Mythology

Question 1

What are the two groups of Mesopotamian Gods?

Answer 1

Annunaki - Senior gods (seven)

Igigi - sometimes synonymous, but in Atraharsis they are lower ranking gods.

Question 2

Father of Enlil, Adad, Gerra and sometimes Ishtar. Head if the older generation of gods, often paired with Dagan.

Answer 2

Anu

Question 3

Horned crown on a shrine as symbol, temple at Eanna. The Sky god of Uruk.

Answer 3

Anu

Question 4

Give two other names for Atrahasis.

Answer 4

Ut-Napishtim (in Gilgamesh)
Ziusudra (in Sumeria)
Xisuthros (according to the Babyloniaca)
(The name is possibly the origin of both Noah and Ulysses who share similar myths.)

Question 5

Avesta

Answer 5

Main text of Zoroastrianism

Question 6

The “gathas” comprise

which text?

Answer 6

The avesta

Question 7

Supreme god in Zoroastrianism

Answer 7

Ahura Mazda

Question 8

Angira Mainyu

Answer 8

Evil spirit of zoroastrianism who controls the druj (female demon, also called Nasu.)

Question 9

Practioners of this religion are sometimes called “servants

of the spirits”

Answer 9

Voodoo

Question 10

Syncretic Religion

Answer 10

Religion which fuses elements of other religions.

Eg Voodoo is mostly descended from Vodun (Fon and Ewe people) but also has aspects of Yoruba, Taino, Roman Catholic and Eastern mysticism incorporated

Question 11

Loa

Answer 11

Voodoo spirits, subservient to Bondye

Question 12

Bondye

Answer 12

Supreme creator in voodoo. Served by loa. Name means good good (from French bon dieu)

Question 13

These sprits are divided into families called nanchons.

Answer 13

Loas

Example nanchons are Rada loas such as Papa Legba, Petro Loa such as Marinette and Ghede Loa such as Baron Samedi.

Question 14

Epona

Answer 14

Celtic Horse Goddess

Question 15

This figure narrates the Fenian cycle

Answer 15

Ossian

Question 16

Ossian is the son of?

Answer 16

Finn McCool

Question 17

Lares

Answer 17

Roman guardian gods (domestic, roads etc)

Question 18

Penates

Answer 18

Roman ancestor deities, domestic gods and gods of the hearth.

Question 19

Legendary Welsh bard

Answer 19

Taliesin

Historical figure was a 6th century British poet who work may have survived to make it into The Book of Taliesin.

Question 20

This Shinto god turned a woman into a comb and put her in his hair.

Answer 20

Susano’o

Question 21

Mount Kailash is whose home?

Answer 21

Shiva

In Jain and Buddhist texts, Kailash is called Meru

Question 22

What are the two types of Hindu god?

Answer 22

Devas (good)
Asuras (bad)

The good/bad distinction is overly simplistic and older vedic texts do not make it. Agni and Indra are called Asuras in early vedic texts, for example.

Question 23

What types of spirits exist in Hindu mythology?

Answer 23

Yakshas (nature spirits)

Rakshasas (ghosts, ogres)

Question 24

Sadb is the wife of what figure?

Answer 24

Finn MacCool

Question 25

Deichtine is the mother of which figure?

Answer 25

Cu Chulainn

Question 26

Forseti is the son of which figure?

Answer 26

Baldur | Forseti is a god of justice

Question 27

This figure lived in the resplendent hall Breidablik

Answer 27

Baldur

Question 28

The Egyption pantheon are called?

Answer 28

The Ennead The usual line up is: Atum; Shu and Tefnut; Geb and Nut; Osiris, Isis, Set, Nepthys; (Horus). (Semicolons above separate generations.)

Question 29

This figure was accused of raping Stheneboeia

Answer 29

Bellerophon Stheneboea was the daughter of Iobates, and was rejected in her advances towards Bellerophon, spawning the false claims.

Question 30

Who is Potiphar’s wife?

Answer 30

Also known as Zuleikha. Married to the captain of the Palace Guard in Genesis, Potiphar (Aziz), and tries to seduce their slave Joseph. Joseph resists, Potiphar’s wife accuses him of rape and Joseph gets cast in prison.

Question 31

This Greek seer could understand animals

Answer 31

Melampus

Question 32

This group got drunk at the wedding of Pirithous and Hippodamia.

Answer 32

Centaurs. Pirithous was king of the Lapiths, when the drunk centaurs tried to abduct the women, the ensuing fight was one by the lapiths. Hippodamia herself got carried off by the centaur Eurytion.

Question 33

This object lured Ameterasu out of her cave.

Answer 33

The eight hand mirror. | Other objects hung outside include a magatama, a comma shaped bead used in ritualistic jewellery.

Question 34

Semele immediate family

Answer 34

Daughter of Cadmus and Harmonia Mother of Dionysus by Zeus

Question 35

Hopi trickster god

Answer 35

Kokopelli He plays a flute

Question 36

Author of cinderella

Answer 36

Charles Peroult

Question 37

This is the main epic of the Nyanga people of the Congo.

Answer 37

Epic of Mwindo His father shemwindo tries to kill him. He survives with the help of hid conga staff and goes to the underworld to hunt him down, besting the underworld god Muisa along the way.

Question 38

This malevolent female house spirit lives behind the stove and is married to either to Domovoy or Leshy.

Answer 38

Kikimara

Question 39

Type of tale that explains some aspect of the world.

Answer 39

Aetiological

Question 40

The orishas are gods of which people?

Answer 40

Yoruba

Question 41

24th Tirthankara

Answer 41

Mahavira

Question 42

The five vows are emphasized on this Jain holiday.

Answer 42

Paryushana It lasts 8 days for svetambaras and 10 for digambaras.

Question 43

Five vows of jainism

Answer 43

``` Non violence (ahimsa) Truth (satya) Nom stealing (asteya) Chastity (brahmacharya) Non-possession (Aparigraha) ```

Question 44

Zeus kills this dragon guardian of Tartarus.

Answer 44

Campe

Question 45

Hercules kills this dragon guardian of the Hesperides.

Answer 45

Ladon.

Question 46

This concept contrasts with druj

Answer 46

Asha

Question 47

The Mwindo Epic is from what people?

Answer 47

Nyanga people, near the Congo.

Question 48

Where roughly do Hopi people | come from?

Answer 48

Native Americans, primarily Arizona. One of the “pueblo” peoples.

Question 49

This person is known as “the shining one”

Answer 49

Fatimah

Question 50

Where is Bodh Gaya where the Buddha reached enlightenment?

Answer 50

Bihar in India

Question 51

This figure is born from a cosmic egg in Chinese folk religion.

Answer 51

Pangu

Question 52

These “first people” of Chinese folk religion are the children of Hua Hsu.

Answer 52

Fuxi and Nüwa Both are depicted as having snake bodies. Their myth involves the beginning of marriage tradition when two piles of fire merge, and the creation of children from clay.

Question 53

This group thought Chinese folk religion was really Christianity.

Answer 53

Figurists (a group of Jesuits) For instance they thought Fuxi was really Enoch, that China may have been founded by Noah’s son Shem. They had a special interest in the I Ching.

Question 54

Who made Mjolnir, Draupnir and Gallinbursti?

Answer 54

The dwarves Brokkr and Eitri

Question 55

Who made Skidbladnir, Gungnir and Sif’s golden hair?

Answer 55

The sons of Ivaldi. Ivaldi is also attested as the parent of Idunn (probably by a different mother than the dwarven sons).