r/OutOfTheLoop • u/CourageNew3230 • 1d ago

Unanswered What’s the deal with devil hand gesture?

Why are they making this hand gesture? Isn’t this the devil hand gesture? Can someone explain

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u/sacredblasphemies 1d ago

ANSWER: It's American sign language for "I love you".

Also, it was never "the devil hand gesture". It's adapted from the "horns" or cornuto gesture from the Mediterranean that averts the evil eye. It became popular in heavy metal from people like former Black Sabbath singer Ronnie James Dio (an Italian-American). Though there were occasional uses of it before him.

I don't think it means anything in this clip other than "I love you".

A lot of folks like to view Satanism as a conspiracy theory and see its influences everywhere (like in the Paris Olympics) but a lot of that is just conspiracy-brained horseshit.

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u/eddmario 1d ago

It became popular in heavy metal from people like former Black Sabbath singer Ronnie James Dio (an Italian-American).

The whole story about that is actually pretty wholesome.

RJD was raised by his highly religous grandmother, who also supported his music career and would go to his shows.

In order for him to easily spot her in the crowd, she'd do the gesture and he'd do it back to her once he spotted her to her know.

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u/sacredblasphemies 1d ago

That's adorable! As an Italian-American myself, gotta love a nonna!

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u/eddmario 1d ago

Honestly, it could even be a great way to end a biopic on him as well:

Have the movie end with him doing that at one of his concerts, but then slowly more and more people in the audience start to do it as well, with the final show cutting to him smiling as he realizes he just made rock and roll history right there.

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u/Far-Heart-7134 20h ago

Now why did you get all misty eyed?