"A Wild and Crazy Guy" - Steve Martin, 1978
It's Guy Fawkes Day (Bonfire Night) here in England, and we can hear the firecrackers going off outside. I just got up to see if we were in the midst of a thunderstorm, it's getting so loud.
Until this year, I was under the mistaken impression that Guy Fawkes was one of the heroes of the event. I didn't realize that he was part of the group trying to overthrow the government of King James I. Fawkes was the one caught 400 years ago-- under the House of Lords -- in the terrorist plot, and he was tortured and executed (in a particularly brutal way) as a result.
And I also didn't know anything about the Catholic versus Protestant aspect of this whole event until now. I understand there's still a somewhat controversial -- but very traditional -- anti-Catholic parade held around this time of year in Lewes, East Sussex each year. Howard, since that's your part of England, maybe you can comment? (Hope I got that right, Howard -- and if I didn't, please correct me!)
John has also found an interesting page on the BBC website here, comparing Guy Fawkes Day to Halloween. I was thinking more that this is a bit like England's Fourth of July, myself!
Janet
posted by Janet @ 9:30 pm
5 Comments
5 Comments:
We were taught the history of the gunpowder plot in school, but the teachers never mentioned the Catholic vs Protestant aspect. The plotters were simply bad men who didn't like the King, end of story.
I was much older before I learned of religious motivation aspect.
If you ever delve deeper into British history, you'll find the most of the struggles which took place were between Catholics and Protestants fighting for control of the throne.
I like your blog, by the way. But what's with the Chelsea FC and Inverness Caley Thistle links? We obviously need to get you learned up about football. :-)
Andrew,
Thanks for all your comments!
Re the footie, well...can't help it...I've been a Chelsea fan a long time before moving here...before they bought their way to the top of the Premiership.
As for ICT...WELL, all I can say is that we love Inverness and therefore decided that we'd just start supporting them from afar.
I'll bet that's a truly dreadful combination to a Brit, right?
Meanwhile, I'm Protestant and my John's Catholic. We've discussed the fact that in olden times, we wouldn't have been ALLOWED to have a relationshio...much less get married. Shame. SO MANY problems caused by conflicts between religious groups. Shameful...
Thanks for being a fan, and I'll keep watching YOUR blog as well.
Janet
"Lord Celery"
Dear Janet,
The Lewes Bonfire celebrations have a long and complex history, but a major theme is remembrance of the death of 17 Protestant martyrs, burnt at the stake in the High Street during Queen Mary's persecutions between 1555 and 1557. Some regard the celebrations as being anti-Catholic for this reason, but they are no more anti-Catholic than the 4th of July is anti-British. Others are alarmed that there are banners proclaiming "No Popery!", but this does not mean "No Catholicism": popery here means Papal interference in a sovereign nation over which the Papacy has no jurisdiction. It is true that at some of the bonfires an effigy of the Pope is burnt (or rather, exploded), but it is Pope Paul V (Camillo Borghese, Pope at the time of the Gunpowder Plot) not the current Pope that is burnt.
The celebrations are run by Bonfire Societies, and I personally know a number of Roman Catholics who belong to these societies. Nor does the Roman Catholic priest of the town object. If the thing at one time had a sectarian slant to it, it no longer does.
A useful link to a more detailed description is at
http://www.lewesbonfirecouncil.org.uk/history/index.html
Hope this clears up some misapprehensions about Lewes Bonfire!
Howard
Thanks, Howard! I knew you'd set us all straight!
Janet
(lordcelery.blogspot.com)
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