Rhymes are one of the most common methods to remember dates. In America, school children recite, "In 1492, Columbus sailed the ocean blue." In Britain, a famous rhyme commemorates one of the most notorious events, or almost events, planned to shake-up British politics.
This was the attempt in 1605 by a group of Catholic men to kill the Protestant King James I, and establish religious freedom for Catholics. One of these men was Guy Fawkes, whose image lives into the present, in masks, comic books, movies, celebrations and protests.
Guy Fawkes, Guido Fawkes
Born in 1570, Englishman Guy Fawkes sympathized with Spain, and fought there, where he was known as "Guido" Fawkes, and made a name for himself, especially with munitions. Returning to England, he hoped that the coronation of James I would result in religious freedom for Catholics like himself.
However, James I was a staunch Protestant. Thus, a group of 13 Catholic men, including Guy Fawkes, allegedly decided to blow up Parliament on Nov. 5, 1605, during the King's scheduled visit.
The plot was discovered, and the men arrested or killed. Guy Fawkes was tortured, and signed a confession as "Guido Fawkes," the first signature faint, just after he was tortured, hanged by the wrist and stretched on the rack. A second signature was signed eight days later, just under the first one. He died on Jan. 31, 1606, cheating the hangman and executioners by jumping from the platform and breaking his neck before he could be hanged, drawn, and quartered.
King James I, delighted to have escaped the assassination attempt, ordered his subjects to celebrate by lighting bonfires at night, where people brought effigies of Guy Fawkes, to burn and/or hang.
The event is described in the following rhyme:
“Remember, remember the fifth of November,
The gunpowder treason and plot,
I know of no reason why the gunpowder treason
Should ever be forgot.”
Guy Fawkes, Anarchy, and V for Vendetta
Guy Fawkes may have lived and died over four hundred years ago, but he remains alive in western culture, in books and film, as comments on political oppression.
Some anarchists have adopted Guy Fawkes as a sort of hero. One anarchist poster proclaims, “Vote for Guy Fawkes, The Only Man to Enter Parliament with Honest Intentions.”
The comic book, or graphic novel, V for Vendetta, and the corresponding film of the same name, illustrate the theme of rebellion against an oppressive government. The main character, "V" covers his burned face with a Guy Fawkes mask as he makes plans to complete the "Gunpowder Plot" by blowing up Parliament, and ending the fascist "Norsefire" government, similar to the "Big Brother" government in George Orwell's distopian novel 1984.
In this case, "V" is an inverted "A: and stands for "anarchy."
Guy Fawkes and the Modern Use of the Term “Guy” for Humans.
According to the Oxford English Dictionary, the term “guy” can mean a guide, conductor, or leader.
The term also refers to Guy Fawkes, “An effigy of Guy Fawkes carried about in the streets on the anniversary of the “Gunpowder Plot” (November 5) and burnt in the evening, usually with a display of fireworks.”
Often, people participating in observing Guy Fawkes night also take the opportunity to burn the effigies of other public figures in distain, and these figures are also referred to as “guys.”
While the dictionary notes that the custom is dwindling, apparently, it is still quite alive.
Indeed, the term “guy” has undergone a metamorphosis, being applied to males as being “guys.” It is now used to refer informally or in slang to males and females as being “guys.” It is also used to describe children or babies as being “little guys.”
The King is Forgotten. Guy Fawkes is Remembered.
The story of Guy Fawkes ends in irony. While King James I ordered bonfires to celebrate the downfall of his would-be assassins, most people don't remember the king's name.
Guy Fawkes, however, is memorialized in the yearly bonfire celebrations, books, and film, and everytime someone says the word "guy."
References
Klein, Craig. “V for Vendetta.” Website.
“V for Vendetta. Film. Directed by James McTeigue. Produced by Joel Silver and Wachowski Brothers. Starring Natalie Portman and Hugo Weaving.
Moore, Alan, and David Lloyd. V for Vendetta. Graphic Novel.
“Vote for Guy Fawkes, The Only Man to Enter Parliament with Honourable Intentions.” Anarchist Poster
Teresa Knudsen - Teresa's writing appears in the British Library, Harvard, Yale, and Princeton. Online she has written for USA Today and E How.
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