Category: Brain Teasers

Trivia: What writer wrote a novel about an American in Arthurian times?

John Steinbeck
Mark Twain
Louisa May Alcott
William Faulkner

The correct answer is Mark Twain

So why is this answer correct? : Published in 1889, “A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court” is a satirical novel about an American named Hank Morgan who suffers a brain trauma that causes him to journey back to the time of King Arthur. The book espouses the ideals of democracy over monarchy, but questions the wisdom of religion and a capitalist system.

Trivia: What is the name of King Arthur’s castle?

Atlantis
Númenor
Avalon
Camelot

The correct answer is Camelot

So why is this answer correct? : The fortress of Camelot, first mentioned around the 12th century, is the legendary setting for many Arthurian tales as the location of King Arthur’s court. Although Arthurian authors Geoffrey of Monmouth and Chrétien de Troyes place the mythical kingdom in South Wales, a few other candidates exist, including Cadbury Castle, an Iron Age hill fort in Somerset; Tintagel Castle in Cornwall; and Winchester Castle in Hampshire.

Trivia: Which knight fell in love with King Arthur’s wife, Guinevere?

Sir Galahad
Sir Lancelot
Sir Bedivere
Sir Robin

The correct answer is Sir Lancelot

So why is this answer correct? : Lancelot was one of the greatest knights of King Arthur’s court, and also one of the most scandalous. Breaking from the chaste depictions often associated with Camelot, Lancelot’s adulterous relationship with Queen Guinevere ultimately spelled the end of the Round Table fellowship. After Arthur’s death, Lancelot returned to Britain and became a monk.

Trivia: King Arthur mostly battled against what tribe?

Saxons
Franks
Goths
Celts

The correct answer is Saxons

So why is this answer correct? : King Arthur is often described as a Celtic British king concerned with defending the British Isles from Saxon invaders in the sixth century CE — roughly a century after the ancient Romans left the region. Eventually, the Germanic tribes known as the Angles (the namesake of England) and the Saxons conquered the island, giving rise to the Anglo-Saxon cultural group.

Trivia: Which of these facts is NOT true about Morgan le Fay?

Ruler of Avalon
King Arthur’s sister
Mother of Mordred
Powerful enchantress

The correct answer is Mother of Mordred

So why is this answer correct? : The enchantress Morgan le Fay has had different roles across Arthurian legend, but is often described as the sister of King Arthur. Le Fay was ruler of the island of Avalon, the mystical healing island where Arthur traveled after his final battle. Some tales also describe Le Fay as a meddler in the marriage between Arthur and his queen, Guinevere.

Trivia: In “Monty Python and the Holy Grail,” King Arthur rides what?

A donkey
A giraffe
A horse
Nothing

The correct answer is Nothing

So why is this answer correct? : “Monty Python and the Holy Grail” is arguably the greatest satire of Arthurian legend. The knights Sir Bedivere, Galahad, Lancelot, and Arthur all make appearances in the film, and go on daring adventures involving murderous rabbits and enchanters named Tim. One long-running joke in the film is that the knights don’t ride horses but are instead accompanied by servants who make the sound of hoofs by clapping coconuts (likely carried to England by swallows).

Trivia: Who wrote the first English account of Arthur’s reign in 1470?

Alexander Pope
Geoffrey Chaucer
Thomas Malory
Margery Kempe

The correct answer is Thomas Malory

So why is this answer correct? : Not much is known about the writer Thomas Malory, but the mysterious author is famous today for his English prose poetry titled “Le Morte d’Arthur” or “The Death of King Arthur.” Published in 1485 (15 years after it was written), the epic poem follows the rise and fall of King Arthur and the legendary stories of the Knights of the Round Table, laying the groundwork for future Arthurian accounts.

Trivia: Who was King Arthur’s father?

Aethelwulf
Alfred the Great
Uther Pendragon
Lancelot

The correct answer is Uther Pendragon

So why is this answer correct? : According to Arthurian legend, Arthur’s father, Uther Pendragon, became enraptured with a woman named Igraine, the wife of the Duke of Cornwall. Uther, disguised as the duke, snuck into Igraine’s bed, resulting in the birth of King Arthur. Merlin then raised the boy away from his parents.

Trivia: Which Knight throws the sword Excalibur back into the lake it came from?

Sir Elton
Sir Lionel
Sir Bedivere
Sir Ywain

The correct answer is Sir Bedivere

So why is this answer correct? : Sir Bedivere was one of the first and most loyal of the Knights of the Round Table, and is best known for returning Excalibur to the lake after King Arthur is fatally wounded. According to legend, Bedivere finally succeeded in throwing the sword back on his third attempt, and watched the Lady of the Lake’s hand rise from the waters, seize the sword, and take it back into the depths, ending King Arthur’s reign.

Trivia: What piece of literature canonized Arthurian legend?

Merlin
The Once and Future Queen
History of the Kings of Britain
The Lord of the Rings

The correct answer is History of the Kings of Britain

So why is this answer correct? : “History of the Kings of Britain,” written by Geoffrey of Monmouth, is the first recorded life history of King Arthur. Before this point, legends of King Arthur were pieced together from poetry and the writings of previous scholars and historians; however, Geoffrey claimed to base his work on a now-lost Celtic manuscript that only he was allowed to see, allowing him to add possibly the first descriptions of Excalibur, Sir Lancelot, and Guinevere to the tale.