I know the 4th of November is pretty exciting in these parts, but I thought I'd give it a run for its money.
Please to remember,
The Fifth of November,
Gunpowder, treason and plot;
I see no reason why gunpowder treason
Should ever be forgot.Olde English history (and 1604 pretty much counts as olde US history, too) can be quite exciting. 399 years ago today, the Parliament Buildings ... and most of London ... almost got blown up.
http://www.heraldsun.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5478,7777955%255E663,00.htmlLONDON - Explosive new evidence <oh, har har> has revealed that if Guy Fawkes had succeeded with his gunpowder plot he would have devastated much of central London as well as blowing the Palace of Westminster sky-high.
Boffins at the University of Wales in Aberystwyth worked out the true extent of the damage Guy Fawkes would have caused if his daring deed had not been foiled on November 5, 1605.
... Dr Geraint Thomas, head of the Centre for Explosion Studies said the 2500kg of gunpowder which Guy Fawkes intended to use would be equivalent to the same amount of TNT today.
http://slashdot.org/articles/03/11/05/1228219.shtml?tid=134http://www.innotts.co.uk/asperges/fawkes/fawkes3.htmlGuy Fawkes was a fanatical Roman Catholic convert whose "idea was to explode the gunpowder during the opening of Parliament on 5th November 1605 when the King and Parliament would all be present. The innocent would suffer with the 'guilty' but this was a price to be paid!" And you think you have religious fundamentalism/fanaticism problems today.
Of course, the tale provides an opportunity for all the RC/non-RC animosities to well back up. But in fact, what it provides is an opportunity to gain a little understanding of the causes and sources of the animosities that existed in those times, and that still influence our contexts today. And of course the tale is still told from two very different angles, so a range of sources is wise if looking into it.
The tales of persecution of RCers in England and subsequently North America (e.g. the Acadians who were expelled and became Cajuns) seem fairly well known. What is less well known is the prior reversal of roles:
http://www.innotts.co.uk/asperges/fawkes/fawkes6.html#poem(The following three passages are from readers' submissions to the site)
The Pope burnt in effigy is the Paul V, the Pope at the time of the reign of Queen Mary I (1553 - 1558). Her persecution of Protestants led to the burning of 17 Protestant martyrs at the stake in the town during her reign as well as many others in the county. In addition to the burning of the papal effigy 17 fiery crosses are carried through the town, one for each martyr as a reminder of the injustices perpetrated in an effort to suppress religious freedom.
Ah, like I wuz saying, part of you USers' history too; from that site:
Boston colonials celebrated Guy Fawkes Day prior to the Revolution. Two rival gangs from the North and South End sections would put a Pope dummy on a cart surrounded by attendant dummies dressed as devils. The gangs would take their time and gather strength and drink before eventually colliding. An open brawl would ensue with the object being the acquisition of the rival gang's Pope, like a King in a chessmatch. Samuel Adams decided to meet with the leaders of the two annual brawling groups and persuade them to put their violent energies towards political revolutionary ends instead of fighting for its own sake, while burying the hatchet. This story if from a book "From Lexington to Liberty" by Bruce Lancaster, which I've rewritten in the telling. I hope it is of some interest. I had never heard of Guy Fawkes or Guy Fawkes Day. Few Americans have. But it was part of our culture on the eve of the separation. It was also called Pope's Day over here too.
Ah, and everything old is new again; also from that site:
However, I was disappointed that you missed out any mention of the latest historical research that points to the fact that Guy Fawkes was actually set up by Sir Robert in an attempt to make make the unpopular homosexual James I more acceptable to his new subjects. This is largely the view of most national curriculum text books to a greater or lesser extent. Most school text books tend to concentrate on his Scottish background and his beliefs in the Divine Rights of Kings to help explain his unpopularity but it was his string of gay lovers which repelled most his subjects.
Anyhow, that site --
http://www.innotts.co.uk/asperges/fawkes/indexx.html -- is a cleverly packaged and entertaining introduction to the era, with audio features as well:
Guy Fawkes, born in 1570, died 1606, was caught red-handed in the Palace of Westminster itself on 4th November 1605. Everyone knows who Guy Fawkes was and what he tried to do. But WHY did Guy Fawkes and his fellow conspirators feel driven to do such a thing?
These pages try to address that. The matter necessarily touches upon both religion and politics. Both are central to understand what led to the "Gunpowder Plot."
For anyone looking for a little random knowledge today. ;)
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