Raycom News Network / By Amanda Heisey

That rhyme might ring a bell to some people. But by and large, its message - and the history behind it - has largely been forgotten. But come Saturday, some Americans might have new reason to remember.

The Fifth of November is a historical observance held mostly in Britain. But this year, the hacker group Anonymous is threatening to take down Facebook on that day. The group wears the mask of Guy Fawkes to disguise their faces and embed in the public's mind the menacing image of a vigilante.

Maybe it's not what the 17th-century Guy Fawkes intended, but the mask has become emblematic of several resistance groups, from Anonymous to the Occupy Wall Street protesters. Even WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange has donned the mask.

Turn on the news any day, and you're likely to see the pointy-featured mask with enigmatic eyes staring back at you.

Who is Guy Fawkes?

If you don't know the history of Guy Fawkes or what significance the mainly British holiday has for Americans, you're not alone.

"Guy Fawkes Day must not be too important," said Katie Natalie on KPLC-TV's Facebook page. "I never heard of it."

What began as an attempt to take down the British crown in 1605 has lately morphed into a symbol of a supposed peaceful resistance.

The image itself comes from a graphic novel, V for Vendetta, created by Alan Moore and David Lloyd. V was a vigilante superhero who fights for the oppressed in a 1984-esque, futurist England.

American audiences might know V for Vendetta better from the 2006 movie by the same name starring Natalie Portman and the actor better known for his turn as Agent Smith in the movie The Matrix.

During the past few years, the mask has pushed further and further into the mainstream, with its visage now a prominent feature during Occupy protests and YouTube messages posted by the Anonymous hackers.

"It's a universal symbol of resistance to any group opposing any perceived tyranny," Lloyd told the blog PostDesk. "And there is no shortage of tyrannical powers to express opposition to in this world."

The right mask for the job?

The story behind the real man behind the mask begins in the 1500s, when Elizabeth I began persecuting the Catholic minority by instituting severe civil penalties for the practice of their religion. In the 1500s, you could be executed for being a Catholic priest – or for housing one.

Along came Guy Fawkes, a converted Catholic, who took arms against the Church of England and the throne, fighting back against the religious persecution. He joined a rebel group led by Robert Catesby.

"Catesby had formulated the idea of placing gunpowder under the Houses of Parliament and eliminating the royal family and the English ruling class in a large explosion when Parliament opened," said James Sharpe, a professor at the University of York, England.

On the night of Nov. 5, 1605, Guy Fawkes was discovered with a stock of gun powder after an anonymous tip led to a search of parliament. Fawkes was tortured until he named his co-conspirators, who were arrested, and publicly hanged, drawn and quartered until they died.

Over the years, Guy Fawkes Day has evolved in England to include fireworks, bonfires and the hanging of Fawkes' effigy.

"Well, obviously these groups want to bring about change, while wearing the mask helps anonymity," said Sharpe. But he also thinks the groups probably don't know the entire history of Fawkes and only know him in the context of (the movie) V for Vendetta.

It's a visual thing

The new plans of Anonymous and Occupy are far from violent, but no less worrisome to some.

There are rumors circulating that Anonymous plans to hack Fox News, Facebook and a Mexican drug cartel on the fifth of November.

According to the Russian Times, they are targeting Fox News for their lack of coverage of the Occupy protests, Facebook for their violation of users' privacy and the Zeta cartel for their abduction of an affiliated member.

According to the Russian Times, on Nov. 5, those siding with the Occupy protesters are vowing to move their money to smaller institutions in what they're calling Bank Transfer Day.

If any or all of these threats come true, America will have a whole new reason to remember the fifth of November and the visage of Guy Fawkes.

The mask has taken on a meaning of its own, separating itself from simply anti-government overtones.

One member of Anonymous told the BBC, "It's a visual thing; it sets us apart from the hippies and the socialists and gives us our own identity. We're about bypassing governments and starting from the bottom."

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