Kickin' the "K"s - It's the "K" Quiz...

Answer: Melchior

Melchior, of whom I am unable to find any other biographical information, died in 1548. His (apparently) only recorded compositions are "Hilf mir, mein lieber Herre" and "Von Anfang her". He may have served at the court of King Christian III of Denmark and Norway. Dates suggest that he may have been the father of Heinrich and Paul, although this cannot be confirmed.

Heinrich died in 1578. The only piece of his which appears to be on a recording is the "Benedicamus".

Paul died in 1580. Naxos has a listing for the recording of his "Ich klag mein Not, o Herr mein Gott" and a score is available for his 1558 composition, "Sieben teutsche Liedlein".

There may have been a Wolfgang Kugelmann, but for the purpose of this quiz, I made him up.

Answer: Kuwait

Kuwait is well known for being invaded by Iraq's Saddam Hussein in 1990. It sits on the Persian Gulf, wedged between Iraq and Saudi Arabia, and it has an oil-based economy.

Kenya is on the east coast of Africa and is particularly known for its wildlife and nature reserves. Its population is over 36 million, and it has an exceptionally high infant mortality rate and a low life expectancy largely due to the prevalance of AIDS.

Kazakhstan, located in central Asia between Russia, China, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan and Turkmenistan, has an estimated population of a bit over 15 million. Despite a high infant mortality rate (27.41 deaths per 1000 births) their life expectancy is 61.9 years for men and 72.84 years for women. The population is fairly evenly split between Muslim and Russian Orthodox. The country was part of the USSR until its breakup in the 1990s. It sits on a great deal of oil and gas, as well as other mineral resources, which, er, fuel its economy.

Kyrgyzstan is another former USSR country. It is entirely mountainous and landlocked. It was not quite so fortunate with its resources, and is considerably poorer than Kazakhstan. Infant mortality rates are higher and life expectancy lower than its neighbour, and 75% of its population of a bit over 5 million is Muslim. Nevertheless, half a million of its residents have cell phones...

Answer: Komondor

The first time I saw a Komondor, I thought the caretaker at Crufts had left a pile of mopheads in one of the benches. Then the mopheads growled at me... I later learned that they are wary of strangers and protective of their 'pack'. The distinctive 'dreadlock' coat is formed by both soft undercoat and protective outer coat intertwining to form the locks. They are always white.

The Kemmer Feist is a hunting dog developed from a variety of breeds including the Fox Terrier. He looks a bit like a Rat Terrier, weighs about 14-20 pounds and LOVES to chase squirrels. Most Kemmers now are hybrid mixes with other hunting breeds.

The Kooikerhondje is a small Dutch waterfowl dog, red and white with black 'earrings' on his long ears. They are usually 20-40 lbs and 14-16" high. Prince William II of Orange was saved from an assassination attempt by his Kooikerhondje, and the artist Jan Steen has depicted the breed in his paintings.

The Kuvasz looks like a great big white Labrador. He is happiest guarding his family and flock, and will chase off anything that threatens either. Sizes range from 26-28" and 70-90 pounds (female) to 28-30" and 100-115 pounds (male). This breed has been known for hundreds of years, and has been used to hunt boar and bear as well as mind the sheep.

Answer: Gustav Klimt

Gustav Klimt was born in Austria in 1862, the son of a gold engraver. His entire family - and it was a large one - was very artistic and very poor. The the Vienna Sezession was a group whose purpose was to exhibit the works of young and foreign artists and generally publicise their art. He died in 1918.

Paul Klee, born 1879 in Switzerland, could have just as easily ended up as a professional musician. Instead, he chose art and is most associated with the Bauhaus school of art and architecture. He died in 1940.

Wassily Kandinsky was born in Moscow in 1866. He was a lawyer - and law professor - who took up art and ended up also teaching at the Bauhaus. He died in 1944.

Anselm Kiefer was born in 1945 in Germany He is both painter and sculptor, and his work often reflects the more negative aspects of German history.

Answer: Charles Kingsley

Charles Kingsley was born in Devon, England, in 1819. He became a church rector and eventually a professor of history at Cambridge University. His other works include a number of collections of sermons. He died in 1875 and is buried in in St Mary's Churchyard, Eversley.

Mary Henrietta Kingsley was the niece of Charles Kingsley. At the age of 30 she lost both parents and her inheritance was sufficient for her to travel to Africa, where she learned from the native people to survive there on her own. She published two books on Africa, "Travels in West Africa" and "West African Studies". She died of typhoid during the Boer War.

Alexander William Kinglake authored "Eothen" but was mainly known for his eight volume "Invasion of the Crimea", a detailed if somewhat slanted history of the Crimean war.

Anna Kingsford was not an author but was one of the first women in England to become a physician.

Answer: Battle of Kennesaw Mountain

At the Battle of Kennesaw Mountain (which was actually fought a bit to the southwest of the mountain), Sherman atacked the well-entrenched Confederate Army of Tennessee while trying to pull a flanking manoeuvre. He didn't pull it off, though, and had to stay in place while dirt roads dried after bad weather. Johnston retreated his army to avoid being flanked, and off they all went to the next skirmish at Peachtree Creek. An estimated 4000 casualties resulted from this battle, which accomplished very little.

The Battle of Killdeer Mountain took place two days later, many miles away in Dunn County, North Dakota. It was also known as the Battle of Tahkahokuty Mountain. It was a battle in the war against the Sioux Indians, and General Alfred Sully attacked a force of some 5-6,000 Sioux warriors. They didn't have the big guns, so found themselves on the retreat.

The Battle of Kelly's Ford (also known as the Battle of Kellysville) was fought on 17 March 1863 in Culpeper County, Virginia. General William Averell, on the Union side, took his troops across the Rappahannock River to try to neutralise the Confederate forces of General Fitzhugh Lee. The Union troops were still lacking confidence after the Battle of Fredericksburg and despite having superior numbers and equipment, they failed in their objective. Incidentally and ironically, the two Generals were very close friends when attending West Point.

The Battle of Kessler's Cross Lanes on 26 August 1861, took place in Nicholas County, in what was then Virginia and is now West Virginia. Confederate General John Floyd sprang a surprise attack on the camp of Union Colonel Erastus Tyler, whose troops were routed.

Answer: Kajam

Kajam is the omega - the faintest one of the bunch. Its name means "club" and it is a spectral type B9pCr. Its RA is 16 25 25.0 and its dec is +14 02 00.

Kornephoros is the second brightest star in Hercules. Its name means "club bearer". It is a spectral type G7IIIa star with a RA of 16 30 13.2 and a dec of +21 29 23.

Kitalpha is the brightest star in the constellation Equulei, also known as "The Foal". (Don't worry, I never found it on the star chart either!) It's a spectral type G0III+A5V, RA 21 15 49.4 and dec +05 14 52. Its name means "part of the horse".

Keid is a star found in Eridani. Its name means "broken eggshell". It's a spectral type K1-V with a RA of 04 15 16.3 and a dec -07 39 10.

Answer: Kamar

Kerak is a language of Senegal, spoken by under 12,000 people in the Kabrousse village area.

Krisa was spoken by only 421 people when last surveyed in 2001. It is heard (if not already extinct) in the Sandaun Province of Papua New Guinea.

Khana is a major language of a tribe in Nigeria. It has a grammar and the Bible has been translated into the language for the approximately 200,000 speakers of the language.

Answer: Killer

Did Lorna Kepler die a natural death, or did someone murder her? Why does the list of potential murderers include a porn filmmaker, a cop and a couple employees of the local water district? What part does the limousine play? You'll have to read the book to find out!

Answer: Kreuzenstein

Kreuzenstein Castle, near Stockerau, Austria, stands on the site of a castle dating from about 1115, which was destroyed in the 30-Years War, in about 1645. With turrets, portcullis, Gothic stonework and some half-timbering, the castle certainly looks authentic, and it does incorporate some of the earlier ruins. However, it was totally rebuilt between 1874 and 1907.

Kufstein Fortress (or Castle) is in Kufstien, part of the Tyrol region of Austria. It dates from 1205. Only a small portion of the orginal castle survives, the rest being mostly from the late 15th century. In 1504 it was conquered by Maximilian I; two hundred years later it became a Bavarian stronghold. Today it has a museum and concert hall. The concert hall is home to the "Heroes" organ, the world's first open air organ.

Cesky Krumlov is in the Bohemian region of the Czech Republic. It is one of the UNESCO World Heritage sites, a castle dating from before 1250 AD. One of the unique features is its Baroque theatre dating from the late 1700s.

Kilchurn Castle is a ruin on a peninsula of Loch Awe in the Argyll region of Scotland. The seat of the Campbells of Glenorchy, it was built around 1450. In 1760, after a turbulent history, the castle fell victim to a turbulent storm: the remains of one of the towers still sits upside-down in the courtyard.