Parlor Games

15 Points Per Correct Answer - No time limit  

1. Teen-age sisters Kate and Maggie Fox of Rochester, New York set the spiritualist world on fire in 1848 when they claimed to be in communication with the spirit of a murdered peddler buried in their basement. Just how did the Fox sisters claim that they were able to talk with the spirit they dubbed "Mr. Splitfoot"? Rapping in code A "Ouija" board It spoke through them Automatic writing

2. One of the most celebrated mediums of the 19th century was Daniel Home, who awed audiences with his apparent ability to levitate and elongate his body. One of Home's greatest fans was the equally celebrated British poet Elizabeth Barrett Browning. However, Mrs. Browning's husband, Robert wasn't quite so impressed. In fact, Browning was so disgusted by his wife's relationship with Home that he wrote a poem about the medium, entitled... what? Stay Away From My Wife Mr. Sludge Long-Limbed Lothario A Man of No Substance

3. The 19th century spiritualist craze was responsible for a great deal of "skulduggery", perpetuated by fake mediums adept at bilking an eager, gullible public. Such a medium was English charmer Florence Cook, who was discovered in the act of impersonating a spirit on more than one occasion--but not before she enlisted the aide and support of noted British physicist Sir William Crookes. Which element did Crookes discover? Answer: (eight letters, starts with T, ends with M)

4. Well-known 20th century medium Jeanne Dixon reportedly warned President John F. Kennedy not to go to Dallas in 1963. True False

5. Edgar Cayce, one of the most famous mediums of the mid-20th century, was known for his ability to give amazingly detailed and accurate medical diagnoses, even when the person he was "reading" was hundreds of miles away. But in order to give his readings, Cayce had to do something first. What did Cayce have to do in order to get in touch with the spirit plane? Immerse himself in salt water Go into trance Fast for several days Get rip-roaring drunk

6. American First Ladies have had their share of special interests, but one 19th century presidential wife was so desperate to speak to her dead child that she held regular seances in the White House. Who was this spirit-seeking First Lady? Dolly Madison Abigail Adams "Lemonade" Lucy Taft Mary Todd Lincoln

7. Many mediums have used tools to help them facilitate their alleged connection to the spirit world. A classic mediumistic tool is a non-musical version of a well-known instrument, through which spirits supposedly speak to the living. Can you name it? Answer: (one word, a brass instrument)

8. During the 19th century seance craze, many mediums claimed to be in touch with specific spirits whose names became well-known in spiritualist circles. One of the most commonly referenced "spirit celebrities" was the supposedly deceased daughter of a pirate who "appeared" at seances in America and Europe. Can you name her? Katie King Rose Henry Annie Rooks Mary Buck

9. The image of a medium conducting a seance has long been a staple in books and film. Which of the following titles does not belong to a book or movie featuring a medium or a seance scene? White Castle The Woman In White The Bible Blithe Spirit

10. Many Hollywood celebrities have consulted a medium before making an important career decision, but one classic female star was an avowed spiritualist who attended seances on a regular basis and was not ashamed to say so. Can you name this buxom, blonde, tough-talking bombshell from the Golden Age of Hollywood? Answer: (Two Words, "Come up and see her sometime" and watch your spelling)