The Raising of the Chicken Banner

Many aspects of medieval nobility's life were governed by ceremony and had to strictly adhere to protocol. Everything from going through doors to eating meals had to be performed exactly as the proper form instructed. These formal restrictions applied even to childish behaviours, such as pre-combat name calling, known today as fronting. Depicted left is the Chicken Leg Banner Bearer who, when instructed by the leader wishing to initiate the name calling phase, would rise the banner depicting a chicken leg to show it to the opposing faction's leader. The message of the banner was effectively calling the courage of the offended party into question. This was a signal for the army behind the banner to begin chanting "buck-buck" noises. It was then customary to wait for either a reply or an attack. Remnants of the Chicken Leg Banner protocol remain in Anglo-Saxon culture to this day.