Here Be Dragons Trivia Quiz

Answer: Clemence D'Arcy

Clemence was high-born and her family cast her out in shame when they found out she was expecting an illegitimate child by the then Prince John.
When Clemence's father died she gave up any hope of a reconciliation and killed herself shortly after her 21st birthday, when Joanna was just five years old.

Answer: Avisa

John suggests the name Avisa, this being the name of his then wife. Joanna wants to please him so she agrees, and is too young to understand why the courtiers are laughing.

Answer: The French Queen

The French Queen Ingeborg is being held in close confinement by her husband Philip after his attempt to 'send her back' to her brother was thwarted by the Pope.
Joanna feels sorry for the woman she has never met, and lights a candle for her every night.
Eleanor herself had been confined for 16 years by Henry, only gaining her freedom when he died, so she indulges Joanna.

Answer: Isabelle of Angouleme

Isabelle is just twelve years old when John marries her. With the marriage John gains allies in the Count Aymer of Angouleme and his vassals, and also gets revenge on Hugh de Lusignan who was betrothed to Isabelle at the time.

Answer: Stephen de Hodnet

Stephen and Llewellyn remain friends for life.
Stephen's older brother attacks Llewellyn and beats him up. Llewellyn never forgets this and years later takes revenge on both his own and Stephen's behalf when the brother is captured in Wales.

Answer: Ela of Salisbury

Will is quite happy to marry Ela as the incomes and revenues from her estates will leave him well off for life.
He is kind to her and treats her well as he waits for her to grow up enough to become a 'proper wife' to him and they are content in their marriage.
Some years later though, it is Ela who finally turns Will against John causing him to go over to the rebel Barons. Ela lied to Will because she was afraid for him if he stayed on John's side.

Answer: Gruffydd, Davydd and Tegwared

Gryffydd is the first born son, and is only a few years younger than Joanna is when she becomes his stepmother. His mother Tangwystyl died giving birth to his sister, when Gryffydd was five.
Davydd is Joanna's son and she is fiercely protective of him in the face of Gryffydd's enmity.
Tegawared and his twin sister Angharad are the children of Cristyn, Llwellyn's mistress.

Answer: Drag the bed into the yard and burn it

The servants find the whole scene hilarious, and are quite happy to drag the feather bed out into the bailey and set it on fire.
Once Joanna's rage has died down she is terrified of what Llewellyn will say and do. A Norman husband would be very likely to beat his wife after such a scene, but Llewellyn thinks it's funny too, once he has calmed down.
What Joanna didn't know was that under Welsh law she could have divorced Llewellyn, and killed Cristyn with no penalty as long as she did it with her own hand!

Answer: Left in a dungeon to starve to death, Maude ate bits of her dead son

Maude de Braose publicly accused John of the murder of his nephew Arthur.
Once in John's dungeon he gives the orders to let her and her son starve in there and the door isn't opened again until they are both dead.
When the bodies are brought out, the son's face has got Maude's teeth marks in it!
This revelation is the final straw for Joanna and she finds it impossible to forgive her father. She never sees him again.

Answer: Llanfaes

Joanna died in 1237 and was buried at Llanfaes at her own request.
Before he also died three years later, Llewellyn founded a religious community in Joanna's name, at Llanfaes.

Please remember that Sharon Penman's story is fictional; even though she has many of her characters and incidents based on historic fact, events in the book are not necessarily accurate in "real history" - this quiz deals with the book, not the 'reality' of events during the life and times of King John of England.