England in 1000 A.D. Trivia Quiz

Answer: AEthelred the Unraed

AEthelred the Unraed (ill-counseled or unadvised) was the unlucky king charged with fighting and buying off Viking raiders, who were a blight to the English. By 1000 A.D., the English had been suffering constant aggression from the Vikings, particularly a ruthless Dane named Sweyn Forkbeard.

Answer: False

Englishmen in 1000 A.D. would have been quite similar in height to men and women of the 21st century. It was during the later medieval period when people began to have smaller stature.

Answer: Carrots

The Anglo-Saxons enjoyed feasts, and had many elaborate recipes for their dishes. Alas, there were many food items that were not accessible to them--including spinach, tomatoes, potatoes, and even sugar!

Answer: There were no surnames

People went by forenames, such as Leofric or Ulf, but no official surnames. Many people in England would be known as someone's son or daughter, such as Harold Godwinson (Godwin's son) or Edith Godwinsdohtor (Godwin's daughter). Others had nicknames, such as Harold Harefoot (known maybe for his fleetness of foot) or Edith Swanneck (for her long, white neck).

Answer: They had fairly healthy teeth

Since the Englishmen of 1000 A.D. had never eaten sugar, their teeth were remarkably healthy (not the rotting teeth one sees in movies). As for the wrong choices: the vast majority of Englishmen lived in villages; their life was centered around their village, and they did not have a lot of knowledge about life beyond their village. Very few ever traveled outside of their local vicinity. Most Englishmen could not read, and they had no need for it. Monks, men of the church, and a few from the aristocracy learned to read.

Answer: Morning gift after a satisfactory wedding night

English husbands would give the morgengifu ('morning gift') on the morning after the wedding night. The morgengifu was typically jewelry, money, or land. The gift would become the sole property of the woman, and she had complete power of giving away, selling, or handing it down.

Answer: All of these

Wool was the most common fabric, and the only one that the poor could afford. Linen was a better fabric for many purposes and could be acquired by wealthier freemen and members of the upper classes. Silk was rare, indeed, and a luxury only accessible to the aristocracy.

Answer: Christianity

While some people most certainly still followed older pagan religions, such as nature worship or Druidism, King Ethelbert had converted to Christianity as early at 597 A.D. Four hundred years later, Christianity was fully ensconced as a way of life for the majority of Englishmen.

Answer: Bows and arrows

The English did occasionally use bows and arrows for fighting, but they were mainly used for hunting purposes. Bows and arrows, as weapons for battle, were looked down upon and considered cowardly.

Answer: All of these

The English in this era enjoyed ornaments and jewelry. Anglo-Saxon grave-sites have yielded rings, pins, buckles, necklaces, brooches, bracelets, clasps, etc. The jewelry was made from bronze, silver, and gold. Gold was the most expensive material for making jewelry. These metals would be embellished with precious stones, beads, shells, and much more!