The Mano Cornuto and the Karana mudrā.

The Mano Cornuto and the Karana mudrā.

From where did the mano cornuto originate? One theory is that the Neapolitan custom of making mano cornuto charms from silver (representing the moon goddess Luna) and blood coral (representing the goddess Venus) hints at a link with ancient mother/goddess/fertility worship – including the worship of her consort, the Horned God.

 A related theory is that the shape of the head & horns refers to the shape of the female genitals/ovaries/uterus. Karana mudrā But is it possible that the origins of the mano cornuto might also lie in the mudrās – sacred hand gestures – of Hinduism and Buddhism.

English: Woman at the Tel Aviv Love Parade putting out her tounge and showing a variety of the "heavy metal corna" עברית: "מצעד האהבה" בתל אביב - אישה חורצת את לשונה ומסמנת באצבעותיה גרסה של סמל "הבי מטאל" (סוג של רוק כבד). Deutsch: Frau auf einer Love Parade in Tel Aviv streckt die Zunge heraus und zeigt eine Variante des "heavy metal mano cornuto". Suomi: Israelilainen nuori nainen (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The Karana mudrā looks exactly like the corna except the thumb does not hold down the middle and ring finger.

Karana Mudra - Demon expelling mudra, Korean Bodhisattva, Mahasthamaprapta, Vajrapani in his Peaceful form, metal statue, Seattle, Washington, USA (Photo credit: Wonderlane)

It is supposed to expel demons. One might wonder if the artist Steve Ditko was inspired by the Karana mudrā in his art for the comic book Dr. Strange, in which the good Doctor makes similar hand gestures while performing magic. (It should be noted that the decidedly non-occult Ditko hero Spider-man also made the gesture of the Karana mudrā).

Dormammu attacks Eternity in a Ditko "Dr. Strange" panel from Strange Tales #146 (July 1966). (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

But there are still other explanations for the cornuto/"devil horns" gesture. For example, the gesture for "I Love You" in sign-language looks identical to the Karana mudrā. A common claim by some conspiracy theorists is that this is because Helen Keller was a Theosophist, part of a metaphysical/occultist group that some Illuminologists consider Satanic.

While I haven't found a direct reference to Helen Keller being a Theosophist outside of conspiracy websites, the fact that she was a big devotee of Emmanuel Swedenborg, who was himself either a Theosophist or shared beliefs with Theosophy, is documented on the official Swedenborg website.

But whether Helen Keller was herself a Theosophist or a Swedenborgian is irrelevant to the origin of the the "I Love You" sign – because Keller was actually a controversial critic of the use of sign language, preferring the technique of oralism (a combination of lip-reading and learning by touch).

She didn't invent American Sign Language, which is actually an amalgam of ancient hand signing, French sign language, and "home-signs" that deaf children brought with them to school.That said, it is rather striking that the sign for "I Love You" would be the same of the evil-banishing Karana mudrā. Perhaps the best (and most primal) thing to fight evil is love.

MUDRAS