MYTHOLOGY QUIZ A LONE WOLF WRITTEN QUIZ (A-Z FORMAT) ORGANISED BY BERHAMPORE VETERANS’ QUIZ LOVERS’ SOCIETY BERHAMPORE, MURSHIDABAD, WEST BENGAL ON THE OCCASION OF RATH YARTA, 2019 (JULY 04, 2019) QM : SASWATA CHAKRABORTY

2. 26 QUESTIONS IN A-Z FORMAT
+2 FOR EACH CORRECT ANSWER
PHONETIC SPELLINGS ACCEPTED
NO MARKS FOR GROSS SPELLING MISTAKES
‘*’ MARK Q FOR TIE-BREAK
QM’S DECISION FINAL

4. According to Hindu mythology, ‘A’ is often referred to as the
“Ancient Godmother of the Gods”. Being a Goddess of Fertility
and Motherhood, ‘A’ is very much associated with sacred cows.
As the mother of the Devas, including Agni and the Adityas, she
is venerable and vital, but also somewhat elusive and vague. Her
role and connections seem to vary depending on who you ask.
She clearly likes to spread herself around. Her name literally
means ‘without limit’.
‘A’?

5. The ten ‘Avatara’s of Vishnu are:
1.Matsya(Fish)
2. Kurma (Tortoise)
3. Varaha (Boar)
4. Narasimha (Man-Lion)
5. Vamana (Dwarf)
6. Parashurama (Rama of the Axe)
7. Rama
8. Krishna
9. Buddha
10. Kalki
Jayadeva was one of the first to consider
Buddha as an avatar. Till then ‘B’ was
considered an avatar.
‘B’?

7. According to Islamic myth, Allah
has 1001 names. According to
Quran a good Muslim
remembers 1000 names of
Allah but only ‘C’ has to
remember all 1001 names
because the story of the
creation of ‘C’ involves Allah
himself. ‘C’ is made up of half of
the raw material Allah used.
‘C’?

9. In the Mahabharata, it was a city located in what is
now ‘D’, formerly called Kushasthali, the fort of which
had to be repaired by the Yadavas. In this epic, the city
is described as a capital of the Anarta Kingdom.
According to the Harivamsa the city was located in the
region of the Sindhu Kingdom. In the Hindu epics and
the Puranas, ‘D’ is one of seven Tirtha (pilgrimage)
sites for spiritual liberation. The other six
are Mathura, Ayodhya, Kashi, Kanchipuram, Avantika
(Ujjain) and Puri.
‘D’?

10. According to Greek mythology, this mother goddess is
also known as Gaea or ‘E’. It is believed that she is the
first being to emerge in the universe, born somehow
out of the forces of Love, Light, and Day. The she gave
birth to Heaven, who then became her husband. This
story is vastly different from the Christian creation
myth, in which a deity exists first and then fashions
the ‘E’.
‘E’?

11. Also known as the Erinyes in Greek
mythology, the ‘F’ are three horrible sisters
—Tisiphone, Megaera, and Alecto —who
are believed to torment evildoers and
punish them for their sins.
‘F’?

12. ‘G’ is a name used for distinct heavenly beings
in Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism. In Hinduism, the ‘G’ are the
male nature spirits. Some are part animal, usually a bird or horse.
They guard the Soma. The ‘G’s act as messengers between the gods
and humans. ‘G’s are mentioned extensively in Mahabharata as
associated with the Devas and with the Yakshas, as formidable
warriors. They are mentioned as spread across various territories.
‘G’s are one of the lowest-ranking Devas in Buddhist cosmology. In
Jainism, ‘G’s are classed among one of the eight Vyantara Devas.
‘G’?

13. In the ancient Greek religion and myth, ‘H’ is the god of
the dead and the king of the underworld, with which
his name became synonymous. ‘H’ was the eldest son
of Cronus and Rhea, although the last son regurgitated
by his father. He and his brothers, Zeus and Poseidon,
defeated their father's generation of gods, the Titans,
and claimed rulership over the cosmos. ‘H’ received the
underworld, Zeus the sky, and Poseidon the sea, with
the solid earth, long the province of Gaia, available to
all three concurrently. ‘H’ was often portrayed with
his three-headed guard dog Cerberus.
‘H’?

15. ‘I’ was the founder of the Surya dynasty
(Raghukul) of Ayodhya in which Rama was
born.
‘I’?

16. River Ganga came down to earth
and submerged the hermitage of
Sage ‘J’. Angry at this, ‘J’ drank up
the river, but later, at the request
of Bhagiratha, pushed Ganga out
through his ear. From him Ganga
got the name Jahnavi.
‘J’?

18. Hampi in Karnataka, the famous UNESCO World
Heritage Site, with its most captivating features
being its ruins, which are a result of years of
volcanic activity and soil erosion, is a beautiful
historical village. Hampi’s history can be traced
back to old time’s ‘K’ kingdom. During the time of
Ramayana, i.e., Treta Yuga, the kingdom of ‘K’ was
within the dense forest called Dandaka
Forest extending from Vindhya range to the South
Indian peninsula. During Dwapara Yuga,
the Pandava Sahadeva was said to visit this
kingdom, as per the epic Mahabharata, during his
southern military campaign to collect tribute
for Yudhishthira's Rajasuya sacrifice.
‘K’?

20. According to popular beliefs, ‘L’ is one
quarter (25%) component of the
manifestation of Lord Vishnu and is
considered to be an avatar
of Vishnu. However some Puranas of later
times regard him and Balarama as the avatar
of Sheshanaga, the thousand-headed serpent
associated with Lord Vishnu.
‘L’?

21. The Christians believe that the earth was the center of the
universe. Hindus believe that Mount ‘M’, a golden mountain, is
the center of the universe. Mount ‘M’ is the most sacred object
in the universe because it supports the heavens and the gods.
Geographically, it is said to exist at the center the universe in
the waters of life, surrounded by seven concentric seas, each
diminishing in size from the center. Jambudvipa, meaning the
island of Jambu (role-apple) trees, rests in one of those oceans.
Technically, it is the entire landmass of the earth, surrounded by
mountains. The island, Jambudvipa, is divided into four parts.
That part of Jambudvipa, south of the Mount ‘M’, is called the
land of the Bharatas (Bharatavarsha), which roughly
corresponds to the Indian subcontinent. The gods reside in the
heaven, on the top of the mountain, surrounded by sages, gods,
celestial beings, heavenly damsels (apsaras) and the like.
‘M’?

23. According to Ramayana, ‘N’ the white
vanara and Nila, the blue vanara were
credited as the engineers of the Rama
Setu, a bridge across the ocean
between Rameswaram and Lanka, so
forces of Rama can pass over to
Lanka. The bridge is also known as ‘N’
Setu. While Nila is credited as the builder
of the bridge. ‘N’ is described as the
architect of the vanaras. ‘N’ is also
described to have fought in the battle
between Rama and Ravana.
‘N’?

25. The ‘O’s are popular characters in Japanese
art, literature, and theatre, and appear
as stock villains in the well-known fairytales.
In Japanese mythology, ‘O’ are a kind
of yōkai, supernatural demon, devils, ogre,
or troll. They are typically portrayed as
hulking figures with one or more horns
growing out of their heads. Stereotypically,
they are conceived of as red, blue or green-
colored, wearing loincloths of tiger pelt, and
carrying iron kanabō clubs.
‘O’?

27. A large species of heron, now extinct, lived on
the Arabian Peninsula in comparatively recent
times, may have been the ultimate inspiration
for the Bennu, an ancient Egyptian deity linked
with the sun, creation, and rebirth. According
to Egyptian mythology, the Bennu was a self-
created being said to have played a role in
the creation of the world. The Greeks gave The
Bennu the name ‘P’, by which it has attained its
world-wide fame.
P?

29. According to Islamic belief, Adam had two sons - called Habil and ‘Q’. Adam
thought that Habil, the younger son, should take over after him. But 'Q‘
didn't like this idea and was very jealous. To settle the argument Adam
thought of an idea. He told his sons to think of a present to give to Allah and
to leave it on top of a certain hill. The one whose present Allah accepted,
would win the argument. Allah chose Habil's present because Habil had
taken a lot of time and trouble to choose his present. 'Q‘ was very upset and
angry. He was so angry, that he killed his own brother. Afterwards, when
he realised what he had done, he cried and cried but it was too late to be
sorry. So ‘Q’ was the first killer of all.
‘Q’?

30. Throughout history, Kings and
Kingdoms or Dynasties had carried
their motif in their flags. In Indian
mythology, the famous
mythological King ‘R’s flag carried
the ‘veena motif’.
‘R’?

32. Mount Meru should not be mistaken as an ordinary
mountain because it is so high that it reaches heaven
and the pole star (Dhruva) shine directly above it.
The celestial river Ganges ( representing both life-
energy and supreme consciousness) descents upon
Mount Meru and flows in four different directions.
Many stories are associated with the mountain.
According the Hindu Puranas, Meru is described as a
deity himself. He is a friend of Vayu, the wind god,
since both are located in the mid-region (antariksha).
There is a story which suggests due to a conflict
between Vayu and Meru, a portion of the mountain
was blown off by Vayu and fell into the ocean
forming ‘S’.
S?

34. According to Hindu Mythology, ‘T’ is a Starry
Goddess, involved in a planetary love affair. ‘T’
is married to Brihaspati, the planet Jupiter, and is
the mother of BU Budha, the planet Mercury,
due to a sordid abduction affair by Chandra the
Moon.
‘T’?

35. According to Hindu legends, ‘U’ means one who can control the heart
of others. But Monier Monier-Williams proposes a different
etymology in which the name means 'widely pervasive' and suggests
that in its first appearances in Vedic texts it is a name for the dawn
goddess. ‘U’ is the mother of Rishyasringa, the great saint of
the Ramayana, who later played crucial role in birth of Rama and was
married to Shanta, the elder sister of Rama. She became the wife of
king Pururavas, an ancient chief of the lunar race, and treated
in Kalidasa's drama Vikramōrvaśīyam. ‘U’ is perennially youthful and
infinitely charming but always elusive. She is a source as much of
delight as of dolor.
‘U’?

36. According to the ‘Vamana Purana’, the ‘V’
and the Assi rivers originated from the body
of the primordial being at the beginning of
time. The present name Varanasi has its
origin in these two tributaries of the Ganges,
‘V’ and Assi, which flank its northern and
southern borders. The tract of land lying
between them was named ‘Varanasi,' the
holiest of all pilgrimages. Banaras or
Benaras, as it is popularly known, is only a
corruption of the name Varanasi.
‘V’?

38. According to some Scottish myth, the ‘W’ is a kind
of humanoid wolf creature (a creature like a man
with a wolf's head). He has short brown hair all
over him. His home is a cave dug out of the side of
a steep knowe, half-way up a hill. He doesn't attack
folk if folk don't mistreat him. He is fond of fishing,
and has a small rock in the deep water. There he
sits for hours. He is reported to have frequently
leave a few fish on the window-sill of some poor
body. Unlike his werewolf counterparts, the ‘W’ is
not a shape shifter and isn't a human from the
start. It appears to be a sort of immortal spirit.
‘W’?

40. ‘X’ the First or ‘X’ the Great was the king of
the Persian Achaemenid Empire. He was
the first king who took the official title of
‘Shahenshah’. ‘X’ is identified as the
Ahasuerus of Persia in the biblical Book of
Esther and is referenced at length in the
works of Herodotus, the father of History.
‘X’?

42. According to Mahabharata, Dhritarashtra had 102 children.
Fearing problems with Gandhari's pregnancy which had continued
for almost two years, Dhritrashtra had a child from Sughada, a
woman from Vaishya Varna, who is lady in waiting to Gandhari.
Thus ‘Y’ was born at the same time as Duryodhana and Bhima and
was elder to Dushasana, other Kauravas and Dussala. ‘Y’ is
celebrated as a moral warrior who chose the path of
righteousness, in spite of being born in circumstances that
predisposed him to evil. He forwent his family bonds in order to
side with dharma.
‘Y’?

43. ‘Z’s are as emblematic of Mesopotamia as
the great pyramids are of ancient Egypt.
These ancient stepped buildings were
created to be home to the patron god or
goddess of the city. As religion was
central to Mesopotamian life, the ‘Z’ was
the heart of a city. Starting around 3000
B.C., Mesopotamian kings began building
‘Z’s and continued to build them up to the
time of Alexander the Great circa 300 B.C.
‘Z’?

47. According to Hindu mythology, ‘A’ is often referred to as the
“Ancient Godmother of the Gods”. Being a Goddess of Fertility
and Motherhood, ‘A’ is very much associated with sacred cows.
As the mother of the Devas, including Agni and the Adityas, she
is venerable and vital, but also somewhat elusive and vague. Her
role and connections seem to vary depending on who you ask.
She clearly likes to spread herself around. Her name literally
means ‘without limit’.
‘A’?

49. The ten ‘Avatara’s of Vishnu are:
1.Matsya(Fish)
2. Kurma (Tortoise)
3. Varaha (Boar)
4. Narasimha (Man-Lion)
5. Vamana (Dwarf)
6. Parashurama (Rama of the Axe)
7. Rama
8. Krishna
9. Buddha
10. Kalki
Jayadeva was one of the first to consider
Buddha as an avatar. Till then ‘B’ was
considered an avatar.
‘B’?

51. According to Islamic myth, Allah
has 1001 names. According to
Quran a good Muslim
remembers 1000 names of
Allah but only ‘C’ has to
remember all 1001 names
because the story of the
creation of ‘C’ involves Allah
himself. ‘C’ is made up of half of
the raw material Allah used.
‘C’?

52. CAMEL(S)

53. In the Mahabharata, it was a city located in what is
now ‘D’, formerly called Kushasthali, the fort of which
had to be repaired by the Yadavas. In this epic, the city
is described as a capital of the Anarta Kingdom.
According to the Harivamsa the city was located in the
region of the Sindhu Kingdom. In the Hindu epics and
the Puranas, ‘D’ is one of seven Tirtha (pilgrimage)
sites for spiritual liberation. The other six
are Mathura, Ayodhya, Kashi, Kanchipuram, Avantika
(Ujjain) and Puri.
‘D’?

55. According to Greek mythology, this mother goddess is
also known as Gaea or ‘E’. It is believed that she is the
first being to emerge in the universe, born somehow
out of the forces of Love, Light, and Day. The she gave
birth to Heaven, who then became her husband. This
story is vastly different from the Christian creation
myth, in which a deity exists first and then fashions
the ‘E’.
‘E’?

57. Also known as the Erinyes in Greek
mythology, the ‘F’ are three horrible sisters
—Tisiphone, Megaera, and Alecto —who
are believed to torment evildoers and
punish them for their sins.
‘F’?

58. THE FURIES

59. ‘G’ is a name used for distinct heavenly beings
in Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism. In Hinduism, the ‘G’ are the
male nature spirits. Some are part animal, usually a bird or horse.
They guard the Soma. The ‘G’s act as messengers between the gods
and humans. ‘G’s are mentioned extensively in Mahabharata as
associated with the Devas and with the Yakshas, as formidable
warriors. They are mentioned as spread across various territories.
‘G’s are one of the lowest-ranking Devas in Buddhist cosmology. In
Jainism, ‘G’s are classed among one of the eight Vyantara Devas.
‘G’?

60. THE GANDHARVA

61. In the ancient Greek religion and myth, ‘H’ is the god of
the dead and the king of the underworld, with which
his name became synonymous. ‘H’ was the eldest son
of Cronus and Rhea, although the last son regurgitated
by his father. He and his brothers, Zeus and Poseidon,
defeated their father's generation of gods, the Titans,
and claimed rulership over the cosmos. ‘H’ received the
underworld, Zeus the sky, and Poseidon the sea, with
the solid earth, long the province of Gaia, available to
all three concurrently. ‘H’ was often portrayed with
his three-headed guard dog Cerberus.
‘H’?

63. ‘I’ was the founder of the Surya dynasty
(Raghukul) of Ayodhya in which Rama was
born.
‘I’?

65. River Ganga came down to earth
and submerged the hermitage of
Sage ‘J’. Angry at this, ‘J’ drank up
the river, but later, at the request
of Bhagiratha, pushed Ganga out
through his ear. From him Ganga
got the name Jahnavi.
‘J’?

66. JAHNAU

67. Hampi in Karnataka, the famous UNESCO World
Heritage Site, with its most captivating features
being its ruins, which are a result of years of
volcanic activity and soil erosion, is a beautiful
historical village. Hampi’s history can be traced
back to old time’s ‘K’ kingdom. During the time of
Ramayana, i.e., Treta Yuga, the kingdom of ‘K’ was
within the dense forest called Dandaka
Forest extending from Vindhya range to the South
Indian peninsula. During Dwapara Yuga,
the Pandava Sahadeva was said to visit this
kingdom, as per the epic Mahabharata, during his
southern military campaign to collect tribute
for Yudhishthira's Rajasuya sacrifice.
‘K’?

69. According to popular beliefs, ‘L’ is one
quarter (25%) component of the
manifestation of Lord Vishnu and is
considered to be an avatar
of Vishnu. However some Puranas of later
times regard him and Balarama as the avatar
of Sheshanaga, the thousand-headed serpent
associated with Lord Vishnu.
‘L’?

70. LAXMANA

71. The Christians believe that the earth was the center of the
universe. Hindus believe that Mount ‘M’, a golden mountain, is
the center of the universe. Mount ‘M’ is the most sacred object
in the universe because it supports the heavens and the gods.
Geographically, it is said to exist at the center the universe in
the waters of life, surrounded by seven concentric seas, each
diminishing in size from the center. Jambudvipa, meaning the
island of Jambu (role-apple) trees, rests in one of those oceans.
Technically, it is the entire landmass of the earth, surrounded by
mountains. The island, Jambudvipa, is divided into four parts.
That part of Jambudvipa, south of the Mount ‘M’, is called the
land of the Bharatas (Bharatavarsha), which roughly
corresponds to the Indian subcontinent. The gods reside in the
heaven, on the top of the mountain, surrounded by sages, gods,
celestial beings, heavenly damsels (apsaras) and the like.
‘M’?

73. According to Ramayana, ‘N’ the white
vanara and Nila, the blue vanara were
credited as the engineers of the Rama
Setu, a bridge across the ocean
between Rameswaram and Lanka, so
forces of Rama can pass over to
Lanka. The bridge is also known as ‘N’
Setu. While Nila is credited as the builder
of the bridge. ‘N’ is described as the
architect of the vanaras. ‘N’ is also
described to have fought in the battle
between Rama and Ravana.
‘N’?

74. NALA

75. The ‘O’s are popular characters in Japanese
art, literature, and theatre, and appear
as stock villains in the well-known fairytales.
In Japanese mythology, ‘O’ are a kind
of yōkai, supernatural demon, devils, ogre,
or troll. They are typically portrayed as
hulking figures with one or more horns
growing out of their heads. Stereotypically,
they are conceived of as red, blue or green-
colored, wearing loincloths of tiger pelt, and
carrying iron kanabō clubs.
‘O’?

77. A large species of heron, now extinct, lived on
the Arabian Peninsula in comparatively recent
times, may have been the ultimate inspiration
for the Bennu, an ancient Egyptian deity linked
with the sun, creation, and rebirth. According
to Egyptian mythology, the Bennu was a self-
created being said to have played a role in
the creation of the world. The Greeks gave The
Bennu the name ‘P’, by which it has attained its
world-wide fame.
P?

79. According to Islamic belief, Adam had two sons - called Habil and ‘Q’. Adam
thought that Habil, the younger son, should take over after him. But 'Q‘
didn't like this idea and was very jealous. To settle the argument Adam
thought of an idea. He told his sons to think of a present to give to Allah and
to leave it on top of a certain hill. The one whose present Allah accepted,
would win the argument. Allah chose Habil's present because Habil had
taken a lot of time and trouble to choose his present. 'Q‘ was very upset and
angry. He was so angry, that he killed his own brother. Afterwards, when
he realised what he had done, he cried and cried but it was too late to be
sorry. So ‘Q’ was the first killer of all.
‘Q’?

80. QABIL

81. Throughout history, Kings and
Kingdoms or Dynasties had carried
their motif in their flags. In Indian
mythology, the famous
mythological King ‘R’s flag carried
the ‘veena motif’.
‘R’?

82. RAVANA

83. Mount Meru should not be mistaken as an ordinary
mountain because it is so high that it reaches heaven
and the pole star (Dhruva) shine directly above it.
The celestial river Ganges ( representing both life-
energy and supreme consciousness) descents upon
Mount Meru and flows in four different directions.
Many stories are associated with the mountain.
According the Hindu Puranas, Meru is described as a
deity himself. He is a friend of Vayu, the wind god,
since both are located in the mid-region (antariksha).
There is a story which suggests due to a conflict
between Vayu and Meru, a portion of the mountain
was blown off by Vayu and fell into the ocean
forming ‘S’.
S?

86. According to Hindu Mythology, ‘T’ is a Starry
Goddess, involved in a planetary love affair. ‘T’
is married to Brihaspati, the planet Jupiter, and is
the mother of BU Budha, the planet Mercury,
due to a sordid abduction affair by Chandra the
Moon.
‘T’?

88. According to Hindu legends, ‘U’ means one who can control the heart
of others. But Monier Monier-Williams proposes a different
etymology in which the name means 'widely pervasive' and suggests
that in its first appearances in Vedic texts it is a name for the dawn
goddess. ‘U’ is the mother of Rishyasringa, the great saint of
the Ramayana, who later played crucial role in birth of Rama and was
married to Shanta, the elder sister of Rama. She became the wife of
king Pururavas, an ancient chief of the lunar race, and treated
in Kalidasa's drama Vikramōrvaśīyam. ‘U’ is perennially youthful and
infinitely charming but always elusive. She is a source as much of
delight as of dolor.
‘U’?

89. URVASHI

90. According to the ‘Vamana Purana’, the ‘V’
and the Assi rivers originated from the body
of the primordial being at the beginning of
time. The present name Varanasi has its
origin in these two tributaries of the Ganges,
‘V’ and Assi, which flank its northern and
southern borders. The tract of land lying
between them was named ‘Varanasi,' the
holiest of all pilgrimages. Banaras or
Benaras, as it is popularly known, is only a
corruption of the name Varanasi.
‘V’?

92. According to some Scottish myth, the ‘W’ is a kind
of humanoid wolf creature (a creature like a man
with a wolf's head). He has short brown hair all
over him. His home is a cave dug out of the side of
a steep knowe, half-way up a hill. He doesn't attack
folk if folk don't mistreat him. He is fond of fishing,
and has a small rock in the deep water. There he
sits for hours. He is reported to have frequently
leave a few fish on the window-sill of some poor
body. Unlike his werewolf counterparts, the ‘W’ is
not a shape shifter and isn't a human from the
start. It appears to be a sort of immortal spirit.
‘W’?

93. WULVER

94. ‘X’ the First or ‘X’ the Great was the king of
the Persian Achaemenid Empire. He was
the first king who took the official title of
‘Shahenshah’. ‘X’ is identified as the
Ahasuerus of Persia in the biblical Book of
Esther and is referenced at length in the
works of Herodotus, the father of History.
‘X’?

95. XERXES

96. According to Mahabharata, Dhritarashtra had 102 children.
Fearing problems with Gandhari's pregnancy which had continued
for almost two years, Dhritrashtra had a child from Sughada, a
woman from Vaishya Varna, who is lady in waiting to Gandhari.
Thus ‘Y’ was born at the same time as Duryodhana and Bhima and
was elder to Dushasana, other Kauravas and Dussala. ‘Y’ is
celebrated as a moral warrior who chose the path of
righteousness, in spite of being born in circumstances that
predisposed him to evil. He forwent his family bonds in order to
side with dharma.
‘Y’?

98. ‘Z’s are as emblematic of Mesopotamia as
the great pyramids are of ancient Egypt.
These ancient stepped buildings were
created to be home to the patron god or
goddess of the city. As religion was
central to Mesopotamian life, the ‘Z’ was
the heart of a city. Starting around 3000
B.C., Mesopotamian kings began building
‘Z’s and continued to build them up to the
time of Alexander the Great circa 300 B.C.
‘Z’?

99. ZIGGURAT