Hand gesture

[Golem]

I've just got back from seeing Apocalyptica performing and a common hand gesture from the crowd was raising one or both arms, with a clenched fist and the forefinger and little finger extended.

An earlier answer to a similar question about rap artists suggested it meant 'Eastside' or 'Westside', but this was a band with a large heavymetal following and arms were extended in the air not down or across the body

What does it mean and what's it's origin?

-I--I

[stoo_pid]

I was told it was meant to symbolise the horns of the devil (satanic worship & ritual sacrifice of virgins / unsuspecting bats, of course being the norm for followers of metal).  No idea how accurate that explanation was - all I know is we used to do it cos everybody else did!

[CiderMonkey]

yep, that's what i always thought too, stoo_pid.

[andy hughes]

It is commonly used as a salute in heavy metal scenarios - the 'devil worship' aspect is, as with most aspects of metal, not taken too seriously by the people involved.

the first time i saw it was at a Parliament / Funkadelic gig in 1979, when all the P-Funk gang did it, and the adueince responsed. i was advised by someone that it is 'deaf and dumb' sign language for 'I love you', but I never verified the veracity of that statement.

I think most people do it because they get carried away with their music - what ever style it is. Rock ... er ... on, and all that.

[kempie]

Also the 'Devil's Horns' can be formed with the thumb straight and extended outwards such that, with the clenched middle fingers, it forms a 6.  Likewise the little finger forms another 6 and the index finger completes a mirror-image 6, giving you the satanic 666.

[Dudley]

This sort of 'salute' was heavily characterised by Ossie Osbourne when he was fronting Black Sabbath at live concerts in the USA in the 70s and 80s.

[Muzo]

It's the devils horns and basically means rock on.

Kempie with the thumb extneded it means "i love u" in sign language