Q.1
A major spectacle in the Middle Ages was the tournament. They are probably most famous for the knights who jousted on horseback, but in truth this was only a prelude to the main event. What was the highlight of the tournament?
  • The singing
  • The melee
  • The dancing
  • The archery
Q.2
'Mystery plays', were a popular form of entertainment. They were performed by amateur actors in the streets of towns and cities on holidays. What theme did the mystery plays all share?
  • They were all ghost stories
  • They were all fairy stories
  • They were all murder mysteries
  • They were all religious stories
Q.3
Whilst the nobility partook in tournaments, the more common folk played simple games. A game similar to football was played, along with 'stoolball', an ancestor of which modern game?
  • Ten pin bowling
  • Basketball
  • Cricket
  • Tennis
Q.4
Cruelty to animals was a source of entertainment in the Middle Ages. Cock fighting, dog fighting and bear baiting were all popular. Which was the other type of animal, apart from bears, which was most often baited?
  • The bull
  • The wolf
  • The stag
  • The lion
Q.5
At festivals and fairs masked dancers could often be seen making merry. What was the name given to such people?
  • Pippers
  • Dadders
  • Poppers
  • Mummers
Q.6
During the Middle Ages minstrels were employed to entertain the nobility in their castles. They sang long songs of myths and legends. Eventually minstrels were replaced in the halls of lords by a new type of singer who sang songs of courtly love. What were these new singers known as?
  • Tenors
  • Sopranos
  • Troubadours
  • Choristers
Q.7
Another favourite pastime amongst nobles was hawking, in which small game, such as pigeons, were hunted by tamed birds of prey. 'Seeling' was part of the process used to tame the bird. What exactly was 'seeling'?
  • Cutting off the bird's talons
  • Stitching shut the bird's eyes
  • Filing down the bird's beak
  • Clipping short the bird's wings
Q.8
All-round entertainers, who sang, played music, did tricks and much more, were given what name?
  • Jongleurs
  • Variuns
  • Congeurors
  • Jack-of-all-trades
Q.9
A form of martial art, quarterstaff fighting, was a medieval sport in which people practised for sword fighting using long wooden sticks. Richard Peeke, in 1625, referred to the quarterstaff as what?
  • God's own sword
  • The bane of the French
  • The poor man's blade
  • The national weapon of England
Q.10
Perhaps the most iconic of all the Medieval entertainers was the jester, though that name was not used until Tudor times. What were they known as during the Middle Ages?
  • Wags
  • Jokers
  • Fools
  • Bumpkins
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