How did the middle finger become what it is today?

Question

Is there an interesting history behind it (True history! No BS!)

Answer 1

The Story Behind it is from the hundred years war. The French send a declaration that any British Archer that is captured will have their middle finger cut off because the archers were killing so many French Knights. So in Defiance of the French, The British archers showed their middle finger to the French to show that they are ready to shoot to kill.

Answer 2

I really like the reference to that of the British long bowmen.
Supposedly prior to the Battle of Agincourt a French Knight stated that the would cut off the middle finger of the bowmen and send them back home too England. So the English bowmen would show the french the middle finger as a challenge.
It is also supposed that the arrows were made of yew and the command to shoot the arrows was "pluck yew", before firearms and the term "fire".
So in this tale the middle finger and term comes together, I do not know if this is true but I like it.

Answer 3

The origin of this gesture is highly speculative, but is quite possibly thousands of years old. It is identified as the digitus impudicus ("impudent finger") in Ancient Roman writings and reference is made to using the finger in the Ancient Greek comedy The Clouds by Aristophanes. It was defined there as a gesture intended to insult another. The widespread usage of the finger in many cultures is likely due to the geographical influence of the Roman Empire and Greco-Roman civilization.
Another possible origin of this gesture can be found in the first-century Mediterranean world, where extending the digitus impudicus was one of many methods used to divert the ever present threat of the evil eye.

There is a popular story about English bowmen waving fingers at the French knights who did not manage to cut them off during the Hundred Years War. However, this is a confusion with the origins of the V sign, which are themselves in question.

Another possible origin is the phallic imagery of the raised middle finger (the middle finger being the longest finger on the human hand), similar to the Italian version of the bent elbow insult. Also, there is a variation of the finger where it can be done by performing The Fangul, by sticking out the finger during the throwing motion.

Answer 4

Approximately 2,500 years ago, in ancient Greece, a man was gesturing with his middle finger and two knuckles pertaing to the male privates.It is said to be an aggressive, rude gesture.

Answer 5

There is actually debate on it origin

Answer 6

something about french soldiers having their index fingers cut off so they showed off their middle finger to say we can still shoot you. it was on mythbusters or something.