Remember, Remember the Fifth of November...

The Gunpowder Treason and plot;

I know of no reason why Gunpowder Treason

should ever be forgot.

Guy Fawkes, Guy Fawkes

'Twas his intent

To Blow up the King and the Parliament.

Three score barrels of powder below.

Poor Old England to overthrow.

By God's providence he was catch'd,

With a dark lantern and a burning match.

It is the 5th of November, and from the hill there are the sights and sounds of fireworks to behold. If not for the cold wind whipping around outside I'd be out there enjoying the view over the valley. Ironically, fireworks here celebrate the retention of the monarch, whereas in America we light fireworks to celebrate our independence from the monarch on the Fourth of July!

This night, also known as "Bonfire Night," held in the United Kingdom, commemorates the Gunpowder Plot which was partly led by Guy Fawkes; the man in charge of actually carrying out the explosion beneath Parliament. He was arrested a few hours before the planned explosion in the cellars of Parliament in the early hours of November 5, 1605 - prompted by an anonymous letter warning of the danger to the King.

Guy Fawkes belonged to a group of Roman Catholic restorationists from England, whose aim was to displace Parliament rule by blowing up the Houses of Parliament while King James I and the entire Protestant, and even most of the Catholic, aristocracy and nobility were inside.

Upon his arrest Guy Fawkes was tortured for days and ultimately he was found guilty and punished by being hanged, drawn and quartered! Fawkes was 35 years old when he died.

Traditionally this night, and well into the weekend, is celebrated with huge bonfire parties and plenty of fireworks, along with an effigy burning of Fawkes' image.

Currently, as I write this, the sounds of fireworks are pervading the air outside and many local villages will be hosting huge bonfire and fireworks parties tomorrow and Saturday night. I am planning on attending one such celebration, tomorrow evening at Mel's house.

There is etymology behind the word "guy." Students in English class back home, who may be working on their etymology projects, would be interested to learn that the term "guy" originates from the name Guy Fawkes. In 18th century England it became a tradition for children to display a grotesque figure of an effigy (likeness) of Guy Fawkes, termed "a guy," as part of the Bonfire Night celebration. The "guy" would be burned on the bonfire at the end of the evening. "Guy" came to mean a man of odd appearance. In American English, the term "guy" lost its negative connotation and simply became a reference to any man. - source: Wikipedia

Fawkes and his story have long been immortalised in poetry through writers such as Milton. He has often been associated with demons and devils in many pieces of Puritanism literature. Over the years his reputation has been restored and today he is often toasted as the "last man ever to enter Parliament with good intent."

Source for this blog post: Wikipedia & BBC