Henry's Medieval ABC's - Part 3 Quiz

Answer: Livery

The people who are in the lord's service, such as the knights, are expected to dress according to their station, and he provides them with their uniform. The badge they wear, which may be the lord's colors or coat of arms, is a display of their loyalty and allegiance.

Answer: Marcher Lord

The marcher lord is strong and powerful, someone who the king trusts to guard the border between England and Wales. Called the march, or the Welsh marches, it is an area dense with castles and fortifications. Normally a marcher lord has complete power in his fiefdom; the only causes over which the king has jurisdiction are cases of treason.

Answer: False

This is a legal term, which literally means "to hear and determine". It can also mean a commission for judges on circuit. Circuit judges travel from place to places hearing cases that are brought before them. Their commission commands them to look into all cases that are treasons, felonies, and misdemeanors, and to hear and determine guilt or innocence.

Answer: Ploughland

Also called the carucate after the heavy plow that was by Scandanavians in the Danelaw, the tax was usually based on an area of 120 acres. Of course, it can vary depending on the fertility of the soil. The ploughland can also be divided into eighths, called oxgangs, based on how much land one ox could till in a year. The rest of England uses a measurement called a "hide".

Answer: Quarrel

A bolt, or arrow, used in a crossbow, the name for the quarrel comes from the French "carré", meaning "square". Most of the time a quarrel has a square head. Its length can vary, but usually a quarrel is shorter than the arrow used by a longbowman.

Answer: Reeve

Before the Norman conquest, a reeve was an official who had been given responsibilities in a shire by the king, as the chief magistrate of a town or area. Now, my lord, the Earl of Warwick, has a reeve, who is an official that helps as a manager of the estate and oversees the serfs who farm the land. My lord says this is one of the most important jobs on the manor.

The reeve must be a specialist in managing the land, but he also must be clever at dealing with the people who farm the land. They are the ones who put food on our table.

Answer: Stallage

Our manor is self-sufficient, however, there are some items we looking forward to buying at the yearly fair nearby. In the past, trading has been hampered by the dangerous conditions in our country, however, it is more peaceful now, so my lord, the Earl of Warwick, will allow us to travel to the fair. Merchants set up their goods in tents, and we are able to purchase goods that cannot be made on the manor. We look forward to this time as it is a social occasion as well, and one of the few times we see our neighbors.

There is always some form of entertainment with musicians, singers, and acrobats, and many times there is also some form of competition, like an archery contest or tourney for the knights.

Answer: Trebuchet

If we ever lay siege to a castle, you can be sure that my lord, the Earl of Warwick, will bring a trebuchet along! A large one can hurl over three hundred pounds of projectiles into an enemy fortification. Some people may expect that stones are hurled by the weapon, however, in the past manure and dead animals have been used.

Answer: Vellum

Vellum is a parchment that is made from calf skin. It takes a long time to prepare a vellum for writing, and it is very expensive. It is estimated that on the average, one calf skin will make three or four sheets of vellum. Once it is ready, the vellum will last for a long time. Too valuable to waste, we use the same sheet over and over, scraping off the old ink and applying new as needed.

The thing to remember, though, is that even when the old ink is scraped off, a trace of the writing is left behind. That can make reading on an old vellum somewhat difficult! We really don't keep books here, except for a Bible, but my lady does keep vellum for sending messages when necessary.

Answer: Warhammer

I am interested in learning how to use a warhammer, but actually using one in battle? I'm not sure. It is made for close hand-to-hand combat; just looking at one reminds me that it can cause a lot of damage to a person! A warhammer may not be able to penetrate armour, but it can sure cause a concussion! It it also used to injure a knight's horse; you know, once his horse goes down, a knight is a sitting duck!