On the 75th birth anniversary of Jim Morrison, lead vocalist of The Doors and the one and only Lizard King, a quiz about kings.

Long live the king

1 If, in a pack of playing cards, the King of Spades is believed to be inspired by David, King of Israel, and the King of Diamonds by Augustus Caesar, which 8th century European ruler is believed to have inspired the King of Hearts?

2 If Peter, Catherine and Alfred all had the sobriquet ‘The Great,’ what sobriquet is shared by William I of England, John I of Portugal and Henry II of France?

3 Robert Johnson was the first reporter to call which local phenomenon ‘the king’ in an article in The Memphis Press Scimitar in May 1956?

4 Which landmark Greek work first described the concept of a philosopher king, a ruler with a love of knowledge as well as intelligence and humility?

5 If you are an Indian, the mango is universally described as the ‘king of fruits’. But for the residents of Thailand, Indonesia, Singapore and Malaysia, another large fruit has been given that sobriquet. What do they call ‘the King of Fruits?’

6 Which film was inspired after the director watched the Life of Christ in 1906 in a theatre in Bombay and then spent the next few years raising funds for his venture?

7 Still on films. Who played the role of Rupert Pupkin in the satirical Martin Scorsese-directed 1998 film The King of Comedy ?

8 Sir James Brook was a soldier and adventurer who was raised in India, but went on to serve with distinction in South East Asia. What title was given to him by the Sultan of Brunei after he helped restore him to his throne in the 19th century?

9 While on kings, which American president was born with the name Leslie Lynch King Jr? He later adopted his stepfather’s name.

10 In the ’80s, which football star had the nickname ‘Le Roi’, literally meaning ‘the king’ in French?

Answers

1. Charlemagne, the Holy Roman Emperor. Alexander the Great is supposed to be the inspiration for the King of Clubs

2. They were all known as ‘The Bastard’.

3. Elvis Presley; the nickname stuck for the rest of his life

4. Plato’s Republic

5. The Durian. Sample at your own risk!

6. Raja Harishchandra , the first full-length Indian feature film, directed by Dadasaheb Phalke

7. Robert De Niro

8. The Rajah of Sarawak. The White Rajahs ruled Sarawak for quite a few generations

9. Gerald Ford, who took over as President when Richard Nixon resigned after the Watergate scandal

10. Michel Platini, the lynchpin of the French team that reached two World Cup semi-finals and a European title in the ’80s

 

BLINKJOY

Joy Bhattacharjya is a quizmaster.

Twitter: @joybhattacharj

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