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What is the hand sign for devil horns
Executive summary
The “devil horns” or “sign of the horns” is made by extending the index (pointer) and little (pinky) fingers while holding down the middle and ring fingers — typically with the thumb pressing them — and has long, varied meanings from an Italian apotropaic (evil‑warding) gesture to a heavy‑metal salute popularized by Ronnie James Dio (who said he learned it from his grandmother) [1] [2] [3]. The gesture is also used differently around the world — offensively in some Mediterranean cultures, by sports fans and universities, and even historically by occult or gang groups in other contexts — so its meaning depends on who’s making it and where [4] [5] [6].
1. How to make the sign — the simple, physical description
The common form seen at concerts and in photos: raise your index finger and pinky, fold the middle and ring fingers down, and use your thumb to hold those two down; that creates the “horns” silhouette [7] [1]. Some people omit using the thumb (index and pinky extended while the thumb is tucked), and regional or stylistic differences produce slight variants — but the visual shorthand is the two “horn” fingers up and the central two fingers down [7].
2. Origins and the Italian root — protection, not devilry
Multiple accounts trace the hand back to Mediterranean apotropaic practices — the Mano Cornuto or corna — used to ward off the “malocchio” or evil eye; Ronnie James Dio credited his grandmother’s Italian usage for bringing the sign into his stage persona [5] [2] [3]. Contemporary writeups stress that historically the gesture was intended to repel evil rather than summon it, and jewelers and folklorists treat it as a protective symbol in southern Italy [5] [8].
3. Metal culture and popularization — Ronnie James Dio and beyond
Heavy metal fans associate the gesture with rock/metal identity; Ronnie James Dio is widely credited with popularizing it onstage in the 1970s, transforming an old folk sign into a concert salute and community marker [7] [6]. Accounts differ about precise credit — some fellow musicians later claimed they showed Dio the sign — but reporting and music histories consistently tie Dio to the gesture’s modern fame [6] [3].
4. Multiple, sometimes conflicting meanings across contexts
The same finger arrangement can mean very different things: in Mediterranean countries it can be an insult implying cuckoldry if pointed at someone; in sports it becomes team signs like “Hook ’em Horns” for the University of Texas; gang or subcultural groups have also appropriated horn-like gestures for identity or affiliation in other contexts [4] [4] [6]. Reporting cautions against a single interpretation — the sign is polyvalent and context dependent [4].
5. Legal, cultural and commercial disputes over ownership
Attempts to trademark or claim exclusive rights to the gesture have surfaced (for example, Gene Simmons sought a trademark in 2017 and faced pushback), and earlier bands have argued they used it before one claimant — demonstrating commercial and symbolic tensions when a public gesture becomes brandable [4] [6]. Coverage shows these moves are controversial because the gesture has long cultural roots predating any modern trademark attempt [6].
6. What sources don’t settle and remaining disagreements
Available sources do not provide a single, uncontested inventor; while Dio’s account and family corroboration are common, other musicians and earlier uses (bands like Coven, folk traditions) complicate a simple origin story [6] [3]. Sources disagree about nuance — whether the sign primarily wards off evil or was repurposed as a rebellious middle finger substitute — with journalists, folklorists, and musicians offering alternative emphases [2] [9].
7. Practical guidance and a cultural caution
If you want to use the sign: the rock/metal form is index + pinky raised, middle + ring down, thumb typically holding them; be aware that in some Mediterranean cultures directed at a person it is offensive (implying cuckoldry), and that public figures or brands may face backlash for claiming ownership of a widely used cultural sign [7] [4] [6]. Context matters: at a metal show it’s a greeting/salute [7]; pointed at someone in certain countries it can insult [4].
Final note: reporting across music journalism, folklore writing and encyclopedic entries converge on the physical form and varied meanings, but they diverge on singular origin claims and contemporary ownership; you’ll find consistent descriptions of how to make the sign and multiple plausible origins rather than one definitive creation story [1] [5] [6].