The puzzler was: What was this body part? The metallography and relative effectiveness of arrowheads and armor during the Middle Ages. On 25 October 1415, an army of English raiders under Henry V faced the French outside an obscure village on the road to Calais. 78-116). In the Battle of Agincourt, the French threatened the English Soldiers that they would cut off their fingers and when they failed the Englishmen mocked them by showing their fingers. Keegan, John. It continued as a series of battles, sieges, and disputes throughout the 14th century, with both the French and the English variously taking advantage. The battle remains an important symbol in popular culture. Whether this was true is open to question and continues to be debated to this day; however, it seems likely that death was the normal fate of any soldier who could not be ransomed. Henry V's victory in the mud of Picardy remains the . [85], The French men-at-arms were taken prisoner or killed in the thousands. .). They might also have deployed some archers in the centre of the line. King Henry V of England led his troops into battle and participated in hand-to-hand fighting. 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. Agincourt. The English were not in an ideal condition to fight a battle. According to most chroniclers, Henry's fear was that the prisoners (who, in an unusual turn of events, actually outnumbered their captors) would realise their advantage in numbers, rearm themselves with the weapons strewn about the field and overwhelm the exhausted English forces. It supposedly describes the origin of the middle-finger hand gesture and, by implication, the insult "fuck you". Shakespeare's version of the battle of Agincourt has been turned into several minor and two major films. During World War II the symbol was adopted as a V for victory. Theodore Beck also suggests that among Henry's army was "the king's physician and a little band of surgeons". You would think that anything English predating 1607, such as the language, Protestantism, or the Common Law, would have been a part of Americas patrimony. [b] The unexpected English victory against the numerically superior French army boosted English morale and prestige, crippled France, and started a new period of English dominance in the war that would last for 14 years until France defeated England in the Siege of Orlans in 1429. The Hundred Years' War. Legend says that the British archers were so formidable that the ones captured by the French had their index and middle fingers cut off so that they . Read more about our work to fact-check social media posts here . The battle repeated other English successes in the Hundred Years War, such as the Battle of Crcy (1346) and the Battle of Poitiers (1356), and made possible Englands subsequent conquest of Normandy and the Treaty of Troyes (1420), which named Henry V heir to the French crown. The Battle of Agincourt originated in 1328. 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. Julia Martinez was an Editorial Intern at Encyclopaedia Britannica. Pluck yew - onlysky.media The archers were commanded by Sir Thomas Erpingham, another elderly veteran. In December 1414, the English parliament was persuaded to grant Henry a "double subsidy", a tax at twice the traditional rate, to recover his inheritance from the French. (Its taking longer than we thought.) Contemporary chroniclers did not criticise him for it. Agincourt, Henry V's famous victory over the French on 25 October 1415, is a fascinating battle not just because of what happened but also because of how its myth has developed ever since. The Battle of Agincourt is an iconic moment in English military history. David Mikkelson Published Sep 29, 1999. The two candidates with the strongest claims were Edward III of England, who was the son of Charles's sister, and Philip, Charles's paternal . French chroniclers agree that when the mounted charge did come, it did not contain as many men as it should have; Gilles le Bouvier states that some had wandered off to warm themselves and others were walking or feeding their horses. Supposedly, both originated at the 1415 Battle of Agincourt, . Barker, Sumption and Rogers all wrote that the English probably had 6,000 men, these being 5,000 archers and 9001,000 men-at-arms. [32] In 2019, the historian Michael Livingston also made the case for a site west of Azincourt, based on a review of sources and early maps. Battle of Agincourt - The English Really Should Have Lost, But They Won Many folkloric or etymological myths have sprung up about its origin, especially the widely quoted one about the interplay between the French and English soldiery at the battle of Agincourt 1415, where the French threatened to amputate the middle fingers of the English archers to prevent them from drawing their bows, which of course is absolute 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. This is the answer submitted by a listener: Dear Click and Clack, Thank you for the Agincourt 'Puzzler', which clears up some profound questions of etymology, folklore and emotional symbolism. It seems clear, however, that the English were at a decided numerical disadvantage. 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. What does DO NOT HUMP mean on the side of railroad cars? This suggests that the French could have outnumbered the English 5 to 1. This article was. [51] Albret, Boucicaut and almost all the leading noblemen were assigned stations in the vanguard. When the first French line reached the English front, the cavalry were unable to overwhelm the archers, who had driven sharpened stakes into the ground at an angle before themselves. How different cultures perceive emojis in workplace communication In pursuit of his claim to the French throne, Henry V invaded Normandy with an army of 11,000 men in August 1415. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors. Agincourt 1415: The Triumph of the Longbow: Directed by Graham Holloway. The trial ranged widely over whether there was just cause for war and not simply the prisoner issue. There is a modern museum in Agincourt village dedicated to the battle. October 25, 1415. Battle of Agincourt and the origin of Fu#K | Origin story of middle [39] Curry, Rogers[118] and Mortimer[42] all agree the French had 4 to 5 thousand missile troops. 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. Last, but certainly not least, wouldn't these insolent archers have been bragging about plucking a bow's string, and not the wood of the bow itself? Osprey Publishing. The Battle of Agincourt took place on October 25, 1415. [133] Branagh's version gives a longer, more realist portrayal of the battle itself, drawing on both historical sources and images from the Vietnam and Falkland Wars.[134]. [34] The rearguard, leaderless, would serve as a "dumping ground" for the surplus troops. . What it is supposed to represent I have no idea. It is also because of the pheasant feathers on the arrows that the symbolic gesture is known as "giving the bird". This famous weapon was made of the native English yew tree, and the act of drawing the longbow was known as "plucking the yew." Without the middle finger it would be impossible for the English soldiers to draw the renowned English longbow and therefore incapable of fighting in the future. 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. [49], The French vanguard and main battle numbered respectively 4,800 and 3,000 men-at-arms. Battles were observed and chronicled by heralds who were present at the scene and recorded what they saw, judged who won, and fixed names for the battles. The ransoming of prisoners was the only way for medieval soldiers to make a quick fortune, and so they seized every available opportunity to capture opponents who could be exchanged for handsome prices. If the two-fingered salute comes from Agincourt, then at what point was it reduced to one finger in North America? Apparently Henry believed his fleeing army would perform better on the defensive, but had to halt the retreat and somehow engage the French 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. This famous weapon was made of the . [127], Shakespeare's play presented Henry as leading a truly English force into battle, playing on the importance of the link between the monarch and the common soldiers in the fight. 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. 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! Another verse begins: You love to be sodomized, Papylus . Upon hearing that his youngest brother Humphrey, Duke of Gloucester had been wounded in the groin, Henry took his household guard and stood over his brother, in the front rank of the fighting, until Humphrey could be dragged to safety. Battle of Agincourt - English History "[67] On top of this, the French were expecting thousands of men to join them if they waited. [113] Barker opined that "if the differential really was as low as three to four then this makes a nonsense of the course of the battle as described by eyewitnesses and contemporaries".[110]. Axtell, Roger E. Gestures: The Dos and Taboos of Body Language Around the World.New York: John Wiley & Sons, 1991 ISBN 0-471-53672-5 (pp. People who killed their social betters from a distance werent very well liked, and would likely have paid with their lives as did all the French prisoners, archers or otherwise, whom Henry V had executed at Agincourt, in what some historians consider a war crime. The Hundred Years War was a discontinuous conflict between England and France that spanned two centuries. Battle of Agincourt, (October 25, 1415), decisive battle in the Hundred Years War (13371453) that resulted in the victory of the English over the French. Its origins can be traced back to 1066 . [93] Among them were 90120 great lords and bannerets killed, including[95] three dukes (Alenon, Bar and Brabant), nine counts (Blmont, Dreux, Fauquembergue, Grandpr, Marle, Nevers, Roucy, Vaucourt, Vaudmont) and one viscount (Puisaye), also an archbishop. 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. [56] Some 200 mounted men-at-arms would attack the English rear. The Gesta Henrici places this after the English had overcome the onslaught of the French men-at-arms and the weary English troops were eyeing the French rearguard ("in incomparable number and still fresh"). Idiom Origins - Middle finger - History of Middle finger I admit that I bring this story up when I talk about the Hundred Years War only to debunk it. 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". Turning to our vast classical library, we quickly turn up three references. In 1999, Snopesdebunked more of the historical aspects of the claim, as well as thecomponent explaininghow the phrase pluck yew graduallychanged form to begin with an f( here ). Originally representing the erect phallus, the gesture conveyssimultaneously a sexual threat to the person to whom it is directed andapotropaicmeans of warding off unwanted elements of the more-than-human. ( here ). 33-35). 138). Medieval warriors didn't take prisoners because by doing so they were observing a moral code that dictated opponents who had laid down their arms and ceased fighting must be treated humanely, but because they knew high-ranking captives were valuable property that could be ransomed for money. An account purporting to offer the historical origins of the obscene middle-finger extended hand gesture (varously known as "flipping the bird," "flipping someone off," or the "one-finger salute") is silly, and so obviously a joke that shouldn't need any debunking. Agincourt was a battle like no other but how do the French remember This would prevent maneuvers that might overwhelm the English ranks. He considered a knight in the best-quality steel armour invulnerable to an arrow on the breastplate or top of the helmet, but vulnerable to shots hitting the limbs, particularly at close range. [5] [b] Henry V 's victory at Agincourt, against a numerically superior French army. What's the origin of "the finger"? - The Straight Dope [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. New York: John Wiley & Sons, 1991 ISBN 0-471-53672-5 (pp. [31], The precise location of the battle is not known. Dear Cecil: Can you confirm the following? [101] The bailiffs of nine major northern towns were killed, often along with their sons, relatives and supporters. Moreover, with this outcome Henry V strengthened his position in his own kingdom; it legitimized his claim to the crown, which had been under threat after his accession. Details the English victory over the French at the Battle of Agincourt. Common estimates place the English army at about 6,000, while the French army probably consisted of 20,000 to 30,000 men. Some notable examples are listed below. The cavalry force, which could have devastated the English line if it had attacked while they moved their stakes, charged only after the initial volley of arrows from the English. 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. The English army, led by King Henry V, famously achieved victory in spite of the numerical superiority of its opponent. The French monk of St. Denis says: "Their vanguard, composed of about 5,000 men, found itself at first so tightly packed that those who were in the third rank could scarcely use their swords,"[63] and the Burgundian sources have a similar passage. They were successful for a time, forcing Henry to move south, away from Calais, to find a ford. [50] Both lines were arrayed in tight, dense formations of about 16 ranks each, and were positioned a bowshot length from each other.
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