Tales of the Stone Trivia Quiz

Answer: Jacob

The Stone of Scone is also called Jacob's Pillow Stone. According to the book of Genesis, Jacob had tricked his older twin brother, Esau, out of his birthright, and was trying to put some space between himself and his brother. After receiving their father's (Isaac) blessing, Jacob fled and stopped at a place called Luz to rest; he apparently chose a stone there to use for a pillow.

As he slept, Jacob had a dream (Genesis 28:12-13) where he saw angels going up and down a ladder stretching from the earth to heaven.

In the dream, God promised Jacob that he would give the land to him and his descendants. When he awoke, Jacob took the stone he used as a pillow and poured oil over it. He renamed the town Bethel, and in Genesis 28:22 pledged "this stone that I have set up as a pillar will be God's house, and of all that you give me I will give you a tenth".

There is a legend that the prophet Jeremiah brought the stone with him to Ireland, and eventually it made its way to Scotland.

Answer: Blarney Stone

Because the Stone of Scone has meaning to many different groups of people, it has different names. Used for the coronation of the monarchs of Scotland for centuries perhaps beginning in the 500s AD, the Stone of Scone was also known as the Stone of Destiny. Used for the same purpose in England, it became known as the Coronation Stone.

It is also called the Tanist Stone, after the Gaelic system used in Ireland, Scotland, and the Isle of Man of passing titles and land to the second in command, or heir-apparent, who is called the Tanist.

The Blarney Stone, of course, found in Blarney Castle near Cork, Ireland, is believed to give those who kiss it the gift of gab.

Answer: A village in Scotland

The village of Scone, closely associated with Scottish kings and coronations for centuries, was formed around Scone Abbey. The exact date of the founding of the Abbey is unknown; sources claim that it could have been as early as the 700s AD. Of course that leaves Fergus out as the first legendary king! In addition to the story of Fergus, there is also one says that in 841 AD Kenneth MacAlpin brought a coronation stone to Scone and was crowned the first King of Scotland.

In fact, a modern list of Scottish kings begins with Kenneth I of the House of Alpin, who is believed to have moved the stone from Argyll to Scone when the Viking raids began. Even though there really wasn't a unified Scotland or a capital during medieval times, Scone was still called as "the Royal City of Scone" and was considered an important seat of government.

Answer: Iron rings

According to "English Monarchs", the Stone of Scone has an iron ring on each side and a carved cross on one end. The iron rings would have made carrying the heavy stone much easier. Weighing in at 336 pounds, the stone measures approximately 26 inches by 16.75 inches by 10.5 inches. It is made of red sandstone, which geologists have concluded came from the area around Scone.

Answer: False

If you answered "t" for this question, you forgot the story that the Stone of Scone was brought to Scotland from Ireland! In ancient Ireland a similar stone was used that was called the Coronation Stone of Tara or "Lia Fáil". There are some who believe that the Stone of Scone was actually the Lia Fáil that was taken from Ireland; in fact, there is a legend that Fergus actually was given permission to take it to Scotland.

Others, however, believe the stone still exists at Tara. It was reported to have magical powers, including giving the rightful King of Ireland a long reign, and shouting whenever the rightful Irish or Scottish king stands or sits on it.

Answer: Edward I

In the 1290s, Scotland was experiencing a bit of a succession crisis. King Alexander II had three heirs who had died in quick succession; after his death, his designated heir, a granddaughter, Margarget, died on her way from Norway to Scotland to claim the throne. The result was a period of time known as the Great Cause, where fourteen people claimed the throne. Edward I (Longshanks), who was asked to conduct the proceedings that would work out the dispute, demanded that in exchange for doing so, he be recognized as the feudal overlord of all of Scotland. Those claiming the Scottish throne agreed that Edward would be recognized until a rightful ruler - eventually John Balliol - was eventually chosen. Apparently Edward believed that his possession of the Stone of Scone would legitimize his claim to rule over Scotland. John Balliol was the last Scottish king to sit on the Stone of Scone during his coronation in Scotland.

By the way, there are some who believe that the monks at Scone Abbey pulled a switch on Edward, and that the "true" stone did not, in fact, make its way to England in 1296, but is either buried somewhere or perhaps even put in the nearby river.

Answer: Beneath the seat of the Coronation Throne

The Coronation Throne, which is also known as King Edward's Chair, was the resting place of the Stone of Scone from 1296-1950. Called the "oldest dated piece of furniture by a known artist", the throne was commissioned by Edward I and made of oak sometime between 1297-1300 by Walter of Durham.

Initially the chair was constructed so that the monarch sat directly on the Stone of Scone. Sometime in the 1600s a wooden platform was built over the top of the stone, encasing it in its own compartment. Since the coronation of Edward II in 1308, every English and British monarch that has been crowned sat in the chair - with two exceptions. Mary I sat on a coronation throne that was provided by the Pope, and Mary II, crowned at the same time as her husband, William III, sat in a replica of the chair.

Answer: It was broken into two pieces.

The four students, members of the Scottish Covenant Association that supported home rule for Scotland, took the Stone from Westminster Abbey - where the Coronation Throne is kept - and made off for Scotland. Unfortunately, during the removal of the stone, it fell to the floor and was broken into two pieces. One piece was buried in a field and the smaller piece was stowed away in a car. Of course, when English authorities learned that the stone was missing, the border between England and Scotland was completely closed.

After waiting a couple of weeks for the border to reopen, the students, with the help of an English accomplice named John Josselyn, took the pieces of the Stone to Glasgow, where it was repaired. In April 1951 the Stone was recovered from Arbroath Abbey, and was returned to England in February 1952. Again, it has been speculated that a copy of the Stone was returned and the Scots kept the original.

Interestingly, it turned out that King Edward I was the 21 times great grandfather of John Josselyn.

Answer: James I

The coronation of James I, King of England and Ireland, was an interesting development to say the least, since he was already James VI of Scotland. He became King of Scotland when he was only thirteen months old, after his mother, Mary, Queen of Scots, was forced to abdicate.

As a child, regents ruled in his place, and he gained full control of the government of Scotland in 1583. He inherited the English throne in 1603 when his cousin, Elizabeth I, died without heirs. At that time he considered himself to be the King of Great Britain and Ireland.

His political base was in England after 1603 and he only returned to Scotland one time after that.

Answer: False

In 1996 it was decided - with the approval of Queen Elizabeth II - that the Stone of Scone should be returned to Scotland when it was not needed for coronations in England. The Stone arrived at Edinburgh Castle on St. Andrew's Day, November 30, and in a ceremony attended by Prince Andrew was handed over to the Commissioners for the Regalia.

These people had already been charged with the safekeeping of the Honours of Scotland, the Scottish Crown Jewels, that are considered to be the oldest surviving set of crown jewels in the British Isles. Since 1996, they have also been responsible for the care of the Stone of Scone.

It is on display and can been seen in the Crown Room of Edinburgh Castle.