Wild Wonderous Wisdom - the "W" Quiz

Answer: Battle of Wauhatchie

The Battle of Wauhatchie was fought on 28-29 October 1863. Union Maj. Gen. Rosecrans was holding Chattanooga, Tennessee, following defeat at the Battle of Chickamauga. Supplies were low, as the Confederate troops kept ambushing the supply wagons. Maj. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant was sent to take over command. Under his command, Brig. Gen. William Smith and Maj. Gen. Joseph Hooker proceeded to fight for control of the supply roads. At one point there was a minor stampede by some Union mules, which it was said caused the Confederates to believe they were under attack by the cavalry, causing their retreat. In the end, despite a number of serious mistakes made by both sides, the supply route was reestablished, allowing Union troops to continue their progress to the Battle of Chattanooga.

The Battle of Wyse Fork occurred on 7-10 March 1865 in Kinston, NC, part of the Carolinas Campaign. Confederate Gen. Braxton Bragg commanded troops who had control over a section of railroad and a strategic crossroads. Learning of the Union troops nearby, he had troops under the command of Maj. Gen. Jacob D. Cox sent out to fight - only to find that Union forces had also moved, separating the Confederate troops and ensuring a Union victory.

The Battle of Williamsport was fought in Maryland on 6-16 July 1863. The result of this clash between the troops of Union Maj. Gen. George G. Meade and Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee was indecisive - between the two sides, some 1730 soldiers were killed or injured fighting over a crossing of the Potomac River.

The Battle of Whitestone Hill took place in North Dakota on 3-5 September 1863. The battle was between the 6th Iowa Cavalry under Brig. Gen. Alfred Sully and the Sioux and Blackfeet tribes.

Answer: Wallace and Futuna

Wallace and Futuna is an island group in the South Pacific. The Dutch discovered the Futuna group of islands in 1616. The British came upon the Wallace islands in 1767. In 1842 they became a Protectorate of France and in 1959 the citizens opted for full status as a French territory. The economy largely depends upon agriculture.

The status of Western Sahara has been a topic of discussion. It was known as Spanish Sahara until it became independent from Spain, upon which time it was annexed by Morocco. A mostly arid area, agriculture is confined to the oases and is inadequate for the needs of the population, requiring the import of food. Herding tends to be nomadic. Fishing is an important industry, as the area borders the Atlantic Ocean.

The West Bank is another disputed territory, part of the lands won by Israel in the 1967 Six Day War. Much of the West Bank is now under the control of the Palestinian Authority, but radical elements on both sides prevent a peaceful settlement of the land. What economy it has is largely dependent upon aid from outside. Other sources of income are olives, citrus fruit, stone, textiles and soap.

Wake Island is a US territory, largely used for military purposed until it was evacuated in 2006 for a Category 5 typhoon. It is actually three islands surrounding a lagoon which was once the cone of a volcano.

Answer: Windsor Castle

Windsor Castle was initially built by William the Conqueror, and has been occupied since around 1070. One of a group of castles circling London, it was originally made of wood but now is a vast stone edifice with many buildings and gardens covering around 13 acres. It is one of the official homes of the British Royal Family.

Warwick Castle was also built by William the Conqueror, on land by the River Avon. It has figured in a great deal of British history, including being the place where King Edward IV was held prisoner.

The first, upper, part of Waldeck Castle (Scholss Waldeck) was built in 1150 overlooking the Baybach valley of Germany. The lower section was begun around 1250. It was partially destroyed in 1689 by the French.

Wolfsburg Castle in Wolfsburg, Germany, was built on the Aller River. This Weser Renaissance castle now houses a modern art gallery and the local museum.

Answer: Wace

Wace (who apparently had only one name, not unusual for his time) was a 12th century poet who wrote the "Roman de Brut", a work based on the history of Britain as written by Geoffrey of Monmouth. Wace is the first known writer to include a Round Table and to name the sword of King Arthur. Wace was born in Jersey and died in Caen, having achieved the position of Canon of Bayeux.

Nathan Wachtel (b. 1935 in Metz, France) wrote a number of books, including "Jewish Memories" and "Gods and Vampires".

Yeshwant D. Wad co-authored "The Waste Products of Agriculture" in 1931.

Henry Wellington Wack (1869-1954) wrote a number of books, including "In Thamesland: Being the Gossiping Record of Rambles Through England from the Source of the Thames to the Sea".

Answer: West Siberian Laika

The West Siberian Laika looks very like husky sled dogs, but is primarily a hunting dog. They were the result of breeding Mansi Laikas with Hanti Laikas, both hunting breeds in Siberia. This large breed has a thick double coat, a tightly-curled tail and a highly territorial personality. They bond closely to their humans, but do require a strong master.

The Wetterhoun is a Dutch water dog which is particularly adept in finding and killing otters. This was important to their owners, Dutch fishermen, as the otters were competing for their fish. A medium-sized, boxy dog, this breed has a coarse, curly coat which protects it from the water.

The Wirehaired Pointing Griffon originated in the Netherlands but was developed as a breed in France. The breed is normally used as a gun dog, being particularly suitable for marshy areas, and its wiry coat is usually brown and grey.

The Westphalian Dachsbracke is a scenthound, used to hunt badgers, rabbits and other prey animals. Low to the ground, the Dachbracke's coat is normally tricoloured with white accents.

Answer: Willemite

Willemite is a rarish mineral which was first found in Franklin, NJ, where a number of rare and unusual minerals have been found. The discoverers neglected to give it a name, however, so when it was found in Belgium, it was named after the site there where it was found. It's usually white or colourless, but will fluoresce bright green and may also exhibit some phosphorescence. Hardness is about 5.5 on the Mohs scale.

Wolframite is iron manganese tungstate, the bit in between (and hard to distinguish between) huebnerite and ferberite. It is black, grey or brown with brown or black streaking, and has a hardness of 7.0-7.5.

Walpurgite is hydrated bismuth uranyl arsenate oxide. It is radioactive, containing arsenic, uranium and bismuth. It is normally yellow with a paler yellow streak, and is a soft 3.5 on the Mohs scale.

Weloganite is hydrated sodium strontium calcium zirconium. It came almost exclusively from a site near Montreal, Canada, which has now been turned into a landfill - so samples are rare. An igneous mineral, it is normally white, yellow or amber with white streaking, and has a hardness of 4.

Answer: Wymysorys

Wymysorys is spoken in one town, Wilamowice village on the border of Silesia and Lesser Poland. Only about 70 mostly older people still spoke it in 2006, so it will likely soon be extinct.

Wayana is spoken by about 750 people, mostly in Suriname but with some in Brazil and French Guiana.

Waris is spoken in Papua New Guinea and Indonesia by about 4000 people - and it is becoming more common in those areas. It is taught in schools and has a dictionary.

Waropen is also found in Papua New Guinea and Indonesia, on the south coast of Serui Island and East Cenderawasih Bay. Approximately 6000 people speak this language.

Answer: Adrian Willaert

Adrian Willaert (1490-1562) was a Flemish composer who became choir master at St Mark's, Venice. Probably born in Bruge, he traveled to Paris intending to study Law but instead took up the study of music. After various positions he ended up in Venice where his mastery of music composition made him one of the most important musicians of his time.

Johann Walter (1496-1570) was a German composer whose contributions included a Lutheran hymnbook, Geystliches gesangk Buchleyn. Apparently he was born with the surname Blanckenmuller but was adopted by a family with enough money to educate him.

John Wilbye (1574-1638) was an English composer of madrigals.

Hubert Waelrant (1517-1595) was a Flemish musician who probably studied in Italy. He likely spent most of his career in Antwerp, where he wrote both sacred and secular music.

Answer: Whitesnake

Whitesnake was the name of the backing group used by Coverdale when he first left Deep Purple, and he adopted it for the new group. The group formed in 1977, and has included such greats as Cozy Powell (Emerson Lake & Powell), Reb Beach (Alice Cooper, Twisted Sister), Timothy Drury (The Eagles, Yes), Roger Glover (Rainbow, Deep Purple), Simon Phillips (The Who, Toto), Alan Spenner (Spooky Tooth, Roxy Music), Tony Newman (T. Rex) and Neil Murray (Black Sabbath).

The White Stripes were Jack and Meg White. Jack was born John Gillis, but took the name White when he married Meg, and didn't change it back after they divorced.

Wolfmother is an Australian group with a starting lineup of Andrew Stockdale, Chris Ross and Myles Heskett. The only original member still in the group is Stockdale.

The Weather Girls were best known for their 1982 hit, "It's Raining Men". Neither was named David...

Answer: Joseph Wright

Joseph Wright (1734-1797), an English artist born in Derbyshire, incorporated both artificial light and the new machines of the Industrial Revolution in his paintings. He was also a portraitist, painting many of the industrialists in the area.

Benjamin West (1738-1820) was an American artist who in 1792 became president of the Royal Society, the society of artists in the UK. Many of his paintings dealt with historical themes.

John William Waterhouse (1849-1917) was one of the last pre-Raphaelite painters, with most of his works featuring women, often in a pastoral or classical setting.

William Winstanley (dates unknown) was born in England but lived in the US, and was possibly on the fringe of the Hudson River School of artists.