Sign of the horns

[1] In Buddhism, the Karana Mudrā is seen as an apotropaic gesture to expel demons, remove negative energy, and ward off evil.

[1][2] It is also found on the Song dynasty statue of Laozi, the founder of Taoism, on Mount Qingyuan, China.

In Italy and other parts of the Mediterranean region, the gesture must usually be performed with the fingers tilting downward or in a leveled position not pointed at someone and without movement to signify the warding off of bad luck; in the same region and elsewhere, the gesture may take a different, offensive, and insulting meaning if it is performed with fingers upward or if directed aggressively towards someone especially in a swiveling motion (see section below).

[5] In many Mediterranean and Latin countries, such as Colombia, Greece, Italy, Portugal, Spain and Mexico,[6][7][8][9] when directed towards someone, pointed upward, and/or swiveled back and forth, the sign offensively implies cuckoldry in regard to the targeted individual; the common words for cuckolded in Greek, Italian, Spanish, and Portuguese are, respectively, κερατάς (keratas), cornuto, cornudo and corno, literally meaning "horned [one]".

As previously stated above, in Italy and certain other Mediterranean countries, the sign, often when pointing downwards, but occasionally also upwards, can serve also as a talismanic gesture to ward off bad luck.

[12] Ike Turner told in an interview that he used the sign in his piano playing on Howlin' Wolf's blues song "How Many More Years" in 1951.

[14] The 1969 back album cover for Witchcraft Destroys Minds & Reaps Souls on Mercury Records by Chicago-based psychedelic-occult rock band Coven, led by singer Jinx Dawson, pictured Coven band members giving the "sign of the horns".

It was used by George Clinton and Bootsy Collins as the password to the Mothership,[16] a central element in Parliament's science-fiction mythology, and fans used it in return to show their enthusiasm for the band.

The previous singer in the band, Ozzy Osbourne, was rather well known for using the "peace" sign at concerts, raising the index and middle finger in the form of a V. Dio, in an attempt to connect with the fans, wanted to similarly use a hand gesture.

[19] The photograph is included in the CD booklet of the Symptom of the Universe: The Original Black Sabbath 1970–1978 2002 compilation album.

Although The Beatles aren’t directly associated with heavy metal, John Lennon can be seen doing the "horn-sign" in a photograph already two years prior to Butler.

The official movie poster of 1968 showing the Beatles in cartoon form depicts Lennon performing the same gesture.

According to CBS News, Simmons filed an application on June 16, 2017, with the United States Patent and Trademark Office for a trademark on the hand gesture he regularly shows during concerts and public appearances—thumb, index, and pinky fingers extended, with the middle and ring fingers folded down (like the ILY sign meaning "I love you" in the American Sign Language).

[24] The "sign of the horns" hand gesture is used in criminal gang subcultures to indicate membership or affiliation with Mara Salvatrucha.

The significance is both the resemblance of an inverted "devil horns" to the Latin letter 'M', and in the broader demonic connotation, of fierceness and nonconformity.

The gesture is meant to approximate the shape of the head and horns of the UT mascot, the Texas Longhorn Bevo.

Fans of North Carolina State University Wolfpack athletics use a similar gesture with the middle and ring fingers moving up and down over the thumb to mimic a wolf's jaw.

It was possibly innovated by Scott Hall and the other members of The Kliq based on the Turkish Grey Wolves organization hand gesture according to Sean Waltman, and has since been attributed to other wrestling groups such as the nWo and Bullet Club, as well as individual wrestlers such as Finn Bálor.

Fans of University of Utah athletics, particularly football and gymnastics, use a gesture where the index and pinky finger are straight and parallel to each other, forming a block "U.

"[26] Fans of Northwestern State University Demon athletics also use a similar hand gesture, known as "Fork 'em!"

Arizona State University Sun Devil fans make a pitchfork sign by extending the index and middle fingers, as well as the pinky.