LOOKING FOR THINGS THAT AREN'T THERE
As I peruse the web stats of redrighthand.net, I find a recurring theme in the search keywords. People trying to find out what the phrase "red right hand" means, as if it were an expression of some kind, like "caught red handed" or "right hand man."
Simple answer. It doesn't mean anything. It's just a cool-sounding string of words. I've found many uses of the those words and while some might be similar to one another, no two seem to be the same.
Arguably, the best known occurence of the phrase is the kick-ass creepy Nick Cave song in which the hand in question belongs to an entity that drives one to do bad things. He may be the devil. Who am I to say?
The earliest use I've noted is in a poem by Robert Williams Buchanan in which the hand is drenched in the blood of animals from a guy who didn't quite get what God was gettin' at.
There's a movie by that name (which also goes by the title Jon Good's Wife) about a secret shared by some old friends. There's a pulp novel in which the titular hand has been severed by a mysterious hitchhiker. Warren Ellis used it as the name of a pro-war movement in an issue Global Frequency.
There's an Australian multimedia studio by that name. What they're up to, I dunno.
There's a Massachusetts band by the name. They appear to be a hardcore metal band, I can't tell because all their music links are broken.
I'm sure there are other uses, but I'm not interested enough to go looking for them.
Lastly, it's the title of a pilot I've written and the nom de guerre of the main character. What exactly it means there must remain a mystery (though if you're an agent or work for a prodco or network, I'm sure that mystery can be cleared up right quick for you if you like).
UPDATE: And to my great shame, I forgot one...one that predates Buchanan. One I should have remembered because I have used the text of Paradise Lost on more than one occasion to spank folks (long story). Thanks to Craig of frequency 23 for the boot to the head on that one. Milton's reference being, literally, the hand of the devil.
Simple answer. It doesn't mean anything. It's just a cool-sounding string of words. I've found many uses of the those words and while some might be similar to one another, no two seem to be the same.
Arguably, the best known occurence of the phrase is the kick-ass creepy Nick Cave song in which the hand in question belongs to an entity that drives one to do bad things. He may be the devil. Who am I to say?The earliest use I've noted is in a poem by Robert Williams Buchanan in which the hand is drenched in the blood of animals from a guy who didn't quite get what God was gettin' at.
There's a movie by that name (which also goes by the title Jon Good's Wife) about a secret shared by some old friends. There's a pulp novel in which the titular hand has been severed by a mysterious hitchhiker. Warren Ellis used it as the name of a pro-war movement in an issue Global Frequency.
There's an Australian multimedia studio by that name. What they're up to, I dunno.
There's a Massachusetts band by the name. They appear to be a hardcore metal band, I can't tell because all their music links are broken.
I'm sure there are other uses, but I'm not interested enough to go looking for them.
Lastly, it's the title of a pilot I've written and the nom de guerre of the main character. What exactly it means there must remain a mystery (though if you're an agent or work for a prodco or network, I'm sure that mystery can be cleared up right quick for you if you like).
UPDATE: And to my great shame, I forgot one...one that predates Buchanan. One I should have remembered because I have used the text of Paradise Lost on more than one occasion to spank folks (long story). Thanks to Craig of frequency 23 for the boot to the head on that one. Milton's reference being, literally, the hand of the devil.
9 Comments:
It's also from Milton's Paradise Lost. In that case, it is the devil's right hand that is red.
If I remember correctly, it's on Murder Ballad's that Cave talks about it. First track, not sure.
In Paradise Lost it is G-ds hand, not the devil's.
The demons are worried even after being cast into hell.
"or from above Should intermitted vengeance arm again His red right hand to plague us"
And according to notes, THAT usage:
'red right hand. The phrase appears to be a translation of "rubente dextera" from Horace, Odes 1.2.2-3.'
Craig is half right.
The song "Song of Joy" (indeed, track one of 'Murder Ballads') talks about "His red right hand," and credits it to Milton.
However, Nick Cave recorded arguably his best-known hit "Red Right Hand" for 'Let Love In', the album before 'Murder Ballads'.
Jens is fully right; it's God's hand in 'Paradise Lost', not the devil's.
Craig is half right.
The song "Song of Joy" (indeed, track one of 'Murder Ballads') talks about "His red right hand," and credits it to Milton.
However, Nick Cave recorded arguably his best-known hit "Red Right Hand" for 'Let Love In', the album before 'Murder Ballads'.
Jens is fully right; it's God's hand in 'Paradise Lost', not the devil's.
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The red right hand is also the symbol of the irish o'neill clan, and the scottish lamont clan - apparently from a story about a battle for ireland, which was decided by a boat race between 2 competing kings. Whoever touched the shore first was the winner. When the O'Neill ancestor saw he would lose, he cut off his hand and threw it to shore to ensure he won.
The bloodied right hand is still a symbol of ulster, o'neill and lamont.
Iam satis terris nivis atqque dirae
grandinis misit pater et rubente
dextera sacras iaculatus arcis,
terruit urbem.
Now god had sent forth sufficent storms and lightning,
Down to earth from his red right hand,
He struck at his own temple,
All the city was afraid.
Horace, Odes 1.2, first stanza.
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