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WorksheetsEdgar and Government Quiz
Total questions: 16
Worksheet time: 16mins
Name
Class
Date
1.
Eadwig conveniently died at the age of 19 in 957, paving the way for Edgar to become king of all England and for the reformist faction to gain power. Which other convenient death that year helped Dunstan and his supporters?
a)
Archbishop Oda of Canterbury
b)
The new Archbishop of Canterbury chosen by Eadwig after Oda's death
c)
Aethelstan Half-King of Mercia
d)
Archbishop Oda of Canterbury AND the successor chosen by Eadwig
2.
Why is Edgar nicknamed 'Pacificus'?
a)
It means 'The Peaceful' - because there were no Viking attacks recorded at all in his reign.
b)
It means 'The Pacific' - because he strengthened England's navy so greatly that they were able to discover a new ocean.
c)
It means 'The Pacifist' - because Edgar was a very holy man who refused to fight or commit any violent acts.
d)
It means 'The Pacifier' - because Edgar made peace treaties with every other king in the British Isles.
3.
Why is Edgar (according to some measures) the most powerful king we have yet studied?
a)
He was a huge, powerful man who never lost a single fight - even the Vikings feared him, and he received preemptive submissions from all major Viking leaders.
b)
He was not just a military overlord of other, reluctant subkingdoms (e.g. Eadred in Northumbria) - all the kingdoms in Anglo-Saxon England had actively chosen him as their king and ruler.
c)
He had the support of Dunstan and the reformist faction, giving him unprecedented control over the Church.
d)
He was related by blood to every major royal dynasty across the kingdoms of England, and beyond.
4.
Why did Edgar sack his own town of Thanet, in Kent, in 969?
a)
He had received information that they were harbouring Viking spies, hoping to use the town as a base to launch attacks against Wessex.
b)
They attempted to resist monastic reform.
c)
To punish the town, as some of its inhabitants were caught stealing from (probably Anglo-Danish) merchants from York.
d)
It was a random choice, designed to keep his subjects on their toes and assert his power through a show of force.
5.
What does the sacking of Thanet tell us about Edgar's priorities as a king?
a)
Edgar was determined not to show any favouritism towards the 'real' English of Wessex and Mercia. Infighting between the kingdoms making up England could possibly incite former Danelaw territories to rebel (e.g. as Northumbria did under Eadred).
b)
Edgar enjoyed fighting, and was not content unless he was consistently finding opportunities to flex his military power and demonstrate his strength.
c)
Edgar was very concerned with the promotion of trade and the growth of the economy - disruption of the activities of merchants could therefore not be tolerated, and he was willing to make a very firm example to support this.
d)
Much like Aethelstan, Edgar viewed theft as the greatest threat to social order, as he saw it as essentially oath-breaking (everyone had sworn to be loyal to the king and uphold their laws).
6.
What is I Edgar also known as?
a)
'The Hundred Ordinance' - as it set out in full how hundreds were to be used.
b)
'The Shipsoke Law' - as it set out how the shipsoke system of naval recruitment was to work.
c)
'The Single Currency Decree' - as it set out the plans for a single currency.
d)
'The Reformer's Edict' - as it set out Edgar's programme of monastic reform.
7.
Famously, in IV Edgar, he permitted those living in former Danelaw territories to make their own laws - except in one area, that all subjects had to follow exactly as written. Which of Edgar's laws had to be 'common to all the nation'?
a)
The administrative duties that officials had to carry out, and the punishments for not doing so correctly.
b)
The penalties relating to the crime of theft.
c)
The laws regarding the giving of charity and alms to the poor, and taxes to the Church.
d)
The specific functioning of the Hundred courts, and local law enforcement.
8.
What did Edgar believe had been sent by God as punishment for officials not carrying out their administrative duties effectively?
a)
A pestilence - 'plague'.
b)
The Viking invasions.
c)
The death of his brother, Eadwig.
d)
The recent bad weather.
9.
Who was 'Edgar A.'?
a)
The scribe whose handwriting we are able to recognise as having written the majority of charters during Edgar's reign (like Aethelstan A.).
b)
The nameless authority who seems to have been mostly in charge of organising the Hundred and Shipsoke systems under Edgar.
c)
It is a nickname for Dunstan, as he was Edgar's top man and main advisor.
d)
The thegn who was in charge of delivering Edgar's law code 'in all directions', as he ordered.
10.
Witness lists of Edgar's charters indicate certain roles in society increased in power and influence during his reign. What were these?
a)
Religious figures - specifically, reformers, such as Dunstan and Aethelwold.
b)
Aethelstan Half-King of East Anglia and his sons, Edgar's foster family.
c)
Slaves - there was an increased movement for slave rights during this time.
d)
Those from the former Danelaw territories - Edgar wanted to ensure they felt fully represented in government.
11.
Why was it concerning that witness lists indicate major family groups were increasingly forming alliances with one another?
a)
It suggests that disputes between regions were on the increase, as local families were banding together to increase their strength - even though as Edgar was such a strong king, this did not cause direct problems at the time.
b)
It suggests that there was a lot of socialising going on between households at this time, and social distancing was not being properly adhered to.
c)
It suggests that not enough male heirs were being born, or strong family leaders emerging - which would cause problems for the military further down the line.
d)
It suggests that there was a lot of intermingling between those of Danish heritage and Anglo-Saxon - the 'us and them' narrative was under threat.
12.
What was a shipsoke?
a)
A unit of land used for naval recruitment - 3 hundreds = 1 shipsoke. The shipsoke has to provide 60 men to crew a ship (a shipfyrd).
b)
A little model ship that Edgar liked to make in his spare time, when he wasn't ravaging his own towns or reforming monasteries.
c)
A new form of naval vessel developed during this period - it was lower in the water than its counterparts, and therefore could move more swiftly.
d)
An old piece of rope that had been used on a ship for so many years that it had become soaked with saltwater, and was often used as a decorative item in Anglo-Saxon feasting halls.
13.
What was the main positive impact of the introduction of the shipsoke system?
a)
It greatly strengthened England's navy, and potentially deterred attackers from overseas.
b)
It gave many young men in England something new to work towards, and an opportunity to learn a new skill of sailing.
c)
It helped encourage local people to work together, as their hundreds were joined with others in the new 'shipsoke'.
d)
It gave Edgar a new way to distribute land to reward his followers, without technically having to take land off anyone else.
14.
What was the main negative impact of the introduction of the shipsoke system?
a)
It caused changes in the balance of power - the landowners who had previously owned those three hundreds were suddenly tenants of whoever had been given the shipsoke!
b)
It was very complicated and took a long time to sort out effectively - meaning the navy actually weakened in the short term.
c)
It created a lot more paperwork for Edgar's clerks to wade through.
d)
It was very expensive to coordinate and implement, which created resentment from Edgar's people and long term debt problems for the crown.
15.
How often was Edgar's single currency, a silver penny, to be reissued?
a)
Every six years.
b)
Every year.
c)
Every six months.
d)
Every ten years.
16.
At which central location were all coin dies (moulds) in England produced?
a)
Winchester
b)
York
c)
Canterbury
d)
Tamworth
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