How did Guy Fawkes die?
In Britain, this evening is celebrated as Bonfire Night – a commemoration of the Gunpowder Plot, the failed attempt by the Catholic Guy Fawkes and his co-conspirators to blow up the Protestant Parliament in 1605. But how exactly did Fawkes die?
After being found guilty, the conspirators were taken to Old Palace Yard in Westminster and St Paul’s Yard, where they were hanged, drawn, and quartered. Fawkes, however, managed to avoid the worst of this execution by jumping from the scaffold where he was supposed to be hanged, breaking his neck before he could be drawn and quartered.
So, what exactly does it mean to say that someone was hanged, drawn, and quartered? You can learn the details of this revolting form of execution here.
No wonder Fawkes jumped …