Actually, faggot has a fascinating history that isn't about burning heretics. Faggots were indeed bundles of sticks, with the word originating in Roman times from the fasces, or bundles of wooden rods that symbolized the power of Roman magistrates to discipline people. (During times of war, axes were inserted into the fasces to symbolize the power to kill enemies.) The word fascist is a direct descendant of the Latin fasces.

But so is faggot! How? It terms out the term didn't have an association with gay men until long after the era of burning heretics (or anybody). I've written a somewhat lighthearted story about that:

https://medium.com/james-finn/alright-mate-can-i-pinch-a-fag-edb84372ad5