The start of bonfire season!
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Click Here for Free Sci-Fi and Fantasy November Reads Remember, remember the fifth of November. The gunpowder, treason, and plot. I see no reason why gunpowder treason should ever be forgot. On this day, 420 years ago, Guy Fawkes and his friends attempted to blow up England’s parliament to kill King James I of England (James VI of Scotland) and reinstate a Catholic regime. And this year, I did forget. Initially. Except, I’m doing a bit of research on the Scottish Witch Trials in the 17th century, and my favourite teacher in all of Scotland—Eilidh of the Generally Spooky History podcast—casually mentioned that James I/VI was the target of the Gunpowder Plot. That jogged my memory. I glanced at the calendar and lo and behold, today is November 5th. But until this year, I had no idea that King James I was the monarch at the time of Guy Fawkes. I blame it on the fact that the film V for Vendetta hit theatres the year I finished high school. I saw it with my nerd friends, who were obsessed over the graphic novels and pointed out all the moments that were true to the comics. This was in 2005, before Google became a tool we could all use anytime we wanted to learn about something. Consequently, I saw Guy Fawkes as a generic symbol of resistance against an oppressive government. While I knew Guy Fawkes was a real figure, I had no idea as to the climate he lived in or his motivations. But I love diving into history, so today I watched two short documentaries on History Hit* about Guy Fawkes himself and what might have happened if his plot had succeeded. * I'm not affiliated, just a BIG fan. I was surprised to learn that beyond their plot to blow up parliament and assassinate the king and many of the country’s political leaders, the conspirators did not have much of a plan in the aftermath. Their intention was to kidnap James I’s daughter, brainwash her, and marry her off to reinstate a Catholic-friendly regime. Not a very admirable plan, in my opinion. But, revisiting the tale of the fifth of November reminded me that even when you think you know something from the past, chances are you haven’t heard the whole story. And it's made me want to rewatch the film V for Vendetta because I know it will leave a dramatically different impression on me now, in this global political climate, and in my current era of life than it did when I was a teenager. History and folklore are best enjoyed when curiosity sets the fire. So, Reader, is there a historical event that fascinates you because of a movie or book you read? Hit reply and tell me about it. Until next time, Natalie Guttormsson PS - Click Here for Free Sci-Fi and Fantasy November Reads Read The Stories: The Fall of the Queen of Elphame (Free) In the Company of Elves |