To speak of heavy metal is to bring to mind leather jackets, studs, long hair and rough attitudes… but it is also to speak of a famous sign, but where did the famous sign of horns come from?
This symbol is one of those gestures that is particularly associated with the world of rock and heavy metal.
At a concert or festival of this rock genre, the signal of the horns cannot fail between the audience and the musicians.
But, where does that famous sign come from that identifies one of the most powerful styles of rock today? Its origins are uncertain but curious.
Horned Hand: Family Faith
The already famous hand simulating horn is a traditional symbol of rockers, especially metalheads, but there are those who want to appropriate it, although its origin is far from being associated with music.
No, it is not a taboo or even a satanic symbol, rather it has a somewhat mysterious origin.
Within the genre, the so-called ‘mano cornuta’ or ‘sign of the horn’ (sign of the horn) is a show of respect and gratitude for a good interpretation of the music.
In the music world, it was the heavy metal singer, Ronnie James Dio, when he was the lead singer of the British band Black Sabbath, who started using it in the early eighties.
Against the ‘evil eye’
When Dio was asked why he used that sign during his stage performances, the Italian-American musician attributed it to his grandmother, who was superstitious, from Italy.
He must have told her that the mark was a protection against the so-called ‘evil eye’ that was rectified by the horned hand, as well as acting as a shield against those who wanted to do you harm. , although it is also said that the symbol has its roots in Hinduism.
Since then, the horn symbol has been used by countless people to refer to heavy metal or rock in general.
Fake boss
Some rockers have wanted to adopt the horn arm symbol of heavy metal, but their efforts have not been successful.
Such is the case with Gene Simmons, striking bassist of Kiss, who even tried to patent the famous rock signal in order to make it his own and profit from it.
However, it is a sign that beyond commercialization it is a musical symbol that will live on among heavy metal lovers and now you know a little bit about where the famous horn symbol came from.
