Remember, remember the fifth of November

Remember, Remember the fifth of November
The gunpowder treason and plot
I see no reason why gunpowder treason
should ever be forgot

Guy Fawkes Guy, 'twas his intent
to blow up king and parliament
Three score barrels were laid below
to prove old England's overthrow

By God's mercy he was catched
with a dark lantern and lighted match
Holler boys,Holler boys, let the bells ring
Holler boys Holler boys, God save the King

On the night of 4/5 November 1605, Guy Fawkes and other plotters attempted to blow up the King and the House of Lords. Fawkes was caught beside 36 barrels of gunpowder that had been moved underneath the buildings.

Left: The Discovery of the Gunpowder Plot [Guy Fawkes, in dark clothing, centre.]

Fawkes and his co-conspirators were arrested, tortured and executed. As was the custom for treason, Fawkes was hanged until nearly dead and then slowly dismembered.

Each year since then, bonfires have been lit on the anniversary of the plot in celebration of the plot being thwarted.

Until the 1980s, bonfires were a common occurrence in many parts of Newfoundland and Labrador. St. John's city council banned the celebration, ostensibly because of the problems caused for the local fire brigade. Truthfully there were some truly idiotic occurrences. Some people thought it was cool to toss propane cylinders on the fire, but oddly, there doesn't seem to have ever been a major fire from a bonfire getting out of hand or of an explosion that resulted from stupidity. [I stand to be corrected on that.]

One of the largest ones I recall was on Freshwater Road, in front of the housing development across from what used to be the municipal depot. It was amazing to me, as a child, to be driving in the car with my family and see this immense fire roaring away in the centre of town.

The Gunpowder treason had its roots in tensions between Roman Catholics and Protestants.

In 1601, with the Wright brothers, Catesby was mixed up in the ill-fated rebellion of the Earl of Essex against the dominance of Robert Cecil. It saw him wounded, imprisoned and fined. From then on he was seen as a dangerous character by the government. He had, apparently, been involved in discussions with the Spanish government in 1602 about arranging a rebellion in England. He was one of those who were arrested as a precaution by the English government in 1603 after the death of Queen Elizabeth.

Catesby originated the Gunpowder Plot, having decided that the Spanish would not help the English Catholics. He disclosed it initially to Christopher and John Wright and Thomas Winter, and later to Guy Fawkes and Thomas Percy, in May 1604, at Catesby's lodgings in the Strand in London. Catesby, the 'moving spirit' behind the Plot, recruited others in 1604 and 1605.

More than 400 years after his death, Guy Fawkes and the Gunpowder treason continue to inspire. Guido Fawkes' blog is a compendium of scandal and rumour about English politics.

The 1980s graphic novel V for Vendetta is set in a futuristic Britain after a limited nuclear war. The country is run by fascists; V is an anarchist who sets about to topple the government. He hides his identity behind a Guy Fawkes mask. It was adapted as a film in 2005, with an altered premise (no nuclear war). The film attracted some criticism including from the creators who felt that the movie version ran contrary to the theme of the original work. In place of a conflict between fascism and anarchism was a battle between American conservatism and American liberalism, albeit while retaining the British setting.

People should not be afraid of their governments. Governments should be afraid of their people.