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Archaic Occupations

Created by shvdotr

Fun Trivia : Quizzes : Occupational Trivia
Archaic Occupations game quiz
"While reading the Cadfael series by Ellis Peters, I came across medieval occupations. Some I knew, some I did not. So I wondered if my fellow trivialists would enjoy a look back at archaic occupations. I hope you have fun."

15 Points Per Correct Answer - No time limit  



1. One of Cadfael's fellow monks is a verger. What did a verger do?
    works in the bakery
    works in the garden
    takes care of the interior of a church
    writes manuscripts


2. Here's perhaps a more familiar one for Americans. What does a farrier do?
    builds and repairs fans
    cures and prepares furs for sale
    shoes horses
    operates a ferry


3. Back to medieval England. What did a chamberlain do?
    represented clients in a court of law (lawyer)
    drove teams of horses
    cleaned chamber pots for inns
    managed the household of a king or noble


4. What do you suppose medieval franklins did?
    He was a non-noble property holder.
    He looked after the game in the noble's forests.
    He cared for the horses of knights.
    He wrote almanacs and invented things.


5. And now for a bit of comic relief for us modern-day Americans. I used to be a geek in high school without knowing exactly what that was. What was the original definition of a geek?
    a philosopher whom one consults for wisdom
    an expert in computer science
    an outcast teenager with little common sense
    a circus performer who bites the heads off live chickens


6. What was a smith, originally?
    a language expert, as in wordsmith
    a monk who specialized in copying manuscripts
    an artisan who made objects out of iron and other metals
    a maker of shifts and robes


7. Okay, here's a not-so-positive term, which goes back to a medieval occupation. What did a lackey do to warrant such low esteem nowadays?
    he was a serf and had no status
    he was in charge of the noble's dogs
    his job was cleaning stables
    he was a footman, or lowly servant


8. How about seneschal? I did not know myself what this word meant until I decided to try writing a quiz. What did a seneschal do?
    He was the liaison between the Church and nobility.
    He was the chief huntsman.
    He was the noble's chief knight and commanded his army.
    He ran the household and commanded the servants.


9. Let's start winding down with a couple of terms more common for Americans. First, what did a haberdasher deal in?
    men's clothing and accessories
    books and manuscripts
    horses, saddles, and tack
    furniture and antiques


10. How about one last surname? Let's go with Sexton. What did a sexton do in the middle ages?
    ensured that ships had all the proper equipment to set sail
    took care of church property and sometimes rang the bells and dug graves
    supplied sacks and bags for mills and grain merchants
    kept financial books and records for banks


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Compiled May 20 13