Is This An Image Projected Beyond The Grave?

Was the above image of Friedrich Jergenson "beamed" somehow beyond the grave upon a TV set?

P.M.H. Atwater tells the story of Claude and Ellen Thorlin, who were instructed by a disembodied voice to tune in to Channel 4 on their television set. Though their TV set didn't usually pick up Channel 4, the face of their friend Friedrich Jergenson inexplicably appeared on the screen. The time was 1:22 PM -- 22 minutes into the funeral service for their friend Mr. Jergenson, which they were unable to attend.

Friedrich Jergenson was a well-known Swedish documentary filmmaker...and the father of electronic voice communication with spirits (EVP).

Icelandic Woman Claims She Has Sex With Elves

Hallgerdur Hallgrímsdóttir not only claims to have sex with elves...but says her Icelandic country people have been doing so for centuries. She recounts her elf sexploits in her blog "Sex With Humans Is Boring" --

"Elves seem to know what you want in bed."

They also apparently are all bisexual, HOT, the women are double-HOT, they can't get you pregnant unless you both agree, are super-flexible, and have really amazing tongues. In short, they are the perfect sexual partner.

"Elf sperm is quite shimmery, I might say. Glittery."

Though reaction to her erotic elf tales have given Hallgrímsdóttir notoriety, she has also faced some flack for her openness on the subject:

"People around me are starting to make comments. Like "hey Hallgerdur, have you fucked an elf lately?". I mean, I don't really care, just feel sorry for them who are virgins within elf sexperiences."

There is a long history of belief in elves -- or, as they are known, Huldufólk (the hidden people) -- in Iceland. Hallgrímsdóttir, perhaps, has done nothing but filled in some of the gaps in that lore.

"They are very easy to get, and love casual sex."

Chinese Noah's Ark Find A Hoax, Sez Archaeologist

It's always sad to us at the Daily 23 when something really cool-sounding turns out to be as real as a wooden nickel. And yet, since we started a month or so ago, this seems to end up the case more often than not. But, like Journey, our motto is "don't stop believing."

The latest fantastic find that has turned out to be somewhat less than 100% in the realm of reality is the Noah's Ark found by an evangelical Chinese/Turkish expedition. The blog PaleoBabble breaks the story by publishing a message from Dr. Randall Price, who accompanied the members of Noah's Ark International Ministries on their initial trip to the mount Ararat site in 2008:

"In the late summer of 2008 ten Kurdish workers hired by Parasut, the guide used by the Chinese, are said to have planted large wood beams taken from an old structure in the Black Sea area (where the photos were originally taken) at the Mt. Ararat site. In the winter of 2008 a Chinese climber taken by Parasut’s men to the site saw the wood, but couldn’t get inside because of the severe weather conditions. During the summer of 2009 more wood was planted inside a cave at the site. The Chinese team went in the late summer of 2009 (I was there at the time and knew about the hoax) and was shown the cave with the wood and made their film."

Dr. Price also claims that he and his partners had invested $100,000 on the expedition.

23 False Celebrity Death Rumors

Whether it's a case of mistaken identity or the work of a master hoaxer, celebrities have been prematurely reported dead an awful lot.

1800s: Author Rudyard Kipling is prematurely pronounced dead by a magazine, to which he then writes: "I've just read that I am dead. Don't forget to delete me from your list of subscribers."

1969: The "Paul Is Dead" legend begins, alleging that the real Paul McCartney died in a car crash some years back and was replaced by the Beatles with a lookalike. There are still some people around who swear that this is true.


1969: Several news outlets report that "Leave It To Beaver" star Jerry Mathers was killed in Vietnam. It is later revealed that the reporters had his name confused with an actual soldier named Mathers who had died.

Early 1970s: Melody Maker magazine runs a satirical fake obit on Alice Cooper. Cooper has to then issue a statement that he is alive "and drunk as usual."

Early 1990s: Email rumor circulates that "Don't Worry Be Happy" singer Bobby McFerrin took his own life. The message seemed to be: "look, he really wasn't that happy!"

1998: The death of James Earl Jones is announced during a radio broadcast of a Pittsburgh Pirates game. His name was confused with Martin Luther King Jr. assassin James Earl Ray, who had actually died.


1999: Model/actress Mila Jovovich is rumored deceased -- confused with actor Robert Pastorelli's girlfriend Charemon Jonovich, who was found shot dead.

2000: The Taco Bell Chihuahua is said to have died by the needle of a careless veterinarian. The dog merely retired from three years of heavy ad rotation

2001: Cult movie actor Jeffrey Combs is confused with businessman Jeffrey Coombs who perished aboard Flight 11 during the the World Trade Center attacks. Combs has to announce publicly that he is not dead.

2004: "Jackass" star Johnny Knoxville rumored to have died filming a stunt. One of many such rumors, all with elaborate ways that he has perished.


2004: Infomercial fitness guru John Basedow is incorrectly listed as having died in the Indian Ocean tsunami by a release from PRWeb. The release is promptly retracted.

2004: Rumor circulates via email that Michael Jackson committed suicide by ingesting hundreds of pills.

2004: American Idol contestant William Hung is said to have died from a heroin overdose. The rumor is traced to the satirical website "BrokenNewz" (now Brainscatters.com)

2004: KLAS-TV in Las Vegas reports that comedian Artie Lange was found dead in a hotel room; it's later discovered that they were pranked by Howard Stern Show regular Captain Janks.


2005: An email rumor claims Napoleon Dynamite star Jon Heder died in an Oregon car crash. Provo Utah youths inconsolable.

2005: John Goodman's death by heart-attack announced by the ever-reliable email rumor mill.

2006: Will Ferrell is said to have died in a tragic paragliding accident. The credible rumor, which spread through Hollywood, started with a release in the iNewswire site. The hoaxer was never found.

2007: Paris Hilton said dead in prison by several sites disguised to look like legitimate news sources.

2009: Rumors starts that young pop star Justin Bieber had committed suicide. The rumors crested in January 2010, when Bieber went for 14 hours without Twittering.


2009: On the same day that Michael Jackson & Farrah Fawcett dies, actor Jeff Goldblum is reported dead on Australia's Channel Nine News. It is said that he fell off a cliff in New Zealand.

2009: Also hot on the heels of Jackson's death, Britney Spears's Twitter account gets hacked, with an announcement that she has died: "Britney has passed today. It is a sad day for everyone. More news to come."

2010: Twitter lights up with rumors that singer Bobby Brown died of lung cancer.


Perpetual: Rumors of actor Abe Vigoda's death. Though one day they'll be right.

Man Claims He's Lived 70 Years Without Food Or Drink

India's military are studying a self-described 80-year-old "holy man" who claims to have lived for 70 years without taking any food or drink into his body.

Prahlad Jani is a "breatharian" who says he survives on "spiritual life-force" alone, via a "goddess" who pours an "elixir" through the roof of his palate. While some have dismissed his claims as fraud, apparently India's Defence Research Development Organisation have seen enough evidence to consider Jani credible. The organisation believes what they will learn from him can be applied to soldiers in difficult situations where sustenance is not readily available.

Dr G Ilavazhagan, director of the Defence Institute of Physiology & Allied Sciences, told the Telegraph:

"We will be able to help save human lives during natural disasters, high altitude, sea journeys and other natural and human extremities. We can educate people about the survival techniques in adverse conditions with little food and water or nothing at all."

Jani now sits in isolation at a hospital in Ahmedabad, Gurjarat. He has already gone six days without food or drink, and his body reportedly shows no sign of dehydration or discomfort.

Laura Bush Claims She And W. Were Poisoned at G8

Former First Lady Laura Bush opens up on a number of sensitive topics in her new book, "Spoken From My Heart," including a mysterious car crash she was involved in when she was 17 and the possibility she and her husband were poisoned at a G8 summit.

The book goes into vivid detail about the car accident that killed Bush's high-school classsmate. In 1963 she had ran a stop sign and ran into another car, killing its driver Michael Dutton Douglas. The incident was brought up many times during George W. Bush's presidential campaign & terms in office, including a controversial episode of the TV sitcom Family Guy.

Bush also claims in the book that she believes her and her husband were poisoned during a G8 summit in Germany. Her, George, and several members of the staff became mysteriously ill, with the President becoming bedridden for part of the visit. While it was theorized that they all might have contracted a virus, Mrs. Bush notes the several high-profile poisonings that took place around that time period.

She wrote:

"...we never learned if any other delegations became ill, or if ours, mysteriously, was the only one."

GOP Candidate Wants Illegal Immigrants Microchipped

In something out of the conspiracy-lovers "New World Order" playbook, an Iowa Republican candidate for Congress wants to round up illegal immigrants and implant them with microchips.

Pat Bertroche was quoted in the Cedar Rapids Gazette as saying:

"I think we should catch 'em, we should document 'em, make sure we know where they are and where they are going. I actually support micro-chipping them. I can micro-chip my dog so I can find it. Why can't I micro-chip an illegal? That's not a popular thing to say, but it's a lot cheaper than building a fence they can tunnel under."

Bertroche later backtracked from these statements, telling a reporter that he doesn't support microchipping human beings and that it "didn't occur to me I was comparing dogs to illegal immigrants."

In case you're wondering, the technology absolutely exists to microchip people and track them.

Severed Goat's Head Found In Connecticut Park

In what is the latest in a series of reports of mutilated animals found in Bridgeport Connecticut, a disembodied goat's head was found in Beardsley Park. A connection with an occult ritual of some kind is suspected, but not confirmed.

Michael Serfillippi of Stratford was walking through Beardsley Park when he said a strange object in a clearing caught his eye. Upon closer examination, it was determined to be a severed goat's head.

Serfillippi told the Connecticut Post:

"It was set up ... just in a clearing all by itself. Like someone had set it very particularly. I couldn't figure out where it came from. There was no blood. It was a little creepy."

Two weeks ago at Housatonic Avenue and Grand Street headless roosters were discovered hanging from a tree above a bag containing, among other things, a snakeskin and an animal's jawbone. Paranormal investigators agreed that it was the scene of a Santeria ritual designed to curse a man who worked nearby.

Police Sgt. James Myers said that the city of Bridgeport has seen an increase of occult activity reports over the last year, citing numerous incidents where he has visited homes and saw symbolism related to the Caribbean religions Voodoo and Santeria. Bridgeport has a large Caribbean community.

As of this writing, no evidence has been found linking the goat's head in the park to Voodoo or Santeria. However, animal sacrifice has been connected to ceremonies & rituals of both religions -- as it has been traditionally to many other religions throughout history. There have also been many petitions made by practitioners of Santeria in the U.S. to get legal permits for their animal sacrifices, which they say they have a right to perform under freedom of religion.

In addition to finding no occult items at the scene of the Beardsley Park case, the police also never found the goat's head. The police theorize that it might have moved or disposed of prior to the investigation.

Woman Finds Cigarette In Happy Meal

It's the Happy Meal with a little something extra...an unused cigarette.

A Southampton woman was horrified to find the offending item at the bottom of her one-year-old's Happy Meal.

Nicky Holloway explained to Metro news the dangers the cigarette posed to her son Jack:

"My son can feed himself and I was watching him eat but he could easily have put the cigarette in his mouth."

Holloway also claimed to have overheard the workers at the McDonald's discuss cigarettes before she received the meal. It is alleged that one of these workers accidentally dropped the cigarette in the Happy Meal box.

Though McDonald's offered to refund or replace the Happy Meal, Holloway says she "wants more to be done about it," and plans to sue. She chose to keep the "How To Train Your Dragon" Happy Meal toy, however.

No word if Holloway will receive any censure for feeding her one-year-old child a damn McDonald's Happy Meal.

Noah's Ark Found In Turkey?

Chinese and Turkish evangelists/explorers claim to have found Noah's Ark atop a Turkish mountain, and are "99.9 percent" sure it is the real deal.

Noah's Ark, according to the Bible, carried the patriarch's family and two of every animal species on Earth through a worldwide flood. The ark rested on Mount Ararat -- and that is where the evangelicals, from Noah's Ark Ministries International, said they have found the wooden specimens. Further, they claim the wood has been carbon dated and found to be 4800 years old, around the same time the ark is said to have existed.

"evidence" from Noah's Ark Ministries

The debate as to the historical validity of Noah's Ark, and the search for its remains, has been going on for many hundreds of years. Was it really possible to build a boat according to the specifications given in the Bible that could hold two of all animal species on Earth? And how to reconcile the Biblical story with geological and biological evidence? While the modern view sees the Noah story, as well as the creation story from the Book of Genesis, as symbolic at best, there are many people who passionately support the literalness and historicity of the Biblical accounts.

Noah's Ark Ministries International is applying to UNESCO to have the archaeological site granted world heritage status.

Cannibal Chickens

While the movie from cooped-up coops to free range roaming is generally seen as a positive development for chickens, it just has one little side-effect: cannibal chickens.

It seems that over time the poultry have learned intense territorial instincts from the many generations raised in confined spaces, relying on furious pecking in order to survive. When those chickens are suddenly introduced to a vastly wider living environment, the danger is that they will simply have more room to peck the bejeezus out of their neighbors -- and even eat them.

One solution to this problem might lie in breeding more chill chickens. Purdue University scientists are doing just that, breeding "Kinder Gentler Birds" by focusing only on the ones who seem to play well with others.

With laws taking into effect that would force egg farmers to move their livestock out of confined pens into bigger spaces, will the result be a bird bloodbath? Or will the specially-bred Happy Chickens save the day?

Video: Woman Possessed With "Holy Spirit" During Graduation Ceremony

This video taken during the graduation ceremony at Midwestern State University, a secular college, shows student Mary King falling into convulsions after leading the traditional graduation prayer.

King, an Evangelical Christian, strongly asked for her fellow graduates to repent their sinful ways and follow Jesus. She then started to make jerky arm movements and collapsed in convulsions and sobbing. An ambulance was called to take Miss King away.

King's actions seem to fall into what some Evangelical sects believe is possession by the Holy Spirit.

The MSU faculty senate then went on to vote to discontinue the graduation prayer -- a decision that was later vetoed by the University's president. However, a significantly less sectarian prayer was read at the following winter commencement, which went without incident or Holy Spirit visitation. Source.

East Timor Hit With "Ninja" Epidemic

East Timor is in the middle of a six-month "war" against ninjas. As East Timor's police chief Longuinhos Monteiro, wearing commando fatigues and personally leading the charge, declared in a press statement:

"Any ninjas who want to take us on, your final stop will be Santa Cruz cemetery."

There is only one problem. The "ninjas" may or may not really exist.

Perhaps the term refers to those shadowy militias that plagued the relatively-young nation during the 1990s, terrorizing the countryside. Or it could refer to the some 90,000 members of East Timor's 15 or so martial art groups/gangs. Or it could refer to the quasi-supernatural bogeymen that cause citizens to leave cups of water with a knife in them outside their beds at night for mystical protection.

Or it could be a hydra-headed combination of all these things, purposely conjured, fearmongered, and mythologized by a troubled government as a way of uniting the country under a common threat.

I know it's pretty unbelievable to our dear Daily 23 readers that a government would think of doing something like that.

Read Time: "Why East Timor Has Declared War On Ninjas"

Newborn Babies Get Barcodes

Kettering General Hospital’s maternity unit has become the first in the UK to use barcoded tags instead of handwritten ones, the Times reports. After the announcement, Northhampton General Hospital also confirmed it would be using the tags. The barcoded tags are strapped to the baby's leg and run through a scanner by a nurse. It is hoped that the barcodes will cut down the amount of mistakes made by misreading labels.

While the idea of adding barcodes to the tags of newborns may appear efficient and harmless, Illuminologists might see it in a more sinister light. In some literature, the barcode is considered "Satanic" because they say the three non-functional "guard lines" of the code spell out "666". It is, they say, "the Mark" of Satan as described in the Book of Revelation.

Is this true? Are barcodes the harbinger of Satan and the "New World Order?" Or is it just another folk legend of the Illuminati? We will definitely look into this lore further in a future Daily 23 post.

Obligatory:

Subway Butt Pole Urban Legend: Photoshopped

bootylicious photo

As much as I wanted to believe that this photo, which ran on Subway Douchery and the New York Daily News, was really that of a horrible woman gripping a subway pole squarely between her butt cheeks -- alas it was simply a Photoshopped pic that had been making the Internet rounds for a while. The nondescript white-haired dude, however, was real.

the real deal

Still, Subway Douchery's point regarding train etiquette is still well-taken, and it is not like I personally haven't seen variations of the pole-grip on my subway trips. Whether merely straddling the pole with your posterior or really digging in there, it's totally uncool.

the photo (upper right) as it ran on the NY Daily News

Image of Jesus Found In Google Maps Hungary

Is this image from the town of Püspökladány Hungary found on Google Maps that of Jesus Christ?

Or is it Nicolas Cage?

Seattle Cartoonist Announces "Everybody Draw Mohammed Day"

After Comedy Central censored part of a recent South Park episode due to threats from a radical Islamic group, Seattle cartoonist Molly Norris wanted to fight back and show her support of SP creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone. So she created "Everybody Draw Mohammed Day."

Referred to on its Facebook page as "The day when the real Mohammed will be revealed," the event will be held on May 20th. Artists will be invited to post their own interpretations of the Prophet Mohammed (Muhammad).

While some see "Everybody Draw Mohammed Day" as a event supporting free speech, others feel that by purposely offending Muslims it is more a case of two wrongs not making a right. While the Qur'an does not explicitly forbid images of Muhammad, there are a few traditions stemming from it that do.

Last week the radical Muslim site Revolutionmuslim.com made several veiled threats to Comedy Central and South Park's creators in response to a recent cartoon where Muhammad was (theoretically) depicted in a bear suit. The young man who posted the threats, Abu Talhah Al-Amrikee, was originally Zachary Adam Chesser of Fairfax County, Virginia. But that's a story for another post.

Man Claiming To Be Vampire Threatens To Eat Cop's Kidney

Who knew that vampires not only drink blood, but like to feast on kidneys? W.W.R.P.D. (What Would Robert Pattinson Do)?

When 21-year-old Andrew Whiteman was arrested for allegedly breaking into a Lorain County Ohio drug store, he claimed to be a blood-sucking vampire.

Whiteman's story to police was as follows: He claimed to be a 100 year old vampire who had the ability to smell the deputy's blood from the backseat of the patrol car. He expressed a desire to suck said deputy's blood, and later told a female adviser at the booking area that he wanted to eat her kidney. And that was the point, as these stories go, that Whiteman was put in four-point restraints.

While Whiteman's eyes were indeed bloodshot, authorities quickly ascertained that they were not from vampiric activity but lots and lots of alcohol.

Perhaps he should get together with the werewolf & C.H.U.D. hunter in Bainbridge Island.

"Sheep Pig"

Is it a sheep? Or a pig? Perhaps: a shpig?

The mystery animal that had gotten the entire Internet buzzing is 100% swine. The Mangalitsa, native to Austria and Hungary, has a nice fuzzy coat to protect it against those harsh European winters. It is not the result of any hybrid experiments or fancy genetic engineering. Providing less meat than ordinary pigs, the Mangalitsa have become relatively rare.

The Spacecraft Launch The Military Doesn't Want You To Know About

Why did the U.S. military launch the experimental X-37B unmanned spacecraft yesterday? Why was the X-37 program transferred from its original home at NASA to the Pentagon? What will the X-37B be doing during the up to nine months it orbits the Earth? That information is classified. But, as Gary Payton, Air Force deputy under secretary for space systems, remarked to reporters:

"Well, you can't hide a space launch."

Developed by Boeing's Phantom Works division, the X-37B is the result of ten years of development and hundreds of millions of dollars. The craft, which looks like a tiny cousin of the Space Shuttle, will be conducting classified experiments up in space. While Payton admits that "in all honesty, we don't know when it's coming back for sure," the plan is for the X-37B to land like an airplane at the Vandenberg Air Force Base in California at the end of its mission.

Weird Word Origins: Parasite

There was, originally, nothing derogatory about the word parasite. Originating in Ancient Greece, the term referred to priests of a certain class who ate together after a ritual (from the Greek parasitos = para/beside + sitos/food). But as the term evolved into one referring to a guest at the dinner table, that benevolent meaning began to change.

As was the custom, hosts treated dinner guests with the utmost honor and respect – and guests returned in kind by saying nothing but the most complimentary words to the host. A bonus for the guests who gave the biggest compliments were more invitations to dine from the host. But there must have been a secret resentment brewing among the hosts, as the word parasite started to refer to people who repeatedly used empty flattery just to get more dinner invites...and suck the hosts' resources dry.

Has human nature really changed after so many thousands of years?

Reference: Thereby Hangs A Tale: Hundreds Of Stories Of Curious Word Origins, by Charles Earle Funk

Friday Freaky Links

∆ Violent video games make you smarter, study claims

∆ 17 lentil plants sprouted from 4,000 year old lentils

∆ LOST call sheet for final episode left at Honolulu bar (SPOILERS)

∆ Craigslist hoaxer offers sex in bear costumes, gets 50 responses

∆ Andy Warhol Piñata

∆ Job-seeker commits suicide after being rejected for over 200 positions

∆ Is that a bomb in your rectum or are you just happy to see me?

∆ Charming vintage LIFE photo essay on the inside of Ed Gein's house

∆ The 1980s movie "Weird Science" as alchemical gnostic metaphor

∆ "10 Fast Foods Worse For You Than The KFC Double-Down"

Tickle Me Elmo Inventor Makes Weapons For The Military

Bruce Lund's company Lund & Co. Inventions is responsible for such hit toys of the toddler set as Tickle Me Elmo. His latest creation? A weapon for the U.S. military nicknamed "the Big Hurt."

"the Big Hurt"

Lund's invention, the Variable Velocity Weapon System (VVWS), runs on methylacetylene propadiene gas – the same stuff used for blowtorches and nail guns. Based on Lund's innovations in the area of hydrogen combustion, the VVWS offers the Pentagon a handy non-lethal method of subduing targets (such as detainees, pesky protesters and whatnot). The weapon measures the distance to the target and adjusts velocity of its ammo, providing a painful but non-deadly punch. Though by the military's request, there is a manual override if you just want to shoot someone dead.

Though there are many exciting inventions for VVWS tech in the future – police handguns, grenade launchers, mortars – Lund insists his heart is still in one thing:

"Nothing is more fun than making toys."

Other charming Elmo doll stories on the Daily 23:
"Tickle Me Dead Elmo," the Elmo doll who makes death threats

Is The Sign of The Horns Hand Gesture Satanic?

Illuminologists insist that the variations of this hand gesture, which has been seen used by scores of celebrities, politicians, and other public figures, is supposed to represent allegiance to Satan. Is this true, or just a gross misinterpretation? The answer is both yes and no.


Made by formed by extending the index and little fingers while holding the middle and ring fingers down with the thumb, the gesture is known as the "devil horns," the "goat horns," "throwing the goat," and simply "the horns." It is also known as the mano cornuto ("hand" + "horn"), a popular hand gesture traditionally used in Mediterreanean countries, especially Italy, as both a vulgar gesture and a protection against curses and evil.

The Mano Cornuto, the Karana mudrā, and Dr. StrangeA silver mano cornuto

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

Dr. Strange & Spider-Man both cast Karana mudrās

The Sign of the Horns & Heavy Metal
A big fan of comic books was KISS frontman Gene Simmons, and it is rumored that he that introduced the gestures of Dr. Strange into the realm of heavy metal. However, there are a number of other accounts and outright evidence that dispute this. Chief among the contenders for heavy metal originator of the "devil horns"/mano cornuto is Ronnie James Dio, who claims to have learned the gesture from his Italian grandmother. Dio is quoted in a 2001 interview as saying: “I was in Sabbath at the time. It was a symbol that I thought was reflective of what that band was supposed to be all about. It's not the devil's sign like we're here with the devil. It's an Italian thing I got from my Grandmother.”


However, beating Simmons and Dio as rock n' roll cornuto originator is the psychedelic-occult band Coven. In 1969 Coven not only posed for the back of their album Witchcraft Destroys Minds & Reaps Souls making the "sign of the horns" (the "correct" way, not the Karana mudrā), but they included a poster of them at a Black Mass making the gesture as well. Also on the Witchcraft Destroys album: a 13 minute recording of a full-length "Satanic Mass." And so we come full circle to the Illuminologist claim of the sign of the horns gesture being a promoter of Satan (even though the mano cornuto, as well as the Karana mudrā, was supposed to repel demons instead of glorifying them).

"I Love You," Helen Keller, and Yellow SubmarineBut 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.


This leads into the much-cited by conspiracy theorists image of a cartoon John Lennon making what looks like the horns sign on the cover to the album Yellow Submarine. Perhaps it wasn't a sign of the devil, but Lennon "saying" All You Need Is Love.

Hook 'em Horns and George W. BushFinally, the sign of the horns gesture is identical to the Hook 'em Horns sign of the University of Texas at Austin. The signal is supposed to represent the head and horns of the University's mascot, a longhorn steer. The Hook 'em Horns has been adopted by many other colleges. Photos of George W. Bush or his family flashing what looks to be the "devil horns"/mano cornuto is commonly used as evidence of their involvement in the Illuminati – however one could say that they were simply supporting their home state.

In Summary
The Illuminologist view regarding the Sign of the Horns is accurate on several counts. It has been used in conjunction with Satanism and Satanic themes, as we see both in the case of Coven and Church of Satan founder Anton LaVey (who has been depicted at least several times making the gesture). The mano cornuto and Karana mudrā both have origins that are either occult, pagan, or rooted in Eastern mysticism – but they are also signs traditionally used to keep away evil, not attract it.

Anton LaVey

In the case of the many public figures photographed making the hand gesture, it is impossible to tell how many of them are doing it for what particular reason. Some might be making it in reference to the Karana mudrā, some for the cornuto (or the cornuto's connection to heavy metal), some as sign language for "I Love You," and some just because they think it's cool. Is it possible that some are using it specifically to demonstrate some sort of admiration of Satan? Maybe. The point is, there are many explanations.

Whatever the case, there is no doubt that the extensive use of the Karana mudrā & cornuto hand gestures throughout history, and within our current popular culture, points to the enduring power of the symbol.