Evil Eye—Part II

By

Ken Boyd

The information in this article was taken from Gestures, their origins and distribution—compiled by D. Morris, P. Collett. P Marsh and M O’Shaughnessy. Published by Stein & Day of New York 1979.

The Evil Eye is historically comprised of two different signs: The Vertical Horn Sign where the hand is held up with the forefinger and the little finger extended vertically. The other two fingers are held down in a bent position by the thumb, giving the hand the crude shape of an animal’s horned head. The second, being the Horizontal Horn Sign where the hand made up in the same fashion only the crude horned animal shape is pointing forward horizontally as if stabbing at someone, as if the animal were lowered for a charge.

Each of these signs have similar meanings so we will cover them as a generality rather than as the Oxford professors covered the material.

In general the meaning of these symbolic signs can be traced back to pre-Roman times, and is more than two and one half thousand years old. It has been found on the walls of Etruscan tombs and early pottery of ancient Daunian cultures. Even farther back is the horn symbol displayed as a protection device all the way back to 8,000 years ago to the Neolithic period in displaying horns of animal outside of their dwellings.

There is, in fact some controversy as to what the sign actually means—or at least what its original intent was. A survey of a good portion of the  European regions yielded some interesting evidence in this matter.

Although the United States was not included in this Oxford Based survey, I asked around (and though not accurate statistical data) and came up with some predictably different meanings here in my home country. Here in the US (at least in the south west region) indicated that symbol meant “Long Live Rock And Roll” or “Rock On” and even “Rock Out” this even among educated adult population that did not attend rock concerts on any sort of regular basis.

The Europeans form the study indicated that statistically a majority recognized the sign as being one of denoting Cuckoldry: That of announcing your wife is having relations with another man—it is seen both as a taunt and a warning. Secondly it is viewed as Protection in warding off the evil spirits or to defend against the “Evil Eye” of another’s curse. The third and fourth were closely related with an Insult or a Threat. That of saying stay clear of me, or even I am the one cuckolding your wife. Finally the smallest percentage fell to that of being a Curse. But bestowing the Evil Eye upon someone and wishing them either ill luck or that their wife would cheat on them.

Oddly enough the American Sign Language Foundation recognizes the evil eye as a statement of “Bullshit”—that either that what you have to say is bullshit, or that that what you say sounds unbelievable in the speakers eyes. Interesting.

Though there are many theories as to why these symbols mean what they do (and I might well venture into a third portion to this article if enough interest arises) but no one really knows just where they come from and what they were originally meant to symbolize.

The symbol is in fact in common use today in Italy, where it is both a throwing of a curse and a protection from another’s curse—depending on how the symbol is held.

It is my belief that this is where Ronnie got the forethought to use this symbol on the stage. And it can be well evidenced—at least here in the United States of America that his meaning (and he himself has stated it in interview multiple times) that it symbolized Long Live Rock And Roll—for not only do the fans of Ronnie James Dio use it in throwing their fists and symbols into the air at a Dio concert, but that of many bands playing their hard and heavy trade in venues all across the WORLD.

Sop the next opportunity you find yourself at ANY concert, look around you and wonder if a curse is being thrown, a protection being erected or just the camaraderie of a rock concert is being announced.