The Finger of Saturn

THE FINGER OF SATURN

(aka: Your Middle Finger, The Central Digit, The Finger)


I was recently told a story about how an internationally recognizable gesture came about.
It seems that ages ago during the Norman Conquest of Britain, the attackers encountered substantial resistance from the English to being overtaken and controled by their would-be conquerors. The English had developed a 'tool' that was so effective at diminishing the French efforts that they, the French, adopted a rather unorthodox method of dealing with the problem.
The 'tool' was the long bow, made of wood from the yew tree, which, in the hands of an adept user, was able to send an arrow a substantial distance, before the attackers were in range to defend themselves with their own weapons. So, to counter the decimating effect of the long bow, the French adopted the practice of removing the middle fingers of any and all Englishmen, including small boys, whom they captured. Thus disabling the bowmen from accurately delivering arrowshafts into the Frenchmen.
The retaliatory gesture was borne. Raising one's arm up high and extending the middle finger was a statement for all to see. "I still have my finger", meaning: I could put an arrow into your chest, or I could kill you, or, the much contracted modern version: F___ You!