Answers:
English Archers would show this sign to their French counterparts in the old timey wars as French people were lame at firing arrows and the English guys would either shoot them or catch them and cut off their fingers to stop them shooting back.
They waved the fingers to say "we are better thajn you or we killed you!" as in V for victory? The earliest I know for sure is in WW II, but I am sure it has been around longer than that.
as in V for victory? The earliest I know for sure is in WW II, but I am sure it has been around longer than that.
Well Churchill used it to signify Victory in europe. With the palm facing inwards.
I suppose 'vrede' Dutch for peace.
Legend has it that in the Norman conquest of Britain (Battle of hastings 1066 and all that!) When archers were captured the enemy would chop off the first two fingers of their hand, thus rendering them unable to operate a bow. Showing two fingers became a defiant gesture saying effectively "screw you I can still fight". There are other theories but I like this one the best! :)
allegedly from middle ages when archers were captured and there bow fingers cut off ,apparantly archers used to stick the two fingers up to there enemy .
Always understood it went back to the time of Henry V and Agincourt. It required those 2 fingers to hold and arm the English longbow, which at the time was the most powerful archery weapon in Europe. The story goes that the English Archers would stick their 2 fingers in the air to show that they were fully capable of firing their bow, and instilling a sense of fear in the enemy.
It's from a war, not sure which but when archer's where caught by the opposing country they would cut off the 2 fingers used for the "v" so the can no longer use their bow and arrow thus the signal was i still have my 2 fingers so ha
The English archers at Agincourt were threatened with the removal of their bow fingers - the index and middle fingers of the right hand - if captured by their enemies, the French. In defiance, the English archers would display those fingers to the enemy to demonstrate that they were ready for battle.
I n medieval times Archers would stick two fingers up at a enemy to show they still had the capability to pull back a Bow string. Source(s):
British archer
If you mean the insult, its from the Battle of Agincourt. As the English Longbowmen were so effective against the French, the French used to cut off the first two fingers of the right hand of archers they caught. So as a sign of defiance the two fingers were held up towards the French.
the Churchill use of the v is pretty straightforward - v is for victory.
Reversed, and used in an offensive meaning, there are two strong explanations for this;
1) In Medieval times British archers were feared for their accuracy, and often had their two bow fingers chopped off when taken prisoner - as a gesture of defiance to the enemy they would hold up their two fingers in a v showing they were free to shoot and kill the enemy
2) the other explanation is sexual - the v is meant to represent a vagina - much like saying a sexual swearword. It is from the 100 year war between England and France. (actually 132 years) The English used archers so when caught by the french, the index and middle finger were cut off so that the soldiers couldn't return to the English side as they were unable to use a bow.
Churchill was saying that," we will walk through Paris with these fingers held high.
He did have an interest in history. many years ago when the English were fighting the French, the french would remove these 2 fingers from any English archers that they caught. This was to ensure that the archers could no longer use their bows. The English archers would raise these 2 fingers to the French, (palm facing the archer) to show that they had never been caught.
This is common mythology and may or may not be true. the earliest origin i know of is that it was a common practice for the owner of land to cut off the two fingers that were used to pull back a longbow if u were caught trespassing on his land in the middle ages (circa 10th to 14th century) as he couldnt prove whether u had been poaching or not (if u were caught poaching he would almost certainly kill you though )
if u managed to get away u stick the two fingers at them in defiance ;o)
this then meant that u couldnt serve in kings army at time of war, and that was very lucrative as soldiers that survived were often greatly rewarded and revered as heroes
the one fingered symbol is earlier than that celts from the bigget tribe used it as a sign of their allegiance to pagan gods, they used to hold up their three middle fingers symbolising the earth mother, sun father and moon daughter. if they were caught by the romans at times after curfews and other celts had been causing trouble then thy cut the middle finger off middle finger which symbolised the earth goddess and was most important, this was also at a time when christianity was spreading through rome and was done to punish people who stayed loyal to their pagan beliefs as well
again they used to stick the middle finger up in defiance if they got away
reveresed it means 'victory' from the war, 'peace' from the 60s and flower powr of hippydom, but was also heavily used by the 'spice girls' to symbolise 'girlpower' in the 90s for some reason Tiss but a sign of victory, but inverted, it would mean the opposite, FU. I wonder if I had been first to write this, how many would have read and embroided the first answer? I suppose originality is but something to follow. Think on, Archers.
v meaning victory
It's already been answered, but, hey, it's two points.
The V sign originated with English archers during the Hundred Years War. Because of their deadly accuracy these fighters were much feared by their opponents, and as result would have their two fingers hacked off after capture.
There is some debate whether it was the enemy mocking the English or the English defiantly signalling that they were still very much in operation, who originated the famous gesture.
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