Gunpowder, Treason and Plot



Guy Fawkes - Loved to Party

Today is the 5th of November, the anniversary of the old rogue Guido Fawkes' (now rebranded as Guy Fawkes) attempt to blow up the King on England!

Here is a potted (and completely honest) history... ok, with some embellishment.. 

5th November, also known as Bonfire Night. 

Back in 1605, Guido Fawkes and his cronies wanted to protest on how Catholics were treated.

So they decided that they would try to blow up the Houses of Parliament, in particular the House of Lords, by smuggling in hundreds of gunpowder kegs into the cellar for a firework display of their own and try detonating them on 5th November as the King (James I) was opening Parliament.

Unfortunately for Guy Fawkes, one of his gang was a lag and would blab when he got smashed and word soon spread all over town about this amazing party they were planning. They were caught in the act without so much as a roman candle going off.

Penny for the Guy?

In those days execution was considered as a fitting punishment for minor crimes like stealing a loaf of bread.  So they decided on a more fitting punishment and decided to chop Guy Fawkes into bits, hang him for a couple of minutes, disembowel him and do other unmentionable things to embarrass him whilst he was still alive.

Since petty crime only resulted in the severing of limbs and sometimes being boiled in oil, this gruesome torture of being 'hung drawn and quartered' was reserved exclusively for traitors. 

Whilst Guy Fawkes was a bit of a shit, he is also widely regarded as a person who knew how to Party. 

This is still observed on 5th November every year, when people of Great Britain, literally burn money they don't have and cheer as they see it go up in flames and whoosh into the air and erupt as fireworks.. whilst those who are more sensible collect old logs, burn and effigy called a Guy and create a massive bonfire to roast their chestnuts.