Josephus Flavius, writes, in his The Jewish Wars, writes this: Monty Python follow in this distinguished line of directed farting and undoubtedly deserve credit for the "in your general direction" refinement of the old insult. Titt for tatt, quoth the Wife when she farted at the Thunder.Ī sensless Proverb spoken when we give as good as we get. Scotland is represented, too, in James Kelly, Complete Collection of Scottish Proverbs (1721): There thus appears to have been a lively but imperfectly remembered tradition of insult farting in English history, between the Conquest and the early 1600s. and Sir Edmond Bainham, and hereupon lifting up his leg, let a fart at him and bid him carry that in his teeth to his companions. And then that Studder replied that my Lord Ambassador was angry with Sir Edmond Bainham because he would not put off his hat to him, and that there was almost as much difference between himself and Captn. Studder asked him whether he had no better manners, whereunto Captain Bruz answered that he was as good a man as Studder and had no cap for any men but those whom he liked. Harrison, Journal for 1608, reprinted in Report on the Manuscripts of the Marquess of Downshire, Preserved at Easthampstead Park, Berks: Papers of William Trumbull, the elder, 1605-1610 (1936) :Īt that Captain Bruz turned back, and Sir T.
In his Way one of the besieged got upon the Walls, and pulling down his Breeches let a Fart at him, which when he was informed of, he burst out into a Passion, and swore, he would avenge the Affront, which he soon did for he took it at the first Attack, and left it to be harassed and plundered by his Soldiers, who slew not only many Citizens, but Academicks yet the present Sufferings were not the sole bad Effects of the Rebellion.Īnd from the entry for October 14, 1608, in G.B. In his March, he heard that this City of Oxford had rebelled against him, which obliged him to go a little out of his way to still them when he came thither, he found the Citizens resolved to defend themselves, being environed with a strong Wall whereupon he having no Way to gin it but by a Siege, he took a View of it round, in order to his attacking of it. The repercussions of farting in someone's general direction are recorded in Thomas Cox, A Topographical, Ecclesiastical, and Natural History of Oxfordshire (1700):
I have no doubt that the similar instance in Monty Python and the Holy Grail is essentially an updating, an homage, and a sillification of that opening retort in Jonson's play. It seems highly likely that the members of Monty Python were familiar with Ben Jonson's great comedy, The Alchemist (1612), which begins (Act I, Scene 1) with this exchange between Face (a servant overseeing his master's property while the master is away on a lengthy trip) and Subtle (a con man who poses as an alchemist):
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