Henry's Medieval Mix Trivia Quiz

Answer: King Arthur

Perhaps Sir William somehow came into contact with the "History of the Kings of Britain" by Geoffrey Monmouth, who told that Arthur was the son of Uther Pendragon, married to Guinevere, advised by his magician, Merlin, and ruled from Tintagel Castle in Cornwall. Arthur is credited with being the leader who helped Britain recover from the fall of Rome.

In doing so, he supposedly amassed (in some versions of stories about him) a huge empire grew to England, Ireland, Norway, Iceland and Gaul.

Answer: St. Augustine

Augustine was very brave to accept such a dangerous assignment! The pope sent him to Æthelberht because he was married to a Christian princess. It was a good choice; by 597 Æthelberht was converted and thousands of his subjects were baptized on Christmas Day. Augustine was made a bishop, and founded what is said to be the first Benedictine monastery outside of Italy, which later became St. Augustine's Abbey, on land donated by the king.

He was the first Archbishop of Canterbury and founder of English church.

Answer: Charles Martel

It is difficult to hypothesize, but Charles Martel's victory MAY have saved England from attack. That was a good thing, because they were about to have their hands full with potential Viking attacks! By the time of the Battle of Tours, the Frankish kings were "do-nothing" kings, and the mayor of the palace held the real power. Known as Charles "the Hammer", Martel's greatest achievement was the formation of a cavalry, which was invaluable in defeating the Muslim army.

Although scattered attacks continued, this battle is significant because it stopped their furthest advance.

Answer: Charlemagne

Charles the Great is well-known for his military leadership and ability to rule an empire. He never, however, was able to master the art of reading and writing. According to Einhard, his personal biographer, Charles kept a tablet nearby so that he could practice when he had time, "but he made little progress in this task, too long deferred and begun too late in life". Don't forget that Charlemagne was attempting to learn Latin, which was written in all upper case, or majuscule, letters! Although he was never fully literate, Charlemagne understood the importance of literacy, providing education for his sons and daughters, noble children, and monastery schools for boys of all classes.

Answer: Alfred

By the mid-9th century, the Danes had conquered all of England except for the kingdom of Wessex. In order to buy some time, Alfred purchased a truce from the Danes, after which he reorganized his army, and built new ships and fortifications. In 878 Alfred defeated the Danes and confined them to an area in northern England called the Danelaw.

The story says that Alfred was in Athelney, Somerset, worried about the beating his army had taken during battle with the Danes. He was asked to watch the bread, and keep it from burning, however he was in such deep thought about his circumstances that he let the bread burn. Not realizing that the "bread-watcher" was actually the King of England, the woman must have really scolded him when she returned to find the bread burned. This event, whether truth or legend, is considered to be an important turning point in Alfred's reign. He built a fort in Athleney, rallied his troops, and went on to greatness.

Answer: Canute

In the late 10th century, faced once more by a Viking invasion, Ethelred tried to bribe the Danes to stop their attacks with money levied called the Danegeld. The money did not achieve its purpose and Ethelred eventually fled to Normandy, leaving his son, Edmund, to rule England. Three years later, after Edmund's death, the Witan (Council of the Wise Men) choose the Viking leader, Canute, to be king of England. He married Ethelred's widow and worked to ease the tension between the English and Danes.

According to the story, Canute ordered that his throne be carried to the sea. When the waves came in, he unsuccessfully commanded them to stop. "Let all men know how empty and worthless is the power of kings. For there is none worthy of the name but God, whom heaven, earth and sea obey". By the time of his death, his empire included England, Norway, part of Sweden, and Denmark.

Answer: Domesday Book

After leading the conquest of England, William I ordered a survey of land ownership which became known as the Doomsday Book. The information recorded in the book became the final "doom" or judgement, in all disputes over land ownership. By establishing such a detailed record, William was able to keep himself informed regarding the resources of his kingdom. All manner of information was recorded in the book, and it was said that "there was not one hide of land in England that he did not know who owned it, and what it was worth and then set it down in his record". (However, the Doomsday Book does not include the cities of London and Winchester and County Durham and many other parts of the North of England are also omitted).

Answer: Matilda

Empress Matilda was married to the Holy Roman Emperor, Henry V, when she was just eleven years old. Upon his death in 1125 she returned to England to find herself her father's only living heir. When her father died, however, the throne was claimed by her cousin, Stephen.

After finally realizing that she would never be accepted as Queen of England, Matilda continued fighting until finally her son, Henry II, was crowned king. After reading about the years of strife that came about because Henry I did not have a male heir, it is easier to understand why the future Henry VIII was so concerned!

Answer: Louis IX

Louis IX was only three years old when he inherited the throne; he was raised by his mother, who was a devout Christian. As an adult Louis established hospitals, orphanages and asylums. He even fed the poor at public expense and served them himself! He became so renowned for his fairness that he was often asked to mediate disputes between the other European monarchs. Sadly, he died of the plague while on a Crusade in North Africa. Saint Louis is the only king of France to have been canonized.

Answer: Eleanor of Aquitaine

Eleanor of Aquitaine was married to King Louis VII of France, but that marriage was annulled when she failed to produce a male heir. She consequently married King Henry II of England and had eight children with him, five sons and three daughters. When Henry died, Eleanor was finally released from captivity and acted as regent while her son, Richard, crusaded.

She went on to rescue him when he was captured making his way home and held for ransom. Outliving all but two of her children, Eleanor was one of the wealthiest and most powerful women in Europe.