Magna Carta Octocentennial Trivia Quiz

Answer: Henry II and Eleanor of Aquitaine

As the fifth and youngest son of Henry II and Eleanor of Aquitaine, it seemed unlikely that John would become king or inherit any significant land, for that matter. Called John Lackland, he is possibly assumed to have been educated to join the clergy. With the early deaths of three of his oldest brothers, however, he became a potential heir.

His father's favorite, John apparently prone to mood swings, was described as witty and generous one moment, and in a rage the next. With a stormy family history, at one point he joined with his brother, Richard, and his mother in an attempt to overthrow his father.

Henry II died shortly after that.

Answer: Windsor Castle

Located about twenty miles from central London, Runnymede is located on the banks of the Thames. It is believed that the name Runnymede is derived from the Anglo-Saxon words "runieg" and "mede", meaning "a place in the meadows where meetings are held". Windsor Castle, originally built by William the Conqueror, was besieged by rebel barons in 1214, and John used it as his base during the negotiations that subsequently led to the signing of the Magna Carta.

Please don't send in corrections pointing out that Magna Carta was sealed (not signed). It is perfectly accepted practice to speak of the signing of Magna Carta.

Answer: Articles of the Barons

An attempt to avoid civil war, the Articles of the Barons was divided into two basic sections. The first part dealt with individual complaints of the barons and tried to address them. Next, among other things, the agreement provided for the formation of a committee of twenty-five barons who were to make sure the terms were enforced. There were also some clauses that addressed the rights of free men - especially in the area of justice - and the royal charters that had been issued to towns; the status of the City of London was confirmed at this time as well.

Answer: Clergy

When the Archbishop of Canterbury died in 1205, John made an attempt to break with protocol and name his choice as successor. Traditionally the monks of Christ Church had the right to elect the archbishop, and they too named a choice. The pope, in an attempt to exercise his supreme right, rejected both choices and chose his own candidate.

After the pope threatened John with excommunication and a papal-encouraged invasion of England, as well as suggesting that he would place England under the interdict, John acquiesced, and recognized the pope's choice.

In the second section of the agreement, the right of the clergy to elect their own bishops was outlined; in addition, John also promised that he would not seek a papal annulment of the charter.

Answer: Freedom for the serfs

John had ignored the traditional rights of the barons by imposing dues on them that would help finance his wars with the French. In 1215 the angry barons joined forces and a list of demands was given to the king, along with an ultimatum that they would declare war if John did not accept their demands.

It was seen, at the time, as an agreement between the king and his barons in accordance with feudal traditions, outlining the rights and responsibilities of each group as part of the feudal system, a system to which the serfs did not belong.

Some of the terms of the document were extended to freemen, such as justice in the courts, but they did nothing for the serfs who made up the vast majority of the population.

Answer: Archbishop of Canterbury, Stephen Langton

The pope had appointed Stephen Langton as Archbishop of Canterbury in 1207. It is believed that he was given the responsibility of drafting an agreement because he had been working with the barons. Stephen Langton did eventually see his office suspended temporarily for his part in the Magna Carta incident in 1215, but was reinstated the following spring with a promise that he would not return to England until peace was restored.

He did not return until May of 1218.

Answer: Innocent III

Although neither John nor the barons really made any great strides in keeping their end of the agreement after the signing of the document, the Magna Carta did extend what later scholars called a "security clause" to the barons. If John did not adhere to his promises within forty days, they could seize his lands and castles until he did. The king appealed to the pope for help, in spite of the fact that he promised he wouldn't, and the pope eventually intervened by calling the document "not only shameful and demeaning but also illegal and unjust" since John had been "forced to accept" it. Innocent III threatened excommunication to both sides if any attempt was made to enforce the charter, which led to the First Barons' War.

As far as being "not-so-guiltless", there is a story that on the day he died, Innocent III appeared before St. Lutgarda, told her he was in Purgatory for three faults, and asked for her assistance.

Answer: Louis VIII of France

The reason John continued to demand more tax money was because he wanted to continue his war with Philip II, the father of Louis VIII, of France. The two families had ties that went way back a long way. Eleanor, John's mother, had been married to Louis VII, Philip's father, before marrying Henry II. Louis VII's daughter, Alys, was betrothed to John's brother, Richard, and sent to live in England as Henry II's ward when she was eight years old.

Many believe that she eventually became Henry's mistress instead. Richard and Philip fought in the Third Crusade together, and when Eleanor and her sons tried to overthrow Henry, it was with Philip's help.

When John became king, he succeeded in losing most of England's holdings in France to Philip.

When the rebel barons began to believe that John would never keep the agreement, they offered the English throne to the future Louis VIII in exchange for help. Louis VIII did lead an invasion of England and was briefly proclaimed king in early June 1216.

Answer: He died.

It is believed that John contracted dysentery while fighting in the First Barons' War. He died on October 18, 1215 and his nine-year-old son, Henry III was declared king, with William Marshal his protector. At the conclusion of the First Barons' War, the Charter of 1217 was issued to once again attempt to protect the rights of the barons and limit the right of the king to tax his subjects.

There was another issue at the time over the issue of the royal boundaries of the forest, and the Charter of the Forest was also issued at the same time.

The term "great charter of liberties" was used to distinguish between the two, and that is when the term Magna Carta was born.

Answer: It implied the monarch was subject to the law and must obey it like everyone else.

With 2015 being a milestone year for the Magna Carta, it is interesting to see how different people have interpreted its importance. For the people of the time, the importance probably was that they were promised justice in the courts - as long as they were free men. John's grandfather, Henry I, and father, Henry II, worked very hard to strengthen the process of royal justice, and the Magna Carta continued that process.

The provisions of the Magna Carta were reconfirmed many times in the centuries after John's death, and by the seventeenth century it was used to contest the divine right of kings. During the time of the Glorious Revolution (and earlier in the 17th century) it was overly romanticized as a way of limiting the power of the king, and it was probably during this time that what has been called the "political myth" of it protecting ancient liberties was formulated.