THE MANO CORNUTO
(HORNED HAND)
The mano cornuto is an Italian amulet of ancient
origin. Mano means "hand" and corno means
"horn." The charm
represents a hand gesture in which the index and little fingers
are extended while the middle and ring fingers are curled into
the palm. The reference is to the horned head of an animal.
Whether made as an apotropaic gesture or worn as an amulet, the
mano cornuto is used for magical protection against the evil eye. In this it
resembles other hand gestures and hand images that ward off evil, including the
hamsa hand, the eye-in-hand, the mano fico (fig hand), and the interlocked thumb gesture.
A regionally popular amulet, it is primarily found in Italy and
in America among descendents of Italian immigrants.
The mano cornuto shown here is a modern pewter reproduction of a
19th century silver amulet, probably from the area around
Naples, where such charms were extremely popular. Older Neapolitan mano
cornuto charms were also carved of blood coral.
The evil eye is believed to harm nursing mothers and their
babies, bearing fruit trees, milking animals, and the sperm of
men -- the forces of generation. The Neapolitan custom of making
mano cornuto charms from silver (formerly sacred to the moon
goddess Luna) and blood coral (formerly sacred to the sea goddess
Venus) hints at the cultural survival of a link between the
horned animal head gesture and ancient worship of a neolithic-era
mother- or fertility-goddess whose consort was a male
deity sometimes called the Horned God. Some archaeologists have
theorized that the ancient belief in the sacredness of the horned animal head --
specifially the bull's head or bucranium -- derives from its
coincidental resemblance to the female human genitals, consisting
of a vagina, uterus, fallopian tubes, and ovaries. Whether or not
this is the case, the mano cornuto is still a popular gesture
made by Italian men to protect their genitalia from the evil
eye.
For other hand charms, see:
hands
hand of Power, Roman
hamsa hand, Jewish and Moslem
hamsa hand and cresecent amulet, Arabic
Helping Hand (of God), hoodoo
Helping Hand on hoodoo votive candle
Helping Hand on Lucky Mon-Gol Curio Number XI
eye-in-hand amulets
Lucky Hand root
Lucky Hand Alleged Indian Grandma formula in Sonny Boy Products
mano cornuto (horned hand)
mano fico (fig hand)
mano fico hand on a South American package amulet
mano fico (called mano poderosa) in South American charm vial
Mano Poderosa, the Powerful Hand (of God), Catholic
Mano Poderosa, the Powerful Hand (of God), on Catholic votive candles
Mano Poderosa, the Powerful Hand (of God), in a Peruvian package amulet
milagro hand in Mexican snow-globe pyramid of luck
"mojo hand" as alternative name for conjure bag
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