For Your Ayes Only Quiz / Test | Literature by Region

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1. "Sir Patrick Spens", "The Twa Corbies", and "Glenlogie" are examples of a form of literature at which Scotland has long excelled. What are they called?

Answer: Folk ballads

Scotland has a long tradition of balladry. In the late 19th century, Francis James Child collected 305 ballads which were still being sung in Great Britain at the time, and published them as "The English and Scottish Popular Ballads." Many of the Scottish ballads are based on real events, and some may date as far back as the 16th century.

Many ballads were brought to America by early Scots-Irish settlers; the movie "Songcatcher" is about a woman collecting these ballads in the Appalachian Mountains. And although they were sung, the lyrics are often considered to be a form of poetry. According to the book, "The 500 Greatest Poems," "Sir Patrick Spens" is the poem that appears most often in anthologies of English language poems.

2. One of the earliest examples of Scottish literature is a long poem in English called "The Kingis Quair," believed to have been written by this Scottish king, who spent much of his life in captivity. Who was it?

Answer: James I

"The Kingis Quair" means "The King's Book." It is believed to have been written by James I (1394 - 1437) who was captured by the English in 1406 and not released until 1424. It is semi-autobiographical, and describes the dream of a man in prison who is visited by Venus, Minerva, and Fortune, who promises him that he will prosper. James seems to have been heavily influenced by the works of Geoffrey Chaucer.

The poem is written in a complicated form called "rhyme royal".

3. One of Shakespeare's most famous plays tells the story of a Scottish nobleman whose ambition, coupled with his wife's urging, causes him to kill his lawful king and claim the throne for himself. The play includes a famous scene involving three witches, and is the source of such sayings as "something wicked this way comes" and the "Tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow" soliloquy. Who is this wicked Scottish king?

Answer: Macbeth

Macbeth was a real person, who was King of Scotland from 1040 to 1057. The play bears little connection to historical events. The play is believed to have been written between 1603 and 1607. It was revised by Thomas Middleton, and today's text may bear little resemblance to the original script.

In theatrical circles, it is considered bad luck to call the work by its name; actors usually call it "the Scottish play". The concluding lines of the play are: "So, thanks to all at once and to each one / Whom we invite to see us crown'd at Scone." The Stone of Scone is a block of sandstone, used in the coronation of Scottish kings from time immemorial.

It was captured by the English in 1296, but returned to Scotland in 1996.

4. Before the Act of Union in 1707, Scotland was notably deficient in one of the major forms of literature. Which one?

Answer: Plays

Plays and playwrights were scarce in Scotland before the Georgian Era. This was mainly due to the opposition of church authorities, who viewed the theatre as somehow immoral. There are a few surviving early Scottish plays, such as David Lyndsay's "A Satire of the Three Estates", and plays were sometimes performed at court and by groups of foreign actors, but plays were never a major part of early Scottish literature.

5. Robert Burns is considered to be Scotland's national poet, the author "My Love Is Like a Red, Red Rose" and "Auld Lang Syne". But he certainly had an earthy side to his character. In 1799 a book of extremely bawdy verse said to have been written by Burns appeared. What was it called?

Answer: The Merry Muses of Caledonia

"The Merry Muses of Caledonia" is a collection of absolutely filthy poetry by Robert Burns, first published in 1799. It is generous in its use of words not usually found in polite conversation, and its candid discussion of sexual matters. Some of Burns' best known poems, such as "Comin' Thro the Rye," are heavily expurgated versions of poems that appear in this book.

6. This novel by Sir Walter Scott is set partly in England and partly in Scotland. The title character is an outlawed member of the Clan McGregor. Set in the troubled times of the 1715 Jacobite rebellion, the novel was made into a movie starring Liam Neeson, Jessica Lange and Tim Roth. What is it?

Answer: Rob Roy

While the 1995 film is entertaining, it is not historically accurate, and bears little in common with Scott's novel, other than the title. Rob Roy McGregor was a real person; he was born in 1671 and died in 1734. In Scott's novel, he is a fairly minor character, who helps to rescue the protagonist, Frank Osbaldistone, several times. "Rob Roy" is considered to be one of Scott's "Waverley Novels."

7. Robert Louis Stevenson is best remembered as a writer of adventure stories, such "Treasure Island" and "Kidnapped", but he also wrote a famous horror story, about a mild-mannered man whose experiments turn him into a cruel, deranged killer. What is the name of this famous novella, which has inspired many film adaptations of its story?

Answer: The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde

"The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde" is thought to have been inspired by the life of William Brodie (1741 -1788), an Edinburgh cabinet-maker, who was a respectable tradesman by day, and a burglar and thief at night. The story of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde has been filmed over 120 times.

8. John Buchan authored a novel set in England and Scotland prior to onset of WWI. The "hero" and narrator was named Richard Hannay who, while being chased by spies and murderers, attempts to prevent a diplomatic assassination. Do you know the title of this action-packed novel?

Answer: The Thirty-Nine Steps

"North by Northwest" was a screenplay set in the U.S. "The Man in the Brown Suit" was written by Agatha Christie and "The Sign of Four" by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.

The character Richard Hannay went on to star in four other novels written by John Buchan. "The Thirty-Nine Steps" was made into a movie several times. The version people might remember most was directed by Alfred Hitchcock. As is often the case, none of the movies stayed true to the original novel. John Buchan, 1st Baron Tweedsmuir, had many adventures of his own and would go on to become Canada's 15th Governor General.

9. In a rare reversal of the usual order of events, this novel, written by Robin Hardy and Anthony Shaffer, is based on a 1973 film starring Edward Woodward and Christopher Lee. It deals with the disappearance of a young girl on Summersisle, an island off the west coast of Scotland, where the people still follow pagan customs. What is it called?

Answer: The Wicker Man

Like the film, the novel tells the story of Sergeant Neil Howie, a deeply religious man who is shocked by the customs and attitudes of the people of Summersisle. He is sent to the island to investigate the possible murder - or human sacrifice - of a young girl. Usually movies are based on novels, but in this case the movie came first.

The novel was released five years after the film, and goes into more detail about Howie's backgrounds and beliefs.

10. This romance novel by Diana Gabaldon tells the story of Claire Randall, who walks through a circle of standing stones, and is transported from 1945 back to 18th century Scotland, where she meets and falls in love with Jamie Fraser, a Highland warrior. Unfortunately, she also meets the cruel, sadistic "Black Jack" Randall, a British officer who is believed to be an ancestor of her modern-day husband! What very successful book is this?

Answer: Outlander

The novel, which is filled with violence, and a bit of kinky sex, was so successful that it spawned a number of sequels. Romance Writers of America awarded it a RITA Award as "Best Romance Novel" of 1992. The novels follow events related to the Jacobite Rebellion.

After a series of adventures, Claire and Jamie end up in America, but not until they have had several very unpleasant encounters with the wicked Captain Randall!

Source: Author daver852

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor looney_tunes before going online.
Any errors found in FunTrivia content are routinely corrected through our feedback system.

For Your Ayes Only Trivia Quiz

Aye, laddie - or lassie, as the case may be - a quiz about Scottish literature. Scottish authors, Scottish subjects, or Scottish settings. A wee bit of everything Scots related.

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