Where Did Rock + Metal's Devil Horns Come From?

Licensed under Creative Commons BY Attribution 4.0 License

[SpiresofBlood]

Dio definitely is the one who popularized the hand sign in the context of heavy metal . Coven did it before Dio but they're neither metal nor (unfortunately) as well known as black sabbath with Dio

[badmotorbreath]

It represents Malocchio, Ronnie knew what he was talking about 🇮🇹🤘🏼

[madrich]

dio is a legend, whether he started it or not, ill just leep believing he did!!!

[septimussilva]

The sign also appears in The Phantom of the Opera, where a girl uses it to guard off evil spirits

[EDsavant]

Dio's grandmother. And you didn't say anything about his wife going after Gene.

[llongone]

It's just a gesture we use to identify others of our tribe: the global tribe of metalheads.

[chestbuster]

Coven definitely deserve more recognition. Proper devil horns only 🤘

[Mad]

don't mix up the gestures, the evil look (as Dio called it, to chase bad things from you) and the i Love sign are not the same 🤘 and 🤟

[KevinHallSurfing]

First saw this at a concert in Sydney with Dio and Black Sabbath on the "Heaven and Hell" tour November 1980. He explained as a child he got the gesture from his "grandmother and the evil eye" inference. Was he the very first ever? Obviously not but definitely first at a rock concert for me at least. 🤘🤘🤘

[nickchristopherson]

My nonna used to do that in the late seventies...100 year old metalhead

[REO_Meatwagon]

It’s just like the argument that Eddie Van Halen didn’t invent tapping, but he discovered it on his own and made it cool. It’s a similar thing here, Dio maybe didn’t invent it, but he made it what it is today.

[RusliLPSoldier]

I used to have that gesture after seeing these rockstars doing on stage, I rarely used it while holding my guitar and I never knew that name until now.

[Stefan-]

There is no question, Dio was the one that made it popular and is the reason that we are all using the sign today, he of course didnt invent it as he himself said, its pretty much an ancient sign as you indicated in the video.

[ScruffyRogue]

On the Yellow Submarine album cover, John is making the gesture...I claim John and the Beatles for using the horns first...

[ImaFnT-Rex]

Personally i always use to just think it was a sign of "Rock On" lol

[paulatreides]

This is so cool! I am diving headfirst into Coven now!

[Takaichi-]

Came from legend Ronnie James dio the man was not of this realm he was a creature known as a holy diver

[JonBonZombie]

THe Horns Came from Italian Folklore . My Nona used to do them to people who gave her the Evil Eye... If you also notice on oldschool Italians who wear gold crosses they also have a horn on it too and the the Hand doing the horns .. I have mine .. it was given to me on my baptism when i was small

[MdlAgedHeadbanger]

I'll stick with the Beatles.

Geezer Butler (as mentioned in the video) did it in a few pictures from the band's early years and said he got it from Aleister Crowley who was pictured doing it. While there is a lot of conjecture here on my part, the Beatles were interested in Crowley having included him on the cover of Sgt. Peppers. My assumption is John Lennon was doing it as a homage to Crowley. Like I said a lot of assumptions here on my part.

[schecterseven]

Dio's grandmother, the evil eye, or the maloc, not sure how it's spelled.