Topic Tuesday #68 2013/11/05 - "Guy Fawkes Night"

"Remember, remember, the Fifth of November, the Gunpowder Treason and Plot. I know of no reason why the Gunpowder Treason should ever be forgot..." As the rhyme is most often remembered after V for Vendetta gave us another reason to remember Guy Fawkes. Earlier ditties were all similar enough to leave to your imaginations and a quick search on Google.

So, did we forget what happened on the fifth of November 1605? If you are American, you are likely nodding, while if you are British, you may be setting something on fire right now and reading this after the fact. Bonfire Night, as it is also known, commemorates in better humor than the original night was conceived, the attempt by the Gunpowder Plot to blow up the House of Lords at Winchester Palace on the opening day of Parliment in an attempt to kill King James I (as well as many other high level targets). Also known as the Jesuit Treason, the goal was to install the King's daughter, 9 year old Princess Elizabeth, as the Catholic head of state. Of the list of conspirators, Fawkes had the military background and was given charge of the explosives (pun intended). This would have been quite an effective strike, had it gone off.

The conspirators were ratted out by an anonymous letter to Baron Monteagle William Parker. As the story goes, Guy was caught guarding 36 barrels of gunpowder under the House of Lords around midnight on November 4th. The rest of the Plot was caught after some battles with the Sheriff of Worchester (not just a sauce you know). The eight survivors were tried January 27th, 1606, convicted and then sentenced to be hung, drawn, and quartered.

Given the nature of the plot, it was often heralded by many of the Catholic faith and became more than just a treasonous plot. Over the centuries, it has become a celebration known as Bonfire Night, where Fawkes is burned in effigy on a bonfire, commonly accompanied by a firework display.

Rather interesting that a plot to kill the head of state by a bunch of religious extremists would turn into a celebration. Remeber the fifth of November!

I now leave you with my favorite scene from "V for Vendetta."

V: Voilà! In view, a humble vaudevillian veteran, cast vicariously as both victim and villain by the vicissitudes of Fate. This visage, no mere veneer of vanity, is a vestige of the vox populi, now vacant, vanished. However, this valorous visitation of a by-gone vexation, stands vivified and has vowed to vanquish these venal and virulent vermin vanguarding vice and vouchsafing the violently vicious and voracious violation of volition.
[carves "V" into poster on wall]
V: The only verdict is vengeance; a vendetta, held as a votive, not in vain, for the value and veracity of such shall one day vindicate the vigilant and the virtuous.
V: [giggles]
V: Verily, this vichyssoise of verbiage veers most verbose, so let me simply add that it's my very good honor to meet you and you may call me V.