Great Scott! Trivia Quiz

Answer: Waverley

This was the first of Scott's historical novels, and was so successful that many of the subsequent books were described by the publisher as being "by the author of 'Waverley'. Edmund Waverley, having just finished his officer's training, travels from his English home to visit family friends in Scotland.

The time he spends visiting them, and falling in love with two different women, leads to his overstaying his leave, and being arrested as a deserter. Rescued by his Highland (and Jacobite) friends, he treads a fine line balancing the rights of both sides of the conflict, eventually getting it all sorted out.

Answer: Guy Mannering

Guy Mannering is actually a relatively minor character, who provides the framework for the adventures that befall the Bertram family, including Harry's kidnapping at the age of five, his later appearance as Vanbeest Brown (an orphan who is uncertain of his lineage when he falls in love with Mannering's daughter), and his regaining the family estate with the help of Meg Merrilies, a gypsy who was present at his birth.

A minor character in the book is a farmer named Dandie Dinmont who breeds terriers - the Scottish terrier breed developed in border country, probably in the early 17th century, became known as the Dandie Dinmont terrier following the success of this novel.

Answer: Rob Roy

After refusing to join his father's business, Frank heads to the Scottish border to stay with his uncle, who has inherited the family estate. There he not only falls in love with his uncle's lovely teen-aged ward Diana, but also encounters the famed Rob Roy McGregor Campbell, and gets entangled in various complications with the law. Ultimately, he manages to save his father's business, restore the family estate to its previous glory, and marry the girl.

Answer: The Heart of Midlothian

The Edinburgh-based football team, which came much later, took their name from the same symbol of Edinburgh - a heart-shaped granite mosaic on the pavement outside what is now the West Door of St Giles High Kirk. Previously, it was the site of a 15th century prison and site of public executions called the Old Tolbooth, which was demolished in 1817. The novel, although written in 1818, was set nearly a century earlier, with the 1736 Porteous riots forming part of the historical setting for events. The riots started with a protest over the execution of some smugglers, which led to Captain Porteous of the City guards ordering his men to shoot into the crowd. He was later killed by the rioters, who successfully captured the Old Tolbooth.

Jeanie Deans makes the long trip to London, walking much of the way, to ask the Queen to intercede and obtain a royal pardon for her sister Effie, who had been wrongly accused of murdering her child (who is later found to have been abducted, and raised to a career of robbery). the character was so popular with the public, as a figure of honesty and virtue, that a number of things were named after her, including several pubs, a railway locomotive, and a hybrid rose.

Answer: The Bride of Lammermoor

The story is set in the Lammermuir Hills, in the southeast of Scotland. The original version (published, like all of Scott's work to that point) anonymously, and claiming to have been edited by Jedediah Cleishbotham, was set in the 17th century. In 1830, when Sir Walter Scott republished it using his own name, it was said to be set in the early 18th century, just after the 1707 Acts of Union. If you haven't read the book, you might be familiar with the 1835 opera 'Lucia di Lammermoor', which Donizetti based on this novel. It is supposed to have been based on actual historical events involving two families named Dalrymple and Rutherford.

Lucy's father bought Edgar's family estate, which had been confiscated when the family supported James VII, who had been deposed. He had sworn revenge, but abandons the plan when the two fall in love. Her mother, however, is determined to break them up and organise a more socially advantageous marriage for Lucy. She convinces Lucy that Edgar has died, and tricks her into a marriage with the Laird of Bucklaw. Edgar returns just before the marriage, and is horrified at Lucy's apparent treachery. She is heartbroken, but goes through with the wedding before stabbing her new husband and collapsing into a state of madness and dying. At her funeral, her older brother blames Edgar for her death, and challenges him to a duel, but Edgar is trapped in quicksand and dies on his way to the rendezvous.

Answer: Ivanhoe

This novel, unlike Scott's previous work, moved from being a fairly realistic story set in the recent past to a tale of romance and chivalry set hundreds of years earlier. It is probably the best-known for contemporary readers, and it is a major factor in constructing the modern understanding of the Robin Hood myths. The characterisation it developed was used in a number of movies about Robin Hood, for example, as well as being part of many media adaptations of 'Ivanhoe' itself.

Wilfred of Ivanhoe is disinherited both for supporting the Norman king and for falling in love with Lady Rowena, his father's ward who was destined for a marriage that would provide strong political alliances. On his return from a Crusade with Richard, he saves a Jewish merchant from capture; Isaac (father of Rebecca) then provides him with the wherewithal to participate in a tournament. Plenty of chivalry ensues, including adventures with Robin of Locksley and a mysterious Black Knight who turns out to be King Richard. There is kidnapping, freeing of captives, evil men trying to seduce beautiful women, a witchcraft trial, trial by combat, and a triumphant wedding.

Answer: Kenilworth

The title of the novel refers to one of Dudley's castles, where the climactic scenes of the story occur. There is much court intrigue, as the ambitious Dudley is torn between his love for Amy and his desire to gain favour and power through his relationship with the queen. Amy begs him to reveal the truth, but by the time he does so it is too late - his squire had already organised her death to get her out of the way of his lord's ambitions.

There are numerous historical inaccuracies in this novel, not the least of which is that it was not Dudley's first marriage to Amy Robsart (who died under mysterious circumstances in 1560, fifteen years before the novel appears to be set) which he had to keep secret from the queen, but his second one to Lettice Knollys.

Answer: Quentin Durward

Set in France rather than Scotland, the background to 'Quentin Durward' is the struggle for supremacy between Louis XI of France and Charles the Bold, Duke of Burgundy near the end of the 15th century. Each of these two plans to arrange a marriage between Isabelle de Croye and one of his supporters; this results in her being sent to Flanders escorted by Quentin Durward.

As a low-ranking archer, he becomes a pawn in the political games being played, along with Isabella. The events are based (not entirely accurately) on historical events when the Flemish outlaw William de la Marck killed the Bishop of Liège in 1482. Scott made this event coincide with the Wars of Liège, three conflicts between 1465 and 1468 which were all won by the Duke of Burgundy (the final two of which involved the city being essentially burned to the ground).

Answer: Woodstock

Possibly the full title ('Woodstock, or The Cavalier. A Tale of the Year Sixteen Hundred and Fifty-One') would have made this obvious. Scott based some of the actuating events of this story on the legend of the Good Devil of Woodstock, a spirit that was said to have harassed parliamentary commissioners who were in residence at Woodstock House in Oxfordshire. Woodstock was commandeered by Roundheads, and the Lees ejected from their home. Following the account of some of these ostensibly supernatural events, the story proceeds to deal with the family returning to their residence, and assisting the man who was to become Charles II escape in disguise.

He returns in triumph eight years later, dismounting to thank Sir Henry as the procession passes the Lee family.

Answer: The Fair Maid of Perth

Scott used a real historical event as one of the major scenes of his novel. The Battle of the North Inch was a staged confrontation (with observers including King Robert III of Scotland) between two groups, thirty men on each side, in 1396. It is now unclear exactly who the two combating groups represented; they have been historically identified as the Chattan Confederation and "Clan Kay", but "Clan Kay" may in fact just have been a dissident group from within the Chattan Confederation. The battle was nearly aborted when The Chattan group proved to have only 29 men on hand, but a last-minute volunteer made up their numbers; they eventually won, with 11 men left, when the only man surviving for "Clan Kay" escaped by diving into the river and swimming away.

Catharine is the fair maid of the title, whose hand is sought by the Duke of Rothesay (son of King Robert III). The upshot of the attempted abduction (part of a complex series of politically-motivated events) was a staged battle, with Henry Gow volunteering to join Clan Chattan when they needed an extra person. Following the battle, Rothesay is killed, King Robert resigns and dies of a broken heart when his younger son is captured by the British. In reality, these events took nearly a decade; in the book, they are condensed to a dramatic few months. In case you wondered, Henry and Catharine do manage to get married and live happily ever after.