Posted on 01/22/2005 10:10:44 AM PST by nickcarraway
Jenna's gesture shocks those who recall it meaning devil worship
Jenna Bush's Longhorn salute during her father's inauguration festivities caused a stir in Norway, suggesting that Austin and Oslo are two cities separated by the same hand gesture.
"Sjokkhilsen fra Bush datter," read an outraged headline on Norwegian news Web site Nettavisen. Translated: "Shock greeting from Bush daughter."
Sjokkhilsen, indeed. The University of Texas marching band and Norway's death-metal musicians inspire the same reverent hand gesture from their respective legions, the time-tested "horns" produced by extending one's index and pinkie fingers.
The "Hook 'em, Horns" that Bush flashed when The Eyes of Texas was played at the Black Tie and Boots gala Wednesday was misconstrued by some in Norway as a sign of the devil used by a musical scene that terrorized the country in the late 1980s and early '90s.
Bush's gesture has more innocent roots, credited to UT head cheerleader Harley Clark in 1955. Clark, a former state district judge who retired to Dripping Springs, introduced the sign at a pep rally that November as a response to Texas A&M's "Gig 'em" sign, a thumbs-up gesture.
"Surely everybody in the world takes offense at the Aggie Gig 'em sign," Clark says. "I can't think of anything more repulsive than that hand gesture."
Death metal's history
In Norway the horns carried a greater menace. The country has long been a hotbed of death metal, a subgenre of music with a sordid history of church burnings, murder, inadvertant bludgeonings (with sheep skulls), pet sacrifices and sundry behavior best described as anti-Christian. There the gesture has little to do with sports rivalries.
Largely a reaction to the country's conservative population, its black or death-metal scene popped up roughly 20 years ago and has a grisly history, best documented in the book Lords of Chaos.
The appropriately named band Mayhem was at the epicenter of Norway's unsettling music movement. One of its founders, Oystein Aarseth, was stabbed to death in 1993 by a member of rival death-metal band. Of course, Aarseth was hardly a saint. When one of his bandmates, ironically nicknamed "Death," killed himself, Aarseth and another musician reportedly cannibalized him.
Norwegian death metal made headlines again in 2003. At a Mayhem show (death has been unsuccessful at breaking up the group), the group's current singer lost control of a sheep head he was ritualistically carving, and it flew into the crowd, fracturing the skull of a fan.
Needless to say, Norway's more prudish contingent was aghast upon seeing the daughter of the American president flashing a sign associated with such behavior.
It could be worse ...
America's metal scene has long inspired similar horn throwing, particularly during concerts. But without the arson and bloodshed, the worst crimes committed by low-grade U.S. metal bands are against good taste and good tunes.
There have been no reports so far as to any such misunderstandings about Bush's gesture in Italy, which has its own interpretation of the horns. Called the mano cornuto, when the hand is brought up to the forehead, the gesture signifies that one has been cuckolded.
"I suppose it can mean different things to different people in different parts of the world," Clark says. "I guess the Norwegians and Italians should be happy that our mascot was a longhorn and not a unicorn."
Norway needs to get a grip. What a bunch of weenies.
Yet, they're offended by a misinterpreted hand-gesture half way around the world.
And the ever-so-sensitive Europeans accuse US of ignorance of the culture(s) of others?!?! Some people over there seriously need to get a life and get over themselves.
The Norwegians aren't the only ones.
There are plenty of tin foil hatters here that are saying the same thing.
http://www.prisonplanet.com/articles/january2005/210105devilhand.htm
Of course as a Texas Tech Alum I concur that anyone flashing the hook em sign is a tool of satan!
The Norwegians aren't the only ones.
There are plenty of tin foil hatters here that are saying the same thing.
http://www.prisonplanet.com/articles/january2005/210105devilhand.htm
Of course as a Texas Tech Alum I concur that anyone flashing the hook em sign is a tool of satan!
IIRC, Nixon got a similar reaction in Great Britain when he made the V-for-Victory sign but had his hand backwards.
Well, if the Norwegians are upset with the two finger hook'em, how about the single middle finger salute to the offended Norwegians.
I'm outraged and offended at Norway's ignorance and lack of understanding of Texan culture. They need to look within themselves to find out where this awful HATE is coming from. They should be ashamed.
I have a "single-finger" gesture that, perhaps, the Norwegians will understand.
By the way, do you know how to identify a level headed Norwegian?
.
.
.
He is the one with tobacco juice running from both sides of his mouth.
["Sjokkhilsen fra Bush datter,"]
Oh sure, that's easy for you to say.
And the Norwegians' opinion on actual, factual, filmed beheadings is?
FMCDH(BITS)
I noticed you double-posted again. Did the devil make you do it?
MSM needs to get a grip.
Caused a stir in Norway.
What a laugh!
Exactly. Imagine this reversed. Imagine Americans misunderstanding some traditional Norwegian gesture and becoming outraged for no reason. We would be castigated for being close-minded and ignorant of other cultures outside our own.
Yes, the V-sign with your knuckles facing away from you is roughly the equivalent of the middle finger in the U.K. Apparently, there was a Welsh soccer player who used to do it regularly, but I don't think he was fined.
The ironic thing is that IF ANYONE, which I doubt, was offended by the hand gesture it would be christian fundamentalists very much likely to be STRONG supporters of the United States.
Middle finger salute indeed.
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