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Archaic Occupations Trivia Quiz

While reading the Cadfael series by Ellis Peters, I came across medieval occupations. Some I knew, some I did not. So I wondered if my fellow trivialists would enjoy a look back at archaic occupations. I hope you have fun.

A multiple-choice quiz by shvdotr. Estimated time: 4 mins.

Author
shvdotr

Time
4 mins

Type
Multiple Choice

Quiz #
320,911

Updated
Jul 23 22

# Qns
10

Difficulty
Average

Avg Score
7 / 10

Plays
1852

Awards
Top 10% Quiz

One at a Time - Single Page - Timed Game

Question 1 of 10

1. One of Cadfael's fellow monks is a verger. What did a verger do? Hint

works in the garden

works in the bakery

writes manuscripts

takes care of the interior of a church

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Question 2 of 10

2. Here's perhaps a more familiar one for Americans. What does a farrier do? Hint

shoes horses

operates a ferry

cures and prepares furs for sale

builds and repairs fans

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Question 3 of 10

3. Back to medieval England. What did a chamberlain do? Hint

managed the household of a king or noble

cleaned chamber pots for inns

represented clients in a court of law (lawyer)

drove teams of horses

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Question 4 of 10

4. What do you suppose medieval franklins did? Hint

He cared for the horses of knights.

He wrote almanacs and invented things.

He looked after the game in the noble's forests.

He was a non-noble property holder.

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Question 5 of 10

5. And now for a bit of comic relief for us modern-day Americans. I used to be a geek in high school without knowing exactly what that was. What was the original definition of a geek? Hint

an expert in computer science

a philosopher whom one consults for wisdom

a circus performer who bites the heads off live chickens

an outcast teenager with little common sense

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Question 6 of 10

6. What was a smith, originally? Hint

an artisan who made objects out of iron and other metals

a maker of shifts and robes

a monk who specialized in copying manuscripts

a language expert, as in wordsmith

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Question 7 of 10

7. Okay, here's a not-so-positive term, which goes back to a medieval occupation. What did a lackey do to warrant such low esteem nowadays? Hint

he was in charge of the noble's dogs

he was a serf and had no status

he was a footman, or lowly servant

his job was cleaning stables

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Question 8 of 10

8. How about seneschal? I did not know myself what this word meant until I decided to try writing a quiz. What did a seneschal do? Hint

He was the liaison between the Church and nobility.

He ran the household and commanded the servants.

He was the noble's chief knight and commanded his army.

He was the chief huntsman.

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Question 9 of 10

9. Let's start winding down with a couple of terms more common for Americans. First, what did a haberdasher deal in? Hint

men's clothing and accessories

books and manuscripts

horses, saddles, and tack

furniture and antiques

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Question 10 of 10

10. How about one last surname? Let's go with Sexton. What did a sexton do in the middle ages? Hint

kept financial books and records for banks

ensured that ships had all the proper equipment to set sail

took care of church property and sometimes rang the bells and dug graves

supplied sacks and bags for mills and grain merchants

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Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. One of Cadfael's fellow monks is a verger. What did a verger do?

Answer: takes care of the interior of a church

This is a British term. Originally the verger carried the verge, or emblem of authority, of an important person in a procession. Of course, Cadfael was a monk in medieval England at the Abbey of Shrewsbury.

2. Here's perhaps a more familiar one for Americans. What does a farrier do?

Answer: shoes horses

My brother was a veterinarian and then got training as a farrier. The term is related to the Latin word for iron, ferrum, which also explains why the chemical symbol for iron is Fe.

3. Back to medieval England. What did a chamberlain do?

Answer: managed the household of a king or noble

Like many archaic occupational names, chamberlain is often seen as a surname in English-speaking nations. I am personally acquainted with people named Cooper, Smith, Chamberlain, Sexton, and Franklin. Perhaps that is why the definitions of these terms intrigue me so much.

4. What do you suppose medieval franklins did?

Answer: He was a non-noble property holder.

Nope, it is not Ben Franklin. Franklins were freeholding property owners who owned extensive property. So I suppose they would be sort of like gentlemen farmers, eh?

5. And now for a bit of comic relief for us modern-day Americans. I used to be a geek in high school without knowing exactly what that was. What was the original definition of a geek?

Answer: a circus performer who bites the heads off live chickens

This may have been too easy, but I've always enjoyed teaching my high school students that dictionaries can be entertaining, too. Nowadays I think "geek" has much more positive connotations than it did in my youth.

6. What was a smith, originally?

Answer: an artisan who made objects out of iron and other metals

I wonder why so many people are named smith nowadays? The village smithy must have been a popular guy. Or perhaps it is due to the high esteem metalworkers had in medieval Celtic cultures, even being seen as healers.

7. Okay, here's a not-so-positive term, which goes back to a medieval occupation. What did a lackey do to warrant such low esteem nowadays?

Answer: he was a footman, or lowly servant

I don't think "liveried male servant" sounds so negative, but apparently, lackeys must have been the lowest rung of servitude in medieval society, perhaps because even wealthy commoners could afford to be served by lackeys.

8. How about seneschal? I did not know myself what this word meant until I decided to try writing a quiz. What did a seneschal do?

Answer: He ran the household and commanded the servants.

I suppose this job was the dream job of every lackey. I was going to make steward one of the questions for this quiz, but that turns out to be a synonym for seneschal.

9. Let's start winding down with a couple of terms more common for Americans. First, what did a haberdasher deal in?

Answer: men's clothing and accessories

A couple of famous former haberdashers, if you will, might be Harry Truman and John D. Rockefeller. Interestingly, this term may have come to us from Icelandic, as in haprtask, or "peddler's wares." Also, former French king Louis IX (Saint Louis), is the patron saint of haberdashers. Wasn't Truman born in Independence?

10. How about one last surname? Let's go with Sexton. What did a sexton do in the middle ages?

Answer: took care of church property and sometimes rang the bells and dug graves

Other duties of the sexton included making sure all candles were lit and taking care of all sacred objects in the church property. All of that seems like a heavy load, considering the number of relics medieval churches seemed to have had.

Source: Author shvdotr

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor bloomsby before going online.
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