1. The Abominable Snowman, Yeti, Bigfoot, and Sasquatch appear in one form or another in which epics?
A. Ancient Sumaria epic
B. Russian literature
C. Anglo-Saxon literature
D. Greek mythology
E. All of the above

E. All of the above
TOPICS: The “wild man of the woods” is a familiar figure in folklore from Enkidu of the Gilgamesh Epic, the Russian leshiy, Grendel in the Anglo-Saxon epic Beowulf, and Silenus and the satyrs in Greek mythology. Contemporary reports are regarded by some as little more than modern variations of this ancient theme, but it could be argued that the widespread presence of these creatures in folklore indicates that they have actually existed since ancient times and may still inhabit remote regions of the earth. Some theorists propose that the sightings are of an unknown species of ape or of isolated surviving Neandertal specimens. Other theorists associate sightings of these creatures with the activity of extraterrestrial beings.

2. During the times of wooden sailing vessels, sea serpents were widely believed to have destroyed many ships. Scientific evidence suggests what today?
A. A sea serpent is a marine creature of snakelike form and monstrous size
B. A large sea serpent is alive and well in Loch Ness
C. Exaggerated descriptions of sea snakes or oarfishes have probably been responsible for most reports of sea serpents
D. Floating seaweeds have probably also contributed to this myth
E. There is no scientific evidence as yet supports the existence of snakelike sea monsters

E. There is no scientific evidence as yet supports the existence of snakelike sea monsters
TOPICS: Of course our oceans are the last frontier with many unexplored regions and new species being discovered all the time, so who really knows? Or perhaps they were a holdover from the time of the dinosaurs that has only died out in modern times?

3. Which is NOT another word for demon?
A. Panis
B. Jinn
C. Oni
D. Fata

D. Fata
TOPICS: Hindu scriptures called the Vedas, composed between about 1500 BCE and about 1000 BCE, describe a variety of evil beings, including the asuras and the panis, who harm people and work against the Hindu gods. Muslim writings describe a group of evil beings, called jinn, who cause destruction and preside over places where evil activities take place. The words fae and faerie came to English from Old French which originated in the Latin word "Fata"

4. Demons are a part of folklore throughout the world including such familiar creatures as vampires, who suck the blood of living victims. Which demon is not correctly matched to its power?
A. The storm-bringing oni
B. The drowning kelpy
C. Iblis the fire-bringer
D. Daimon delivering punishment from the Gods

C. Iblis the fire-bringer
TOPICS: the Japanese oni are said to bring on storms. In Scotland kelpies haunt pools the better to drown unwary travelers. The original jinn (from Islam) was called Iblis, who was cast out by Allah for refusing to worship Adam, the first man. The study of demons is called demonology. Some ancient societies, including those in Egypt and Babylonia (now Iraq), believed that such spirits were responsible for the functions of the body and that demons caused specific illnesses. The word demon originated from an ancient Greek term, daimon, which referred to beings whose special powers placed them between people and the gods. These beings had the ability either to improve people's lives or carry out the punishment of the gods.

5. Which quality is not true of the dragon?
A. Reptilian
B. Winged
C. Fire breathing
D. Hooved

D. Hooved
TOPICS: The dragon is a legendary reptilian monster, rather serpent-like in form, that is usually represented as having wings, huge claws, and fiery breath.

6. In some folklore of antiquity, the dragon symbolizes destruction and evil while others attributed more beneficent powers to the beast. Which belief is not accurately matched to its believers?
A. Mesopotamia linked the dragon to chaos and destruction
B. Ancient Hebrews and Christians both portray the dragon as a symbol of death and evil
C. The ancient Greeks and Romans believed that dragons had the ability to understand and to convey to mortals the secrets of the earth
D. Among the Chinese people, the dragon is traditionally regarded as a symbol of bad luck

D. Among the Chinese people, the dragon is traditionally regarded as a symbol of bad luck
TOPICS: In Christian art, the dragon is a symbol of sin. It is often represented as crushed under the feet of saints and martyrs, symbolizing the triumph of Christianity over paganism. The dragon is deified in the Daoist (Taoist) religion and was the national emblem of the Chinese Empire. .

7. Who were the Titans?
A. The demons who created the world, according to Norse mythology
B. The first dragons, according to Chinese mythology
C. A monstrous breed of sea serpents, according to Egyptian mythology
D. The supreme rulers of the universe, according to Greek mythology

D. The supreme rulers of the universe, according to Greek mythology
TOPICS: The Titans were giants who were similar to humans but possessed immense size and strength. Titans, in Greek mythology, 12 children of Uranus and Gaea, Heaven and Earth, and some of the children of the 12. Often called the Elder Gods, they were for many ages the supreme rulers of the universe and were of enormous size and incredibly strong. Cronus, the most important of the Titans, ruled the universe until he was dethroned by his son Zeus, who seized power for himself.

8. Vampires are known to be dead people who rises from the grave during the night, often in the form of a bat, to suck the blood of sleeping humans. Various talismans and herbs supposedly avert vampires, but what can destroy a vampire?
A. Sunlight
B. Cremation
C. Stake through the heart
D. B or C

D. B or C
TOPICS: While popular media have perpetuated the idea of sunlight as the enemy of vampires most older literature does not support this theory. According to tradition, they can be destroyed only by cremation or by stakes driven through their hearts. Belief in vampires originated in ancient times and was especially widespread among the Slavs.

9. The Werewolf, according to ancient superstition, is a man who is transformed, or transforms himself, into a wolf in nature and appearance. Werewolf is an Old English word that means what?
A. Man-wolf
B. Man-monster
C. Not-wolf
D. Monster-wolf

A. Man-wolf
TOPICS: In Old English werewulf means man-wolf. The werewolf, sometimes transformed under the influence of a full moon, roams about at night, devouring infants or corpses. Stories of such transformations are given in the works of several classical writers and the superstition was common throughout Europe in late medieval times, when many men were accused and convicted of being werewolves. The term lycanthropy refers to the delusion that one has become a wolf.

10. How old was Mary Shelley when she conceived and wrote "Frankenstein"?
A. 10
B. 20
C. 40
D. 60

B. 20
TOPICS: Mary Shelley (1797-1851), published her first and most important work, the novel Frankenstein, in 1818 when she was 20. The work was an immediate critical and popular success and has been repeatedly dramatized for both the theater and motion pictures. The story of Frankenstein, a student of the occult, and the monster he assembles from parts of human corpses added a new word to the English language: A “Frankenstein” is any creation that ultimately destroys its creator.

Deanna Mascle
http://trivialtopics.net