jonatas
tropicalista
Luceafarl, i believe there are two answers to question 2... check my pm 
Cumulative PM-based History Quiz
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Richard Cribb
He does monologues
- Joined
- Nov 5, 2003
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I have checked it and explained my train of thoughts and why I think one should be preferable. However your point is valid so I will consequently allow two possible answers on that one.
Richard Cribb
He does monologues
- Joined
- Nov 5, 2003
- Messages
- 4,291
I am going off-line for some hours but I will drop in again later in the evening.
I haven't exactly been flooded with answers on this quiz, which surprizes me a bit since there are so many history buffs here...
So come on, people! Where is your courage? Give it a try!
By the way, the answering limit is stretched to 18.00 CET tomorrow, since I will be occupied most of the day.
I haven't exactly been flooded with answers on this quiz, which surprizes me a bit since there are so many history buffs here...
So come on, people! Where is your courage? Give it a try!
By the way, the answering limit is stretched to 18.00 CET tomorrow, since I will be occupied most of the day.
Richard Cribb
He does monologues
- Joined
- Nov 5, 2003
- Messages
- 4,291
Well the contest is closed, and I must confess I am a bit disappointed.Perhaps it was the subjects I chose, labour-history is something that is very important to me, and the questions about Poland is in honour of my wonderful wife, who is born in Szczecin. I also included a couple of interesting questions from my own country.
I also apologize for quite a poor summary of my quiz, but I am not feeling too well today after a chastening experience at my eye-doctor.Hope it is readable anyway...
So for the final results. Only three(!) people gave it a try, but jonatas deserves a special mention for some interesting input about the Divine Comedy.
So for the results:
YNCS 8.5
DexterJ 5
Gagliaudo 2
So YNCS scored a convincing victory,
YNCS!
So for the answers:
1.What was the name of the group of agrarian communists who flourished in England in 1649-50 and were led by Gerrard Winstanley and William Everard?
The Diggers. Originally it was 20 poor men who assembled at St. George's Hill, Surrey, and began to cultivate the common land.
They held that the English Civil Wars had been fought against the king and the great landowners; now that Charles I had been executed, land should be made available for the very poor to cultivate.
The numbers of the Diggers more than doubled during 1649.Their activities started to alarm the Commonwealth government while also the hostility of local landowners, who were rival claimants to the common lands. The Diggers were harassed by legal actions and mob violence, and by the end of March 1650 their colony was dispersed. The Diggers themselves abjured the use of force. The Diggers also called themselves True Levelers, but their communism was denounced by the leaders of the Levelers.
2.Who is the only foreigner (non-Italian) in the Divine Comedy that speaks his own language?
The provencal trubadour Arnaut Daniel (flourished between 1180 and 1210),
who Dante encounters in song XXVI of the purgatory where he is doing time for the sin of lust. When Dante adresses him he answer sin his native tongue:"Tan m' abellis vostre cortes deman,
Que jeu nom' puesc ni vueill a vos cobrire;
Jeu sui Arnaut, que plor e vai chantan;
Consiros vei la passada folor,
E vei jauzen lo jorn qu' esper denan.
Ara vus prec per aquella valor,
Que vus condus al som de la scalina,
Sovenga vus a temprar ma dolor.'
which is in translation:So pleases me your courteous demand,
I cannot and I will not hide me from you.
I am Arnaut, who weep and singing go;
Contrite I see the folly of the past,
And joyous see the hoped-for day before me.
Therefore do I implore you, by that power
Which guides you to the summit of the stairs,
Be mindful to assuage my suffering!
jonatas pointed out that also Nimrod, the builder of the tower of Babel, uses his language in Inferno, canto XXXI. While tthis "language" is invented by Dante, I think that that is a bit different, but I was still prepared to award a point to those who offered this response. And finally Plutus also uses his own language in Inferno, canto VII, but he is a demon and not a person.
3.Which famous 19th century violin virtuoso tried to set up an utopical society in Pennsylvania?
3. Ole Bornemann Bull. (1810-1880)
One of the most important culture personalities in Norway and an internationally acclaimed violinist, touring around in Europe and USA mostly playing his own compositions. He played a great role in putting Norway on the map and contributed greatly to the development of Norwegian cultural institutions while also serving as an ideal for future musicians like Edvard Grieg. His interest for politics and liking for America led him to try top establish an utopian colony, purchasing land in Pennsylvania. However while his idea may have been good, the execution was indeed poor, since the land was not good, the payments couldn't be kept up and top it, the immigrants arrived in autumn... The whole thing collapsed. The song "Oleana", named after the most famous community in the colony, by Ditmar Meidel is a satirical comment to this project.
Those who like romantic, virtuous violinmusic should check out some of his works.
4.What was the Padua circular of 1791?
The Padua circular was a letter written by Emperor Leopold von Habsburg of Austria, brother of Marie Antoinette, Even after the aborted flight of the royal family in June 1791 he continued his efforts to organize a coalition of French émigré nobles and other European powers that would invade France and put an end to the Revolution. In this letter, written shortly after the forced return of Louis and Marie Antoinette to Paris (which Leopold considered their "arrest"), he proposed an alliance of Austria, Prussia, Britain, Spain, Russia, and other forces against the French Revolution and set forth the principles for which this alliance would fightmost notably, the restoration of Louis to his full pre1789 powers.
5. Which city is called Poland's Paris?
5. Szczecin.
The city is called so because of its architectonical layout, inspired by Paris with its many roundelles and wide boulevards.
Lovely city, lots of interesting things for historian, lots of pretty girls...
6.Who was called the Miners' Angel?
6. Mary Harris "Mother" Jones (1830 - 1930)
, famous labour leader and organizer. She was born in Cork, Ireland, grew up in Ontario and d then came to the United States, where she worked as a dressmaker and a schoolteacher.She lost her husband and four children in a yellow fever epidemi in Memphis 1867 and fours years later , having moved to Chicago, everything in the great city fire.For the rest of her life she involved in labour activities, working as a "hellraiser" and contributing to advancing important social and political causes like abolishment of child labour, the organization of the United Mine Workers, and the founding of IWW (International Workers of the World). She was called "the miner's angel" by the coalminers and their families, in turn calling the workers "her boys" which made her adopting the nickname "Mother Jones".
She was famous for her charismatic way of speaking , ability to stagepublic events to get publicity for striking workers, and great physical courage.Opponents called her the most dangerous woman in America,and when learning she was denounced on the floor of the U.S. Senate as the grandmother of all agitators, she said she hoped to live long enough to be the great-grandmother of all agitators. she is today honored by the excellent political magazine that bears her name. It exists online - check it out!
7.Before the attack on Yugoslavia in 1999, when was the last time Norway attacked another country?
7.In 1788 a Norwegian force attacked Sweden as part of the war between Sweden and Russia, DenmarkNorway being Russia. Except for one minor battle with a numerically inferior Swedish force, not much happened in this campaign but many soldiers were later to die in the most typical way for a warrior of the time, of disease. This event is usually known in Norway as the "lingonberry" war, which is probably because the soldiers had so little to do that they had time to pick lingonberry or simply because of the red uniforms the Norwegian soldiers wore.
8. Which battle is this an eye-witness account of:
"The ground, whose habit it is to cover the dead, was in this place itself covered with dead, that offer different looks. There were heads, who had lost their natural owners, but also bodies that had lost their heads, on some bodies the intestines ran out - a horrible and gruesome sight; on others the head was crushed so that the brain ran out. There you saw the dead deprived of their blood and the living covered in that of others. There were arms shot of , whose fingers still moved as if they wanted to be part of the butchering again; on the other hand you saw men run that hadnt shed a drop of blood. There were chopped of thighs, heavier than before even if relieved from the weight of the body. There you saw were mutilated soldiers pleading for the thrust of mercy even if certain death was close; on the other hand you saw those pleading for mercy and clemency. All in all, it was nothing but a miserable, pitiful sight."
8.The battle of Wittstock 1635 from the Thirty Years War where the numerically inferior Swedish army led by the brilliant marshall Johan Baner(1596-1641) defeated the Imperial army by using a cunning device. A good description of the battle and of Baner can be found here:http://members.tripod.com/Strv102r/thirty_year_war1635.htm
9.What was the Limerick Soviet?
9.In 1919 The trades council called a general strike & for the next two weeks ran the city of Limerick. No shop opened without their permission. Food prices were regulated to stop profiteering. Only transport authorised by the council was able to move through the city. Printing presses were taken over to explain their case & a daily bulletin was produced. The council even issued its own money. British soldiers were called on to desert their "imperialist capitalist government". It is said that a whole Scottish regiment was sent home for refusing to obey orders. Even if the Limerick Soviet lasted so shortly,it is nevertheless a memorable chapter in labour history.
A good book about the event is Liam Cahill Forgotten Revolution: Limerick Soviet 1919
10. What was Shay's rebellion?
10 .Uprising in Massachusetts in 1786 and 1787 caused by excessive land taxation, high legal costs, and economic depression following the American Revolution. Most of the insurgents were poor farmers threatened with loss of their property and imprisonment for debt, were headed by Daniel Shays (1747-1825)
, a former captain in the American Revolution army. They demanded protective legislation, the abolition of the court of common pleas, and a radical reduction of taxes. The rebellion was eventually put down ,most of the participants were pardoned later in the year. Shays himself was condemned to death, but escaped to Vermont and was pardoned a year later. This rebellion was only one of many protests which forced the leaders and politicians of the young nation to realize that the Articles of Confederation were not an effective means of governing and helped pusing h the nation's leaders closer to formulating and ratifying the Constitution of the United States.
11. What was the Black Athena controversy about?
11.In 1987 the famous scholar Martin Bernal put forward the thesis that the golden age of ancient Greece and thus the West was based on African civilization which ignited a huge academical debate. If there is any interest for this I might return to it later. A lot of information can be found here:http://www.worldagesarchive.com/Individual Web Pages/BlackAthena.html
12. Which European politician has written a history of poverty in Europe?
Bronislaw Geremek(1932-) , professor in history and former minister of Poland, today member of the European Parliament, wrote "Geschichte der Armut: Elend und Barmherzigkeit in Europa" (History of poverty, misery and mercy in Europe). It is a truly great and very thorough work.
13. Which people were called "wild Scythians" by their elected king?
13. The Poles. Henri of Valois(1551-1589)
,was the first king of Poland to be elected in free election by all the gentry in 1573. On the occasion of this first election, the so-called Henrician Articles were formulated. Unfortunately, the choice of the first king proved unfortunate. Henry arrived in Poland in January 1574, in the midst of a severe winter. He did not like Polish customs, while the Polish gentry was scandalized by the manners of Henri's court members. They called him "tyrant" while the king called his new subjects "wild Schythians".Henri's infamous escape from Krakow in 1584 brought about a wave of anti-French pampleths, with even Jan Kochanowski participating.
14.What medical discovery was made by Gerhard Armauer Hansen?
14.The lepra bacillus was discovered by the Norwegian scientist Gerard Armauer Hansen(1841-1912). Leprosy is also called Hansen's disease. An interesting lepramuseum can be found in the Norwegian city of Bergen
15. Who wrote this song:
Long-haired preachers come out every night,
Try to tell you what's wrong and what's right;
But when asked how 'bout something to eat
They will answer with voices so sweet:
CHORUS:
You will eat, bye and bye,
In that glorious land above the sky;
Work and pray, live on hay,
You'll get pie in the sky when you die.
The starvation army they play,
They sing and they clap and they pray
'Till they get all your coin on the drum
Then they'll tell you when you're on the bum:
Holy Rollers and jumpers come out,
They holler, they jump and they shout.
Give your money to Jesus they say,
He will cure all diseases today.
If you fight hard for children and wife --
Try to get something good in this life --
You're a sinner and bad man, they tell,
When you die you will sure go to hell.
Workingmen of all countries, unite,
Side by side we for freedom will fight;
When the world and its wealth we have gained
To the grafters we'll sing this refrain:
FINAL CHORUS:
You will eat, bye and bye,
When you've learned how to cook and to fry.
Chop some wood, 'twill do you good,
And you'll eat in the sweet bye and bye.
15. Joe Hill(1879 - 1915)
, famous American labour activist and songwriter.He was originally born in Gävle and bore the name Joel Emanuel Hägglund. His songs, often using already well-known melodies became very popular. He was eventually framed for a murder he didn't commit during a political campaign in Utah and was executed despite appeals from Woodrow Wilson and the Swedish government. The song in the quiz is one of his most famous; The Preacher and the Slave.
I intend to return to Joe Hill later, this forum has tons of well-written, high-quality articles but could need some on labour history...
So congratulations with a nice effort , YNCS
, it's all yours!
I also apologize for quite a poor summary of my quiz, but I am not feeling too well today after a chastening experience at my eye-doctor.Hope it is readable anyway...
So for the final results. Only three(!) people gave it a try, but jonatas deserves a special mention for some interesting input about the Divine Comedy.
So for the results:
YNCS 8.5
DexterJ 5
Gagliaudo 2
So YNCS scored a convincing victory,
YNCS!So for the answers:
1.What was the name of the group of agrarian communists who flourished in England in 1649-50 and were led by Gerrard Winstanley and William Everard?
The Diggers. Originally it was 20 poor men who assembled at St. George's Hill, Surrey, and began to cultivate the common land.
They held that the English Civil Wars had been fought against the king and the great landowners; now that Charles I had been executed, land should be made available for the very poor to cultivate.
The numbers of the Diggers more than doubled during 1649.Their activities started to alarm the Commonwealth government while also the hostility of local landowners, who were rival claimants to the common lands. The Diggers were harassed by legal actions and mob violence, and by the end of March 1650 their colony was dispersed. The Diggers themselves abjured the use of force. The Diggers also called themselves True Levelers, but their communism was denounced by the leaders of the Levelers.
2.Who is the only foreigner (non-Italian) in the Divine Comedy that speaks his own language?
The provencal trubadour Arnaut Daniel (flourished between 1180 and 1210),
who Dante encounters in song XXVI of the purgatory where he is doing time for the sin of lust. When Dante adresses him he answer sin his native tongue:"Tan m' abellis vostre cortes deman,
Que jeu nom' puesc ni vueill a vos cobrire;
Jeu sui Arnaut, que plor e vai chantan;
Consiros vei la passada folor,
E vei jauzen lo jorn qu' esper denan.
Ara vus prec per aquella valor,
Que vus condus al som de la scalina,
Sovenga vus a temprar ma dolor.'
which is in translation:So pleases me your courteous demand,
I cannot and I will not hide me from you.
I am Arnaut, who weep and singing go;
Contrite I see the folly of the past,
And joyous see the hoped-for day before me.
Therefore do I implore you, by that power
Which guides you to the summit of the stairs,
Be mindful to assuage my suffering!
jonatas pointed out that also Nimrod, the builder of the tower of Babel, uses his language in Inferno, canto XXXI. While tthis "language" is invented by Dante, I think that that is a bit different, but I was still prepared to award a point to those who offered this response. And finally Plutus also uses his own language in Inferno, canto VII, but he is a demon and not a person.
3.Which famous 19th century violin virtuoso tried to set up an utopical society in Pennsylvania?
3. Ole Bornemann Bull. (1810-1880)
One of the most important culture personalities in Norway and an internationally acclaimed violinist, touring around in Europe and USA mostly playing his own compositions. He played a great role in putting Norway on the map and contributed greatly to the development of Norwegian cultural institutions while also serving as an ideal for future musicians like Edvard Grieg. His interest for politics and liking for America led him to try top establish an utopian colony, purchasing land in Pennsylvania. However while his idea may have been good, the execution was indeed poor, since the land was not good, the payments couldn't be kept up and top it, the immigrants arrived in autumn... The whole thing collapsed. The song "Oleana", named after the most famous community in the colony, by Ditmar Meidel is a satirical comment to this project.
Those who like romantic, virtuous violinmusic should check out some of his works.
4.What was the Padua circular of 1791?
The Padua circular was a letter written by Emperor Leopold von Habsburg of Austria, brother of Marie Antoinette, Even after the aborted flight of the royal family in June 1791 he continued his efforts to organize a coalition of French émigré nobles and other European powers that would invade France and put an end to the Revolution. In this letter, written shortly after the forced return of Louis and Marie Antoinette to Paris (which Leopold considered their "arrest"), he proposed an alliance of Austria, Prussia, Britain, Spain, Russia, and other forces against the French Revolution and set forth the principles for which this alliance would fightmost notably, the restoration of Louis to his full pre1789 powers.
5. Which city is called Poland's Paris?
5. Szczecin.
The city is called so because of its architectonical layout, inspired by Paris with its many roundelles and wide boulevards.
Lovely city, lots of interesting things for historian, lots of pretty girls...
6.Who was called the Miners' Angel?
6. Mary Harris "Mother" Jones (1830 - 1930)
, famous labour leader and organizer. She was born in Cork, Ireland, grew up in Ontario and d then came to the United States, where she worked as a dressmaker and a schoolteacher.She lost her husband and four children in a yellow fever epidemi in Memphis 1867 and fours years later , having moved to Chicago, everything in the great city fire.For the rest of her life she involved in labour activities, working as a "hellraiser" and contributing to advancing important social and political causes like abolishment of child labour, the organization of the United Mine Workers, and the founding of IWW (International Workers of the World). She was called "the miner's angel" by the coalminers and their families, in turn calling the workers "her boys" which made her adopting the nickname "Mother Jones".
She was famous for her charismatic way of speaking , ability to stagepublic events to get publicity for striking workers, and great physical courage.Opponents called her the most dangerous woman in America,and when learning she was denounced on the floor of the U.S. Senate as the grandmother of all agitators, she said she hoped to live long enough to be the great-grandmother of all agitators. she is today honored by the excellent political magazine that bears her name. It exists online - check it out!
7.Before the attack on Yugoslavia in 1999, when was the last time Norway attacked another country?
7.In 1788 a Norwegian force attacked Sweden as part of the war between Sweden and Russia, DenmarkNorway being Russia. Except for one minor battle with a numerically inferior Swedish force, not much happened in this campaign but many soldiers were later to die in the most typical way for a warrior of the time, of disease. This event is usually known in Norway as the "lingonberry" war, which is probably because the soldiers had so little to do that they had time to pick lingonberry or simply because of the red uniforms the Norwegian soldiers wore.
8. Which battle is this an eye-witness account of:
"The ground, whose habit it is to cover the dead, was in this place itself covered with dead, that offer different looks. There were heads, who had lost their natural owners, but also bodies that had lost their heads, on some bodies the intestines ran out - a horrible and gruesome sight; on others the head was crushed so that the brain ran out. There you saw the dead deprived of their blood and the living covered in that of others. There were arms shot of , whose fingers still moved as if they wanted to be part of the butchering again; on the other hand you saw men run that hadnt shed a drop of blood. There were chopped of thighs, heavier than before even if relieved from the weight of the body. There you saw were mutilated soldiers pleading for the thrust of mercy even if certain death was close; on the other hand you saw those pleading for mercy and clemency. All in all, it was nothing but a miserable, pitiful sight."
8.The battle of Wittstock 1635 from the Thirty Years War where the numerically inferior Swedish army led by the brilliant marshall Johan Baner(1596-1641) defeated the Imperial army by using a cunning device. A good description of the battle and of Baner can be found here:http://members.tripod.com/Strv102r/thirty_year_war1635.htm
9.What was the Limerick Soviet?
9.In 1919 The trades council called a general strike & for the next two weeks ran the city of Limerick. No shop opened without their permission. Food prices were regulated to stop profiteering. Only transport authorised by the council was able to move through the city. Printing presses were taken over to explain their case & a daily bulletin was produced. The council even issued its own money. British soldiers were called on to desert their "imperialist capitalist government". It is said that a whole Scottish regiment was sent home for refusing to obey orders. Even if the Limerick Soviet lasted so shortly,it is nevertheless a memorable chapter in labour history.
A good book about the event is Liam Cahill Forgotten Revolution: Limerick Soviet 1919
10. What was Shay's rebellion?
10 .Uprising in Massachusetts in 1786 and 1787 caused by excessive land taxation, high legal costs, and economic depression following the American Revolution. Most of the insurgents were poor farmers threatened with loss of their property and imprisonment for debt, were headed by Daniel Shays (1747-1825)
, a former captain in the American Revolution army. They demanded protective legislation, the abolition of the court of common pleas, and a radical reduction of taxes. The rebellion was eventually put down ,most of the participants were pardoned later in the year. Shays himself was condemned to death, but escaped to Vermont and was pardoned a year later. This rebellion was only one of many protests which forced the leaders and politicians of the young nation to realize that the Articles of Confederation were not an effective means of governing and helped pusing h the nation's leaders closer to formulating and ratifying the Constitution of the United States.
11. What was the Black Athena controversy about?
11.In 1987 the famous scholar Martin Bernal put forward the thesis that the golden age of ancient Greece and thus the West was based on African civilization which ignited a huge academical debate. If there is any interest for this I might return to it later. A lot of information can be found here:http://www.worldagesarchive.com/Individual Web Pages/BlackAthena.html
12. Which European politician has written a history of poverty in Europe?
Bronislaw Geremek(1932-) , professor in history and former minister of Poland, today member of the European Parliament, wrote "Geschichte der Armut: Elend und Barmherzigkeit in Europa" (History of poverty, misery and mercy in Europe). It is a truly great and very thorough work.
13. Which people were called "wild Scythians" by their elected king?
13. The Poles. Henri of Valois(1551-1589)
,was the first king of Poland to be elected in free election by all the gentry in 1573. On the occasion of this first election, the so-called Henrician Articles were formulated. Unfortunately, the choice of the first king proved unfortunate. Henry arrived in Poland in January 1574, in the midst of a severe winter. He did not like Polish customs, while the Polish gentry was scandalized by the manners of Henri's court members. They called him "tyrant" while the king called his new subjects "wild Schythians".Henri's infamous escape from Krakow in 1584 brought about a wave of anti-French pampleths, with even Jan Kochanowski participating.
14.What medical discovery was made by Gerhard Armauer Hansen?
14.The lepra bacillus was discovered by the Norwegian scientist Gerard Armauer Hansen(1841-1912). Leprosy is also called Hansen's disease. An interesting lepramuseum can be found in the Norwegian city of Bergen
15. Who wrote this song:
Long-haired preachers come out every night,
Try to tell you what's wrong and what's right;
But when asked how 'bout something to eat
They will answer with voices so sweet:
CHORUS:
You will eat, bye and bye,
In that glorious land above the sky;
Work and pray, live on hay,
You'll get pie in the sky when you die.
The starvation army they play,
They sing and they clap and they pray
'Till they get all your coin on the drum
Then they'll tell you when you're on the bum:
Holy Rollers and jumpers come out,
They holler, they jump and they shout.
Give your money to Jesus they say,
He will cure all diseases today.
If you fight hard for children and wife --
Try to get something good in this life --
You're a sinner and bad man, they tell,
When you die you will sure go to hell.
Workingmen of all countries, unite,
Side by side we for freedom will fight;
When the world and its wealth we have gained
To the grafters we'll sing this refrain:
FINAL CHORUS:
You will eat, bye and bye,
When you've learned how to cook and to fry.
Chop some wood, 'twill do you good,
And you'll eat in the sweet bye and bye.
15. Joe Hill(1879 - 1915)
, famous American labour activist and songwriter.He was originally born in Gävle and bore the name Joel Emanuel Hägglund. His songs, often using already well-known melodies became very popular. He was eventually framed for a murder he didn't commit during a political campaign in Utah and was executed despite appeals from Woodrow Wilson and the Swedish government. The song in the quiz is one of his most famous; The Preacher and the Slave.
I intend to return to Joe Hill later, this forum has tons of well-written, high-quality articles but could need some on labour history...
So congratulations with a nice effort , YNCS
, it's all yours!
I'm feeling lazy, so I've only got 10 questions:
1. Which Pope's corpse was exhumed and put on trial? [This question has been rewritten to remove an ambiguity noticed by Serutan.]
2. Why is the British Army rank of lieutenant pronounced "leftenant?"
3. What was Australias "Manure Problem?"
4. Who was the American President "Tippecanoe?"
5. What was unusual about the construction of the World War I British destroyer HMS Zubian?
6. What was the relationship between the author Jonathan Swift and the astrologer John Partridge?
7. Why are British Army officers nicknamed "pongos?"
8. At the end of the 1876 Congress of Berlin, what award was given to the wife of the British Foreign Secretary?
9. What marine mammal is it illegal to import into the U.S. state of Oklahoma?
10. What was unusual about the flood that happened in Boston, Massachusetts on January 15, 1919?
This quiz will remain open until 1700 (5 pm) GMT, March 24th.
1. Which Pope's corpse was exhumed and put on trial? [This question has been rewritten to remove an ambiguity noticed by Serutan.]
2. Why is the British Army rank of lieutenant pronounced "leftenant?"
3. What was Australias "Manure Problem?"
4. Who was the American President "Tippecanoe?"
5. What was unusual about the construction of the World War I British destroyer HMS Zubian?
6. What was the relationship between the author Jonathan Swift and the astrologer John Partridge?
7. Why are British Army officers nicknamed "pongos?"
8. At the end of the 1876 Congress of Berlin, what award was given to the wife of the British Foreign Secretary?
9. What marine mammal is it illegal to import into the U.S. state of Oklahoma?
10. What was unusual about the flood that happened in Boston, Massachusetts on January 15, 1919?
This quiz will remain open until 1700 (5 pm) GMT, March 24th.
Dragonlord
Fantasy Warlord
@luceafarul: Thank you for your interesting and well-presented answers! I didn't PM because I knew absolutely nothing about the questions (except for Hansens disease, I think I would have got that one), but one of the best things about this quiz are the new things to learn, and you certainly provided that! Pictures and everthing.... thank you!
@YNCS: Unfortunately, I know no more about YOUR questions, either!
But I'm looking forward to the answers... 
edit: I could answer the pope question, because Kafka wrote about it in a Historical Filth article.... I could look it up .... but that's no better than googling, so I'll pass
@YNCS: Unfortunately, I know no more about YOUR questions, either!
But I'm looking forward to the answers... edit: I could answer the pope question, because Kafka wrote about it in a Historical Filth article.... I could look it up
.... but that's no better than googling, so I'll pass
Richard Cribb
He does monologues
- Joined
- Nov 5, 2003
- Messages
- 4,291
You're most welcome!Dragonlord said:@luceafarul: Thank you for your interesting and well-presented answers! I didn't PM because I knew absolutely nothing about the questions (except for Hansens disease, I think I would have got that one), but one of the best things about this quiz are the new things to learn, and you certainly provided that! Pictures and everthing.... thank you!
Thanks for the flowers, I am very glad you liked it, and that makes it worthwhile indeed! It is also true that this is a good way of learning new and interesting facts, for instance I look forward to the answers of the one YNCS is running now, since I only know the answers to about half of them.
Yes, that was a great quiz, and it's good to look at the kind of subjects you asked about. The only reason I didn't enter was I only knew one, and it turns out that was wrong anyway! The "Black Athena" stuff is especially interesting.
As for the new quiz - again, I only know one, although I do actually know it. So I'm not sure I'd get anywhere...
As for the new quiz - again, I only know one, although I do actually know it. So I'm not sure I'd get anywhere...
Richard Cribb
He does monologues
- Joined
- Nov 5, 2003
- Messages
- 4,291
Thanks a lot for the kind words.Plotinus said:
I agree that Black Athena is fascinating, I managed to forget my copy at my parents-in-law during our last visit, I really must ask them to send it!
Here are the answers to my quiz. If there are any questions, I can provide sources for each of the answers.
1. Which Pope's corpse was exhumed and put on trial?
In 891, Pope Stephen V turned to Duke Guido III of Spoleto for protection. To cement the relationship, Stephen adopted Guido as his son and crowned him Holy Roman Emperor. That relationship didn't last long. Stephen died a few months later and a new pope, Formosus, was elected to head the Church. Guido was suspicious of Formosus' loyalty, so in 892 he forced the pope to crown him emperor a second time. He also insisted his son, Lambert, be proclaimed heir apparent.
When Guido died in 894, Formosus backed out of the deal. Rather than crown Lambert emperor, he called on King Arnulf of the East Franks to liberate Rome from Lambert's family. A year later, Arnulf conquered Rome and Formosus made him emperor. This relationship didn't last long either, within a few months Arnulf suffered a paralyzing stroke and returned to Germany. A few months after that, Formosus died. Lambert, who had retreated to Spoleto, used the crisis to rally his troops and march on Rome. He reconquered the city in 897. The new pope, Stephen VI, quickly switched sides and crowned Lambert emperor.
What followed was one of the most peculiar episodes in Church history. Eager to prove his loyalty to Lambert, Stephen convened the "cadaver synod," in which he had Fomosus' 9 month old rotting corpse put on trial for perjury, "coveting the papacy," and a variety of other crimes. On Stephen's orders the corpse was exhumed, dressed in papal robes, and propped up on a throne for the trial. Since the body was in no condition to answer questions, a deacon was appointed to stand next to it during the proceedings and answer questions on its behalf.
Not surprisingly, Formosus was found guilty on all counts. As punishment, all of his papal acts were declared null and void. The corpse itself was also desecrated: The three fingers on the right hand used to confer blessings were hacked off and the body was stripped naked and thrown into the Tiber, where a monk fished it out and gave it a proper burial.
Stephen VI survived the synod by only six months. While the gruesome synod was still in session, a strong earthquake struck Rome and destroyed the papal basilica. Taking this as a sign of God's anger against the pope, and encouraged by rumors that Formosus' corpse had performed miracles, Formosus' supporters arrested Stephen and threw him into prison, where he was strangled.
2. Why is the British Army rank of lieutenant pronounced leftenant?
The British Army rank of lieutenant is pronounced "leftenant" because in the 1850s, the Earl of Cardigan (after whom the sweater is named) had a lisp. Cardigan was colonel of one of the most prestigious cavalry regiments and his officers copied his pronunciation of lieutenant. This spread throughout the army, until by 1870, lieutenants had become "leftenants" (the spelling, however, did not change). The Royal Navy, being somewhat less pretentious, kept the old pronunciation, so an RN lieutenant is called a lieutenant. BTW, Cardigan was also the commander of the Light Brigade of Crimean War fame.
3. What was Australias Manure Problem?
It was the arrival of transportees and their guards from England in 1788 that marked the onset of European settlement in Australia. Prior to the arrival of Europeans there had been no ruminants in Australia. However, this was soon to change. In 1789 eight head of cattle escaped from these early penal settlements into the Australian Outback. By 1804 more than 10,000 feral cattle swarmed across the grasslands surrounding Sydney. By the 1840s it was estimated that these herds numbered in the millions. By the dawn of the 20th century, cattle in Australia, both feral and domestic herds, numbered in the tens of millions. European settlers also introduced sheep into the Australian ecosystem, and by the early 1900s some ten million sheep grazed their way across the pastures of the Outback.
Given the lack of indigenous ruminant species in Australia, there was, of course, a corresponding lack of organisms capable of digesting and breaking down the waste products generated by these millions of grazing animals. By the end of WW2 the government and people of Australia were confronted by a rather messy problem. For well over 100 years the dung of hundreds of millions of ruminants had been accumulating in Australia's pastures, fields and farms. It was in the late 1940s that Australia hit upon a biological solution to the dilemma: The importation of dung beetles from Africa.
4. Who was the American President Tippecanoe?
William Henry Harrisons 1840 presidential campaign slogan was Tippecanoe and Tyler Too. In 1811, when Harrison was governor of the Indiana Territory, a group of Shawnee Indians established a village on the Tippecanoe River in the Territory. Harrison led a group of militia against the village. After hard fighting, the Indians were defeated and the village was burned. Because of this battle, Harrison was given the nickname of Old Tippecanoe.
His advanced age (67) had been an issue in his race against Martin van Buren. Perhaps because of this, to demonstrate his strength, he rode on horseback in his inaugural parade on March 4, 1841 without hat, overcoat or gloves. Then he stood outside in a snowstorm to deliver an hour and a half inaugural address. The experience weakened him and he caught pneumonia. Within a month he was delirious and on April 4th he died. He served in office long enough to keep one campaign promise, not to run for a second term.
5. What was unusual about the construction of the World War I British destroyer HMS Zubian?
On October 27, 1916, two British Tribal class destroyers, HMS Zulu and HMS Nubian, were fighting a group of German destroyers. The after part of Zulu was destroyed by a mine and the forward part of Nubian was wrecked by a torpedo. The remains of these two ships were towed to port and joined to form the ship Zubian, the loss of only one destroyer instead of two. HMS Zubian paid her surgeon's bill when she sank UC-50 on February 4, 1918.
HMS Nubian. Zulu and Zubian were identical.
6. What was the relationship between the author Jonathan Swift and the astrologer John Partridge?
Jonathan Swift, the author of Gulliver's Travels, hated astrology and astrologers but loved practical jokes. In 1708, he pulled one on John Partridge, who was the best known English astrologer of the early 1700s and publisher of an annual astrology almanac Merlinus Liberatus. Taking the pen name Isaac Bickerstaff and posing as a "true astrologer," Swift published a penny pamphlet of bogus prophesies. He wrote:
Swift's plan succeeded beyond his wildest expectations. His own penny pamphlet sold thousands of copies and pirate publishers were soon offering reprints, replies and imitations. What had begun as a practical joke grew into a full-blown fantasy until more people knew of Partridge's death than had ever heard of him alive.
In the next issue of his almanac, Partridge protested that he wasn't dead and attacked Bickerstaff as a "lying, impudent fellow." Swift anonymously shot back with another pamphlet: Vindication of Isaac Bickerstaff, in which he provided several "proofs" that Partridge was really dead. He even accused Partridge of being an impostor of himself.
People really came to believe that Partridge was dead and the person claiming to be him was an interloper trying to take over the business. Because of this, sales of Partridge's almanac plummeted, forcing him out of business. He never found out who was behind the hoax.
7. Why are British Army officers nicknamed pongos?
The pongo is a South African monkey with khaki colored fur and several disgusting habits. After the British Army adopted khaki for their uniforms during the Boer War, British Army officers were nicknamed "pongos."
8. At the end of the 1876 Congress of Berlin, what award was given to the wife of the British Foreign Secretary?
At the end of the Congress of Berlin (1876), the wife of the British Foreign Secretary received an award from the Ottoman Sultan. Lady Salisbury was presented with "The Order of Chastity, Third Class." The First Class was reserved for female members of the Ottoman royal family. The Second Class was awarded to other Ottoman Empire women. The Third Class was for wives of foreign dignitaries.
9. What marine mammal is it illegal to import into the U.S. state of Oklahoma?
It is illegal to bring a whale into landlocked Oklahoma. The reason for this seemingly idiotic law is that in 1890 someone did exactly that. A traveling circus had a small beluga whale in a large tank and, when the circus got to Oklahoma City (the state capital), the whale died. So it was taken to the city dump and left there...in July. Within a week the entire town smelled of decomposing whale. Both houses of the state legislature unanimously passed a law making it illegal to bring a whale, dead or alive, into the state of Oklahoma.
10. What was unusual about the flood that happened in Boston, Massachusetts on January 15, 1919?
The Great Molasses Flood (also known as the Boston Molasses Disaster) occurred on January 15, 1919, in the North End neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts. A huge molasses (treacle) tank, containing 2.5 million US gallons (9,500,000 liters) burst and a wave of molasses ran through the streets at an estimated 35 mph (60 km/h), killing 21 and injuring 150 others. The event has entered local folklore, and residents claim that the area still sometimes smells of molasses.
1. Which Pope's corpse was exhumed and put on trial?
In 891, Pope Stephen V turned to Duke Guido III of Spoleto for protection. To cement the relationship, Stephen adopted Guido as his son and crowned him Holy Roman Emperor. That relationship didn't last long. Stephen died a few months later and a new pope, Formosus, was elected to head the Church. Guido was suspicious of Formosus' loyalty, so in 892 he forced the pope to crown him emperor a second time. He also insisted his son, Lambert, be proclaimed heir apparent.
When Guido died in 894, Formosus backed out of the deal. Rather than crown Lambert emperor, he called on King Arnulf of the East Franks to liberate Rome from Lambert's family. A year later, Arnulf conquered Rome and Formosus made him emperor. This relationship didn't last long either, within a few months Arnulf suffered a paralyzing stroke and returned to Germany. A few months after that, Formosus died. Lambert, who had retreated to Spoleto, used the crisis to rally his troops and march on Rome. He reconquered the city in 897. The new pope, Stephen VI, quickly switched sides and crowned Lambert emperor.
What followed was one of the most peculiar episodes in Church history. Eager to prove his loyalty to Lambert, Stephen convened the "cadaver synod," in which he had Fomosus' 9 month old rotting corpse put on trial for perjury, "coveting the papacy," and a variety of other crimes. On Stephen's orders the corpse was exhumed, dressed in papal robes, and propped up on a throne for the trial. Since the body was in no condition to answer questions, a deacon was appointed to stand next to it during the proceedings and answer questions on its behalf.
Not surprisingly, Formosus was found guilty on all counts. As punishment, all of his papal acts were declared null and void. The corpse itself was also desecrated: The three fingers on the right hand used to confer blessings were hacked off and the body was stripped naked and thrown into the Tiber, where a monk fished it out and gave it a proper burial.
Stephen VI survived the synod by only six months. While the gruesome synod was still in session, a strong earthquake struck Rome and destroyed the papal basilica. Taking this as a sign of God's anger against the pope, and encouraged by rumors that Formosus' corpse had performed miracles, Formosus' supporters arrested Stephen and threw him into prison, where he was strangled.
2. Why is the British Army rank of lieutenant pronounced leftenant?
The British Army rank of lieutenant is pronounced "leftenant" because in the 1850s, the Earl of Cardigan (after whom the sweater is named) had a lisp. Cardigan was colonel of one of the most prestigious cavalry regiments and his officers copied his pronunciation of lieutenant. This spread throughout the army, until by 1870, lieutenants had become "leftenants" (the spelling, however, did not change). The Royal Navy, being somewhat less pretentious, kept the old pronunciation, so an RN lieutenant is called a lieutenant. BTW, Cardigan was also the commander of the Light Brigade of Crimean War fame.
3. What was Australias Manure Problem?
It was the arrival of transportees and their guards from England in 1788 that marked the onset of European settlement in Australia. Prior to the arrival of Europeans there had been no ruminants in Australia. However, this was soon to change. In 1789 eight head of cattle escaped from these early penal settlements into the Australian Outback. By 1804 more than 10,000 feral cattle swarmed across the grasslands surrounding Sydney. By the 1840s it was estimated that these herds numbered in the millions. By the dawn of the 20th century, cattle in Australia, both feral and domestic herds, numbered in the tens of millions. European settlers also introduced sheep into the Australian ecosystem, and by the early 1900s some ten million sheep grazed their way across the pastures of the Outback.
Given the lack of indigenous ruminant species in Australia, there was, of course, a corresponding lack of organisms capable of digesting and breaking down the waste products generated by these millions of grazing animals. By the end of WW2 the government and people of Australia were confronted by a rather messy problem. For well over 100 years the dung of hundreds of millions of ruminants had been accumulating in Australia's pastures, fields and farms. It was in the late 1940s that Australia hit upon a biological solution to the dilemma: The importation of dung beetles from Africa.
4. Who was the American President Tippecanoe?
William Henry Harrisons 1840 presidential campaign slogan was Tippecanoe and Tyler Too. In 1811, when Harrison was governor of the Indiana Territory, a group of Shawnee Indians established a village on the Tippecanoe River in the Territory. Harrison led a group of militia against the village. After hard fighting, the Indians were defeated and the village was burned. Because of this battle, Harrison was given the nickname of Old Tippecanoe.
His advanced age (67) had been an issue in his race against Martin van Buren. Perhaps because of this, to demonstrate his strength, he rode on horseback in his inaugural parade on March 4, 1841 without hat, overcoat or gloves. Then he stood outside in a snowstorm to deliver an hour and a half inaugural address. The experience weakened him and he caught pneumonia. Within a month he was delirious and on April 4th he died. He served in office long enough to keep one campaign promise, not to run for a second term.
5. What was unusual about the construction of the World War I British destroyer HMS Zubian?
On October 27, 1916, two British Tribal class destroyers, HMS Zulu and HMS Nubian, were fighting a group of German destroyers. The after part of Zulu was destroyed by a mine and the forward part of Nubian was wrecked by a torpedo. The remains of these two ships were towed to port and joined to form the ship Zubian, the loss of only one destroyer instead of two. HMS Zubian paid her surgeon's bill when she sank UC-50 on February 4, 1918.
HMS Nubian. Zulu and Zubian were identical.
6. What was the relationship between the author Jonathan Swift and the astrologer John Partridge?
Jonathan Swift, the author of Gulliver's Travels, hated astrology and astrologers but loved practical jokes. In 1708, he pulled one on John Partridge, who was the best known English astrologer of the early 1700s and publisher of an annual astrology almanac Merlinus Liberatus. Taking the pen name Isaac Bickerstaff and posing as a "true astrologer," Swift published a penny pamphlet of bogus prophesies. He wrote:
[My first prediction] relates to Partridge the almanac-maker. I have consulted the star of his nativity by my own rules, and find he will infallibly die upon the 29th of March next, about eleven at night, of a raging fever.
On March 30th, Swift, using a different pen name, published a second pamphlet: The Accomplishment of the First of Mr. Bickerstaff's Predictions. It supplied a graphic description of Partridge's supposed final moments, including a scene in which the anguished, repentant astrologer admitted in a deathbed confession that he was a fake. "All pretenses of foretelling by astrology are deceits," Partridge supposedly said, "and none but the ignorant and vulgar give it any credit." Swift's plan succeeded beyond his wildest expectations. His own penny pamphlet sold thousands of copies and pirate publishers were soon offering reprints, replies and imitations. What had begun as a practical joke grew into a full-blown fantasy until more people knew of Partridge's death than had ever heard of him alive.
In the next issue of his almanac, Partridge protested that he wasn't dead and attacked Bickerstaff as a "lying, impudent fellow." Swift anonymously shot back with another pamphlet: Vindication of Isaac Bickerstaff, in which he provided several "proofs" that Partridge was really dead. He even accused Partridge of being an impostor of himself.
People really came to believe that Partridge was dead and the person claiming to be him was an interloper trying to take over the business. Because of this, sales of Partridge's almanac plummeted, forcing him out of business. He never found out who was behind the hoax.
7. Why are British Army officers nicknamed pongos?
The pongo is a South African monkey with khaki colored fur and several disgusting habits. After the British Army adopted khaki for their uniforms during the Boer War, British Army officers were nicknamed "pongos."
8. At the end of the 1876 Congress of Berlin, what award was given to the wife of the British Foreign Secretary?
At the end of the Congress of Berlin (1876), the wife of the British Foreign Secretary received an award from the Ottoman Sultan. Lady Salisbury was presented with "The Order of Chastity, Third Class." The First Class was reserved for female members of the Ottoman royal family. The Second Class was awarded to other Ottoman Empire women. The Third Class was for wives of foreign dignitaries.
9. What marine mammal is it illegal to import into the U.S. state of Oklahoma?
It is illegal to bring a whale into landlocked Oklahoma. The reason for this seemingly idiotic law is that in 1890 someone did exactly that. A traveling circus had a small beluga whale in a large tank and, when the circus got to Oklahoma City (the state capital), the whale died. So it was taken to the city dump and left there...in July. Within a week the entire town smelled of decomposing whale. Both houses of the state legislature unanimously passed a law making it illegal to bring a whale, dead or alive, into the state of Oklahoma.
10. What was unusual about the flood that happened in Boston, Massachusetts on January 15, 1919?
The Great Molasses Flood (also known as the Boston Molasses Disaster) occurred on January 15, 1919, in the North End neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts. A huge molasses (treacle) tank, containing 2.5 million US gallons (9,500,000 liters) burst and a wave of molasses ran through the streets at an estimated 35 mph (60 km/h), killing 21 and injuring 150 others. The event has entered local folklore, and residents claim that the area still sometimes smells of molasses.
Adler17
Prussian Feldmarschall
I´ll post it tomorrow.
Adler
Adler
Dragonlord
Fantasy Warlord
Another batch of very entertaining and educational questions! Thank you!
Very obscure, though, most of them! I'm surprised even Adler knew 5!
Very obscure, though, most of them! I'm surprised even Adler knew 5!
BTW, here's a bit of historical trivia concerning my question about British Army officers being called pongos.
During WW2, a senior general in the British War Ministry complained to his opposite numbers in the Royal Air Force and Royal Navy about the use of the nickname. Shortly thereafter, a directive went out from the Air Ministry: "Henceforth RAF personnel will not, repeat not, refer to British Army officers as pongos."
About the same time the Admiralty sent out a message: "Henceforth, pongos will be called 'army officers'."
During WW2, a senior general in the British War Ministry complained to his opposite numbers in the Royal Air Force and Royal Navy about the use of the nickname. Shortly thereafter, a directive went out from the Air Ministry: "Henceforth RAF personnel will not, repeat not, refer to British Army officers as pongos."
About the same time the Admiralty sent out a message: "Henceforth, pongos will be called 'army officers'."
Adler17
Prussian Feldmarschall
Okay here it is:
1. Germany had many colonies until 1919. But there is a certain area in the world outside of Europe Germany has still claims, although they were never renewed but also sleep because of a certain treaty. What is that certain area and where is it? Be aware, most sources say Germany has no claim any more, but that is wrong!
2. What is in the Aboriginal mythology the antiquity called? I mean the time before man.
3. Who brought the first vague infos about the Gorilla to Europe?
4. What is the Japanese Samurai codex called? Bonus: Name the swords of the Samurai.
5. Who was the first fighter pilot to shoot down an enemy plane at night?
6. The German Hochseeflotte at Jutland saved 177 British sailors. How many Germans did the Royal navy rescue?
7. What did the Indian Sequoyah invent?
8. Who was the only Indian chieftain to win a war against the whites?
9. How did the castle Gaillard fell?
10. What was the first target of the vikings, which they attacked?
Three days as usual. Answers Wednesday morning CEST.
Adler
P.S.: Question #1 slighltly modified. Time to answer extended because of Eastern.
Adler
1. Germany had many colonies until 1919. But there is a certain area in the world outside of Europe Germany has still claims, although they were never renewed but also sleep because of a certain treaty. What is that certain area and where is it? Be aware, most sources say Germany has no claim any more, but that is wrong!
2. What is in the Aboriginal mythology the antiquity called? I mean the time before man.
3. Who brought the first vague infos about the Gorilla to Europe?
4. What is the Japanese Samurai codex called? Bonus: Name the swords of the Samurai.
5. Who was the first fighter pilot to shoot down an enemy plane at night?
6. The German Hochseeflotte at Jutland saved 177 British sailors. How many Germans did the Royal navy rescue?
7. What did the Indian Sequoyah invent?
8. Who was the only Indian chieftain to win a war against the whites?
9. How did the castle Gaillard fell?
10. What was the first target of the vikings, which they attacked?
Three days as usual. Answers Wednesday morning CEST.
Adler
P.S.: Question #1 slighltly modified. Time to answer extended because of Eastern.
Adler
Adler17
Prussian Feldmarschall
HMS Nubian was damaged by a Uboat torpedo. HMS Zulu run on a mine on November 8th 1916.
Adler
Adler
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