Fireworks can herald the celebration of new leadership for a society. The flash and unexpected noisy boom can scare pets, wildlife and people. Fireworks trigger a natural thrill for the enthusiasts. Around the world, these devices can help celebrate a cultural heritage for all citizens aware of the reason. Hello, excitement.
At times, though, darker, nefarious purposes can hide behind the guise of booming lights. One such moment occurred a few hundred years ago in the West Midlands area of England. Today, the Midlands may be found in the environs of Warwick, Birmingham and Stratford-upon-Avon.
The early 1600s in England had governance stymied. Political aspirations were held by parties of faith, Catholicism and Protestantism. The period also marked the beginnings of modern English. Technology, too, was advancing, most visibly the introduction of the printing press and increasing literacy in the country. In short, it was a Petri dish for turmoil.
The Midlands of England hosted many of the principal characters of the time. The first founding settlers of America would come from this region, wanting only a peaceful place for their religious practice. Other people in the region had other ideas.
In 1605 this stew boiled over into the gunpowder plot. Fireworks need gunpowder. A group of conspirators frustrated by the impasse decided the only solution was three sticks of dynamite and a cleaning lady. They reasoned it was time to get rid of the blockage by blowing it up. It was the king and his parliament, their supposed representatives. It almost succeeded.
The conspirators got gunpowder, lots of it. They stored it in an unused cellar under the Parliament building. Guy Fawkes, a conspirator, was given a match and told to light the fuse. Thirty-six barrels — all about the size of a potato barrel — would cause carnage and remove most of English leadership. Captured just before dropping the torch on the powder line, Guy Fawkes lent his name to a period of celebration that takes place the first week of November.
Today, huge bonfires and fireworks displays celebrate this event. This is a time when lots of old broken furniture, bits of trees and shrubs are heaped up and burned in town squares. Dotting the English countryside during the time of Guy Fawkes Day celebrations, these bonfires and fireworks light the night. They foster a sense of community while celebrating the downfall of radicals like Guy Fawkes.
Nov. 5, 1605, was a unique moment in history and deserves to be celebrated. But blowing up a blockage is not the right solution. As the fires become embers and the embers die out, there is something to celebrate. Good governance booms.
Orpheus Allison is a photojournalist living in The County who graduated from UMPI and earned a master of liberal arts degree from the University of North Carolina. He began his journalism career at WAGM television, worked around the U.S., and later changed careers and taught in China and Korea.
