“Remember, remember the 5th November. Gunpowder,
treason and plot”
Okay, it’s not the most original way to start a piece of
writing, but I do like its ominous-sounding dramatic emphasis. The day the
British changed a part of the Halloween celebration to celebrate the downfall
of a Catholic terrorist attack against a Protestant King and his establishment
has long since lost most of its significance. The oldest living generations in
Britain have lived under the shadow of terrorism for a long time now. Many of
us were alive when there was another attempt to blow up the head of our
country. More of us were alive when various far larger scale terrorist attacks
occurred, which rocked the global community in so many ways as to define post
2001 cultural ideas. This has led us to look at the broader view of terrorism
and its many complexities. History also tells us that although the Catholics in
question were fanatical, James I and his regime were far from a magnanimous example
of religious tolerance.
I like Halloween, but besides entertaining my daughter now
with the feeling of an event and the singular memory of visiting my
grandparents’ house where they put on big party, I don’t have a lot of fondness
for the occasion. It seems lack any sort of salvageable substance as a ritual
and there is little in it that is really any different from other occasions. We
light bonfires, as we did long before Guy Fawkes and his fellow conspirators
were foiled, and we let off the Chinese invention of fireworks. My secondary school
was Quaker and for the majority of my time there, our headmaster was Jewish,
which pretty much ended any question of burning a “Guy” effigy. My school did
consent to have a bonfire party, but I only ever attended one. Having said all
that, I am an unashamed history geek and therefore would be wary about
forgetting this particular date.
The events leading up to the “Gunpowder Plot” had been
around for centuries and would persist for centuries to come. Our most modern
example can be found in Northern Ireland where Catholic and Protestant
Christian divisions run deep. The whole issue has often been a complex one. For
example, Henry VIII may have initiated the creation of the Church of England
and split his rule from Rome, but he remained a Catholic throughout his life.
His daughter, “Bloody” Mary, earned herself a legendary reputation for
oppressing Protestants. She was a far better ruler than she was given credit
for, but that is another matter altogether. Her succeeding sister, Elizabeth,
showed more tolerance to both sides, but certainly had to deal with her fair
share of rebellions. She signed the death warrant of her cousin, Mary Queen of
Scots, after imprisoning her for 11 years, for her supposed role in mounting a
Catholic/French conspiracy. Mary was probably little more than a figure head
for this campaign and she had spent the majority of her time in Britain being
used as a pawn for the ambitions of men.
The double twist in the tale came in the form of James
Stewart who became James VI Scotland and James I of England, uniting two
neighbouring countries that had fought many a bitter war. The first twist went
to Elizabeth, as the “Virgin” queen had produced no heirs and was succeeded by
the son of the woman she had had executed. The second twist was for those who
had seen Mary Stewart as the saviour of the Catholic faith. James I was a
devout Protestant in the mould that would be upheld by the Puritans of the
future.
Looking at James I, the target of Guy Fawkes and his fellow
conspirators, we see an educated man who was both opportunistic and very
religious. As it was his men who discovered the plot, he was not only able to
preserve his own life but was also in a position to take advantage of the
collective gratitude of his peers and lever his own political agenda. James often
entered into conflict with Parliament and this event, which became the cause of
national celebration, gave him a huge popular advantage. The extent of his own
brand of religious zealotry and education can be seen in the literature he had
published during his reign. His book, “Daemonologie” would help form the
academic backbone of witch-hunt and demonology. The witch finders that would initiate
the persecution, torture and execution of innocent people over that particular
century, including those carried out by the infamous Witch Finder General
Matthew Hopkins during the English Civil War years and those carried out under
the Calvinist Puritanism in America, are all part of James I’s legacy. Obviously
James was also responsible for putting in writing his own views on how a
monarch should rule and he authorized the world’s most influential English translation
of the Holy Bible.
Looking at the actual Gunpowder Plot we can see a good
historical example of how a genuine political conspiracy works and the reason
why they are often foiled. That, on its own, is a good enough reason to
remember and study this episode from history. Humans repeat patterns and
history, with good rational insight, allows us to see how we operate. Even with
a relatively small group of people, the Gunpowder Plot failed because at least
one of the conspirators spoke outside of the group. A conspiracy is as strong
as its weakest member. Secrets that affect large numbers of people do not
remain secrets for long. The Gunpowder Plot was meticulously planned and driven
by intelligent and capable men of passion. However, life rarely runs completely
in such an orderly fashion. This is something that your average conspiracy
theorist has trouble understanding.
Don't forget to check out Jamie Clubb's main blog www.jamieclubb.blogspot.com
