Remember, remember the fifth of November,
gunpowder, treason and plot.
I see no reason why
gunpowder treason
should ever be forgot
Bonfire Night, or Guy Fawkes, is celebrated on the fifth of November. It is funny how nowadays I associate November to Halloween when I have never really celebrated it as a child. In fact, I didn't realise until just a couple of minutes ago that what I did celebrate was Bonfire Night.
Back in 1605, Guy Fawkes and a group of men attempted to blow up the Houses of Parliament. They were disappointed with King James I. They had expected him to be more tolerant with catholics but it turned out that he wasn't.
Ever since, that night is celebrated with bonfires, fireworks and a burning Guy Fawkes dummy.
2 comentarios:
Hi,
Anyone wanting to know more might like to read Antonia Fraser's 'the Gunpowder Plot', which goes very deeply into the origins of discontent which led to this event. Guy Fawkes wasn't actually one of the main instigators, but as he was the one discovered under parliament with barrels of gunpowder, he got singled out for England's rage.
I think that the tradition of burning an effigy of someone is barbaric, like we are nostalgic for the time when England was a country of religious intolerance and enjoyed torturing people before burning them alive.
Thanks for you comment on my blog, by the way, I will be continuing with the theme of important vocab for a while. Keep posting here regularly if you want more hits, and I'll comment when I can to encourage some debate.
I agree with what you say about burning effigies. I had never really thought of it. There are many festivities which have fire as a very important element. e.g.San Juan in Spain, where bonfires are set on beaches or parks...but maybe they have more to do with puryifying and burning what is old to give place to something new...
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