How much do you know about the real Middle Ages?

You might be thrown by this quiz, especially if you get your historical information from those television shows.

Answer these questions about the real Middle Ages.

1. The adjective that means 'in/from the Middle Ages' is…
   
   • mediaeval.
   • middle-evil.
   • media-evil.
   • coeval.
2. The Phantom Time Hypothesis says that the Middle Ages…
   
   • didn't happen.
   • aren't over yet.
   • were shorter than commonly believed.
   • were longer than commonly believed.
3. The early Middle Ages are called the Dark Ages because…
   
   • people worked outside and had better tans.
   • nobody knows anything at all about it.
   • people in Europe worshipped pagan gods.
   • Renaissance people thought they were sooo clever.
4. The Battle of Agincourt was fought in 1415 because…
   
   • it was part of the Crusades.
   • Albigensian terrorists attacked Paris.
   • Henry V thought he should be king of France.
   • The king of France was psychotic.
5. To use a halberd, you need…
   
   • a horse.
   • a ship.
   • a hunting dog.
   • both hands.
6. If you were a king in the Middle Ages, you probably…
   
   • were good-looking.
   • could read.
   • had a lot of otherwise marketable skills.
   • had important relatives.
7. In the Twelfth Century, the far-famed Isle of Wight was an autonomous fiefdom (yay!) ruled by the renowned de Redvers family. What were they famous for importing to the mystical isle?
   
   • Gold.
   • Postboxes.
   • Rabbits.
   • Sheep dogs.
8. What was the Middle Ages' equivalent of the EU?
   
   • The Holy Roman Empire.
   • The Holy See.
   • The Spanish Inquisition.
   • King Arthur's Round Table.
9. Were all the world mine, from the sea to the Rhine, I'd give it all away if only the Queen of England lay in my arms.
   
   Who was this poem written about?
   
   • Edward II.
   • Edward II's wife.
   • Eleanor of Aquitaine.
   • Matilda.
10. Cynewulf the English poet was really well-known once. (Such is fame.) His works inspired…
    
    • Shakespeare.
    • Chaucer.
    • Tolkien.
    • John Locke.

What? This was harder than remembering the plot to Game of Thrones? Aargh! Click the picture for answers.

Dmitri Gheorgheni

02.05.16 Front Page

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