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. The key word for describing the battle of Agincourt is mud . 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. Before the battle of Agincourt in 1415, the French proposed cutting the middle finger off of captured English soldiers rendering them incapable of shooting longbows. The town surrendered on 22 September, and the English army did not leave until 8 October. The Face of Battle. Wikipedia. Clip from the 1944 movie "Henry V" (137 min). A Dictionary of Superstitions.Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1992 ISBN 0-19-282916-5 (p. 454). The Battle of Agincourt (/dnkr(t)/ AJ-in-kor(t);[a] French: Azincourt [azku]) was an English victory in the Hundred Years' War. [44] There was a special, elite cavalry force whose purpose was to break the formation of the English archers and thus clear the way for the infantry to advance. The English and Welsh archers on the flanks drove pointed wooden stakes, or palings, into the ground at an angle to force cavalry to veer off. The Agincourt Carol, dating from around this time and possibly written for Henrys reception in London, is a rousing celebration of the might of the English. This famous weapon was made of the native English yew tree, and so the act of drawing the longbow was known as "plucking yew". . The metallography and relative effectiveness of arrowheads and armor during the Middle Ages. 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. The Burgundian sources have him concluding the speech by telling his men that the French had boasted that they would cut off two fingers from the right hand of every archer, so that he could never draw a longbow again. Some notable examples are listed below. King Henry V of England led his troops into battle and participated in hand-to-hand fighting. Agincourt. 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. Although it could be intended as humorous, the image on social media is historically inaccurate. He claimed the title of King of France through his great-grandfather Edward III of England, although in practice the English kings were generally prepared to renounce this claim if the French would acknowledge the English claim on Aquitaine and other French lands (the terms of the Treaty of Brtigny). 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". Send questions to Cecil via cecil@straightdope.com. The Hundred Years' War. I admit that I bring this story up when I talk about the Hundred Years War only to debunk it. The "middle finger" gesture does not derive from the mutilation of English archers at the Battle of Agincourt in 1415. PDF THE ENGLISH VS FRENCH - Carolina Traditional Archers At least one scholar puts the French army at no more than 12,000, indicating that the English were outnumbered 2 to 1. The effect of the victory on national morale was powerful. The fact that Winston Churchill sometimes made his V-for-victory gesture rudely suggests that it is of much more recent vintage. 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. Without a river obstacle to defend, the French were hesitant to force a battle. 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. The Battle of Agincourt Since pluck yew is rather difficult to say, like pheasant mother plucker, which is who you had to go to for the feathers used on the arrows for the longbow, 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 Face of Battle.New York: Penguin Books, 1978 ISBN 0-140-04897-9 (pp. 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. Course Hero uses AI to attempt to automatically extract content from documents to surface to you and others so you can study better, e.g., in search results, to enrich docs, and more. "[129], The play introduced the famous St Crispin's Day Speech, considered one of Shakespeare's most heroic speeches, which Henry delivers movingly to his soldiers just before the battle, urging his "band of brothers" to stand together in the forthcoming fight. Its not known whether one displayed the digitus infamis in the same manner that we (well, you) flip the bird today. Some historians trace its origins to ancient Rome. At issue was the question of the legitimate succession to the French crown as well as the ownership of several French territories. 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. ), And even if killing prisoners of war did not violate the moral code of the times, what would be the purpose of taking archers captive, cutting off their fingers, and then executing them? There was no monetary reward to be obtained by capturing them, nor was there any glory to be won by defeating them in battle. The original usage of this mudra can be traced back as far as the Battle of Agincourt in 1415. The battle remains an important symbol in popular culture. [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). This was not strictly a feudal army, but an army paid through a system similar to that of the English. The terrain favoured Henrys army and disadvantaged its opponent, as it reduced the numerical advantage of the French army by narrowing the front. 33-35). Without the middle finger it would be impossible to draw the renowned English longbow and therefore be incapable of fighting in the future. [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. If the two-fingered salute comes from Agincourt, then at what point was it reduced to one finger in North America? Opie, Iona and Moira Tatem. 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. Nicolle, D. (2004). 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. The battlefield was a freshly plowed field, and at the time of the battle, it had been raining continuously for several days. This was an innovative technique that the English had not used in the Battles of Crcy and Poitiers. Updates? [59], The field of battle was arguably the most significant factor in deciding the outcome. Maybe it means five and was a symbol of support for Henry V? 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. 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. Henry V and the resumption of the Hundred Years War, That fought with us upon Saint Crispins day, https://www.britannica.com/event/Battle-of-Agincourt, World History Encyclopedia - Battle of Agincourt, Warfare History Network - Miracle in the Mud: The Hundred Years' War's Battle of Agincourt, Battle of Agincourt - Student Encyclopedia (Ages 11 and up). Medieval Archers (Everything you Need to Know) - The Finer Times [46] Many lords and gentlemen demanded and got places in the front lines, where they would have a higher chance to acquire glory and valuable ransoms; this resulted in the bulk of the men-at-arms being massed in the front lines and the other troops, for which there was no remaining space, to be placed behind. (Even if archers whose middle fingers had been amputated could no longer effectively use their bows, they were still capable of wielding mallets, battleaxes, swords, lances, daggers, maces, and other weapons, as archers typically did when the opponents closed ranks with them and the fighting became hand-to-hand.). Battle of Agincourt and the origin of Fu#K | Origin story of middle 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. [27], During the siege, the French had raised an army which assembled around Rouen. Henry threatened to hang whoever did not obey his orders. Agincourt was a battle like no other but how do the French remember The battle occurred on Friday, 25 October 1415 ( Saint Crispin's Day ), near modern-day Azincourt, in northern France. Most importantly, the battle was a significant military blow to France and paved the way for further English conquests and successes. 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. 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. (Its taking longer than we thought.) All quotes delayed a minimum of 15 minutes. [39] Curry, Rogers[118] and Mortimer[42] all agree the French had 4 to 5 thousand missile troops. 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. Agincourt 1415: The Triumph of the Longbow (Video 1993) - IMDb The 'middle finger salute' is derived from the defiant gestures of English archers whose fingers had been severed by the French at the Battle of Agincourt. When the English won the battle the soldiers waved their middle fingers at the French in defiance, thus flipping the bird was born Battle of Agincourt - Wikipedia With Toby Merrell, Ian Brooker, Philip Rosch, Brian Blessed. [38], The French army had 10,000 men-at arms[39][40][41] plus some 4,0005,000 miscellaneous footmen (gens de trait) including archers, crossbowmen[42] (arbaltriers) and shield-bearers (pavisiers), totaling 14,00015,000 men. They were successful for a time, forcing Henry to move south, away from Calais, to find a ford. A BBCNews Magazinereportsimilarlytracesthe gesture back toAncient Greek philosophers ( here ). 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 Battle of Agincourt (Pt 1) - YouTube The latter, each titled Henry V, star Laurence Olivier in 1944 and Kenneth Branagh in 1989. 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. French history myths: The 'two fingers' insult comes from the Battle of The French nobility, weakened by the defeat and divided among themselves, were unable to meet new attacks with effective resistance. Military textbooks of the time stated: "Everywhere and on all occasions that foot soldiers march against their enemy face to face, those who march lose and those who remain standing still and holding firm win. The insulting gesture of extending one's middle finger (referred to as digitus impudicus in Latin) originated long before the Battle of Agincourt. Materials characterization, 29(2), 111117. 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. The number is supported by many other contemporary accounts. "[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]. It sounds rather fishy to me. [110][111][112] Ian Mortimer endorsed Curry's methodology, though applied it more liberally, noting how she "minimises French numbers (by limiting her figures to those in the basic army and a few specific additional companies) and maximises English numbers (by assuming the numbers sent home from Harfleur were no greater than sick lists)", and concluded that "the most extreme imbalance which is credible" is 15,000 French against 8,0009,000 English. Africa: Funny but Fanciful - Little Evidence for Origin of the F Word It may be difficult to pinpoint exactly when the middle finger gesture originated, but some historians trace its roots to ancient Rome. This claim is false. They were blocking Henry's retreat, and were perfectly happy to wait for as long as it took. 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. Battle of Agincourt, (October 25, 1415)Battle resulting in the decisive victory of the English over the French in the Hundred Years' War. Corrections? Contemporary chroniclers did not criticise him for it. Battle of Agincourt - The English Really Should Have Lost, But They Won The body part which the French proposed to cut off of the English after defeating them was, of course, the middle finger, without which it is impossible to draw the renowned English longbow. The French were commanded by Constable Charles d'Albret and various prominent French noblemen of the Armagnac party. They shadowed Henry's army while calling a semonce des nobles,[30] calling on local nobles to join the army. Over the years some 'folk etymologies' have grown up around this symbolic gesture. [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]. It supposedly describes the origin of the middle-finger hand gesture and, by implication, the insult "fuck you". Moreover, if archers could be ransomed, then cutting off their middle fingers would be a senseless move. 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 ).
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