The History of The Middle Finger
Well, turns out that the middle finger gesture is not a modern introduction to civilization at all!
Going back all the way to the time of Ancient Greeks, the symbol was used as a phallic symbol meant to represent the male genitalia. In fact, anthropologist Desmond Morris has been quoted saying that:
"The middle finger is the penis and the curled fingers on either side are the testicles. By doing it, you are offering someone a phallic gesture. It is saying, 'this is a phallus' that you're offering to people, which is a very primeval display."
The Romans also had a special name for it: digitus impudicus. When translated, it would mean the ‘unchaste or shameless finger ’ .
There’s another very interesting (but also grotesque) theory around the origin of this gesture which claims that during Battle of Agincourt in 1415 between France and Britain, the French soldiers would chop off the middle as well as the index finger of the British archers since both these are important when it comes to shooting arrows. When the French failed to do so, the British soldiers would often show them the two fingers while shouting ‘pluck yew’ given that their bows were made from the yew tree.
THE "F" WORD
It’s tough to narrow down where the F-word actually came from. Some sources say it dates back to the Middle English word “fucken,” which, among other things, meant to penetrate. Others say it comes from a German word, “ficken,” that means the same thing. There are also discussions about a Dutch word and even speculation about whether Shakespeare used a word that might have had something to do with it. Along with this eRumor there are also other creative suggestions that have no basis in history such as the F-word being an acronym for “Fornication Under Consent of the King” or “For the Use of Carnal Knowledge.”
Digitus Impudicus
One of the first recorded references was in a Greek play The Clouds by Aristophanes. It was a comedy written in 432 B.C.
In ancient Rome, giving the finger was a physical threat. The ancient Romans termed the middle finger“digitus impudicus”, which literally means “shameless or unchaste finger ” in Latin
The Tale of " Pluck Yew "
Here is one of the many tales of the Battle of Agincourtin and the plucking of the yew. Not true but a great story.
Before the Battle of Agincourtin 1415, the French, anticipating victory over the English, proposed to cut off the middle finger of all captured English soldiers. 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. This famous English longbow was made of the native English Yew tree, and the act of drawing the longbow was known as “plucking the yew” (or “pluck 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!
Since ‘pluck yew’ is rather difficult to say, the difficult consonant cluster at the beginning has gradually changed to a "F’, and thus the words often used in conjunction with the one-finger-salute!
It is also because of the pheasant feathers on the arrows used with the longbow that the symbolic gesture is known as “giving the bird.”
Charles “Old Hoss” Radbourn
Charles “Old Hoss” Radbourn, of the Boston Beaneaters, a baseball team dating back centuries ago, extended his middle digit to a cameraman when two teams gathered for a group photo in New York on baseball’s opening day in April of 1886.
Radbourn rested his hand on a teammate’s shoulder and right before the photographer snapped a shot, he raised his finger in defiance, seemingly becoming the first man captured on film flipping the bird.
Radbourn was one of the best pitchers in the league, pitching more than 678 innings, winning 59 games, and starting 73 games in 1884, later landing him in the Baseball Hall of Fame.
Top left player
Read more about “Old Hoss”below.
Charles “Old Hoss” Radbourn
In a later photo of the legendary player, Radbourn again gave the finger when posing for an Old Judge Tobacco baseball card. Radbourn put his hand on his hip, and then casually raised the middle finger, defiantly flaunting the gesture.
First Finger In The Movies
Harold Lloyd a big star in silent film — was *probably* the first person to flip the bird in a major motion picture.
About 24 minutes into his 1928 film “Speedy,” Lloyd flips himself off in a distorting mirror in Coney Island’s Luna Park. The film’s Wikipedia page claims that this is the earliest known instance of the gesture in a motion picture. Wikipedia doesn’t offer a citation, but so far no other movie has challenged it for being the original.
In the scene, Lloyd gives his reflection the finger upon learning that his suit has been ruined after he leaned against a fence with wet paint.
TheFinger.org is an organization dedicated to the education and betterment of all through the continued use of the middle finger throughout the world.
" Hold Your Head High And Your Middle Finger Higher”
