Today in Labor History January 31, 1606: Guy Fawkes jumped to his death moments before his execution for treason. Guy Fawkes belonged to a group of provincial English Catholics who planned the failed Gunpowder Plot of 1605. Fawkes, who had converted to Catholicism, also fought in the 80-Years War for Catholic Spain against the Dutch. He later traveled to Spain seeking support for a Catholic rebellion in England. The English tortured him into confessing the names of his co-conspirators. Brits have celebrated Guy Fawkes Day ever since, usually accompanied by fireworks and burning effigies, traditionally the pope, but recently they’ve burned effigies of Liz Truss, Rishi Sunak and Margaret Thatcher, instead. James Sharpe, professor of history at the University of York, called Fawkes "the last man to enter Parliament with honest intentions." Numerous historical novels and children’s books have been written about Fawkes, including William Harrison Ainsworth's 1841 historical romance “Guy Fawkes; or, The Gunpowder Treason.”
In the past twenty years or so this poem has gotten connected to and celebrated in the masterpiece V FOR VENDETTA written by Alan Moore and illustrated by David Lloyd. It truly is one of the greatest graphic novels ever created.
If you've never read the book or have only seen the very good film version I highly recommend it. It is brilliant.
Why does New Zealand “celebrate” Guy Fawkes Night?
Yes, NZ is Commonwealth but FFS the whole thing was a Catholic vs Protestant thing in the 1600s.
And so much of NZ is rural with livestock that certainly don’t react well to fireworks.
Just heard a bunch of birds go nuts when someone set off fireworks (actually I think it mostly the peacocks down in the bush so they can just f-off anyways)
Lived here nearly 20 years and don’t understand Guy Fawkes stuff at all I guess.
This Sunday, remember, remember...
(@neilhimself and Charles Vess, and I think Ben Elton should be paying them both royalties for ALL IS TRUE ;)) #guyfawkes