Mad Shadows Trivia Quiz

Answer: Gaius Caesar Augustus Germanicus

You probably know him better by his nickname, Caligula, or "little boot". He was Roman emperor for only four years (37-41 AD) and under 30 when he died, yet the legend of his madness has cast a long shadow down the years. Born in Anzio in what is now Italy, he was assassinated in Rome by a group of conspirators.

More recent historians have suggested that the tales of his cruelty and legendary idea of promoting his horse, Incitatus, to a government position were fueled by motives other than historical accuracy.

Answer: Charles VI of France

Known as the Beloved during his lifetime, Charles VI was given the sobriquet "the Mad" by later historians. He was only eleven when he became king in 1380, which led to some familial infighting as to who would make the best regent for the youngster. Eventually competent advisors were put in place, but before long Charles displayed symptoms of mental illness, including forgetting who he was and issuing orders that defied reason.

He is thought to have been the first person known to have suffered from the so-called "glass delusion", fearing that he would shatter if anyone touched him.

Answer: Juana I of Castile

Variously known as Juana, Joan or Joanna, she was Queen of Castile from 1504 to 1555, and of Aragon from 1516 to 1555. She was born in 1479 to Spain's Catholic Kings, Ferdinand and Isabella, inheriting her positions from them, but also sharing the monarchy, at different times with her husband and her son, with her father serving as regent after Isabella's death. Confused? It was complicated, to say the least. Juana came to be seen as queen in name only, and suggestions that she was mentally unfit to rule abounded.

She spent her latter days in confinement, believing, some suggest, that the nuns who cared for her planned to kill her instead. Did Juana la Loca suffer from melancholia or schizophrenia? Perhaps.

Answer: George III of Great Britain

George III was, of course, the king of Britain when the thirteen colonies in North America decided to rebel, and eventually become the USA, but this was unlikely to have been the source of his madness.
Various theories have been put forward regarding his illness, including psychological mania, porphyria and bipolar disorder. By 1810 he was no longer fit to rule and his son (later George IV) served as regent for the remainder of George III's life.

The movie alluded to in the question is "The Madness of King George" (1994) which starred Nigel Hawthorne as George III.

Answer: Anthony Wayne

"Mad Anthony" Wayne (1745-1796) was born in Pennsylvania and prior to embarking on a military career worked as a tanner and as a surveyor. Once the Revolution started he rose in the ranks of the Continental Army, eventually retiring in 1783 as a major general.

He returned to duty to cast a shadow over the native tribes of the Northwest, where he defeated them soundly in the Northwest Indian War in 1794. Considered to be a Founding Father of the USA, Wayne is said to have had a fiery temper, which is sometimes given as the origin of the sobriquet of "Mad Anthony".

Others credit it to his style of leadership.

Answer: Ludwig II of Bavaria

Ludwig II was known as the Mad King, mostly outside Germany, but also as the Swan King and the Fairy Tale King. He was known to spend a great deal of money (his own) on private projects including palaces and supporting such up and comers as the composer Richard Wagner. Ludwig's rivals used these extravagances to "prove" him insane, and eventually have him removed from the throne, to be succeeded by his brother Otto, who was also deemed insane. Ludwig died aged 40 in suspicious circumstances, though neither murder nor suicide has been proved.

Answer: Grigori Rasputin

Grigori Yefimovich Rasputin (1869-1916) was a Russian mystic and faith healer who managed to get a hold over the Russian royal family with his promises to heal the haemophilia of their son, Alexei. This he was unable to do, and he was accused by some of inappropriate relations with the female members of the royal household. Eventually, he was murdered by a group of nobles, though less dramatically than contemporary accounts would suggest.

The sobriquet "Mad Monk" probably came later, and was used in the title of a Hammer horror film, starring Christopher Lee, in 1966.

Answer: Holland Smith

US Marine Corps General Holland McTyeire Smith (1882-1967) was said to have been given the nickname "Howlin' Mad" by troops under his command in either the Philippines or the Dominican Republic in the early part of the 20th century. Suiting his initials (H.M.) the nickname may have referred to his loud exhortations to his troops during a record-breaking march in the Philippines, a story which Smith himself sometimes told.

Besides service as a young officer in the campaigns in those countries already mentioned, Smith went on to serve in both World Wars, in positions of ever-increasing authority and responsibility.

Answer: Al Hrabosky

Al Hrabosky was born in Oakland, CA in 1949, and as far as can be ascertained, has no Hungarian blood. The nickname was coined by a team promotions person, and picked up by fans, due to the pitcher's somewhat wild looks and unusual routine on the mound. If the long hair, Fu Manchu moustache and intimidating glares weren't enough to scare his opponents, he would stomp off and around the mound between pitches as if gearing himself up for a fight. I had the pleasure of seeing this performance in person once, and it was something to behold.

He played for the St Louis Cardinals, Kansas City Royals and Atlanta Braves between 1970 and 1982, going on to a broadcasting career thereafter.

Answer: Maxwell Scherzer

He's known as Max, of course, and his well-deserved nickname is Mad Max. He was born with one brown eye and one blue eye (heterochromia iridis), which gives him a slightly mad look at the calmest of times and positively pops when he is excited. He is often excited, and has a reputation for being unapproachable on days when he is the starting pitcher.

He'll also let his manager know, forcefully, when he isn't ready to be taken out of a game (just ask Blue Jays manager John Schneider!) Oh, yes, he's also a really good pitcher, born in 1984 in Missouri and still going strong at the age of 41 in the 2025 World Series.