Legends, Anecdotes, and Other Apocrypha Quiz

Answer: 'Kiss me, Hardy.'

The Battle of Trafalgar was fought on 21 October 1805, west of Cape Trafalgar, Spain, between Cadiz and the Strait of Gibraltar. It established British naval supremacy for more than 100 years. The 'Kiss me, Hardy' story may be apocryphal. The real words he spoke may have been 'Kismet, Hardy' .Encyclopedia Brittanica acknowledges the kissing but does not mention the request.

Their story is much more sober: 'Thomas Hardy, his flag captain kissed his forehead in farewell and Nelson spoke his last words: 'Now I am satisfied. Thank God, I have done my duty.'

Answer: Canute

Many Harolds in English history, but never a pious Harold on the throne. Canute, King of England (1016-1035), of Denmark (1019-1035) and of Norway (1028-35). Among the Danish Kings there are some Canutes too, one of which was declared 'patron saint of Denmark'. Edward the Confessor, a saintly king indeed, but forgot to provide England with a royal descendant.

He ruled from 1042-1066. Another chap who tended to forget his duties was Ethelred the Unready (King from 978 till 1013). When in 1013 the Danish King Sweyn had taken over most of the country, Ethelred fled to France. Etymologically speaking his nickname 'unread' meant :who was not very wise in his decisions.

Answer: Black Bess

Turpin was born in a pub named 'The Bell' and became a butcher. In his spare time he was a footpad, a kind of mugger. After a life which was more and more criminal, he finally became a highwayman in 1735. His audacious robberies led to his downfall however, and in 1739 he was hanged outside the walls of York.

Answer: Robin Hood

Another companion of Robin Hood was Maid Marian. There are no proofs there ever was a historical Robin Hood. The Canterbury Tales date back to the 1390s, a period during which their author, Geoffrey Chaucer, enjoyed the friendship of the Earl of Derby, then later Henry IV.

The Owl and the Nightingale, must have been written shortly after 1189. Piers Plowman is a dream allegory ascribed to William Langland (1300-1400). The Robin Hood stories are not based on real documents but on medieval ballads.

Answer: Edinburgh

Greyfriars Bobby is the name of the statue.

Answer: Gunga Din

Tom Atkins is the nickname of the British soldier. The Gurkhas are elite troops whose history is mainly linked with the British and Indian Armies. As a tribe, the Gurkhas are the ruling race of Nepal, an independent kingdom in the Himalayas. At one time they fought against the British, but since 1815 they have provided the British army with men renowned for their loyalty and courage. Genghis Khan is the famous ruler of the Mongols.

He was a warrior and ruler of genius, and consolidated the tribes to a unified Mongolia.

Answer: Peeping Tom

He may have been a creepy fellow, but they called him Peeping Tom. Must be the patron saint of peep shows. Pip is a character from Arnold Wesker's 'Chips With Everything'.

Answer: a cat

'The man with lantern, dog and bush of thorn Presenteh moonshine.'. -There is a reference to this story in Numbers 15:32-36. In the Christian tradition Sabbath was replaced by Sunday... and the punishment for the poor man was to have a perpetual MOON-day for having disobeyed the law regarding Sun-day.

Answer: Galatea

In the original Greek version Galatea is a statue turned into a live milkmaid. Galaxy means Milky Way. Galactea is a mix up of both words. Liza Doolittle ...well Prof Higgins knew all about her.

Answer: a white elephant

The white elephant was a sacred animal. It was a source of expenses and you could not employ it.