Site of the Day for Thursday, November 5, 2015
Cheery greetings to all those celebrating Guy Fawkes Day in the UK
"Remember, remember!
The fifth of November,
The Gunpowder treason and plot;
I know of no reason
Why the Gunpowder treason
Should ever be forgot!'
Was Guy Fawkes a Fall Guy?
Today's site from BBC News offers a compelling look at one of the most
enduringly famous historical figures in English history -- Guy Fawkes. Gentle
Subscribers will discover the endlessly fascinating story of the Gunpowder Plot
and the man whose name has become synonymous with it over the centuries.
"He is the most notorious of traitors to the British Crown. ... Who now can
immediately name William Joyce as Lord Haw-Haw, English propagandist for Nazi
Germany? Or Roger Casement, who canvassed for German support for the 1916
Easter Rising? Or the British Free Corps, a unit of the Waffen-SS formed of
British men? Individual names haven't made it out of the history books. ... In
contrast, each schoolchild in Britain learns the story of Guy Fawkes and the
Gunpowder Plot, and every year we burn his effigy to the accompaniment of
fireworks. ... But have we been commemorating a triumphant victory of the law
over a violent usurper, or slandering the memory of an unwitting dupe?"- from
the website
Although 410 years have passed since the plot to blow up the British Parliament
occurred, echoes of its existence still resonate -- from the 19th century poem
to the masks used in V for Vendetta and the Occupy protests. This BBC report
chronicles the events which swirled around the conspirators and speculates on
the possibility of an interesting alternative theory. Among its features are a
portrait of the strangely familiar King's spymaster, Robert Cecil, contemporary
illustrations of the plot, and the visceral evidence of Guy Fawkes's own
signature, before and after his torture.
Sidle over to the site for a riveting tale of one of English history's most
dramatic events at:
http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-politics-29722437
A.M. Holm
Comments? Suggestions? amholm@xxxxxxxxxxx
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