Freaky History Trivia Quiz

Answer: The cup his wife was to drink from was made from her father's skull

After the death of the great Byzantine general, Belisarius, northern Italy was overrun by the Lombards from the Danube area. Their leader, a man called Alboin, who defeated a rival people, the Gepids, had the skull of their king made into a drinking cup.

He forcibly married the dead king's daughter and at their marriage feast, he passed the skull-cup to her demanding that,"she drink with her father". She obeyed but cleverly poisoned the cup before passing it back. Alboin died while still laughing at his own sick joke.

Answer: For burning cakes

Tradition has it that during a time of defeat, King Alfred took refuge in a cowherd's hut. Not knowing him, the cowherd's wife set him the task of tending to her baking. But Alfred's mind was on campaigns and not on cakes. The cowherd's wife returned to find the entire batch of cakes burnt and she gave Alfred a thorough scolding.

Answer: El Cid

Like most semi-legendary heroes, El Cid also had a famous horse - 'Babieca' meaning 'stupid'. It was a gift from his godfather, who is said to have uttered this exclamation when the young hero chose what was apparently the ugliest, clumsiest colt from the string of horses offered to him.

Answer: Harald Hardrada

At the Battle of Stamford Bridge (Sept 25, 1066) Harold Godwinson met Harald Hardrada to decide the fate of the English throne. Harald was said to have been a gaint, standing some 7 ft tall. He died in the battle and of the 300 ships that brought his men to England, under the banner 'Land Waster' (Odin's black raven ), only 24 were required to carry home survivors.

Answer: John XII

Papal corruption flourished in the 10th century when six popes were assasinated and two died in prison. The 18 year old grandson of Marozia, mistress of Pope Sergius III, became Pope John XII in 955. He, among other crimes, ran a brothel in the papal palace, publicly drank to the health of the devil and castrated a cardinal. He was finally deposed by Emperor Otto I in 963.

Answer: Timur Leng

Bayezid had to pay heavily for his insulting claims about Timur's manhood. Defeated at Ankara, Bayezid was made to serve as Timur's footrest at feasts where the Sultan's favourite wives were forced to act as topless waitresses. The Sultan soon died insane.

Answer: The Templars

The Knights Templar claimed that they always slept fully armed and that no knight removed his white mantle with its red cross (their symbol) until it rotted from his back or was slashed away by a Saracen blade. St. Bernard's praise of their apparent unworldliness - or was it fanaticism? - makes them sound almost like Hell's Angels.
* The Templars' seal showed two knights on a horse, one behind the other. They claimed that it was a symbol of frugality and brotherhood; their enemies alleged it was a symbol of homosexual practices that were allegedly used in the Order's secret rituals.

Answer: Destroyer of Bulgars

Emperor Basil II was called 'Bulgaroctonus' ('Destroyer of the Bulgars') and he merited his name. In 1014, he defeated Bulgarian attacks on Constantinople, taking 14,000 prisoners. He ordered them to be blinded, leaving one man in every hundred with one eye to lead the others back home. King Samuel of Bulgaria died of shock when he saw his army!

Answer: Edward I

Edward I had 19 legitimate children from 2 marriages - more than any other English king. King Richard I 'Lionheart' fathered one son (illegitimate ) and was rumoured to be gay. Henry I, called 'Beauclerc' (Good Scholar) for his learning, fathered some 20 bastards and left no male heir to the throne!

Answer: Genghis Khan

Ruthless in pursuit of power, Genghis Khan was the most succesful war leader of all time and one of the most able rulers too. In the 13th century, with an army of 150,000 horsemen, he conquered the largest empire the world has known. His conquest of China was perhaps the bloodiest ever known, costing the lives of 90% of north China's people (about 30,000,000 lives - if the records of the time can be trusted).