Noble Warriors Trivia Quiz

Answer: Charlemagne

My name is Charlemagne (Charles the Great). I was King of the Franks and King of Italy before Pope Leo III crowned me "August Caesar" or Emperor. I was emperor for 13 years, and was succeeded in 814 by my son, Louis the Pious.

My brother, Carloman, and I had co-ruled our father's kingdom until Carloman died suddenly in 771. Constantine was a Roman Emperor in the 4th Century who converted to Christianity, and Caesar was an impressive Roman general who was great-uncle to the first Roman Emperor, Augustus.

Answer: William the Conqueror

I am William, the first Norman King of England. I was descended from Viking raiders, and was the son of Robert I, Duke of Normandy, and his mistress Herleva. Being an illegitimate son caused problems for me in my youth but I was able to establish my position in Normandy. I married Matilda of Flanders, and together we had nine children.

In 1066, my cousin Edward the Confessor died, naming Earl Harold Godwinson as his heir. Edward had previously promised me the throne, so I set out to invade England, defeating and slaying Harold at the Battle of Hastings. Alfred the Great was an earlier English king who called himself "King of the Anglo-Saxons" and Richard the Lionheart was a later Duke of Normandy, who, like myself, became King of England.

Answer: El Cid

The Moors of Spain call me El Cid, "the Lord", and Christians know me as El Campeador, "the Champion". I was born in Vivar del Cid, near the city of Burgos, and brought up at the court of Emperor Ferdinand the Great. I was Castilian and through my military successes I became a nation hero of Spain.

"El Rey", "El Duque", and "El Caballero" were not names for me, but they are Spanish for "the King", "the Duke", and "the Knight".

Answer: Richard I

History knows me as Richard the Lionheart, Duke of Normandy and Aquitaine, and King of England. Though I was King of England for ten years, I spent less than a year on English soil, and I did not speak any English. Instead, I spent my years as King fighting in the Third Crusade in Jerusalem or home at Aquitaine and also spent a long time in captivity.

My younger brother was John and he was perhaps as famous as myself. He is portrayed as Prince John in the tales of Robin Hood, and is famous for accepting Magna Carta in 1215. James I of England was also King James VI of Scotland, and was King of England at the time of Pocahontas. King Stephen was a grandson of William the Conqueror.

Answer: William Marshal

I am William Marshal, "the greatest knight that ever lived" (according to Stephen Langton). I was both a soldier and a statesman, and served Henry II, Richard the Lionheart, John, and Henry III. I was legendary in tournaments, besting 500 knights during my career and was made 1st Earl of Pembroke in 1199 by King John (in the second creation of the title).

Each time the title was returned to the crown, a new 1st Earl of Pembroke was named. In the first creation, before me, Gilbert de Clare was made 1st Earl of Pembroke by King Stephen. In the third creation, William de Valence was given the title, and in the fourth creation, the 1st Earl of Pembroke was Laurence Hastings.

Answer: Alexander Nevsky

My name is Prince Alexander. I was the second son of Prince Yaroslav, born in Pereslavi-Zalessky in May 1220. I was made Prince of Novgorod in 1236, and in 1240, I saved my homeland from an invasion from the north in the Battle of the Neva, earning me the name of Nevsky.

There are many saints in the Russian Orthodox Church, and I joined them in 1547 when I was canonized. Some other saints of the Church, along with me, are Tsarevich Dmitry, son of Ivan the Terrible; Fyodor Ushakov, an 18th Century Russian Admiral; and Dmitry Donskoy, a Prince of Moscow.

Answer: William Wallace

I am Sir William Wallace of Scotland. You may recognize me from "Braveheart". I was born in London, England in 1305, but commanded an army of Scots in the Wars of Scottish Independence, against the English. When I was captured and brought before Edward I, charged with high treason and crimes against English civilians, I was sentenced to death by hanging, then being drawn and quartered.

During the Wars of Scottish Independence, my forces combined with those of Andrew de Moray, a fine military leader. Other Scottish forces were led by Robert the Bruce, King of the Scots. Robert and I were supported during the wars by the Bishop of Glasgow, Robert Wishart.

Answer: Jacques de Molay

I am Jacques de Molay, last Grand Master of the Knights Templar. The Knights Templar were founded during the Crusades and amassed impressive amounts of power and wealth. I joined them in 1265 and was elected the 23rd Grand Master some 30 years later. Our Order was dissolved by Pope Clement V in 1307, and in 1314 I was sentenced to death by fire at the stake. Many legends circulate about me: one of the best known is that just before I was executed I solemnly cursed the Pope and the King of France for destroying our Order and that both died within one year.

As the final Grand Master of the Knights Templar, I ended a line of Grand Masters that traced back to Hugues de Payens, who founded the Order in 1118, and served as its first Grand Master. De Payens was succeeded by Robert de Craon, who in turn was succeeded by Everard des Barres.

Answer: Edward of Woodstock

I am Edward of Woodstock, who history has come to know as Edward the Black Prince. It is unclear how I got my nickname, but it has been hypothesized that the reasoning behind the name was my black armor. Though I lived in 1300s, I was not called the "Black Prince" until the 16th century. I did not survive to be King of England, so upon the death of my father, Edward III, my son Richard succeeded the throne as Richard II.

I was not the only Prince of Wales to die before I could succeed to the throne, though I was the first. After me, there were two more Edwards who died before they could ascend the throne, followed by Arthur Tudor, elder brother of King Henry VIII, then Henry Frederick, son of James I, and Frederick Louis, son of George II.

Answer: Charles Brandon

My name is Charles Brandon. I was the son of Elizabeth Bruyn and Sir William Brandon, Henry VII's standard bearer at the Battle of Bosworth. I didn't have the best reputation when it came to women, having four wives and other mistresses. I had married Henry's sister, Mary, without his permission, and then married the betrothed of my son, Catherine Willoughby.

I was lucky enough to avoid the wrath of Henry VIII, but Thomas More, Thomas Cromwell, Francis Dereham, and many others were not so lucky. Sir Thomas More had been Henry's teacher and friend, but was beheaded on Henry's orders in 1535. Thomas Cromwell had been Henry's chief minister, but was condemned to death by beheading in 1540, without a trial, for crimes of treason, heresy, and corruption. Francis Dereham was hanged, drawn, and quartered for his involvement with Henry's fifth wife, Catherine Howard. After all the others were executed, I was Henry's only friend left.