Friday 5 November 2010
Guy Fawkes Night
Today, 5th November, is Guy Fawkes Night, or Bonfire Night, in the UK. Guy Fawkes and his co-conspirators tried to blow-up the British Houses of Parliament on 5th November 1604, but were caught red handed, and sentenced to be hung, drawn and quartered (drawn by horse on a wooden hurdle to the place of execution, and once there were ritually hanged, emasculated, disemboweled, beheaded and quartered (chopped into four pieces).) Fawkes managed to jump from the scaffold and broke his neck before the full sentence was executed. I am surprised to see that here in South Africa, Guy Fawkes Night is celebrated too. Any excuse for letting off fireworks and having a big fire, eh? Olly
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Hung drawn and quartered also means that guy fawke's remains were taken to the 4 quarters of the city of London where they were put on stakes. The belief at the time being, from the roman catholic church, that if the body was complete it couldn't ascend to heaven! Rather grim eh?
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