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Quiz about Dear Abbey The Monasteries of England
Quiz about Dear Abbey The Monasteries of England

Dear Abbey: The Monasteries of England Quiz


Feel like doing a little monkeying around? See if you can help "Abbey" answer questions about England's monasteries.

A multiple-choice quiz by uglybird. Estimated time: 7 mins.
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Author
uglybird
Time
7 mins
Type
Multiple Choice
Quiz #
191,519
Updated
Mar 07 23
# Qns
10
Difficulty
Average
Avg Score
7 / 10
Plays
691
Awards
Top 20% Quiz
- -
Question 1 of 10
1. Dear Abbey

I told my friend I visited "Westminister" Abbey. "Ho, ho". She said. "It's 'Westminster' you poor ignorant clod."

"Ha, ha". I replied. "I knew that." But I didn't. What is a minster, anyway?

Laughed At In London

What explanation should Abbey give "Laughed At"?
Hint


Question 2 of 10
2. Dear Abbey,

I've been trying to visit all the English abbeys I can, but most of them are in pretty bad shape. In fact, they seem to mostly be ruins. The cathedrals seem to be in much better shape. What happened to the abbeys?

Bewildered in Bath

How should Abbey answer bewildered?
Hint


Question 3 of 10
3. Dear Abbey,

I noticed that there are a lot of dead people buried in abbeys. How come? When I asked the docent at Westminster, she just rolled her eyes and said it was because the live people wouldn't stay in the crypts. I'm sure she was right about the live people, but I was asking about the dead ones. Could it have been because they were such pious and dedicated Christians?

Creeped out in Coventry

Why should Abbey give "Creeped" as the reason for dead people being buried in abbeys?
Hint


Question 4 of 10
4. Dear Abbey,

The guide at Glastonbury Abbey said that in 1191 monks unearthed bones that they claimed were the remains of Arthur and Guinevere. The guide said historians weren't really sure about the truth of the claim. Are historians really sure of anything about Glastonbury, I mean?

Gullible in Glastonbury

Which of the following is a valid reason Abbey could give?
Hint


Question 5 of 10
5. Dear Abbey,

My friend from kindergarten said that a monk is called a "monk" 'cause he looks like a monkey, and an abbot is called an abbot cause he looks like a baboon. Mommy says that's not true but can't tell me where the names came from. Can you?

Aren't I Cute in Canterbury

How should Abbey answer cute?
Hint


Question 6 of 10
6. Dear Abbey,

Those monks and abbots were all a bunch of oppressive, repressive, blood sucking, exploiters of the masses. What good did they ever do for the common man? And don't give me any of that spiritual crap!

Too Smart in Tewksbury

What positive achievements of English monasteries could Abbey point out?
Hint


Question 7 of 10
7. Dear Abbey,

I've heard that monks practiced celibacy and poverty. Was this true of both Cistercians and Benedictines?

Wondering in Waltham

How should Abbey answer?
Hint


Question 8 of 10
8. Dear Abbey,

I've heard that both William Wordsworth and John Milton spent a lot of time together in a monastery. I'm confused because I didn't think the two men even lived in the same century. Did Wordsworth help John Milton write "Paradise Lost"?

Perplexed in Pershore

What answer should Abbey give?


Question 9 of 10
9. Dear Abbey,

This may sound like an odd question, but I read something that worries me. Did English monks really get paid to pray?

Scandalized in Shrewsbury

What would be the most accurate answer Abbey could give?
Hint


Question 10 of 10
10. Dear Abbey,

I am very interested in military history and have come across a group called the "White Canons". My local librarian suggested I write you for information about them. Are they a monastic artillery unit?

Munitions-minded in Manchester

What explanation of the White Canons should Abbey give?
Hint



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Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts
1. Dear Abbey I told my friend I visited "Westminister" Abbey. "Ho, ho". She said. "It's 'Westminster' you poor ignorant clod." "Ha, ha". I replied. "I knew that." But I didn't. What is a minster, anyway? Laughed At In London What explanation should Abbey give "Laughed At"?

Answer: It derives from the Late Latin "monasterium".

Dear Laughed At,

This is a common confusion and a source of mirth for the unfeeling, supercilious sort of person who chortles when a tourist accents the last syllable of "Blenheim" and pronounces the word so that it rhymes with "dime". You may want to keep in mind that "minster" more properly applies to the church at an abbey and therefore will apply to the church even if the monastery no longer exists, as is the case with "Southwell Minster". Perhaps you'll have the opportunity to catch your erstwhile tormentor misapplying the term. Some "ignorant clods" will use it to refer to any large church.
2. Dear Abbey, I've been trying to visit all the English abbeys I can, but most of them are in pretty bad shape. In fact, they seem to mostly be ruins. The cathedrals seem to be in much better shape. What happened to the abbeys? Bewildered in Bath How should Abbey answer bewildered?

Answer: Many abbeys were looted and destroyed in the reign of King Henry VIII.

Dear Bewildered,

In 1535, Thomas Cromwell appointed lay inspectors to visit England's abbeys on behalf of King Henry VIII. On the basis of these visits a report was prepared accusing the monks of numerous excesses and improprieties, even including sorcery and sexual misbehavior. According to Cromwell, "Manifest sin, vicious, carnal and abominable living is daily used and committed amongst the little and small abbeys". In 1536 Parliament passed legislation allowing Henry to confiscate many monasteries and in 1539 passed further legislation transferring the rest of England's monasteries to the King. Many of the monasteries were ultimately vandalized and/or destroyed.
3. Dear Abbey, I noticed that there are a lot of dead people buried in abbeys. How come? When I asked the docent at Westminster, she just rolled her eyes and said it was because the live people wouldn't stay in the crypts. I'm sure she was right about the live people, but I was asking about the dead ones. Could it have been because they were such pious and dedicated Christians? Creeped out in Coventry Why should Abbey give "Creeped" as the reason for dead people being buried in abbeys?

Answer: Prominent people were (and still are) sometimes buried in abbeys as an honor.

Dear Creeped,

You might have found a few of the names etched those crypts familiar: kings, illustrious authors, outstanding scientists, eminent statesmen and suchlike. Achievement, fame, generous contributions to the abbey, and piety all play a role in determining who gets into the best crypts.
4. Dear Abbey, The guide at Glastonbury Abbey said that in 1191 monks unearthed bones that they claimed were the remains of Arthur and Guinevere. The guide said historians weren't really sure about the truth of the claim. Are historians really sure of anything about Glastonbury, I mean? Gullible in Glastonbury Which of the following is a valid reason Abbey could give?

Answer: Announcing the find resulted in an improved financial picture for the abbey.

Dear Gull,

Let me ask you a question. Would Glastonbury Abbey have been on your itinerary if your guidebook hadn't mentioned Arthur and Guinevere? Did the uncertainty about whether they were actually buried there add to or subtract from your overall enjoyment? Abbeys have generally welcomed visitors and the coins they bring, whether the visitor is a tourist or a pilgrim. Times were hard at the abbey in the 12th century and Arthur and Guinevere were a big draw. Funny, isn't it, how history repeats itself.
5. Dear Abbey, My friend from kindergarten said that a monk is called a "monk" 'cause he looks like a monkey, and an abbot is called an abbot cause he looks like a baboon. Mommy says that's not true but can't tell me where the names came from. Can you? Aren't I Cute in Canterbury How should Abbey answer cute?

Answer: "Abbot" comes from "abba" meaning father, "monk" from "monachus" meaning hermit.

Dear Cute,

Incidentally, it may only be your parents who find you cute. But as for your other question, monks and abbots have nothing to do with simians. There is a certain amount of what your mother might call "irony" in these appellations. Even though Jesus specifically advised his followers not to call one another "Father", the heads of monasteries were called "abbot" deriving originally from the Aramaic "abba" meaning father (or some would say "daddy"). The term "monachus" was originally applied to hermits and derived from the Greek "mono" meaning alone. Only later did a term that formerly denoted religious hermits come to be applied to men living in a religious community. Prior to the Reformation, English monks were called "friars".
6. Dear Abbey, Those monks and abbots were all a bunch of oppressive, repressive, blood sucking, exploiters of the masses. What good did they ever do for the common man? And don't give me any of that spiritual crap! Too Smart in Tewksbury What positive achievements of English monasteries could Abbey point out?

Answer: All of these

Dear Too Smart,

Some prefer to hold those living in different times and circumstances to the standards of today, while seeming to ignore how poorly we live up to the supposed standards of our own time. Others see monasticism as a mostly positive response to the problems the dissolution of the Roman Empire produced. That, to some extent, the purposely insular monasteries became unaccountable and exploitive has to be conceded. But it seems sometimes forgotten that, initially, the insularity served a positive purpose.
7. Dear Abbey, I've heard that monks practiced celibacy and poverty. Was this true of both Cistercians and Benedictines? Wondering in Waltham How should Abbey answer?

Answer: The Benedictines and Cistercians both practiced celibacy and initially followed an ascetic lifestyle.

Dear Wondering,

Both orders were celibate. The Benedictine Rule required poverty and simplicity in daily living. In 1098, Robert of Molesme and his followers founded the Cistercian order in order to return to a more strict observance of the Benedictine Rule. Individual monks were supposed to live ascetic lives no matter how wealthy the monastery might be. By the time of King Henry VIII, many monasteries were quite wealthy. The number of monks had markedly diminished and paid servants carried out the duties the monks had formerly performed (such as farming and keeping sheep). The Cistercian abbey at Rievaulx, for example, had fewer than 30 monks at the time of the dissolution. Interestingly, Waltham Abbey was the last abbey to be dissolved.
8. Dear Abbey, I've heard that both William Wordsworth and John Milton spent a lot of time together in a monastery. I'm confused because I didn't think the two men even lived in the same century. Did Wordsworth help John Milton write "Paradise Lost"? Perplexed in Pershore What answer should Abbey give?

Answer: No

Dear Perplexed,

Both Milton and Wordsworth are buried in "Poet's Corner" in Westminster Abbey; so I guess they've spent a lot of time together. But Milton died over 100 years prior to Wordsworth's birth; so I'm sure Wordsworth made no contribution to "Paradise Lost".
9. Dear Abbey, This may sound like an odd question, but I read something that worries me. Did English monks really get paid to pray? Scandalized in Shrewsbury What would be the most accurate answer Abbey could give?

Answer: People from the surrounding area paid the monastery to have the monks pray for them.

Dear Scandalized,

I would like to be able to report that no money changed hands. In actuality, prayers-for-payers was an important means of fund raising for monasteries. The reformer Martin Luther wrote, "It is certain that when the penny jingles into the money-box, gain and avarice can be increased, but the result of the intercession of the Church is in the power of God alone."
10. Dear Abbey, I am very interested in military history and have come across a group called the "White Canons". My local librarian suggested I write you for information about them. Are they a monastic artillery unit? Munitions-minded in Manchester What explanation of the White Canons should Abbey give?

Answer: The White Canons are a monastic group that followed and still follows the Augustinian rule.

Dear Munitions-minded,

You confusion is understandable. "Canon" is a reference to ordinance or rule. You seem to have it confused with "cannons" as in ordnance or artillery. (By the way, please don't confuse "ordinance" with "ordnance", either). The White Canons or "Canons Regular of Prémontré" were and are a Catholic order living communally according to the rule of Saint Augustine. Three of the monasteries that Henry VIII closed were of this order. The order has a priory in Manchester, England.
Source: Author uglybird

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