Back to the Eleventh Century Trivia Quiz

Answer: Danes

The decree to murder all the Danes in England was issued by the king on 13th November 1002. The English had been paying Danegeld, a form of protection money, in an attempt to prevent further Viking invasions. Since England was seen as weak at the time, attempts to 'buy off' the invaders were not working and many Danes had settled in the country. Ethelred's decision to murder them was a poor one, leading to severe retribution and the eventual loss of his kingdom.

Answer: Mercia

Canute, also known as Cnut or Knut, became king following the death of Ethelred in 1016. His original plan of allowing Edmund Ironside, son of Ethelred, to control Wessex failed when Edmund died later the same year. His cause of death is unknown, leading to some theories that he was 'disposed of', but his demise left Canute in control of the whole of England. Wessex covered the south western area while East Anglia was the south east. Northumbria covered the northern regions and Mercia the Midlands.

Answer: Both Harold Godwinson and William of Normandy

Harold Godwinson was born around 1022 and William was born in either 1027 or 1028. Harald Hardrada's date of birth is given as about 1015. All three men were to take part in the momentous events of 1066. Following the death of Edward the Confessor, they all laid claim to the English throne, with Harold being crowned as Harold II. Harold defended his throne against the northern invasion of his near namesake, who died at the Battle of Stamford Bridge.

In the meantime, William invaded from the south, and defeated Harold II at the Battle of Hastings, a pivotal point in England's future.

Answer: Harefoot

By rights, the throne should have gone to Harthacanute, Canute's legitimate son, but he was fighting to hold on to the Danish throne, leaving Harold to lay claim to England. Harold's reign was relatively short, since he died in 1040 in his mid-twenties, from illness not in battle. Harthacanute then became king but died only two years later, ending the Danish monarchy in England.

Harold's nickname was not based on any deformity, but reflected his skill at hunting. The other three options also refer to English monarchs, but not of the 11th century. King John was known as Lackland, Henry II was Curtmantle and Henry I was Beauclerc.

Answer: Duncan

Although Shakespeare described Duncan as an old man, sources indicate that he was aged between thirty and forty when he died. In addition, he was killed in action, fighting against men led by Macbeth, rather than being murdered. Macbeth's claim to the throne was valid, and he was known as a strong leader - he remained king until 1057.

The other bit Shakespeare got correct was that Macbeth was succeeded by Malcolm, who defeated Macbeth in battle, although after a brief reign by Lulach, Macbeth's stepson.

Answer: Hereford

Of the options listed, only Hereford and Gloucester are located near the land border between England and Wales - Bristol is the other side of the river Severn and Birmingham is in the Midlands. Gruffydd ap Llywelyn was the recognised king of the whole of Wales, and is acknowledged by many historians as the only man who could claim to have ruled the whole country.

He formed an alliance with Alfgar, Earl of Mercia, and the two of them laid waste to Hereford in 1055. Gruffydd was married to Ealdgyth, Alfgar's daughter, and after Gruffydd died in 1063 she married Harold Godwinson, later to be Harold II.

Answer: Westminster Abbey

Westminster Abbey was built by order of Edward the Confessor on the site of St. Peter's Abbey, believed to date from around 970. Work began in 1042 and was not completed until 1090, but the building was consecrated in 1065, probably because Edward was dying.

His death in early 1066 set in motion the pivotal events of that year. Edward the Confessor was buried in the Abbey, and William the Conqueror was crowned there. The coronations of most of the monarchs of England and the United Kingdom have taken place there, as well as many Royal marriages.

These include those of Henry I in 1100, Richard II in 1382, the then Princess Elizabeth (now Elizabeth II) in 1947 and Prince William in 2011. The funeral of Diana, Princess of Wales, was also held there in 1997.

Answer: Isle of Ely

Although some sources state that Hereward was the son of Leofric, Earl of Wessex, and Godiva, who was reputed to have ridden naked through Coventry, it is more likely that he was of Danish origin. The real son of the pair was Alfgar. What is sure is that Hereward led a guerilla campaign against the Normans, who had seized his family's property.

The fenlands of East Anglia were a useful base for him, although he was eventually defeated. His nickname of 'Wake' is normally explained as watchfulness, based on his success in evading capture.

Many of his exploits verge on the mythical and his fate is unknown for certain.

Answer: No

By 1085, William I (the Conqueror) was under threat from Denmark, and needed funds to pay the mercenaries recruited to fight on his side. The survey established who owned what property, and who owed money to the king in taxes and rents. It also gave him details of the number of knights he could claim to fight on his behalf, so it wasn't just a means of bringing in taxes.

It was originally known as the Winchester Roll, or the King's Roll and also as the Book of the Treasury. The name of Domesday Book was in common use by 1180.

Answer: University of Oxford

The University of Oxford is the oldest recorded in the English speaking world. The University of Bologna is generally accepted as the oldest in Europe, dating from 1088, and the University of Paris also has its roots in the llth century. Oxford expanded rapidly when English students were banned from going to Paris in 1167.

The other universities listed were also established in mediaeval times - Cambridge was founded in 1209, by students from Oxford, St. Andrews dates from 1413 and Glasgow from 1457.

The University of Edinburgh was established in 1583 and there was then a very long wait for the next new universities in the United Kingdom, which didn't arrive until the nineteenth century.