It’s time we had THE talk. Where do Rock Fists come from??
Definition (Today):
Fist you hold up at a rock concert composed of holding out you index finger and little finger while holding down the other two with your thumb.
Source: Urban Dictionary- http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=rock%20fist
Definition (Historic):
The sign of the horns, also corna (Italian for horns, mano cornuta, horned hand fare le corna, to make the horns, or simply the devil horns) is a hand gesture with a vulgar meaning in Mediterranean countries and a variety of meanings and uses in other cultures. Its origins can be traced to Ancient Greece, and in Ancient Rome it was known as Vorena the Elder’s gesture, and symbolized a curse. It is realized by extending the index and little fingers while holding the middle and ring fingers down with the thumb.
Source: Wikipdeia- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corna
Related Meaning:
It is identical to the Karana mudra of Eastern religions. The Karana mudrā is the mudrā which expels demons and removes obstacles such as sickness or negative thoughts. It is made by raising the index and the little finger, and folding the other fingers. It is the same as the rude gesture known as corna in many western countries. (This mudrā is also known as Tarjanī mudrā; Japanese: Funnu-in, Fudō-in)
Source: Wikipdeia- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corna
History and Background of the “Rock Fist”:
It has a variety of meanings in heavy metal and rock music subcultures, where it is known by a variety of terms: devil sign, devil horns, goat horns, metal horns, horns up, slinging metal, metal sign, sticks up, throwing the goat, rocking the goat, sign of the goat, throwing the horns, evil fingers, the horns, forks, metal fist, rock fist, fist of rock, or the “Rock on!” sign.
On the cover of The Beatles’ Yellow Submarine album (1969), the cartoon of John Lennon’s right hand is making the sign above Paul McCartney’s head. For many fans, this was one of the many “Paul is dead” clues. However, it is likely that the cartoonist misrepresented the sign for “I love you” which is very similar and more in keeping with the band’s message and image.
A March 31, 1985 article in Circus (magazine) by Ben Liemer states that Gene Simmons of KISS was influenced by Blackie Lawless of W.A.S.P. in 1977 after watching Sister perform in Los Angeles. Blackie had come across a hand salute known as the corna in an occult book and had started using it during live performances.
Gene Simmons appears to making the sign with his left hand on the cover of Kiss’ 1977 album Love Gun, but is actually making the American sign language sign for love. Simmons has later claimed – noticeably in the special features segment “Satan’s Top 40″ in the movie ‘Little Nicky’ – that he plays his bass with his plectrum in his middle two fingers so when he raises his hand, he automatically draws the horns.
Frank Zappa can be seen making the gesture in the 1977 film Baby Snakes.
Ronnie James Dio is known for popularizing the sign of the horns in heavy metal. His Italian grandmother used it to ward off the evil eye (which is known as malocchio or moloch, Dio’s term for the gesture.) Dio began using the sign soon after joining (1979) the metal band Black Sabbath. The previous singer in the band, Ozzy Osbourne, was rather well known at 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. However, not wanting to copy Osbourne, he chose to use the sign his grandmother always made.
These accounts are all predated by the Chicago-based psychedelic-occult rock band Coven, led by singer Jinx Dawson, whose 1969 back album cover for “Witchcraft Destroys Minds and Reaps Souls” on Mercury Records pictured Coven band members giving the “sign of the horns” correctly and included a Black Mass poster showing members at a ritual making the sign. Starting in early 1968, Coven concerts always began and ended with Jinx giving the “devil’s sign” on stage.
Interestingly Coven toured on the bills with many groups as Jimmy Page’s Yardbirds, the then glam rockers Alice Cooper and the Vanilla Fudge, featuring Carmine Appice, older brother of Vinnie Appice of Dio. Incidentally, the band also recorded a song called “Black Sabbath,” on their 1969 album and one of the band members is named Oz Osborne, not to be confused with Ozzy Osbourne of Black Sabbath fame. The horns became famous in metal concerts very soon after Black Sabbath’s first tour with Dio.
Whatever its origin in the heavy metal scene, metal fans embraced the gesture as a vague symbol of mysticism, evil, or simply “metal-ness”, and it soon became nearly as commonplace at concerts as headbanging. The gesture has since spread beyond metal to all forms of rock music and it is now nearly ubiquitous. In rock situations the gesture is interpreted as a benign gesture for “Rock on.” It is also used simply to communicate to the on-stage band (mostly heavy metal bands) that you are enjoying the show and their music.
Source: Wikipdeia- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corna
Ronnie James Dio~ he didn’t create the Rock Fist, but he made it a household name!
Ronnie James Dio
