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Index/Topics/Origin of the devil horns gesture

Origin of the devil horns gesture

The devil horns gesture, also known as the sign of the horns, has a long and varied history, with different meanings in different cultures, and its modern popularity in heavy metal music is often attributed to Ronnie James Dio.

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Jan 26, 2026
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Did Ronnie James Dio invent the devil horns gesture or adapt it from earlier sources?

did not "invent" the as an original hand sign; he adapted and popularized an older gesture—drawing on an folk sign his grandmother used and on examples already in rock—and turned it into a defining he...

Jan 31, 2026

What is the origin and cultural history of the devil horns hand sign?

The “”—index and little fingers extended while middle and ring fingers are tucked—is a multilayered gesture with deep, pre-modern roots as an apotropaic (evil‑warding) sign in and a more recent reinve...

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