The Right Knight on the Right Night Quiz

Answer: Rodrigo Diaz de Vivar ("El Cid")

This Spanish national hero was a knight who was born in 1043. He was nicknamed "El Cid" by the Moors who he fought against, and occasionally battled alongside. He was in the royal service of King Sancho for many years before being exiled. A fierce warrior, he remained loyal to his home even as he battled for both Christian and Moslem factions.

In 1094 his siege led to the Berbers giving up Valencia and he ruled it, attempting to highlight Christian principles, until his death in 1099.

Answer: Wladyslaw III

Wladyslaw III was born in AD 1424 and was king of both Poland and Hungary in his teenage years. He was led by a manipulative adviser who, along with a papal envoy, assured him that the peace treaty with the Ottomans was invalid since they were considered infidels. Wladyslaw gathered a fighting force near the Black Sea and faced an Ottoman army three times their size. Wladyslaw gambled everything and bravely led 500 Polish knights into the center of the sultan's camp. Even though he lost his life (and his head) that day, he is still admired for his knightly courage and a monument stands where he fell.

Answer: William Marshal

William was born around AD 1146 to a minor noble. He trained for seven years to perfect his skills as a knight. By the 1170's he had become a celebrity in the tournament rounds and was earning quite a bit of prize money and notoriety. He soon served under Henry I, Henry II, and Richard I and went to the Crusades in their name.

In AD 1190, William was left to govern the land when Richard was away fighting. At the age of 50, William was still physically laying siege to French castles and age 70, he led at the Battle of Lincoln.

In AD 1215, due to his loyalties and popularity, he was instrumental in negotiations at the signing of the Magna Carta. He died in 1219 with his last words being "I cannot defend myself from death".

Answer: Geoffrey de Charny

Geoffrey de Charny was born around AD 1306 near Burgundy. He married into a good dowry and soon began leading a military company in battles against the British. By the 1340s, he was a knight and joined the Crusades where he was able to acquire the famous Shroud of Turin.

In AD 1349, he was living in Paris and, after being ransomed, was back fighting for the new French king, John II. This king made Charny a member of the Company of the Star (similar to Britain's Order of the Garter) and also asked him to write a series of works describing chivalry and how a knight should act.

The book, "A Knight's Own Book of Chivalry", has been published since the 1350s. Charny died in a battle in AD 1356.

Answer: Alexander Nevsky

Alexander Nevsky was born in AD 1219 to a royal family and became prince of Novgorod in AD 1236. He was charged with keeping the country's western borders free from attack. In AD 1240, greatly outnumbered, Alexander defeated the Swedes at the Neva River. Two years later, this Russian knight now led his army across the frozen Lake Peipus and beat back the Teutonic knights and crusaders. Alexander, despite the opposition of his people, practiced a policy of cooperation with the Mongols which helped with international relations.

He died in AD 1263, and was canonized around a century later.

Answer: Robert Guiscard

Robert Guiscard was born around AD 1015 in Normandy, France to a family of knights. He moved to southern Italy in AD 1047 to join his brothers in defending the area. He spent years fighting against the Byzantines and Germanic tribes. Robert agreed to help Pope Nicholas II in expelling Arabs from Sicily and to restore Christianity to the island.

This took decades, and included a siege of Palermo in AD 1071. By AD 1080, Robert was at the height of his power and had built a large army and navy.

He marched on Rome to claim land for the Holy Roman Empire and died during a siege in AD 1085.

Answer: Richard I ("Richard the Lionheart")

Richard was the son of King Henry II and Queen Eleanor of Aquitaine. He became King of England in AD 1189 when his father surrendered to him. Very soon after his coronation, he took a crusader's vow and joined the Third Crusade to free the Holy Land from the Kurds, led by Saladin.

In AD 1192, in Jaffa, Richard and thousands of men sailed to the area to fight. They fought their way through the city, charged with mounted knights, fired crossbow bolts, and won the battle. Richard returned to Europe and fought in France where he was shot in the shoulder by a crossbow and died from the wound in AD 1199.

Answer: Gottfried "Gotz" von Berlichingen

Gottfried was born in AD 1480 into an aristocratic family in Germany and quickly went into military pursuits. He fought in battles, for the Holy Roman Empire, across Europe and gained many skills and followers. By AD 1500, he had formed his own group of mercenary knights.

In AD 1504, he had to have his lower arm amputated, but he swiftly had a local craftsman create him an iron hand. In AD 1524, the German Peasants War erupted over poor economic conditions and Gottfried became the "Robin Hood of Germany" as he aided the locals.

He wrote his own autobiography, and died at the ripe old age of 82.

Answer: William Wallace

Wallace was born around AD 1270 in Scotland and became well known two decades later when he attacked the town of Lanark and began a rebellion against English. By September of AD 1297 he and his followers defeated a large English force at Stirling Bridge and helped weaken the English hold on Scotland.

This Scottish knight continued to launch raids and traveled to gain Scottish support from other countries. A bounty was put on his dead by Edward I, and he was executed for treason in August of AD 1304.

Answer: Joan of Arc

Joan was born around AD 1412 to a tenant farmer in France. Her mother instilled in the girl a deep love of the Catholic Church. By the age of 13, Joan had begun hearing voices which she decided was that of God telling her to help rid France of its enemies.

In AD 1428, she and a group of followers went to the disinherited prince Charles and convinced him to give her an army. He did. She cut her hair, dressed in white armor, sat on a white horse, and led the French troops in victory against the Anglo-Burgundians in Orleans.

In AD 1430, she was captured, tried, and burned at the stake. Over the centuries, Joan of Arc has been canonized, revered, and never forgotten.