Posted on 11/05/2008 6:45:49 AM PST by Alex Murphy
If the fifth of November is ever discussed nowadays, all of the talk revolves around the popular movie adaptation of the graphic novel “V for Vendetta,” starring Natalie Portman and Hugo Weaving.
There is much more to this day than what is referenced in the popular film, despite its accuracy in recounting the events of that day.
History.com says the Gunpowder Plot was organized by Robert Talshem, a Catholic Englishman attempting to avenge his father’s persecution by Queen Elizabeth I for not becoming a member of the Church of England.
Guy Fawkes aided this event by planting barrels of gunpowder beneath the Houses of Parliament the night before Nov. 5, 1605. After another member of the Catholic group alerted a relative in Parliament of the plot, the tunnels under the building were searched and Fawkes was found lurking around the barrels of powder.
They planned to blow up Parliament on that day because King James I was present, overseeing the government body’s affairs and, with him and the Anglican government gone, it was hoped a new Catholic government could be established.
Fawkes was tortured after he was arrested until he revealed all of his fellow conspirators in the scheme. They were all executed for their roles in the attempt. While making his way up to the deck where he was to be hanged, Fawkes jumped from a ladder to his death.
England enforced a holiday to remember the events of Nov. 5, 1605 the following year to impose a view of Catholic inferiority and Anglican supremacy.
This date has since been known as Guy Fawkes Night, Bonfire Night, Cracker Night and even Pope’s Day. Celebrations on Nov. 5 are very diverse, but usually all include the lighting of fireworks or bonfires as the primary attraction.
It was common in England to burn “guys” in the bonfires, which usually consisted of burning fake models of Guy Fawkes. This is not common nowadays in the festivities, but some people still burn replicas of hated public figures.
In the British colonies in North America, the fifth of November was known as Pope’s Day and it was a custom to perform ceremonies mocking the Catholic Church. For 11 years now, the fifth of November has been celebrated by people in Westerly, Rhode Island. They perform comedy sketches that are acted out by locals and retell Talshem’s plot, usually with Fawkes as the main character, and then have a bonfire and music.
Guyfawkesusa.com is a website that tells of this event and offers pictures and stories of their past celebrations.
Although “V for Vendetta” was what actually revealed the historical value of Nov. 5 to many Americans, it has been celebrated by some people here and many in the UK and its former colonies for centuries and in many various ways.
He is not one to be celebrated.
Today is also the day Ayers and his radicals can celebrate bombing of government buildings as the sheeple worship them from below.
We used to live in the Caymans. We always had “bangers and mash” (sausanges w/mashed potatoes) on Guy Fawkes Day, I guess it’s a tradition.
See: http://thecapitalscot.com/pastfeatures/gfawkes.html. The Urban Crucible is a very interesting read.
The English speaking people are curious lot. We all let off fireworks to commemorate acts of treason against the British Crown: in Britain, Australia and New Zealand on the fifth of November to commemorate an unsuccessful one, in America on the fourth of July to commemorate one which proved successful.
One of my favorite movies. I have a GF mask for protesting $cientology. Guess I better hang on to it when I protest another ‘dictatorship’....Obamanation.
Of course, I just like pointing out the oddity of Guy Fawkes’ Day by phrasing it that way.
Good heavens. That’s really, really ugly, isn’t it?
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