One purported the middle finger gesture originated at the Battle of Agincourt. Allegedly, the French planned to cut off the middle fingers of the defeated English longbow men, so in the future they could not operate their lethal weapon. After a surprising English victory, the archers taunted the French by extending their middle fingers. Several things are wrong with this scenario.
First the use of the middle finger as an insult dates back to the ancient Greeks. Roman historians relate it's use as a degrading gesture in Greek comedies. They even gave it a name: digitus impudicus (impudent finger) .
Secondly, this decisive battle introduced the use of the longbow's effectiveness in a large conflict. The French could not have anticipated the weapon's impact. And, being mostly nobles, the French discredited the English peasant archers as inferiors. So, it is doubtful they planned such an action against them.
While not as creative as other motions like the bent elbow or flicking the hand under one's chin, this simple gesture has an appeal that you can't put your finger on.- as ever BB
"For he today that sheds his blood with me shall be my brother..that fought with us upon St. Crispin's day." - Henry V, Wm. Shakespeare - Henry V's address to his troops before the Battle of Agincourt
No comments:
Post a Comment