Let's Talk About Hex Trivia Quiz

Answer: Magna Carta

Isabella was King John's second wife, however, she had previously been betrothed to Hugh IX of Lusignan. John was reportedly infatuated with the much younger Isabella, but may have married her to spite his enemies. Given that their marriage caused King Phillip II of France to confiscate their French lands, this is a plausible theory.

John was the fourth son of the formidable Eleanor of Aquitaine and Henry II, and had been nicknamed 'John Lackland' as he was not expected to become King in his own right. He became incredibly unpopular with his own nobles due to his high taxes which were levied in an attempt to raise armies to regain his French lands. The conflict that between the nobles and John led to the eventual agreement and peace treaty the 'Magna Carta' or Great Charter. Isabella is the Queen referred to in clause 61 of the charter.

John is portrayed as an unpopular King (for example, in the Robin Hood stories) and his name has not yet been used as a regnal name by any subsequent monarchs, nearly 1000 years later. After his death, Isabella returned to France where she married the son of her original betrothed (Hugh X), who was betrothed to her daughter Joan. In total, she had 14 children, all of whom survived to adulthood, amazing in that time period.

Answer: Brazen Head

Roger Bacon is regarded as an influential philosopher from medieval times. The 'brazen head' he is reputed to have owned was described as an automaton which could answer questions put to it. This was a common belonging associated with several alchemists of the time. He was educated at Oxford and lectured at the University of Paris for a number of years, in a variety of disciplines, including Latin grammar, Aristotelian logic, arithmetic, geometry, and the mathematical aspects of astronomy and music. His colleagues included the future Pope John XXI.

Pope Clement IV became a patron of Bacon, and in 1267 or 1268, Bacon sent the Pope his Opus Majus, a proposal to reform the university curriculum of the day, and the introduction of new subjects including astronomy, alchemy, agriculture and medicine amongst others. Other works produced by Bacon and sent to the Pope include his Opus Minus, De Multiplicatione Specierum, and De Speculis Comburentibus. It is estimated he composed referenced works of around a million words in about a year, an impressive achievement.

The Philosopher's Stone is commonly associated with alchemists, with it seen as the culmination of a life's work.

Answer: Edward II

Edward II was a particularly unpopular King. He had a close relationship with his 'favourite', Piers Gaveston, with Galveston exerting so much influence over the King, his barons demanded he exile Gaveston, which he did for a short period. Edward II recalled Gaveston from exile, and ultimately in 1312, his barons executed Gaveston. This led to several years of conflict with his nobles, and combined with the English defeat at Bannockburn, followed by widespread famine, Edward's unpopularity grew. During this period Edward made a new favourite of Hugh Despenser the Younger and came under the influence of the wider Despenser family.

In 1323, 28 citizens of Coventry were unhappy with the taxes imposed on them by the Prior of Coventry, an associate of the Despensers. They commissioned John of Nottingham to kill the Prior, Hugh Despenser the Younger and the King. John and his assistant, Robert Marshall, made effigies of the three men in necromantic ceremonies. Before attempting to kill their main targets, they tested their techniques on a local man who subsequently died. Marshall turned his master in to the authorities, however, John and his customers were found not guilty.

In 1325, Edward sent his wife, Isabella, to France as an envoy to the French King, her brother. She began a relationship with Roger Mortimer, an exiled Marcher Lord, and in 1326 they successfully invaded England and deposed Edward II in favour of his son, Prince Edward. Despenser was tried, hung, drawn and quartered in November that year. Edward died in 1327, many believing that he was murdered, with rumours circulating that he was impaled on a red-hot poker.

Answer: Public Penance

Eleanor's husband Humphrey, Duke of Gloucester, was the next in line for the throne if his nephew, Henry VI, died without children. When rumours associated with an astrological chart she commissioned circulated that potential harm could affect the King in July or August 1441, this was enough for her to be charged with treasonable necromancy. Sher denied most of the charges against her, but did admit to purchasing 'potions' from Margery Jourdemayne, known as the 'Witch of Eye', to help her conceive.

Margaret Jourdemayne, Thomas Southwell, and Roger Bolingbroke were arrested and tried for treasonable necromancy. Southwell and Bolingbroke were both known as astrologers, while Jourdemayne was known to serve the ladies of the court. Southwell was executed in the Tower of London, Bolingbroke was hung, drawn, and quartered and Jourdemayne was burnt at the stake.

Eleanor Cobham sought sanctuary in Westminster Abbey, and was questioned by clergy, but not tried with her co-accused. As a result, her sentence did not lead to her execution (the penalty for treason), rather she was forced to perform public penance, was divorced from her husband and sentenced to life imprisonment.

Answer: Witchcraft

Elizabeth Woodville was a widow with two young boys when she was married in secret to Edward IV. Coming from minor nobility, this was the first time since the Norman Conquest that an English King married a commoner.

This marriage embarrassed Richard Neville, the powerful Earl of Warwick who had assisted Edward to gain the throne. The Woodville family benefited greatly from their proximity to the Queen and this caused them to be unpopular with the nobility. Elizabeth's brother-in-law, the Duke of Clarence, accused her of performing witchcraft to kill his wife (daughter to the Earl of Warwick). Accusations of witchcraft were also made against her mother Jaquetta, she was acquitted.

When Edward IV died suddenly, his brother, Richard, Duke of Gloucester was named as Lord Protector of the young, Edward V. Richard later proclaimed that Elizabeth's marriage to Edward was void, as he had entered into a pre contract with Lady Eleanor Butler. As the next legitimate male as Edward's brother, he claimed that he was the legal King of England. 'Titulus Regius' was his first Act of Parliament, passed to confirm his entitlement to take the throne. The Act accused Elizabeth of witchcraft, however, no specific allegations were detailed. Her two eldest sons were last seen in the Tower of London in 1483 and were believed to be murdered. They are known to history as the 'Princes in the Tower'. Their uncle, Richard III was killed by Henry Tudor (subsequently Henry VII) in 1485 at the Battle of Bosworth. He went on to marry Elizabeth's eldest daughter, also named Elizabeth and revoked 'Titulus Regius'.

Answer: Poisoned Ring

The Borgia family had their origins in the Kingdom of Aragon, now part of modern Spain. They came to prominence when a member of their family, Alfons de Borja, became a Cardinal in the Catholic Church and subsequently was elected as Pope Callixtus III. He appointed two nephews as cardinals, including Rodrigo de Borja, later Pope Alexander VI. Rodrigo was quickly promoted and served in the Curia. His reign was controversial, as he publicly acknowledged his illegitimate children, appointing them to prestigious positions.

Giovanni was made captain-general of the papal army, Cesare was made a cardinal, Geoffrey was married to Sancha of Aragon, and Lucrezia's three marriages were to the advantage of her father and family.

As Pope, Alexander was criticised for his blatant nepotism and lavish lifestyle. The Banquet of Chestnuts is one alleged example of his debauchery - 50 courtesans or prostitutes were alleged to be in attendance at event hosted by Cesare in his Vatican apartments with guests including Lucrezia and their father.

Lucrezia became portrayed as a femme fatale, accused of incest with her brother and father, and alleged murderer and poisoner, a ring was rumoured to hide her poisons. This portrayal has been challenged in recent years as there has been little evidence to back these claims.

Answer: Anne Boleyn

Anne Boleyn was the second wife of Henry VIII, and a controversial figure. She was lady-in-waiting to his first wife, Katharine of Aragon. Katharine and Henry only had one child survive to adulthood (later Mary I of England). Henry VIII had previously made Anne's older sister, Mary, his mistress, and when he began to pursue Anne she refused him unless they were married. She was unsuccessful in giving Henry his longed-for son, the safe arrival of Princess Elizabeth being followed by three miscarriages. Henry began looking for a new wife, and Anne who was seen by the public as the cause of upheaval (including the dissolution of many church properties) had few allies.

In January 1536, after her last miscarriage, Henry is reported to say that he had been the victim of 'sortilege', a French word associated with spells and sorcery. In April that year, several of Anne's male friends were taken for questioning about their relationship with her. Her brother George was also arrested and charged with treason and incest. Anne was arrested on May 2 and taken to the Tower of London, charged with adultery, treason and incest. On May 12, the four courtiers were tried and found guilty, Anne and George were tried separately on May 15 and also found guilty. The five men were executed on May 17, 1536 with Anne's execution taking place on May 19, 1536. She was spared from burning, with her execution being beheading by sword.

Answer: Catherine de' Medici

The de' Medici family was a powerful family, rising to power during the first half of the fifteenth century. Based in Florence, by the time of Catherine's birth in 1519, they had already produced one Pope, Pope Leo X, 1513-1521.

The next Medici Pope, Clement VII, was elected in 1523, and in 1533, he oversaw the marriage of Catherine to Henry, the second son of King Francis I of France. She became Queen in 1547, and after Henry died in 1559, she became regent for their son Charles IX in 1560. During this period there was frequent conflict between the Catholic and Huguenot (Protestant) groups within France, with the country verging on civil war

In 1572, Catherine succeeded in arranging a marriage between her daughter, Margaret and Henry III of Navarre, who was raised as a Huguenot. His mother, Queen Jeanne of Navarre, had reluctantly agreed to the marriage, however died prior to the wedding when she had traveled to Paris to buy clothes. Rumours spread that Catherine had killed her via poisoned gloves. When the wedding took place in August, shortly after, the purge that became known as the St. Bartholomew's Day massacre occurred, leading to the deaths of an estimated 5000 people. The blame was placed on both King Charles and his mother.

Catherine is still a figure of speculation today. She was a patron of Nostradamus who was rumoured to have created a talisman for her. She was also the patron of the Ruggeri brother, astrologers, but known to be interested in necromancy and other black arts.

Answer: Nostradamus

Nostradamus was forced to abandon his education when his university closed due to a plague outbreak, leading him to become a self-taught herbalist or apothecary. In 1534, he lost his wife and children to another suspected outbreak of the plague. He is believed to have traveled for the next ten years, returning to Marseilles to assist Louis Serre against a major plague outbreak in Marseille, moving to Provence assisting in Salon-de-Provence and in Aix-en-Provence. In 1547 he settled in Salon-de-Provence, marrying a rich widow, Anne Ponsarde, with whom he had six children-three daughters and three sons. Their home still stands.

In 1550, Nostradamus published his first almanac, and due to its success, he began writing one or more annually, totaling at least 6,338 prophecies. The popularity of his almanacs led to the nobility and other prominent people commissioning horoscopes and psychic advice from him. This success led to the prophecies for which he is still known, a book of one thousand mainly French quatrains, mostly undated. To protect himself he used a mix of techniques to write these quatrains, using word games and a mixture of other languages such as Greek, Italian, Latin, and Provençal. The first volume was published in 1555, to mixed response.

Catherine de' Medici, wife of King Henry II of France, after reading his almanacs for 1555, which hinted at threats to the royal family, summoned him to Paris, to cast horoscopes for her children, eventually making him Counselor and Physician-in-Ordinary to her son, King Charles IX of France. The validity of his prophecies is hard to verify, with claims that he predicted the Great Fire of London, the French Revolution, the rises of Napoleon and Adolf Hitler, and both World Wars.

Paracelsus, Giordano Bruno, and Isaac Newton are all people associated with alchemical and other studies during this period.

Answer: Elizabeth I

John Dee studied at Cambridge university and he was appointed as an original fellow of Trinity College, Cambridge on its foundation by Henry VIII in 1546. He traveled throughout Europe in the late 1540s and early 1550s, returning to London with a major collection of mathematical and astronomical instruments. In 1555, Dee was arrested after casting horoscopes of Queen Mary and Princess Elizabeth. Initially he was charged with 'calculating' with the charges raised to treason against Mary. He was exonerated but turned over to the Catholic Bishop Bonner for religious examination. A passionate scholar, his became the greatest in England and attracted many scholars.

When Elizabeth came to the throne in 1558, he became her astrological and scientific advisor. He chose her coronation date and converted to become Protestant. For the next 20 years, he was an advisor providing technical aid in navigation and political support to create a "British Empire", a term he was the first to use. By the early 1580s, Dee began to explore the supernatural as a way to acquire knowledge. He tried to contact spirits through the use of a "scryer" or crystal-gazer, and began to devote all his energies to his supernatural pursuits. He spent several years traveling around Europe, before returning to England. He did not regain his position at Court and died in London in 1608 or 1609.