Battle of Agincourt: English victory over the French | Britannica After the initial wave, the French would have had to fight over and on the bodies of those who had fallen before them.
Battle of Agincourt - The English Really Should Have Lost, But They Won It forms the backdrop to events in William Shakespeare 's play Henry V, written in 1599. 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. 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. 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. This article was. 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]. This battle is notable for the use of the English longbow in very large numbers, with the English and Welsh archers comprising nearly 80 percent of Henry's army. Rather than retire directly to England for the winter, with his costly expedition resulting in the capture of only one town, Henry decided to march most of his army (roughly 9,000) through Normandy to the port of Calais, the English stronghold in northern France, to demonstrate by his presence in the territory at the head of an army that his right to rule in the duchy was more than a mere abstract legal and historical claim. This was an innovative technique that the English had not used in the Battles of Crcy and Poitiers. 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. They were successful for a time, forcing Henry to move south, away from Calais, to find a ford. Do you return these prisoners to your opponents in exchange for nothing, thereby providing them with trained soldiers who can fight against you another day? [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 longbow. Get a Britannica Premium subscription and gain access to exclusive content. The latter, each titled Henry V, star Laurence Olivier in 1944 and Kenneth Branagh in 1989. And where does the distinction between one and two fingers come from? [116] One particular cause of confusion may have been the number of servants on both sides, or whether they should at all be counted as combatants. Thinking it was an attack from the rear, Henry had the French nobles he was holding prisoner killed. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). During this battle, the medieval archers started ahead of the army and commenced the action. [69] (The use of stakes was an innovation for the English: during the Battle of Crcy, for example, the archers had been instead protected by pits and other obstacles. [51] Albret, Boucicaut and almost all the leading noblemen were assigned stations in the vanguard. [52] The dukes of Alenon and Bar led the main battle. [90] In his study of the battle John Keegan argued that the main aim was not to actually kill the French knights but rather to terrorise them into submission and quell any possibility they might resume the fight, which would probably have caused the uncommitted French reserve forces to join the fray, as well. This material may not be reproduced without permission. The Battle of Agincourt took place on October 25, 1415. He told his men that he would rather die in the coming battle than be captured and ransomed. David Mikkelson Published Sep 29, 1999. The English numbered roughly 5,000 knights, men-at-arms, and archers.
Medieval Archers (Everything you Need to Know) - The Finer Times David Mikkelson founded the site now known as snopes.com back in 1994. The Burgundians seized on the opportunity and within 10 days of the battle had mustered their armies and marched on Paris. 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. [87] Whether this was part of a deliberate French plan or an act of local brigandage is unclear from the sources. 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. 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. Your membership is the foundation of our sustainability and resilience. [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. 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.'" 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 approximate location of the battle has never been disputed, and the site remains relatively unaltered after 600 years. But frankly, I suspect that the French would have done a lot worse to any captured English archers than chopping off their fingers. [citation needed], Immediately after the battle, Henry summoned the heralds of the two armies who had watched the battle together with principal French herald Montjoie, and they settled on the name of the battle as Azincourt, after the nearest fortified place. 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. It supposedly describes the origin of the middle-finger hand gesture and, by implication, the insult "fuck you".
PDF THE ENGLISH VS FRENCH - Carolina Traditional Archers When did the middle finger become offensive? - BBC News They might also have deployed some archers in the centre of the line. There is a modern museum in Agincourt village dedicated to the battle. The field that the French had to cross to meet their enemy was muddy after a week of rain and slowed their progress, during which time they endured casualties from English arrows. It established the legitimacy of the Lancastrian monarchy and the future campaigns of Henry to pursue his "rights and privileges" in France. 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. The number is supported by many other contemporary accounts.
10+ True Battle Agincourt Facts That Will Make You Look Stupid Over the years some 'folk etymologies' have grown up around this symbolic gesture. The battlefield was a freshly plowed field, and at the time of the battle, it had been raining continuously for several days. 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. 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. The English men-at-arms in plate and mail were placed shoulder to shoulder four deep. [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. [62] Le Fvre and Wavrin similarly say that it was signs of the French rearguard regrouping and "marching forward in battle order" which made the English think they were still in danger. The puzzler was: What was this body part? 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. Battle of Agincourt, (October 25, 1415)Battle resulting in the decisive victory of the English over the French in the Hundred Years' War. This moment of the battle is portrayed both as a break with the traditions of chivalry and as a key example of the paradox of kingship. But lets not quibble. [91] Such an event would have posed a risk to the still-outnumbered English and could have easily turned a stunning victory into a mutually destructive defeat, as the English forces were now largely intermingled with the French and would have suffered grievously from the arrows of their own longbowmen had they needed to resume shooting. PLUCK YEW!". 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. The campaign season was coming to an end, and the English army had suffered many casualties through disease. Its origins can be traced back to 1066 . This suggests that the French could have outnumbered the English 5 to 1. with chivalry. According to contemporary English accounts, Henry fought hand to hand. 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. [125] Shakespeare illustrates these tensions by depicting Henry's decision to kill some of the French prisoners, whilst attempting to justify it and distance himself from the event. Contemporary chroniclers did not criticise him for it. 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). 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. 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? Omissions? The English army, led by King Henry V, famously achieved victory in spite of the numerical superiority of its opponent. "Guardian newspaper:French correction: Henry V's Agincourt fleet was half as big, historian claims, 28 July 2015", "Living Dictionary of the French Language", "Limitations imposed by wearing armour on Medieval soldiers' locomotor performance", "High Court Rules for French at Agincourt", "High Court Justices, Legal Luminaries Debate Shakespeare's 'Henry V', "The Development of Battle Tactics in the Hundred Years War", "Historians Reassess Battle of Agincourt", The Fitzwilliam Museum, University of Cambridge, "Henry V's Greatest Victory is Besieged by Academia", The Little Grey Horse Henry V's Speech at Agincourt and the Battle Exhortation in Ancient Historiography, "The Battle of Agincourt: An Alternative location? New York: John Wiley & Sons, 1991 ISBN 0-471-53672-5 (pp. Unable to cross the Somme River because of French defenses, he was forced to take a detour inland and cross farther upstream. The French army blocked Henry's way to the safety of Calais, and delaying battle would only further weaken his tired army and allow more French troops to arrive. The Battle of Agincourt (720p) Watch on In pursuit of his claim to the French throne, Henry V invaded Normandy with an army of 11,000 men in August 1415. The key word for describing the battle of Agincourt is mud .
Longbowmen and "The Finger" - (on 'TheBeckoning') Why do some people have that one extra-long fingernail on the pinkie finger. However, the lack of archaeological evidence at this traditional site has led to suggestions it was fought to the west of Azincourt. 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 situation in England, coupled with the fact that France was weakened by its own political crisisthe insanity of Charles VI had resulted in a fight for power among the nobilitymade it an ideal moment for Henry to press his claims. As the English were collecting prisoners, a band of French peasants led by local noblemen began plundering Henrys baggage behind the lines. The Battle of Agincourt originated in 1328. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. 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. The French nobility, weakened by the defeat and divided among themselves, were unable to meet new attacks with effective resistance. [124], The most famous cultural depiction of the battle today is in Act IV of William Shakespeare's Henry V, written in 1599. T he battle of Agincourt, whose 600th anniversary falls on St Crispin's Day, 25 October, is still tabloid gold, Gotcha! [70]), The tightness of the terrain also seems to have restricted the planned deployment of the French forces. 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. [126], Shakespeare's depiction of the battle also plays on the theme of modernity. They were blocking Henry's retreat, and were perfectly happy to wait for as long as it took. 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. Clip from the 1944 movie "Henry V" (137 min). The English were not in an ideal condition to fight a battle. 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. In Gestures: Their Origins and Distribution, Desmond Morris and colleagues note that the digitus infamis or digitus impudicus (infamous or indecent finger) is mentioned several times in the literature of ancient Rome. The town surrendered on 22 September, and the English army did not leave until 8 October.
What's the origin of "the finger"? - The Straight Dope The Battle of Agincourt [93] Entire noble families were wiped out in the male line, and in some regions an entire generation of landed nobility was annihilated. 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. The French knights were unable to outflank the longbowmen (because of the encroaching woodland) and unable to charge through the array of sharpened stakes that protected the archers.