Archery, medieval style.

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Companions of the Longbow Christmas and New Year’s Quiz 2007

What follows are fifteen questions very difficult on medieval history. Pick an answer and read on to find out if you got it right. Keep a count of how many questions you get right overall and see how you fair on a sliding scale at the bottom. Don’t cheat & good luck!

Question 1. The digits on the hand today are popularly called the thumb, the index finger, the middle finger, the ring finger and the little finger. Only one of these digits has kept the same name from the medieval period. Which one is it?

(A) The ring finger

(B) The thumb

(D) The little finger

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Answer: According to Nicholas Orme in his book “Medieval Children”, the only digit to keep the same name is the thumb. The digits, in this example for a right hand, were the thumb, the lick-pot or toucher, the middle man, the lech man and the little man. So if you’ve not already worked it out the answer is b.

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Question 2. Who, or what, is a slaver clout?

(A) The punishment inflicted by a slaver on a slave

(B) A cloth used to wipe a baby’s mouth

(D) A smack in the mouth

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Answer: A new parent, just like today, would have to spend some money on some of the necessary kit needed to look after a baby. Part of this would be one or two slaver clouts to wipe the baby’s mouth. They’d also have to buy quite a few tail clouts which were the medieval terms for a nappy/diaper. So the answer is b.

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Question 3. The first recorded Trial by Combat (or Wager of Battle) was Wulfstan v. Walter in 1077. Trail by Combat was extensively used throughout the medieval period but which century saw the removal of this law?

(A) 15th Century

(B) 16th Century

(D) 20th Century

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Answer: Although falling out of disuse in the 16th century the last case was Ashford v. Thornton in 1818. It was quickly abolished by an act of parliament in 1819. So the answer is c.

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Question 4. According to medieval Catholic church, after conception, how long would a foetus have to develop before it was believed to have a human soul?

(A) Immediately

(B) 30 days

(D) At birth

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Answer: This is a bit of a trick question. If you picked either b or c you are right … depending on the sex of the child. It was believed that during development a foetus would first have the soul of a vegetable, then an animal and finally a human. Because males are more hot tempered they “bake” quicker and so had a soul of a human after 30 days. A female would take longer—90 days. It was during the 19th century that this belief was changed to one where a foetus has a soul immediately after conception. So give yourself a point if you chose b or c.

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Question 5. Robin Hood’s band of Merry Men were merry in the sense that they were:

(A) Happy

(B) Drunk

(D) Many men

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Answer: Merry, or merrie originally had an archaic meaning that related to the swearing of an oath to follow someone. Therefore Robin Hood’s Merry Men were sworn followers of Robin Hood. The answer is therefore c.

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Question 7. The Cadfael stories are chronicled in 21 books by the author Ellis Peters and the title character was played by Sir Derek Jacobi in thirteen 90 minute TV films. Cadfael was a man who had fought in the First Crusade who had then joined an order of Benedictine monks at Shrewsbury Abbey. The stories centre around a number of murders and mysteries in Shrewsbury during which historical conflict?

(A) The Hundred Years War

(B) The civil war between Empress Maud and King Stephen

(D) The First Baron’s War

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Answer: The civil war between Empress Maud (widow of Henry V Holy Roman Emperor and daughter of Henry I of England) and King Stephen (cousin to Maud) centred around the fact that Maud was a woman (thus weakening her claim) and that she remarried one Geoffrey of Anjou (who some barons did not want to see King). The nobility was split into factions who fought each other until a compromise was found - King Stephen reigned until his death and then the son of Maud & Geoffrey took the crown. This period was called The Anarchy and lasted from 1135 until 1154 & is the period in which the Cadfael books are set. Incidentally, Geoffrey of Anjou’s badge was the broom flower (planta genista) and helped give the name to the line of English kings who were descended from him—Plantagenet. The correct answer is therefore b.

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Question 8. A lot of the herbs we now use for seasoning our dishes started out as herbs grown for medicinal purposes. Sage was one such herb. What was it used for?

(A) To stop bleeding

(B) To cure a headache

(D) To cleanse a wound

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Answer: The clue is in the name. Sage was used to improve the memory of the old. The answer is c.

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Question 9. The Channel Islands have been governed as a separate possession of the crown of England since Normandy was lost by which King who is mentioned in the Robin Hood legends?

(A) Richard I

(B) John

(D) Edward III

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Answer: The Channel Islands had been part of the Duchy of Normandy for 271 years until King John lost the province to the French King Philip II in 1204. The Channel Islanders continued to support the English crown and it’s why the islands are still a crown dependency, rather than part of France, till this day. The answer is therefore b.

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Question 10. What priceless fact have Richard de Pudlicott (d.1306) and Colonel Thomas Blood (d.1680) got in common?

(A) They both claimed to have risen from the dead

(B) They are both from Pudlicott

(D) They both stole from the Royal treasury

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Answer: A tough one this unless you’ve heard of them. The answer is that they’ve both stolen from the Royal treasury. Richard de Pudlicott flooded the pawn shops and houses of prostitution with priceless objects after robbing King Edward I’s treasury in 1303. Colonel Thomas Blood tried to steal the Crown Jewels in 1671. Thomas was let off with a Royal pardon and a pension (some think it was a royal scam!) but Richard was not so lucky as he was hanged. The answer is d.

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Question 11. Today is the coronation day of Richard II and you decide to celebrate with the Quarter Florin (1s 6d) that’s been sitting in your purse for a while. How many barrels of wine do you think a Quarter Florin would have got you?

(A) None

(B) Two

(D) Ten

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Answer: Richard II was crowned in 1377 which was unfortunately 33 years after the Quarter Florin (or Helm) was issued and withdrawn because it’s gold content was too low. It wouldn’t have been accepted by any merchant. Therefore the answer is a.

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Question 12 During the Crusades the Saracens called this weapon the qaws Ferengi. What weapon are they referring to?

(A) Sword

(B) Dagger

(D) Crossbow

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Answer: The term qaws Ferengi refers to the “Frankish Bow”. The term Ferengi is derived from the Arabic word faranj/ifranj “Franks”. Now of course if you were to ask people the term is more likely to refer to the Star Trek alien race of large eared mercantile obsessed people who are constantly trying to swindle people into bad deals! The answer is d.

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Question 13. There are many types of dagger. Which of the following is not a type of dagger?

(A) Bollock

(B) Dirk

(D) Estoc

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Answer: The estoc was a type of longsword used for thrusting and although it had a point, it did not have a sharp edge. It was purely used to thrust in between the rings of mail. Therefore the correct answer is d.

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Question 14. Where would one wear a sallet?

(A) On the head

(B) On the arm

(D) On the back

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Answer: A sallet was a type of helmet that was also called a salade. A type of helmet typically called an archer’s sallet was popular among archers because it afforded head protection without hindering the archer’s line of sight.

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Question 15. During the middle ages the monkey was a symbol of what?

(A) Stupidity

(B) Vulgarity

(D) Foolishness

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Answer: A lot of the medieval knowledge relied on the previous work of the Greeks and the Romans. In this case perhaps it’s works such as Aesop’s Fables (620-560 BC) where repeatedly the monkey is used to teach the moral lessons that it’s fallacy to strive to be more than one is or impersonate a higher being. Anyway the correct answer is c, vanity.

How did you do?

Results

Number of questions right:

0-5 Outlaw: Rubbish! Off to the gallows with you!

6-10 Yeoman: A good attempt. Console yourself with a mug of ale and some pottage.

11-14 Knight: A marvellous effort. A cup of mead and some roasted pork for you.

15 Lord: Top score. Some venison and a cup of the finest imported wine my lord?

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Question 6. Take a look at the this distinctive style of medieval hat. It’s called a chaperon. What were the origins of this style of hat?

(A) It was invented after visiting the Holy Land.

(B) It was developed from the medieval hood.

(D) It was developed from the fez.

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Answer: This style of hat was developed from the medieval hood. If you’ve got a medieval hood just roll up the face opening and place it on your head. Wrap the tail (liripipe) around your neck and let the cape part fall over to one side to form the coxcomb. A quick and popular way for an off duty soldier to dress up for night out! The answer is b.