Dear Abbey: The Monasteries of England

15 Points Per Correct Answer - No time limit  

1. Dear Abbey I told my friend I visited "Westminister" Abbey. "Ho, ho". She said. "It's 'Westminster' you poor ignorant clod." "Ha, ha". I replied. "I knew that." But I didn't. What is a minster, anyway? Laughed At In London What explanation should Abbey give "Laughed At"? The term "minster" can be properly applied to any large church. It is the place where ministers live. It derives from the Late Latin "monasterium". It's a corruption of "monster" referring to the gargoyles so prominent in Gothic architecture.

2. Dear Abbey, I've been trying to visit all the English abbeys I can, but most of them are in pretty bad shape. In fact, they seem to mostly be ruins. The cathedrals seem to be in much better shape. What happened to the abbeys? Bewildered in Bath How should Abbey answer bewildered? Oliver Cromwell destroyed most of the abbeys because they were Catholic. Many abbeys were looted and destroyed in the reign of King Henry VIII. Charles II destroyed most of the abbeys because they were Anglican. James I destroyed most of the abbeys for refusing to adopt the "King James Bible".

3. Dear Abbey, I noticed that there are a lot of dead people buried in abbeys. How come? When I asked the docent at Westminster, she just rolled her eyes and said it was because the live people wouldn't stay in the crypts. I'm sure she was right about the live people, but I was asking about the dead ones. Could it have been because they were such pious and dedicated Christians? Creeped out in Coventry What should Abbey give "Creeped" as the reason for dead people being buried in abbeys? Burial inside abbeys was a measure to combat grave robbing. Prominent people were (and still are) sometimes buried in abbeys as an honor. As cemeteries overfilled, the interior of abbeys began to be used for burial. Those are just monuments. Actual dead people weren't buried there.

4. Dear Abbey, The guide at Glastonbury Abbey said that in 1191 monks unearthed bones that they claimed were the remains of Arthur and Guinevere. The guide said historians weren't really sure about the truth of the claim. Are historians really sure of anything about Glastonbury, I mean? Gullible in Glastonbury Which of the following is a valid reason Abbey could give? Arthur and Guinevere were definitely buried together somewhere in the vicinity. Arthur had founded the abbey in 536. Announcing the find resulted in an improved financial picture for the abbey. Arthur died defending the abbey against the Saracens.

5. Dear Abbey, My friend from kindergarten said that a monk is called a "monk" 'cause he looks like a monkey, and an abbot is called an abbot cause he looks like a baboon. Mommy says that's not true but can't tell me where the names came from. Can you? Aren't I Cute in Canterbury How should Abbey answer cute? "Abbot" shares the same root as "abeyance" and refers to the Abbot having put his earthly life on hold in order to serve God. "Monk" comes from the Late French "monchet", the diminutive of "moncho" meaning strong. "Abbot" is from "abut" and speaks of nearness to God. Monk is indeed from monkey. "Abbot" comes from "abba" meaning father, "monk" from "monachus" meaning hermit. "Abbot" was originally the surname of a famous Roman comedian, whereas "monk" derived from "mountain", a humorous reference to the obesity of the typical friar.

6. Dear Abbey, Those monks and abbots were all a bunch of oppressive, repressive, blood sucking, exploiters of the masses. What good did they ever do for the common man? And don't give me any of that spiritual crap! Too Smart in Tewksbury What positive achievements of English monasteries could Abbey point out? All of these Provision of employment and maintenance of cultivation and livestock Preservation of classical as well as religious manuscripts and maintenance of trade Care of the poor and protection from marauders

7. Dear Abbey, I've heard that monks practiced celibacy and poverty. Was this true of both Cistercians and Benedictines? Wondering in Waltham How should Abbey answer? Both orders disavowed poverty and celibacy in the 13th century. Both orders practiced celibacy but lived lives of depraved luxury. The Benedictines and Cistercians both practiced celibacy and initially followed and an ascetic lifestyle. The Benedictines practiced celibacy but the Cistercians did not.

8. Dear Abbey, I've heard that both William Wordsworth and John Milton spent a lot of time together in a monastery. I'm confused because I didn't think the two men even lived in the same century. Did Wordsworth help John Milton write "Paradise Lost"? Perplexed in Pershore What answer should Abbey give? Yes No

9. Dear Abbey, This may sound like an odd question, but I read something that worries me. Did English monks really get paid to pray? Scandalized in Shrewsbury What would be the most accurate answer Abbey could give? No money was taken for prayers. People from the surrounding area paid the monastery to have the monks pray for them. Technically, the money was collected for lighting prayer candles. Individual monks received direct payments for prayers.

10. Dear Abbey, I am very interested in military history and have come across a group called the "White Canons". My local librarian suggested I write you for information about them. Are they a monastic artillery unit? Munitions-minded in Manchester What explanation of the White Canons should Abbey give? The White Canons are a monastic group that followed and still follows the Augustinian rule. "White Canons" refer to a type of flower worn on the lapels of a group of pacifist friars. The White Canons were warrior monks forcibly disbanded in the 12th century. White Cannons are the preferred ordnance of the Knights Templar.