Dio's 'Devil Horns' What do they mean?

[Alisdair.MacDonald]

I've always been a huge fan of Dio, and i thought this would be an interesting article to share for those who may not know the story.

"Dio, explained that he was taught the so-called corna sign by his Italian grandmother, as a way to scare off the "evil eye", a look which is said to cause bad luck."

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/magazine/8687002.stm

[Blink4567]

So many people think tis is the sign of the "illuminati" and other demonic cells. From what dio says it's a way for him to keep away evil, and to longhorns fans its UT pride lol. Honestly I don't think a handsign does much really. Cool post nonetheless...

[shrooma]

didn't know RJD had died.....

:-(

[d e v i c e]

Yes. The horns are everywhere now, and as a bit of an old school metaler from the 90's - Slayer, Metallica, Death, Sepultura, Megadeth and so on - the horns just mean, to me: "FTW, we have each other. We have Heavy Metal!!" I mean, it was about the music then and it's about the music now. Leave religion out of it.

[Blink4567]

Yes. The horns are everywhere now, and as a bit of an old school metaler from the 90's - Slayer, Metallica, Death, Sepultura, Megadeth and so on - the horns just mean, to me: "FTW, we have each other. We have Heavy Metal!!" I mean, it was about the music then and it's about the music now. Leave religion out of it.

Actually Device, UT started it before The Metal bands

[d e v i c e]

Actually Device, UT started it before The Metal bands

Okay, that's interesting. But the metalers mean it in a cooler way.

[Gunn]

didn't know RJD had died.....

:-(

Yeah that sucked when that happened, man. And stomach cancer of all things. Heavy Metal won't be the same without him.

I can't believe Ozzy is still alive, though. Dude must have nine lives.

[White Crane Feather]

I though the horns were a sign of fertility and abundance. The symbology is still with us today in the cornucopia. The way I remember it is that there are several pagan fertility gods and Christians demonized ( literally) the image of these gods that often resembled goats or bulls.

When used in heavy metal music, it is really just a symbol of counter culture. Basically thumbing its nose religion. This is why Anton Levey used counter Christian imagery when really he gave no credence to biblical mythology what so ever.

Edited July 20, 2013 by Seeker79

[Alisdair.MacDonald]

Yeah that sucked when that happened, man. And stomach cancer of all things. Heavy Metal won't be the same without him.

I can't believe Ozzy is still alive, though. Dude must have nine lives.

Well, those are exactly the type of myths i thought this thread would address to be false.

[Sakari]

Yes. The horns are everywhere now, and as a bit of an old school metaler from the 90's - Slayer, Metallica, Death, Sepultura, Megadeth and so on - the horns just mean, to me: "FTW, we have each other. We have Heavy Metal!!" I mean, it was about the music then and it's about the music now. Leave religion out of it.

AMEN TO THAT!!!!!!

Showing my age ! .....Local Reno Band " Anastasia "....The best band in Reno during the 80's !

[markprice]

Well, those are exactly the type of myths i thought this thread would address to be false.

You mean Ozzy does not have nine lives? Prove it.

[Sakari]

I've always been a huge fan of Dio, and i thought this would be an interesting article to share for those who may not know the story.

"Dio, explained that he was taught the so-called corna sign by his Italian grandmother, as a way to scare off the "evil eye", a look which is said to cause bad luck."

http://news.bbc.co.u...ine/8687002.stm

You want the explanation?

LET DIO EXPLAIN IT !!!!!!!!!!

Solved !

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BxQpGu-ZgtY

[d e v i c e]

AMEN TO THAT!!!!!!

Showing my age ! .....Local Reno Band " Anastasia "....The best band in Reno during the 80's !

Okay, which one of them is you?

Just the styles of the time bring back memories for me. I was a teen in the 80's and was in my 20's during the 90's, and basically everyone i knew looked like that! [above]

It's just great how metal was a real common ground for a lot of people. Still is.

[Rafterman]

Well, those are exactly the type of myths i thought this thread would address to be false.

Be careful over in the conspriacy section because those guys will bury you in You Tube videos showing how everyone from Miley Cyrus and the Queen of England to George W. Bush and Steve Jobs are all in on the big boogie woogie whatever because they make that sign.

[MacsMom]

Be careful over in the conspriacy section because those guys will bury you in You Tube videos showing how everyone from Miley Cyrus and the Queen of England to George W. Bush and Steve Jobs are all in on the big boogie woogie whatever because they make that sign.

Oh please! Miley Cyrus is a no-talent hack so she MUST have made a pact with the devil to get famous. EVERYBODY know that!

[Sakari]

Okay, which one of them is you?

Just the styles of the time bring back memories for me. I was a teen in the 80's and was in my 20's during the 90's, and basically everyone i knew looked like that! [above]

It's just great how metal was a real common ground for a lot of people. Still is.

None are me. They were very good friends, and Joel ( lead guitarist, second from right was my best friend ). I used to fill in as drummer for them in rehearsals, and even a few gigs.....Their drummer was late a lot......Wish I had their music still....

Anyway, thought some would enjoy the pic, and glad someone did. Brought back the same memories for you I see

Those were good times, the 80's ....

[d e v i c e]

None are me. They were very good friends, and Joel ( lead guitarist, second from right was my best friend ). I used to fill in as drummer for them in rehearsals, and even a few gigs.....Their drummer was late a lot......Wish I had their music still....

Anyway, thought some would enjoy the pic, and glad someone did. Brought back the same memories for you I see

Those were good times, the 80's ....

Yeah, the 80's were cool. Thanks for sharing that. And one last horns to you, in honor of a time that will never be rivaled or recaptured, ever again.

FTW!! Heavy Metaaaaal!!

[Mantis914]

Just please don't stick out your tongue when doing the horns, you'll look like a total buffoon. No one did that that I know of and I've been listening to metal since pretty much the beginning. The only artist I know that stuck out their tongues was Gene Simmons, Jason Newstead, and a few others but not while doing the horns...

[Etu Malku]

This hand sign is used traditionally in Mediterranean and Italian cultures to ward off Malocchio (the evil eye)

From a 2001 interview with Ronnie James Dio on Metal-Rules.com:

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 "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 its meaning with that. But it was.... I was in Sabbath at the time. It was a 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."

[SpiritWriter]

Horns represent authority and rulership.... they were demonified in illustrations of the devil with horns.

This I believe came from earlier pagan illustrations of animal like dieties who had horns. I draw pictures with people or animals with horns too , to me it represents authority and is described in the bible that way too. Im just putting my two cents in without even knowing who dio is, so sorry about that...

Thanks for sharing

[d e v i c e]

Just please don't stick out your tongue when doing the horns, you'll look like a total buffoon. No one did that that I know of and I've been listening to metal since pretty much the beginning. The only artist I know that stuck out their tongues was Gene Simmons, Jason Newstead, and a few others but not while doing the horns...

Let me put my tongue in your ear and that will give you a horn of a different kind, I'm very sure.

[Sakari]

Yeah, the 80's were cool. Thanks for sharing that. And one last horns to you, in honor of a time that will never be rivaled or recaptured, ever again.

FTW!! Heavy Metaaaaal!!

Right Back At You !!!!

Edited July 21, 2013 by Sakari

[coolguy]

Rainbow in the dark.. great story every body use to say the horns where bad lol

[Sakari]

Rainbow in the dark.. great story every body use to say the horns where bad lol

This one really stirred things up with a lot of parents

" Holy Diver "

It was all BRILLIANT marketing, and using what Christians accused bands of doing, and being.....Finally, the bands started to use it, and made money off of a stupid Christian lie.....

( Not saying all Christians, but anyone that listened to this music growing up knows exactly what I mean by this )

[Mantis914]

Let me put my tongue in your ear and that will give you a horn of a different kind, I'm very sure.

Whoa, calm down there, you're barking up the wrong tree...