After watching 'V for Vendetta' I was naturally curious about Guy Fawkes. All I used to know about him was that he was someone who got caught trying to blow up parliment. The 'why' of it never crossed my mind. Fortunately for me, there is an article in Wikipedia :
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guy_fawkes)
It was pretty amazing that his act of 'treason', trying to blow up parliment, was considered by some people to be a good thing. Guy Fawkes is sometimes referred to as " the only man to ever enter parliment with good intentions' :p .. goes to say something about politicians huh. It just comes to show that one man's terrorist is another's hero.
Guy Fawkes and his fellow conspirators planned to blow up parliment and with it King James I and most of the Protestant aristocracy. It had to be remembered that at that time, people were outlawed from practicing their faith (Catholics) and their priests were executed and the faitful prosecuted. People were also forced to take part in the rituals of the Anglican Church. These facts were used as argument that the conspirators of the Gunpowder Plot were justified to go to war with the government.
Unfortunately for Guy, and fortunately for the king. Guy was caught before he could set the gunpowder stacked underneath the parliment. He was then tortured, made to confess and finally executed and quartered.
Until today, some places still celebrate Guy Fawkes day on the 5th of November. The celebration is also known as Bonfire Night or Firework Night. Kids make 'guys' which are effigies meant to represent Guy and then set it on fire. These effigies are usually made from old papers stuffed into old clothes and an ugly mask is put on it. Because of the practice of putting grotesque masks on these 'guys' the term 'guy' itself came to carry the connotation of someone ugly, unpresentable or weirdly dressed. Later on the connotation of the word changed to become something more common. So whenever you use the the term guy as in " that guy " ... remember where it came from and what it originally means :P ..
Here is a popular verse sung to remember the Gunpowder Plot : (taken from Wikipedia)
Remember, remember the fifth of November,
gunpowder, treason and plot,
I see 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 burning match.
Holloa boys, holloa boys, make the bells ring.
Holloa boys, holloa boys, God save the King!
Hip hip hoorah!
(traditionally the following verses were also sung, but they have fallen out of favour because of their content)
A penny loaf to feed the Pope.
A farthing o' cheese to choke him.
A pint of beer to rinse it down.
A faggot of sticks to burn him.
Burn him in a tub of tar.
Burn him like a blazing star.
Burn his body from his head.
Then we'll say ol' Pope is dead.
Hip hip hoorah!
Hip hip hoorah!
-Warlock |
