Fire Burn and Cauldron Bubble Trivia Quiz

Answer: Hot bath

The word cauldron first appeared in written form during the Middle English period of the 13th century. At that time it was spelled as caudron. That in turn had evolved from the old Norman French word chaudron, which was a phonetical form of the Vulgar Latin word caldario, or the Classical caldarium - both of which meant hot bath.

Incidentally, Vulgar Latin doesn't mean it was rude or uncouth. It simply meant that it was the speech of the common people, as opposed to the Classical Latin used in literature, the church and the courts.

Answer: Witches

Witches in works of old, and often still in modern children's literature, are usually depicted riding on broomsticks, or cooking up all kinds of evil potions over bubbling cauldrons lit underneath by burning pieces of wood. No self-respecting witch would be seen dead cooking up a potion over an electric or gas stove it seems.

The title of this quiz itself comes down to us from Shakespeare's "Macbeth" (written some time prior to 1606) which has a strong theme of witchcraft running through it, when the heroic warrior Macbeth falls prey to their evil suggestions and fortune-telling - only to lose everything.

Answer: Their gold

Leprechauns, part of Irish folklore, are little men usually dressed in green and not too kindly inclined towards humans. In fact they can be downright troublemakers. Part of the lore attached to these mischief makers is that each has a pot of gold hidden at the rainbow's end, and that, should you be lucky enough to catch one, he is forced to grant you three wishes to obtain his freedom. Oh but beware, as sure as Paddy comes from the bogs or Erin, a leprechaun, furious at being snared, will try his best to make those wishes rebound on you in some manner.

Answer: Poetry

The Welsh legend of Ceridwen tells of her living with her husband, daughter and son near the beautiful Bala lake in northern Wales. Her son, however, was very ugly, and in an attempt to compensate him for this, she concocted a potion in her cauldron, in order to make him wise and poetic instead. That potion took a year to make, and her young servant Gwion Bach was given the task of stirring it. Only the first three drops from this mixture would work however, but when those three very hot drops accidentally splashed onto Gwion's thumb, he automatically sucked it to ease the burning sensation - and so consumed them.

He then fled in terror, but Ceridwen chased him, caught him and then unpoetically ate him. She later gave birth to the child who would become the famous poet, Taliesin.

Answer: He is wearing an upended one on his head

This really horrible work, which was created some time between 1490 and 1510, features the story of the biblical creation on the left side, mankind engaged in assorted acts of sin in the large central piece, and hell and damnation on the right side. It's almost impossible to view it without being filled with repulsion.

However, as far as cauldrons go, the Prince of Hell takes centre stage in the right panel. He sits on what appears to be a commode chair, feasting on and then excreting dead bodies, and wearing an upended cauldron, said to represent corrupt rulers, upon his head.

Answer: Boiling people alive

This ghastly form of execution was used mainly in Europe and Asia during the Middle Ages. It was a cruel and dreadful way of doing away with one's enemies or criminals. The cauldron was filled with either water, oil or fat and then lowered by hook and pulley over a large burning fire until the person within was scalded to death, with their skin melted away completely.

Henry VIII made this a legal form of punishment in England in 1532. Fortunately this barbaric form of execution was used but rarely, and mainly only for poisoners, counterfeiters and those carrying out very serious acts of swindling. Today in the Netherlands, in the town of Deventer, a cauldron used for this purpose can be seen on display.

Answer: To bring dead soldiers back to life

This Welsh legend can be found in several works of Welsh literature, including "Branwen ferch Llyr (Branwen, Daughter of Llyr)" whose author is unknown. The story tells of the Irish King Matholwch who sails to Wales, seeking the hand of the Welsh princess Branwen in marriage, in order to form an allegiance between the two countries.

When the Irish king's horses are severely damaged by a relative of the children of Llyr, the Welsh king Bran gives Matholwch a magic cauldron in recompense. That cauldron has the power to bring dead soldiers back to life, and this is used at a later date when war breaks out between the two countries.

The story continues from there but is too detailed to include here.

Answer: Womb

In Wicca, the cauldron, which is usually made of cast iron, is used to burn incense or petitions, to mix herbs and to make the black salt which is used in banishing rituals. People who follow this belief system also claim the Welsh enchantress, Ceridwen, as one of their own. To them, she is the goddess of rebirth and inspiration, so not only does the cauldron represent the female womb, it also represents that goddess as well.

Answer: Denmark

The Gundestrup cauldron is a lovely, beautifully decorated silver container that dates back to some time between 200 BC and 300 AD. Located in a peat bog near the hamlet of Gundestrup, Denmark, in 1891, it is thought that it may have originated in Gaul.

When found, it was in pieces and had been dismantled in order, it is thought, to hide it in the long grass of what was dry land at that time, with the peat covering it later. Though mostly made of silver, parts of this lovely piece have been gilded with gold, and with glass used in the eyes of the images adorning its sides.

It is now located in Copenhagen's National Museum of Denmark.

Answer: The Olympic Games

The cauldron flame, that lovely stirring symbol of the Olympics, which is lit towards the conclusion of each opening ceremony of the Games, actually represents the theft of fire from Mount Olympus by Prometheus way back in the days of the old Greek legends.

The ceremony we recognise today began during the opening of the 1928 modern Olympics, and has been with us ever since, in increasingly lovelier displays every four years - but way at the base of it all, regardless of how it is tizzied up, lies the humble and very interesting cauldron.