[51] Albret, Boucicaut and almost all the leading noblemen were assigned stations in the vanguard. The Battle of Agincourt is an iconic moment in English military history. Theodore Beck also suggests that among Henry's army was "the king's physician and a little band of surgeons". Most importantly, the battle was a significant military blow to France and paved the way for further English conquests and successes. The French, who were overwhelmingly favored to win the battle, Continue Reading 41 2 7 Alexander L It seems it was purely a decision of Henry, since the English knights found it contrary to chivalry, and contrary to their interests, to kill valuable hostages for whom it was commonplace to ask ransom. The battle occurred on Friday, 25 October 1415 ( Saint Crispin's Day ), near modern-day Azincourt, in northern France. "[102], Estimates of the number of prisoners vary between 700 and 2,200, amongst them the dukes of Orlans and Bourbon, the counts of Eu, Vendme, Richemont (brother of the Duke of Brittany and stepbrother of Henry V) and Harcourt, and marshal Jean Le Maingre.[12]. Jones, P. N. (1992). A Dictionary of Superstitions. It was often reported to comprise 1,500 ships, but was probably far smaller. Bowman were not valuable prisoners, though: they stood outside the chivalric system and were considered the social inferiors of men-at-arms. Without the middle finger it would be impossible to draw the renowned English longbow and therefore be incapable of fighting in the future. PLUCK YEW!". 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. 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. The Battle of Agincourt In another of his books Morris describes a variety of sexual insults involving the middle finger, such as the middle-finger down prod, the middle-finger erect, etc., all of which are different from the classic middle-finger jerk. The recently ploughed land hemmed in by dense woodland favoured the English, both because of its narrowness, and because of the thick mud through which the French knights had to walk. [34] The rearguard, leaderless, would serve as a "dumping ground" for the surplus troops. By 1415, negotiations had ground to a halt, with the English claiming that the French had mocked their claims and ridiculed Henry himself. 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. A Dictionary of Superstitions.Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1992 ISBN 0-19-282916-5 (p. 454). Subject: Truth About the Finger In the film Titanic the character Rose is shown giving the finger to Jack, another character. Battle of Agincourt - English History 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 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. [19], Henry V invaded France following the failure of negotiations with the French. After a difficult siege, the English forces found themselves assaulted by a massive French force. But frankly, I suspect that the French would have done a lot worse to any captured English archers than chopping off their fingers. In the words of Juliet Barker, the battle "cut a great swath through the natural leaders of French society in Artois, Ponthieu, Normandy, Picardy. Without the middle finger it would be impossible to draw the renowned English longbow and therefore [soldiers would] be incapable of fighting in the future. 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. The metallography and relative effectiveness of arrowheads and armor during the Middle Ages. [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. The English were not in an ideal condition to fight a battle. The puzzler was: What was this body part? 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. It goes on to state thatafter an unexpected victory, the English soldiersmocked thedefeatedFrenchtroopsbywavingtheir middle fingers( here ). This famous English longbow was . The Hundred Years' War. Battle of Agincourt, (October 25, 1415), decisive battle in the Hundred Years' War (1337-1453) that resulted in the victory of the English over the French. Very quickly after the battle, the fragile truce between the Armagnac and Burgundian factions broke down. 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. What's the origin of "the finger"? - The Straight Dope As the mle developed, the French second line also joined the attack, but they too were swallowed up, with the narrow terrain meaning the extra numbers could not be used effectively. [citation needed], In any event, Henry ordered the slaughter of what were perhaps several thousand French prisoners, sparing only the highest ranked (presumably those most likely to fetch a large ransom under the chivalric system of warfare). 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. It may be in the narrow strip of open land formed between the woods of Tramecourt and Azincourt (close to the modern village of Azincourt). Agincourt 1415: The Triumph of the Longbow (Video 1993) - IMDb 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. [88] In some accounts the attack happened towards the end of the battle, and led the English to think they were being attacked from the rear. 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. The king received an axe blow to the head, which knocked off a piece of the crown that formed part of his helmet. The delay allowed a large French force, led by the constable Charles dAlbret and the marshal Jean II le Meingre (called Boucicaut), to intercept him near the village of Agincourt on October 24. 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 ). Adam Koford, Salt Lake City, Utah, Now for the facts. - Why not simply kill them outright in the first place? 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. Mortimer also considers that the Gesta vastly inflates the English casualties 5,000 at Harfleur, and that "despite the trials of the march, Henry had lost very few men to illness or death; and we have independent testimony that no more than 160 had been captured on the way". 10+ True Battle Agincourt Facts That Will Make You Look Stupid Get a Britannica Premium subscription and gain access to exclusive content. 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. [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. Henry managed to subjugate Normandy in 1419, a victory that was followed by the Treaty of Troyes in 1420, which betrothed Henry to King Charles VIs daughter Catherine and named him heir to the French crown. The army was divided into three groups, with the right wing led by Edward, Duke of York, the centre led by the king himself, and the left wing under the old and experienced Baron Thomas Camoys. . [54] To disperse the enemy archers, a cavalry force of 8001,200 picked men-at-arms,[55] led by Clignet de Brban and Louis de Bosredon, was distributed evenly between both flanks of the vanguard (standing slightly forward, like horns). England had been fraught with political discord since Henry IV of the house of Lancaster (father of Henry V) had usurped the throne from Richard II in 1399. 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". [82], The surviving French men-at-arms reached the front of the English line and pushed it back, with the longbowmen on the flanks continuing to shoot at point-blank range. [97] According to the heralds, 3,069 knights and squires were killed,[e] while at least 2,600 more corpses were found without coats of arms to identify them. 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). One final observation: any time some appeal begins with heres something that intelligent people will find edifying you should be suspicious. This famous weapon was made of the native English yew tree, and the act of drawing the longbow was known as plucking the yew. Much to the bewilderment of the French, the English won a major upset and began mocking the French by waving their middle fingers at the defeated French, saying, See, we can still pluck yew! Over the years some folk etymologies have grown up around this symbolic gesture. On October 25, 1415, during the Hundred Years' War (1337-1453) between England and France, Henry V (1386-1422), the young king of England, led his forces to victory at the Battle of . Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. The French were commanded by Constable Charles d'Albret and various prominent French noblemen of the Armagnac party. On February 1, 1328, King Charles IV of France died without an heir. [53] A further 600 dismounted men-at-arms stood in each wing, with the left under the Count of Vendme and the right under the Count of Richemont. Before the Battle of Agincourt in 1415, the French, anticipating victory over the English, proposed to cut off the middle finger of all captured soldiers. The battlefield was a freshly plowed field, and at the time of the battle, it had been raining continuously for several days. [17] Two of the most frequently cited accounts come from Burgundian sources, one from Jean Le Fvre de Saint-Remy who was present at the battle, and the other from Enguerrand de Monstrelet. 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. 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]. .). French history myths: The 'two fingers' insult comes from the Battle of Participating as judges were Justices Samuel Alito and Ruth Bader Ginsburg. Apparently Henry believed his fleeing army would perform better on the defensive, but had to halt the retreat and somehow engage the French There was no monetary reward to be obtained by capturing them, nor was there any glory to be won by defeating them in battle. If the two-fingered salute comes from Agincourt, then at what point was it reduced to one finger in North America? The two armies spent the night of 24 October on open ground. Why is the missionary position called that? [5] [b] Henry V 's victory at Agincourt, against a numerically superior French army. Nicolle, D. (2004). Details the English victory over the French at the Battle of Agincourt. [85], The French men-at-arms were taken prisoner or killed in the thousands. It is unclear whether the delay occurred because the French were hoping the English would launch a frontal assault (and were surprised when the English instead started shooting from their new defensive position), or whether the French mounted knights instead did not react quickly enough to the English advance. 33-35). This article was produced by the Reuters Fact Check team. [citation needed], The French responded with what they considered the generous terms of marriage with Catherine, a dowry of 600,000 crowns, and an enlarged Aquitaine. The Battle of Agincourt (October 25, 1415) was a pivotal battle in the Hundred Years' War (1337-1453), resulting in an English victory over the French. [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. Articles from Britannica Encyclopedias for elementary and high school students. . Materials characterization, 29(2), 111117. "[67] On top of this, the French were expecting thousands of men to join them if they waited. 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. King Henry V of England led his troops into battle and participated in hand-to-hand fighting. [50] Both lines were arrayed in tight, dense formations of about 16 ranks each, and were positioned a bowshot length from each other. King Charles VI of France did not command the French army as he suffered from psychotic illnesses and associated mental incapacity. 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. One popular "origin story" for the middle finger has to do with the Battle of Agincourt in 1415. The Burgundians seized on the opportunity and within 10 days of the battle had mustered their armies and marched on Paris. A Short History of "Flipping the Bird" - OddFeed It lasted longer than Henry had anticipated, and his numbers were significantly diminished as a result of casualties, desertions, and disease. 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. [126], Shakespeare's depiction of the battle also plays on the theme of modernity. Dear Cecil: Can you confirm the following? Band of Brothers: Henry V and the Battle of Agincourt 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. 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. This symbol of rocking out is formed by tucking the middle and index finger and holding them in place with the thumb. The . [49], The French vanguard and main battle numbered respectively 4,800 and 3,000 men-at-arms. [34] It is likely that the English adopted their usual battle line of longbowmen on either flank, with men-at-arms and knights in the centre. The image makes the claim that the gesture derives from English soldiers at the Battle of Agincourt, France in 1415. Although the victory had been militarily decisive, its impact was complex. She graduated from the University of Chicago in 2019 with bachelor's degrees in English Language and Literature and Medieval Studies. The Battle Of Agincourt: What Really Happened? | HistoryExtra Henry threatened to hang whoever did not obey his orders. When did the middle finger become offensive? - BBC News What is Mudra, ancient times to modern classic and controversial 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. Your membership is the foundation of our sustainability and resilience. Its up there with heres something that they dont want you to know.. The key word for describing the battle of Agincourt is mud . Contents. They were successful for a time, forcing Henry to move south, away from Calais, to find a ford. 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. In the ensuing campaign, many soldiers died from disease, and the English numbers dwindled; they tried to withdraw to English-held Calais but found their path blocked by a considerably larger French army. [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. After the initial wave, the French would have had to fight over and on the bodies of those who had fallen before them. I suppose that the two-fingered salute could still come from medieval archery, even if it didnt come specifically from the Battle of Agincourt, although the example that Wikipedia links to (the fourteenth-century Luttrell Psalter) is ambiguous. As John Keegan wrote in his history of warfare: "To meet a similarly equipped opponent was the occasion for which the armoured soldier trained perhaps every day of his life from the onset of manhood. And for a variety of reasons, it made no military sense whatsoever for the French to capture English archers, then mutilate them by cutting off their fingers. 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. 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 New York: Penguin Books, 1978 ISBN 0-140-04897-9 (pp. After the battle, the English taunted the survivors by showing off what wasn't cut off. October 25, 1415. Kill them outright and violate the medieval moral code of civilized warfare? This famous weapon was made of the native English yew tree, and so the act of drawing the longbow was known as "plucking yew". Battle of Agincourt and the origin of Fu#K | Origin story of middle Some notable examples are listed below. The fact that Winston Churchill sometimes made his V-for-victory gesture rudely suggests that it is of much more recent vintage. It sounds rather fishy to me. Without the middle finger it would be impossible to draw the renowned English longbow and therefore be incapable of fighting in the future. With 4,800 men-at-arms in the vanguard, 3,000 in the main battle, and 1,200 in the infantry wings. 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. By contrast, Anne Curry in her 2005 book Agincourt: A New History, argued, based on research into the surviving administrative records, that the French army was 12,000 strong, and the English army 9,000, proportions of four to three. Battle of Agincourt, (October 25, 1415)Battle resulting in the decisive victory of the English over the French in the Hundred Years' War. 030223 - Musings From Leroy One Of The Oldest Insults: The Origin Of The Middle Finger - Storypick [84] The exhausted French men-at-arms were unable to get up after being knocked to the ground by the English. Shakespeare's portrayal of the casualty loss is ahistorical in that the French are stated to have lost 10,000 and the English 'less than' thirty men, prompting Henry's remark, "O God, thy arm was here". Probably each man-at-arms would be accompanied by a gros valet (or varlet), an armed servant, adding up to another 10,000 potential fighting men,[7] though some historians omit them from the number of combatants. The Face of Battle.New York: Penguin Books, 1978 ISBN 0-140-04897-9 (pp. By most contemporary accounts, the French army was also significantly larger than the English, though the exact degree of their numerical superiority is disputed. Juliet Barker quotes a contemporary account by a monk from St. Denis who reports how the wounded and panicking horses galloped through the advancing infantry, scattering them and trampling them down in their headlong flight from the battlefield. Humble English archers defeated the armoured elite of French chivalry, enshrining both the longbow and the battle in English national legend. The Battle of Agincourt - The European Middle Ages He told his men that he would rather die in the coming battle than be captured and ransomed. The English eyewitness account comes from the anonymous author of the Gesta Henrici Quinti, believed to have been written by a chaplain in the King's household who would have been in the baggage train at the battle. The Battle of Agincourt took place during the the Hundred Years' War, a conflict which, despite its name, was neither one single war nor did it last one hundred years. [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. The next line of French knights that poured in found themselves so tightly packed (the field narrowed at the English end) that they were unable to use their weapons effectively, and the tide of the battle began to turn toward the English. It was a disastrous attempt. [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. It. 78-116). Winston Churchhill can be seen using the V as a rallying call. In the ensuing negotiations Henry said that he would give up his claim to the French throne if the French would pay the 1.6million crowns outstanding from the ransom of John II (who had been captured at the Battle of Poitiers in 1356), and concede English ownership of the lands of Anjou, Brittany, Flanders, Normandy, and Touraine, as well as Aquitaine.

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