After a difficult siege, the English forces found themselves assaulted by a massive French force. [101] The bailiffs of nine major northern towns were killed, often along with their sons, relatives and supporters. Before the Battle of Agincourt in 1415, the French, anticipating victory over the English, proposed to cut off the middle finger of all captured English soldiers. The English were not in an ideal condition to fight a battle. Loades, M. (2013). Giving the Finger - Before the Battle of Agincourt in 1415, the French, anticipating victory over the English, proposed to cut off the middle finger of all captured English soldiers. It took place on 25 October 1415 (Saint Crispin's Day) near Azincourt, in northern France. The Battle of Agincourt (/dnkr(t)/ AJ-in-kor(t);[a] French: Azincourt [azku]) was an English victory in the Hundred Years' War. One of the most renowned. Although it could be intended as humorous, the image on social media is historically inaccurate. One final observation: any time some appeal begins with heres something that intelligent people will find edifying you should be suspicious. Without the middle finger it would be impossible to draw the renowned English longbow and therefore be incapable of fighting in the future. The deep, soft mud particularly favoured the English force because, once knocked to the ground, the heavily armoured French knights had a hard time getting back up to fight in the mle. [130][131] Partially as a result, the battle was used as a metaphor at the beginning of the First World War, when the British Expeditionary Force's attempts to stop the German advances were widely likened to it.[132]. Made just prior to the invasion of Normandy, Olivier's rendition gives the battle what Sarah Hatchuel has termed an "exhilarating and heroic" tone, with an artificial, cinematic look to the battle scenes. The historian Suetonius, writing about Augustus Caesar, says the emperor expelled [the entertainer] Pylades . It forms the backdrop to events in William Shakespeare's play Henry V, written in 1599. Soon after the victory at Agincourt, a number of popular folk songs were created about the battle, the most famous being the "Agincourt Carol", produced in the first half of the 15th century. The French could not cope with the thousands of lightly armoured longbowmen assailants (who were much less hindered by the mud and weight of their armour) combined with the English men-at-arms. It forms the backdrop to events in William Shakespeare 's play Henry V, written in 1599. The point is, the middle-finger/phallus equation goes back way before the Titanic, the Battle of Agincourt, or probably even that time Sextillus cut off Pylades with his chariot. Subject: Truth About the Finger In the film Titanic the character Rose is shown giving the finger to Jack, another character. Axtell, Roger E. Gestures: The Do's and Taboos of Body Language Around the World. A complete coat of plate was considered such good protection that shields were generally not used,[75] although the Burgundian contemporary sources distinguish between Frenchmen who used shields and those who did not, and Rogers has suggested that the front elements of the French force used axes and shields. Julia Martinez was an Editorial Intern at Encyclopaedia Britannica. In the other reference Martial writes that a certain party points a finger, an indecent one, at some other people. The image makes the further claim that the English soldiers chanted pluck yew, ostensibly in reference to the drawing of the longbow. The city capitulated within six weeks, but the siege was costly. [130] Critic David Margolies describes how it "oozes honour, military glory, love of country and self-sacrifice", and forms one of the first instances of English literature linking solidarity and comradeship to success in battle. Since the French had many more men-at-arms than the English, they would accordingly be accompanied by a far greater number of servants. Although the victory had been militarily decisive, its impact was complex. Although the French initially pushed the English back, they became so closely packed that they were described as having trouble using their weapons properly. [76] Modern historians are divided on how effective the longbows would have been against plate armour of the time. The third line of the French army, recoiling at the pile of corpses before them and unable to make an effective charge, was then massacred swiftly. A widely shared image on social media purportedly explains the historic origins of the middle finger, considered an offensive gesture in Western culture. Why do some people have that one extra-long fingernail on the pinkie finger. Thinking it was an attack from the rear, Henry had the French nobles he was holding prisoner killed. Before the Battle of Agincourt in 1415, the French,anticipating victory over the English, proposed to cut off the middle finger of all captured English soldiers. The English men-at-arms in plate and mail were placed shoulder to shoulder four deep. When the archers ran out of arrows, they dropped their bows and, using hatchets, swords, and the mallets they had used to drive their stakes in, attacked the now disordered, fatigued and wounded French men-at-arms massed in front of them. Certainly, d'Azincourt was a local knight but he might have been chosen to lead the attack because of his local knowledge and the lack of availability of a more senior soldier. The English account in the Gesta Henrici says: "For when some of them, killed when battle was first joined, fall at the front, so great was the undisciplined violence and pressure of the mass of men behind them that the living fell on top of the dead, and others falling on top of the living were killed as well."[62]. [23] The army of about 12,000 men and up to 20,000 horses besieged the port of Harfleur. It goes on to state thatafter an unexpected victory, the English soldiersmocked thedefeatedFrenchtroopsbywavingtheir middle fingers( here ). Contemporary accounts [ edit] The Duke of Brabant (about 2,000 men),[65] the Duke of Anjou (about 600 men),[65] and the Duke of Brittany (6,000 men, according to Monstrelet),[66] were all marching to join the army. In pursuit of his claim to the French throne, Henry V invaded Normandy with an army of 11,000 men in August 1415. [31], The precise location of the battle is not known. Maybe it means five and was a symbol of support for Henry V? Since 'pluck yew' is rather difficult to say (like "pleasant mother pheasant plucker", which is who you had to go to for the feathers used on the arrows), the difficult consonant cluster at the beginning has gradually changed to a labiodental fricative 'f', and thus the words often used in conjunction with the one-finger-salute are mistakenly thought to have something to do with an intimate encounter. The French were commanded by Constable Charles d'Albret and various prominent French noblemen of the Armagnac party. French knights, charging uphill, were unseated from their horses, either because their mounts were injured on the stakes or because they dismounted to uproot the obstacles, and were overpowered. The Battle of Agincourt was immortalized by William Shakespeare in his play Henry V. While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Most importantly, the battle was a significant military blow to France and paved the way for further English conquests and successes. And although the precise etymology of the English word fuck is still a matter of debate, it is linguistically nonsensical to maintain that that word entered the language because the "difficult consonant cluster at the beginning" of the phase 'pluck yew' has "gradually changed to a labiodental fricative 'f.'" Early in the morning on October 25 (the feast day of St. Crispin), 1415, Henry positioned his army for battle on a recently plowed field bounded by woods. This famous weapon was made of the native English yew tree, and the act of drawing the longbow was known as "plucking the yew." [52] The dukes of Alenon and Bar led the main battle. October 25, 1415. [70]), The tightness of the terrain also seems to have restricted the planned deployment of the French forces. [33], Early on the 25th, Henry deployed his army (approximately 1,500 men-at-arms and 7,000 longbowmen) across a 750-yard (690m) part of the defile. (There is an Indo-European connection between the p-sound and f-sound see the distinction between the Latin pater and the Germanic Vater/father but that split occurred a long time ago.) [34] The rearguard, leaderless, would serve as a "dumping ground" for the surplus troops. The decorative use of the image of Priapusmatched the Roman use ofimages of male genitalia for warding off evil. Archers were not the "similarly equipped" opponents that armored soldiers triumphed in defeating -- if the two clashed in combat, the armored soldier would either kill an archer outright or leave him to bleed to death rather than go to the wasteful effort of taking him prisoner. It supposedly describes the origin of the middle-finger hand gesture and, by implication, the insult "fuck you". There had even been a suggestion that the English would run away rather than give battle when they saw that they would be fighting so many French princes. A labiodental fricative was no less "difficult" for Middle English speakers to pronounce than the aspirated bilabial stop/voiceless lateral combination of 'pl' that the fricative supposedly changed into, nor are there any other examples of such a pronunciation shift occurring in English. Despite the lack of motion pictures and television way back in the 15th century, the details of medieval battles such as the one at Agincourt in 1415 did not go unrecorded. On the morning of 25 October, the French were still waiting for additional troops to arrive. 42 Share 3.9K views 4 years ago There is an old story that allegedly gives the background of how we came to use the middle finger as an insult along with the alleged origin of the "F-word". Upon his death, a French assembly formed to appoint a male successor. There is a modern museum in Agincourt village dedicated to the battle. [108] While not necessarily agreeing with the exact numbers Curry uses, Bertrand Schnerb, a professor of medieval history at the University of Lille, states the French probably had 12,00015,000 troops. [19], Henry V invaded France following the failure of negotiations with the French. [c], The English made their confessions before the battle, as was customary. Why not simply kill them outright in the first place? Turning to our vast classical library, we quickly turn up three references. [23] Thomas Morstede, Henry V's royal surgeon,[24] had previously been contracted by the king to supply a team of surgeons and makers of surgical instruments to take part in the Agincourt campaign. Tudor re-invention, leading to the quintessential Shakespearean portrayal of "we happy few", has been the most influential, but every century has made its own accretions. See here for a complete list of exchanges and delays. A BBCNews Magazinereportsimilarlytracesthe gesture back toAncient Greek philosophers ( here ). The French monk of St. Denis describes the French troops as "marching through the middle of the mud where they sank up to their knees. But frankly, I suspect that the French would have done a lot worse to any captured English archers than chopping off their fingers. [77][78][79][80] Rogers suggested that the longbow could penetrate a wrought iron breastplate at short range and penetrate the thinner armour on the limbs even at 220 yards (200m). According to research, heres the true story: Before the Battle of Agincourt in 1415, the French, anticipating victory over the English, proposed to cut off the middle finger of all captured English soldiers. And where does the distinction between one and two fingers come from? The fighting lasted about three hours, but eventually the leaders of the second line were killed or captured, as those of the first line had been. [73] The mounted charge and subsequent retreat churned up the already muddy terrain between the French and the English. 33-35). It lasted longer than Henry had anticipated, and his numbers were significantly diminished as a result of casualties, desertions, and disease. The idea being that you need two fingers to draw a bow, which makes more sense, and thus links up a national custom with a triumphant moment in national history! The two armies spent the night of 24 October on open ground. [72], The French cavalry, despite being disorganised and not at full numbers, charged towards the longbowmen. They had been weakened by the siege at Harfleur and had marched over 200 miles (more than 320 km), and many among them were suffering from dysentery. When that campaign took place, it was made easier by the damage done to the political and military structures of Normandy by the battle. . "[67] On top of this, the French were expecting thousands of men to join them if they waited. [21] On 19 April 1415, Henry again asked the Great Council to sanction war with France, and this time they agreed. [7] Barker, who believes the English were outnumbered by at least four to one,[120] says that the armed servants formed the rearguard in the battle. Winston Churchhill can be seen using the V as a rallying call. [128] The original play does not, however, feature any scenes of the actual battle itself, leading critic Rose Zimbardo to characterise it as "full of warfare, yet empty of conflict. Recent heavy rain made the battle field very muddy, proving very tiring to walk through in full plate armour. The campaign season was coming to an end, and the English army had suffered many casualties through disease. The pl sound, the story goes, gradually changed into an f, giving the gesture its present meaning. Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles. Poitiers 1356: The capture of a king (Vol. The archers were commanded by Sir Thomas Erpingham, another elderly veteran. Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. It seems to me that the single upturned middle finger clearly represents an erect penis and is the gestural equivalent of saying f*ck you! As such, it is probably ancient Wikipedia certainly thinks so, although apparently it became popular in the United States in the late nineteenth century under the influence of Italian immigration, replacing other rude gestures like thumbing the nose or the fig sign. His men-at-arms were stationed in the centre, flanked by wedges of archers who carried longbows that had an effective range of 250 yards (229 metres). [31] This entailed abandoning his chosen position and pulling out, advancing, and then re-installing the long sharpened wooden stakes pointed outwards toward the enemy, which helped protect the longbowmen from cavalry charges. Some historians trace its origins to ancient Rome. Two are from the epigrammatist Martial: Laugh loudly, Sextillus, when someone calls you a queen and put your middle finger out., (The verse continues: But you are no sodomite nor fornicator either, Sextillus, nor is Vetustinas hot mouth your fancy. Martial, and Roman poets in general, could be pretty out there, subject-matter-wise. After the battle, the English taunted the survivors by showing off what wasn't cut off. The English had very little food, had marched 260 miles (420km) in two and a half weeks, were suffering from sickness such as dysentery, and were greatly outnumbered by well-equipped French men-at-arms. [96] Of the great royal office holders, France lost its constable (Albret), an admiral (the lord of Dampierre), the Master of Crossbowmen (David de Rambures, dead along with three sons), Master of the Royal Household (Guichard Dauphin) and prvt of the marshals. In Nature Embodied: Gesture in Ancient Rome, Anthony Corbeill, Professor of Classics at the University of Kansas wrote: The most familiar example of the coexistence of a human and transhuman elementis the extended middle finger. The Battle of Agincourt was another famous battle where longbowmen had a particularly important . While numerous English sources give the English casualties in double figures,[8] record evidence identifies at least 112 Englishmen killed in the fighting,[103] while Monstrelet reported 600 English dead. Snopes and the Snopes.com logo are registered service marks of Snopes.com. because when a spectator started to hiss, he called the attention of the whole audience to him with an obscene movement of his middle finger. Morris also claims that the mad emperor Caligula, as an insult, would extend his middle finger for supplicants to kiss. As the English were collecting prisoners, a band of French peasants led by local noblemen began plundering Henrys baggage behind the lines. Kill them outright and violate the medieval moral code of civilized warfare? This head-lowered position restricted their breathing and their vision. 1.3M views 4 months ago Medieval Battles - In chronological order The year 1415 was the first occasion since 1359 that an English king had invaded France in person. [106] This lack of unity in France allowed Henry eighteen months to prepare militarily and politically for a renewed campaign. [86], The only French success was an attack on the lightly protected English baggage train, with Ysembart d'Azincourt (leading a small number of men-at-arms and varlets plus about 600 peasants) seizing some of Henry's personal treasures, including a crown. Rogers suggested that the French at the back of their deep formation would have been attempting to literally add their weight to the advance, without realising that they were hindering the ability of those at the front to manoeuvre and fight by pushing them into the English formation of lancepoints. Without the middle finger it would be impossible to draw the renowned English longbow and therefore they would be incapable of fighting in the future. At issue was the question of the legitimate succession to the French crown as well as the ownership of several French territories. In his 2007 film adaptation, director Peter Babakitis uses digital effects to exaggerate realist features during the battle scenes, producing a more avant-garde interpretation of the fighting at Agincourt. This claim is false. It was often reported to comprise 1,500 ships, but was probably far smaller. It established the legitimacy of the Lancastrian monarchy and the future campaigns of Henry to pursue his "rights and privileges" in France. To meet and beat him was a triumph, the highest form which self-expression could take in the medieval nobleman's way of life." The origins of the sign aren't confirmed, but popular folklore suggests that its original meaning, packed with insult and ridicule, first appeared in the 20th century in the battle of Agincourt. It continued as a series of battles, sieges, and disputes throughout the 14th century, with both the French and the English variously taking advantage. It did not lead to further English conquests immediately as Henry's priority was to return to England, which he did on 16 November, to be received in triumph in London on the 23rd.
