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The Cornu is a hand gesture which has been misinterpreted as a Satanic
recognition signal in many books on Satanism.
For example, Michael Warnke refers to this gesture as a recognition
signal for “the Brotherhood” in The
Satan Seller.
The cornu gesture is prominently displayed by all of the people on the
cover of Frattarola’s America’s Best Kept
Secret. Mary Ann
Herold lists it twice in A Basic Manual on
the Occult for Law Enforcement Agencies. A cornu, also described as an “Italian
Horn”, is listed as a “Demonic Symbol” on the Madrak’s Demonbusters web
site. The glossary of the Watch
Network’s Be Aware! handbook contains this definition:
“The 'horned hand'
is the sign of recognition between those who are in the occult". Thomas Carder’s ChildCare
Action Project/Christian Analysis of American Culture web site defines the
“horned hand or the mano cornuto” thus:
“This gesture is the satanic salute, a sign of recognition between and
allegiance of members of satanism or other unholy groups. It is also called
the Il Cornuto. In other ‘circles,’ whether displayed as a hand gesture or
worn as an amulet, it is supposed to ward off evil (the evil eye) as are the
hamsa hand (three finger - two thumbed hand), the eye-in-hand (eye in the
palm), and the mano fico ('mano' meaning hand and 'fico' meaning woman's
genitals).” Eventually
the cornu or “horned hand” showed up in several police manuals. Lou Sloat's Texas Ritualistic Crime Information Network Occult
Crime Manual lists the cornu as a “horned hand
sign” in an untitled list of symbols attributed to Satanism. Other examples include: “A satanic salute or sign among members; represents devil’s horns. Often used innocently by adolescent heavy
metal groupies without knowing its alternate meaning.” “Originally used by Pseudo-Satanists as a
secret hand sign to gain access to rituals, the sign is now widely used by
Self-styled Satanists to indicate that they are in league with Satan.” The “cornu”, “mano cornuto” or “horned hand” salute is made by raising
one's hand with the index and little fingers extended and the other fingers
and thumb folded against the palm. In
different contexts this means quite a few things, including the
following: In Wicca this is used in some
traditions as the sign of the Horned God.
Warnke may have been aware of this, as he is using it in reference to
what he describes as “witches” here. In some Native American traditions
this is the sign of the Buffalo. Anton LaVey adopted this as a Satanic
salute, resulting in it being advertised as such by books such as these. It is a recognition signal used by
the Piru (Bloods) gang members in Los Angeles. It is a symbol of the Texas Longhorns
football team. It is a slang hand sign in American sign language for the colloquial
expression “bullshit”. This last interpretation of this hand sign pretty much sums up the
content of most of the books that list the cornu as a purely Satanic
symbol. Believe it or not, several occult crime manuals list the Pit Bull as a
Satanic mascot. For example: Clifford Alford‘s Occult Crimes Investigations manual includes the Pit Bull with such a definition in it‘s
"Identifiers of Occult Relations” list.
Both Shane Westhoelter’s General
Information Manual With Respect to Satanism and the Occult and Watch Network’s Be Aware! describe a Pit Bull as the “Official dog of Satan”. The pit bull is a dog which was originally
bred to participate in the ancient blood sport of pit fighting, in which
people bet on the outcome of a fight between two dogs. Pit fighting is illegal in most Western
states today. While pit fighting is a
sport which is repugnant, it was not started by Satanists and in it’s hey day
many who were at least nominal Christians participated in it. Some of the definitions that I’ve discovered are so ridiculous that I can
only assume that the author has made them up.
For example: In a list of terms
borrowed from Ritualistic Crime Consultants in Lou Sloat’s Texas Ritualistic Crime Information Network Occult
Crime Manual, “Talis” is defined as: “Made from hair, finger nails or earth that
has been walked on by the person. Used
to weaken that person." This
nonsensical definition is followed by:
"Talisman- One who
specializes in making talises." If Mireles and Carrillo were right then presumably a woman could be a
"Taliswoman." I’m sure that
you’ve never heard of one of those and neither have I. Perhaps this is another failed attempt on
their part to use Latin: “Talis” is the Latin word for “such” or “of such a
kind”. There is no such thing in
anything that may be considered part of the “occult” as a "Talis." "Talisman", originally a French
word, is derived from the Arabic term "tilsam," which was a magic
figure or horoscope. It may also be
related to the Greek word "telesma" ("incantation"). A talisman is not a person, it is an object
believed to have magical properties, such as a charm or amulet. I quickly discovered that one of the most
common fundamental errors made by those police investigators or civilian
therapists wishing to obtain information on "the occult" is that
they often simply accept the word of anyone who introduces themselves using
the title "Detective", "Doctor" or "Minister"
without any critical examination.
Often they make no attempt to check the background or credentials of
the individual using such a title until the damage has already been
done. Society has taught us to respect
these titles. There seems to be an
assumption that people would not dare to use such a title unless they had
truly earned it. Nothing could be further from the
truth. All of these titles can be
obtained through mail order businesses for a few dollars. Quite a few police investigators have
fallen into this trap. There are a
considerable number of groups and individuals out there presenting themselves
as "experts" and ready to lead unsuspecting police investigators
down the garden path. Kerr Cuhulain |
Experts, conclusion
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e-mail: webmaster@officersofavalon.com |
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To contact us: |
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There are a considerable
number of groups and individuals out there presenting themselves as
"experts" and ready to lead unsuspecting police investigators down
the garden path. |
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Volume 1 No. 2 Beltaine/May Day/Galan
Mai/Cetshamain/Rudemas/ Walpurgisnacht 2007
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Kerr
Cuhulain celebrating Beltaine in 2004 |