Happy Guy Fawkes Day!

Guy Fawkes is burned in effigy every
year in England and in other English
held territories

Every year on November 5th, Protestant England celebrates Guy Fawkes Day. I guess depending on your allegiances - you could either love this holiday or hate it.  Of course, I'm a fan of old traditions and can see the humor in it all, so Guy Fawkes Day is right up my alley.

Quite a bit known about Guido "Guy" Fawkes from the historical record.  We know he was born in York in 1570 to Edward and Edith Fawkes.  His parents were protestant and members of the Church of England.  His father was proctor and advocate of the Consistory Court at York. His father died when he was eight years of age, and his mother married a die-hard Catholic rebel.  Largely due to his step-father, Fawkes converted to Catholicism. He became so caught up in Catholic rebellion that he left England to fight for Catholic Spain against Protestant Dutch Reformers during the Eighty Years War. 

According to historical fact, he approached Spanish Catholic leaders and offered to establish a Catholic Rebellion in England.  His requests were refused.  Upon his return to England, Fawkes met Robert Catesby through Thomas Wintour with whom he served in Spain.  Catesby was already helping to lead conspiracy against King James I to restore a Catholic Monarch to the English Throne.

Thus through this association, the "Gunpowder Plot of 1605" was hatched.  The goals was to blow up the House of Lords.  Fawkes was placed in charge of the gunpowder amount of kegs which were stored beneath the Parliament building.  In was sometime in the early morning of November 5th that authorities were provided an anonymous letter outlining the plan in detail - and on that evening Guy Fawkes was caught red-handed guarding 20 barrels of Gunpowder.

Government officials captured Fawkes and tortured him during extensive questioning where he revealed the plot, and his co-conspirators.  He was sentenced to be executed publicly on January 31.  When his day of reckoning came, he avoided hanging by jumping from the scaffold, but as fate would have it - the villain broke his neck doing so.  So he avoided the hangman, although his body was publicly mutilated as was the custom of the day, and his internal organs burned.

Ironically, each year the failed scheme of the Gunpowder Plot is commemorated each year by public firework displays.  Guy Fawkes is the central figure remembered, and is burned in effigy cross England in both neighborhood and large scale celebrations - although realistically Robert Catesby was likely the central figure behind the plot.  Catesby's intention was to kill James I and replace him with his daughter, Princess Elizabeth on the throne. 

Here is the Poem well-known to most English patriots, there and abroad:

Remember, remember, the 5th of November
The Gunpowder Treason and plot ;
I know of no reason why Gunpowder Treason
Should ever be forgot.

Guy Fawkes, Guy Fawkes,
'Twas his intent.
To blow up the King and the Parliament.

Three score barrels of powder below.
Poor old England to overthrow.
By God's providence he was catch'd,
With a dark lantern and burning match
Holloa boys, Holloa boys, let the bells ring
Holloa boys, Holloa boys, God save the King!

Hip hip Hoorah !
Hip hip Hoorah !

A penny loaf to feed ol'Pope,
A farthing cheese to choke him.
A pint of beer to rinse it down,
A faggot of sticks to burn him.

Burn him in a tub of tar,'
Burn him like a blazing star.
Burn his body from his head,
Then we'll say: ol'Pope is dead.

The Origins of Halloween and Guy Fawkes Day

Typical Halloween Pumpkin

Early practitioners of pagan religions (usually the Celts) often get credited as being the root source of our modern day Halloween.  But this is only partially true, as a great deal of the credit actually belongs to Christianity. 

During the first century when Christianity began to spread across Europe, the Christian Church co-opted various Pagan holidays and practices because they were very popular with the population.  The decision to combine several pagan festival dates while giving them a Christian slant better enabled the transition from Paganism to Christianity.

The first holiday that would help make the Church make the transition was the widely practiced pagan holiday -  Lemuria which was held on May 13th.  It was believed that annually on this day, the dead would rise up from the grave and return as ghosts to haunt the living - unless they were placated which was done by pouring milk on their graves or offering them little cakes.  In 609 AD, the Church co-opted Lemuria and changed the name of the holiday to All Saints Day.   A day meant to honor the holiest of church saints.

The holiday was very successful, and the Roman church moved the date to November 1 and the adopted name of All Saints Day changed to All Hallows Day. The reason it was moved was for the purpose of "draining the life" of the Pagan holiday Samhain which fell on October 31. 

The result of this move was that people began referring to Samhain as All Hallows Evening.  The name then shortened to All Hallows Even and eventually shortened to Halloween.  Taking a further step, the Church created a new holiday called All Souls Day on November 2nd which was the purpose of honoring all departed Christians. 

The Church also gets credit for establishing the first Trick or Treating practice although it is not the same as the modern day Trick or Treating done by children today - but does share some resemblances.  The Catholic Church told its practitioners that many of their loved ones were not in Heaven or in Hell but stuck  in the middle in a place referred to as Purgatory.  The only way they would be granted entrance into Heaven, the Church told them, was to say enough Christian prayers for their souls so that they would rise up into Heaven.

Relatives of the dead began to seek anyone who would help say prayers to help their departed family members escape to Heaven.  The result of this was that Medieval beggars and poor people would go door to door, and for a small fee of a soul cake -  usually made up of flour, spices and raisins -  they would offer up prayers for the dead.  The significance of this tradition started by the Church is the basis for the references to death, dying, graveyards and other death-related elements found in our modern day Halloween.

Over time, the beggars became more rowdy and demanding for food and drink, and even took to wearing masks as to disguise their identities.  This further gave rise to unruly behavior and even destructive acts during Halloween night.  Over time, most of these traditions were found only in rural, country areas of Europe, and England.  But it was about to get a big boost in London.


Pro-Catholic terrorist Guy Fawkes and his conspirators

 On November 5, 1605, Guy Fawkes, a pro-Catholic terrorist, attempted to blow up the House of Lords in what was known as the Gunpowder Plot.  Guido Fawkes was caught, tried, hung, and his body drawn and quartered, and his body parts were thrown into a large bonfire in front of cheering crowds.  Each year after that and even today, the tradition of bonfires and burning Guy Fawkes in effigy is repeated. This holiday is very close to Halloween, and many of the traditions of wearing masks, begging for treats, and celebrations carried over from Halloween.

As immigrants came to America, many of them brought with them the traditions of Halloween.  Since a large majority of the immigrants came from England, and were still British subjects, Guy Fawkes Day combined with Halloween practices took hold in the Colonies, and became adopted by all Colonists.

And as immigration extended beyond Protestant Englishmen, the Guy Fawkes holiday dissipated but Halloween grew.  As expected,  traditions morphed over time to our modern day American Halloween - Jack 'O Lanterns, Headless Horsemen, Ghosts and Goblins, and masks and candy.  

Interestingly enough, over the last century, American traditions expanded outward and returned back to the place from which it came.  Although Guy Fawkes Day still remains a much larger holiday in England then Halloween, Halloween is still widely celebrated by children and adults alike.

Have a safe and happy Halloween!