

In Israel this gesture is known as "Shabi" for its similiarity to a children TV show's snail.

This gesture is also used by Texas Longhorns fans, meaning "Hook 'em Horns".

External links

• Dio on the misuse of the horns
• Ronnie James Dio Re-Claims the Devil Horns
• Rock and Roll Confidential on their logo
• John Lennon: Heavy Metal Pioneer