Arrogance or Ignorance

I quote from a book I'm reading: "Champion raised his gloved hand in a regal salute. But when only three of your fingers are able to wave, such a gesture can look awfully like a very rude Anglo-Saxon sign". As with many things viz gardens, weather, architecture, trees, birds, wild flowers, a sea channel, army and International agreements, on examination  there's nothing English about it at all, it was to signify to the enemy that the Welsh archers were still very capable of inflicting harm or fatality with their longbows & arrows; subconscious conceit holds no bounds.