Mighty Monsterous Mysteries - the "M" Quiz

Answer: M is for Malice

It's Malice - and in this case Kinsey has to find out if the black sheep of a wealthy family is still alive to inherit his share of his father's estate. You guessed it, someone is killed and maybe the prime suspect isn't the one who did it. Who did it? I'm not telling...

Answer: Cristobal de Morales

Cristobal de Morales was born sometime around 1500 in Seville, Spain. A highly talented composer, he apparently was also arrogant - he didn't keep positions long, and often didn't get positions he sought. His works included many masses (22 of which are still known), over 100 motets, a number of Magnificats and Lamentations, hymns and a Requiem Mass. He died in Spain in 1553.

Colin Muset was born c 1200 in the Lorraine, France. He was largely an itinerant entertainer, travelling between castles and manors to entertain, but also composed some of his own works. A number of them survive to this day. He died in 1250.

Robert Morton came a bit later, being born in England between 1430 and 1440. He spent most of his known professional life at the court of the French Duke of Burgundy. There is speculation that he may have later become the Bishop of Worcester, but there is not definitive documentary evidence for or against this. His surviving works are all secular, but he was a priest and it is not unreasonable to presume that the bulk of his work was sacred. His date of death is not certain; estimates range from 1476 to 1497.

Pierre a la Mire (or Alamire) was more of a Renaissance Man, in the colloquial meaning of the term - he was composer, merchant, engineer, musician, diplomat and spy, amongst other activities. In fact, he didn't even exist! It is believed that the name was a pseudonym for a German or Dutch copier of manuscripts, born around 1470. The music attributed to him was probably copies of pieces he encountered on his travels as a spy for Henry VIII. He died in 1536.

Answer: Murupi

Mewari is a language of India, spoken by over 1 million people in Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and surrounding areas. The Bhil Gametia tribe uses it as their first language.

Manipa is an Indonesian language found on Manipa Island. Approximately 1500 people spoke the language in 1983, when it was last surveyed.

Mota is heard on Mota Island, Vanatu, spoken by the island's population of about 450.

Answer: Edouard Manet

Edouard Manet was born in 1832 in Paris to a wealthy and well-connected family. Initially painting in the Realism style, he later was a crucial element in the early Impressionist movement. He died in Paris in 1883 of rheumatism and untreated syphilis which had for his last few years left him with a degenerative nerve disease, tabes dorsalis. Claude Monet, who is best associated with water lilies and Giverny, was born in 1840 in Paris. Unlike his friend Manet, he embraced Impressionism from the start. Most of his works were landscapes but one rather odd painting was of his wife Camille on her deathbed (she died in 1879 of tuberculosis). Monet remarried and moved his family to Giverny in Normandy, where he would die in 1926, at the age of 86.

Henri Matisse was born in 1869 in Le Cateau-Cambresis, France. A lawyer, he was introduced to art when recovering from appendicitis. His works cover several styles, including Fauvism, Impressionism, post-Impressionism, pointillism, neoclassicism and modern art.

He died in 1954. Jean-Francois Millet was a painter of the 'realism' school - probably his most well-known work is "The Gleaners", a painting of women picking leftover wheat in the field. Born in Normandy, France in 1814, Millet often portrayed peasant farm workers, having been born into a peasant farming family himself. He died in 1875.

Answer: Mudi

The Mudi is a rare breed from Hungary. It's medium in size, with a height of 14-20 inches and a weight range from 18 to 29 pounds. The coat is curly and can be in any colour from near-white to coal black. The breed arose in the late 1800s or early 1900s. They are excellent farm dogs and have been used as rescue dogs in Finland.

The Markiesje (pronounced, Mar-keesh') is a new breed, recognised by the Dutch Kennel Club but not yet by other countries. It's a small dog, about 16 inches in height and up to 13 pounds in weight, and has a black coat, sometimes with some white markings. Its heritage is spaniel and poodle, it thinks it's a retriever or gun dog and has the pleasant temperment of the spaniel.

The Manchester Terrier comes in two sizes. The larger, the standard, is 15-16 inches tall and up to 18 pounds in weight. The toy is 10-12 inches and 6-8 pounds. The coat is black with tan markings, making it look a bit like a tiny Doberman. Like a Doberman, it can be aggressive if not properly socialised, but when brought up properly it can be a friendly and loyal companion. A very intelligent breed, it can find all sorts of ways to get into trouble when left alone.

The Miniature Bull Terrier also comes in toy and standard sizes. The standard is up to 24 inches tall and 80 pounds in weight, while the toy is up to 14 inches tall and 33 pounds. Like other terriers, it requires proper socialisation and handling. The Miniature Bull Terrier is a gentle dog; it is not a guard dog, but may protect its family if threatened. Its coat ranges from white to black to multi-coloured.

Answer: Battle of Milliken's Bend

The Battle of Millikin's Bend took place near Richmond, Louisiana. Union Colonel Hermann Lieb encountered the Confederate troops of General Henry McCulloch a few miles on the road from Richmond. He drove them away and was then met by some Union cavalry troops who were running from another skirmish. Reinforcements from the 23rd Iowa Infantry were called in, and when the Confederate troops appeared again, fighting was heavy. The Union forces were forced back to the river, when the gunboats arrived and tipped the balance of power. The Confederates had to retreat.

The Battle of Middle Boggy Depot occurred on 13 February 1864 in Choctaw Indian Territory, near what is now Atoka, Oklahoma. Union Major Charles Willette stumbled upon the small force of Confederate Lt. Colonel John Jumper. It was a short battle between two entirely unequal sides - the Confederates were outgunned and outmanned by a factor of 1:7. Needless to say, it was a Union victory.

The Battle of Mossy Creek, in Jefferson County, Tennessee, occurred on 29 December 1863. Union General Samuel Sturgis took troops from Mossy Creek and Talbott's Station to attack Confederate General William Martin's troops, but when he got to where they were reputed to be camped, no one was there. In fact, the Confederates had marched on Mossy Creek. Union troops made haste and successfully defended their area.

The Battle of Mansfield was also known as the Battle of Sabine Cross-Roads or the Battle of Pleasant Grove. It was fought on 8 April 1864, in De Soto Parish, Louisiana, one of the first battles of the Red River Campaign. Union General Nathaniel Bank was making progress along the river, and Confederate General Richard Taylor decided to try to stop him. He established his position and waited. When Banks' troops arrived, he attacked and managed to drive them off, capturing their supply wagons.

Answer: Castello di Malcesine

The Castello di Malcesine seems to rise out of Lake Garda in Italy. Properly known as Castello di Scaligeri, it is claimed that the first castle on the site was built by the Longobards and destroyed in 590. It has been in the possession of Verona, then in 1277 passed to the Scaligeri family. In 1387 it fell to the Viscontis and then the Venetians. The French and the Austrians also held it for a time, the latter doing some necessary renovations. Finally it came into the possession of the Italian government and was declared a national monument. One of its best known uses today is as a 'destination wedding' site.

Goethe spent two years travelling somewhat incognito throughout what is now Italy, from 1786 to 1788. During his lifetime, various European countries were busy taking control of others, and no doubt there was considerable political intrigue. Austria had imperial ambitions, and Italy was right next door. It would be reasonable for someone to assume espionage when finding a foreigner studying and drawing fortifications on the border!

Mauterndorf Castle was built on the instruction of Pope Innocent IV (who became Pope on 25 June 1243) in the Salzburg region of Austria. A toll castle (placed to be able to extract tolls from travellers), it belonged to the Salzburg Cathedral Chapter until ownership was transferred to the Austrian government in 1806. It was later sold to a private owner, who restored it, and is now owned by the Province of Salzburg. It is now a museum where one can observe how life was lived in the late 15th century.

The Chateau de Murol is a ruin in the Auvergne region of France. The original castle was built on the basalt outcropping around the year 1100 and was enlarged in 1380, with additions in the early 1400s. In the 17th century it was spared from destruction by Richelieu. It later became a prison, then a hideout for Revolution-era robbers. In the 1800s it was partially dismantled for building materials, but in 1889 it was deemed a national monument and came under the protection of the French government.

Castle Muiderslot is a simple, four-square castle in the Netherlands. Built in the late 1300s on the site of an earlier toll castle, it has been a home, a prison, and armoury and a barracks until it was abandoned. After intervention by the then King, it was saved from demolition and became a museum.

Answer: Michel Montaigne

Michel Eyquem de Montaigne was born in 1533 in France. He studied the law and served at Court, but by the age of 38 he retreated to his estate and basically locked himself in his library for the next decade. He the became Mayor of Bordeaux in 1581 and held this role for four years. He died in 1592. He is famed for his work, "Essays", first published in 1580.

Karl Philipp Moritz was author of both novels and essays. Born in Hameln, Germany, in 1756, he pursued a number of different trades from apprentice hatter to university professor. He died in 1793.

Henri René Albert Guy de Maupassant was born in 1850 in France, probably near Dieppe. His mother had many connections with the literary world, and he had the advantage of meeting many contemporary writers and poets. He served in the military during the Franco-Prussian War and then as a civil servant. His first work of note, "Boule de Suif", was published in 1880, and was followed by many other works over the next two decades. He died at the age of 42 of syphilis, having been declared insane due to its ravages two years earlier.

Thomas Robert Malthus was born in 1766 in Surrey, England. He took his degree and masters in Mathematics at Jesus College, Cambridge, then changed career path and became an Anglican vicar. His most famous work is "An Essay on the Principle of Population", the basis of which was to link population growth with the amount of available resources, and that population unchecked grows at geometric rate while food supply only grows at an arithmetic rate. The ideas promulgated led to the introduction of the Census in 1801. He died in 1834.

Answer: Montenegro

Montenegro sits on the Adriatic Sea, surrounded by Bosnia & Herzegovina, Serbia and Albania. Its total land area is 14,026 sq km. It was part of Yugoslavia, then Serbia, and in 2006 it chose independence.

Moldova is a landlocked country situated between the Ukraine and Romania. It has a total land area of 33,843 sq km, which makes it slightly larger than Maryland. It has a population of 4.3 million, 98% of which follow the Eastern Orthodox religion. The country was part of Romania until after WWII, when it was incorporated into the USSR. It became independent in 1991. Lacking most resources, this agricultural country is one of the poorest in Europe.

Mauritius is an island nation in the Indian Ocean, with a total land area of 2,040 sq km. It has a population of 1.25 million, just under half of which are of the Hindu religion. The largest sector of its economy is agriculture, with most of the arable land being used to grow sugar cane. Mauritius was first explored by the Portuguese in 1505, then held by the Dutch, French, and British. It became independent in 1968.

Mauritania is in north Africa, between Senegal and Western Sahara, with its coastline on the north Atlantic Ocean. It has a total land area of 1,030,700 sq km and a population of over 3.2 million, all of whom are Muslim. The economy is based on agriculture and the mining of iron ore, and oil has been discovered there. Hopefully the income from the oil will help lower the rather staggering infant mortality rate and raise the life expectancy of its people.

Answer: Melanite

Melanite is generally opaque, but may have some 'highlights' in green or gold due to internal fractures in the crystal. It's a gemstone with a hardness of 6.5-7 on the Moh's scale and the crystal is isometric.

Malachite is green, not black, and is also used as a gemstone. It's softer than melanite, sitting at 3.5-4 on the Moh's scale.

Milarite is hydrated potassium calcium aluminum beryllium and is quite rare. A medium-hardness stone (5.5-6), it is usually white, yellow or pale green. It is only occasionally used as a gemstone due to its rarity.

Murmanite is still rarer, found only on the Kola Peninsula in Russia. It is soft (2-3 on Moh's) and pink or purple. Properly, it is hydrated sodium titanium niobium silicate, lusterous and flaky.