Memorize these and you could recognize 25.3% of all Medieval History clues.
| # | Answer | Appearances | Sample Clue |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | the Crusades | 9 | The Albigensian one of 1209 to 1229 & the Stedinger one of the 1230s are 2 of the lesser known of these medieval campaigns |
| 2 | Venice | 8 | For 1,100 years this Italian city was a republic ruled by an elected official called the Doge |
| 3 | Genghis Khan | 7 | The Mongol chief Temujin was given this title when he was proclaimed supreme ruler |
| 4 | the Vikings | 5 | About 1000 A.D., they discovered North America & called parts of it Helluland, Markland, and Vinland |
| 5 | the Hanseatic League | 4 | From "Hanse" meaning guild, this German league was formed in the 13th c. to promote & control trade |
| 6 | Marco Polo | 4 | While in a prison in Genoa in the 1290s, Rustichello da Pisa began jotting down this man's account of his "Travels" |
| 7 | Charlemagne | 4 | Frankish king whose 1-word name meant "Charles the Great" |
| 8 | William the Conqueror | 3 | In 1086 he ordered the survey of English landowners called The Domesday Book |
| 9 | the Magna Carta | 3 | One of the 63 articles in this 1215 document granted the English Church freedom from royal interference |
| 10 | The Canterbury Tales | 3 | 2 of them are The Knight's Tale & The Wife of Bath's Tale |
| 11 | St. Thomas Aquinas | 3 | Author of the "Summa Theologica", he held one of the chairs of theology at the Univ. of Paris |
| 12 | Spain | 3 | In the early 8th century, a group of Berbers & Arabs conquered this European country |
| 13 | Russia | 3 | Tradition says Rurik, a Norse leader, settled in Novgorod in 862 & became founder of this country |
| 14 | Jerusalem | 3 | Caliph Abd al-Malik had the Dome of the Rock erected in this city on the supposed site of Solomon's Temple |
| 15 | Heloise | 3 | Once the student & wife of Peter Abelard, she became a nun at the Abbey of Argenteuil |
| 16 | guilds | 3 | They were trade organizations that fixed wages & set quality standards |
| 17 | France | 3 | Louis the Sluggard, Louis the Quarreler, & Louis the Fat were kings of this country |
| 18 | England | 3 | Ethelwulf, Ethelbald, Ethelbert & Ethelred were all kings of this country |
| 19 | El Cid | 3 | Spanish warrior, knight errant & star of his own epic, Rodrigo Diaz de Vivar was known by this name |
| 20 | Baghdad | 3 | The Abbasid dynasty of caliphs moved the capital of the caliphate from Damascus to this city |
| 21 | a vassal | 3 | From a Celtic word for "servant", it was the name for one who had vowed homage to a feudal lord |
| 22 | the Franks | 3 | Before Charlemagne was crowned Holy Roman Emperor in 800, he was dubbed king of these people |
| 23 | Bede | 3 | This "Venerable" saint is called "The Father of English History" |
| 24 | the Children's Crusade | 3 | Tradition says only 1 of some 30,000 French children returned from this 1212 misadventure |
| 25 | Robert the Bruce | 3 | In 1329 David II became the Scottish king, but at age 5, struck less fear into foes than this predecessor, his father |
| 26 | the Mongols | 2 | In 1281, a typhoon saved Japan from invasion by these conquering people |
| 27 | the Dark Ages | 2 | Now known to historians as the Migration period, the early Middle Ages were long known by this name implying ignorance |
| 28 | the Byzantine Empire | 2 | Constantine XI, the last ruler of this empire, died fighting the Turks in 1453 |
| 29 | the Black Plague | 2 | This "dark" pandemic ravaged Europe between 1347 & 1351 |
| 30 | Switzerland | 2 | The origins of this country go back to 1291, when 3 cantons entered into the Perpetual Compact |
| 31 | St. Mark's | 2 | It took nearly 100 years to rebuild this Venice cathedral after a fire in 976 |
| 32 | squirrel | 2 | Roskyn was the fur from this animal--Rocky, hide! |
| 33 | shoes | 2 | Crackowes were a style of these with toes so long they were sometimes attached to the knees with chains |
| 34 | Saladin | 2 | This Kurdish general recaptured Jerusalem from the crusaders in 1187 |
| 35 | Rome | 2 | City in which Charlemagne spent Christmas, 800 A.D. |
| 36 | Roger Bacon | 2 | This medieval Eng. philosopher lived 350 years before Francis Bacon, with whom he's often confused |
| 37 | Prince of Wales | 2 | After Llewellyn, a chieftain who had held this title, died, England's Edward I gave it to his son |
| 38 | Peter the Hermit | 2 | Though called a hermit, he led thousands of crusaders to conquer the Holy Land |
| 39 | Paris | 2 | During the 10th & 11th centuries, the king of France ruled only a narrow strip of land around this city |
| 40 | Oxford | 2 | Founded in the 12th century, it's the oldest university in England |
| 41 | Muhammad | 2 | Abu Bakr, this man's father-in-law, became the first Muslim caliph in 632 |
| 42 | Moscow | 2 | This city became the capital of Russia during the reign of Ivan III |
| 43 | Madrid | 2 | Founded in the 9th century by the Moors, this Spanish city was known by the Arabic name Majrit |
| 44 | Latin | 2 | In western Europe, those few who could read or write usually did so in this classic language |
| 45 | King John | 2 | This king of England lost territories, was excommunicated & was forced to accept the Magna Carta |
| 46 | Gothic | 2 | Named for a barbarian tribe, this style of architecture was later considered barbarous by Italians |
| 47 | Florence | 2 | The popularity of the florin coin helped make this city of its origin a banking center |
| 48 | feudalism | 2 | This social system prevalent in Europe in the middle ages was based on protection, not money |
| 49 | Eleanor of Aquitaine | 2 | As she produced no sons & fooled around, Louis VII dissolved the marriage; she then wed Henry of Anjou |
| 50 | Eleanor | 2 | This heiress of Aquitaine married Frances Louis VII & England's Henry II |