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Mermaid - Quiz
Contributed by: Heaton
  • 1. What mythical creature is half-human and half-fish?
A) Centaur
B) Mermaid
C) Phoenix
D) Dragon
  • 2. In which body of water are mermaids commonly associated with?
A) Lake
B) Pond
C) River
D) Ocean
  • 3. What is the male version of a mermaid called?
A) Merman
B) Merboy
C) Aquaman
D) Waterman
  • 4. Which famous fairy tale features a mermaid as the main character?
A) Snow White
B) Sleeping Beauty
C) The Little Mermaid
D) Cinderella
  • 5. What mythical creature is half-lion and half-eagle?
A) Griffin
B) Cerberus
C) Pegasus
D) Sphinx
  • 6. What is the name of the legendary sword in Arthurian legend?
A) Caliburn
B) Joyeuse
C) Durandal
D) Excalibur
  • 7. In Greek mythology, what is Poseidon often depicted holding?
A) Bow
B) Sword
C) Trident
D) Shield
  • 8. What color is often associated with a mermaid's tail?
A) Blue
B) Yellow
C) Green
D) Red
  • 9. Which ancient civilization had a god of the sea known as Neptune?
A) Greek
B) Roman
C) Egyptian
D) Norse
  • 10. In folklore, what are the two main body parts of a mermaid?
A) The head and upper body of a female human, and the tail of a fish
B) The lower half of a human and the upper half of an animal
C) A human body covered in scales
D) The entire body of a fish with wings
  • 11. Which cultures have mermaid folklore?
A) Europe, Latin America, Asia, and Africa
B) Asia and the Middle East
C) Only European cultures
D) North America and South America only
  • 12. Mermaids are sometimes associated with which of the following events?
A) Harvest festivals
B) Storms, shipwrecks, and drownings
C) Rainbows and sunshine
D) Birthdays
  • 13. In some traditions, mermaids are known to be:
A) Benevolent or beneficent, bestowing boons or falling in love with humans
B) Indifferent to human affairs
C) Only interested in treasure
D) Always dangerous and evil
  • 14. Collectively, what are mermaids and mermen called?
A) Aquatic humans
B) Merfolk or merpeople
C) Sea creatures
D) Water beings
  • 15. Which mythology may have influenced the Western concept of mermaids as beautiful, seductive singers?
A) Norse mythology
B) Greek mythology and its sirens
C) Egyptian mythology
D) Roman mythology
  • 16. What creatures might Christopher Columbus have mistaken for mermaids?
A) Whales
B) Seals
C) Dolphins
D) Manatees or similar aquatic mammals
  • 17. From which languages does the English word 'mermaid' derive?
A) Middle English, from "mere" (sea) and "maid"
B) Old Norse
C) Latin
D) Greek
  • 18. What is an older, now obsolete English word for 'siren or mermaid'?
A) "Mermin"
B) Sirena
C) Undine
D) Nereid
  • 19. From which Old English words does the term 'mermin' derive?
A) 'Mer' (water) + 'maid'
B) 'Sea' + 'woman'
C) 'Ocean' + 'siren'
D) 'Męre' (sea) + 'męnen' (female slave)
  • 20. Which Old High German cognate of 'mermin' is known from biblical glosses?
A) Merimenni
B) Meerweib
C) Mareminne
D) Sirena
  • 21. In which Old Norse text does a mermaid appear as a great-grandmother?
A) Völuspá
B) Rabenschlacht
C) Edda
D) Beowulf
  • 22. What is the modern Icelandic term for 'mermaid' derived from Old Norse?
A) Merminne
B) Sjókona
C) Marbendill
D) Marmennill
  • 23. What is an Old English term related to mermaids?
A) Merewif
B) Undine
C) Sirene
D) Lorelei
  • 24. In which medieval epic does the MHG cognate of 'merwîp' appear?
A) Beowulf
B) Canterbury Tales
C) Divine Comedy
D) Nibelungenlied
  • 25. How were sirens originally depicted in early Greek mythology?
A) Water sprites
B) Sea hags
C) Mermaids
D) Human-headed birds
  • 26. Which text first described sirens as fish-tailed?
A) Metamorphoses
B) Physiologus
C) Liber Monstrorum de diversis generibus
D) The Odyssey
  • 27. What is the Old High German/Early Middle High German phrase suggesting sirens are mermaids?
A) Sirêne sínt méremanniu
B) Sjókonur
C) Marinae pullae
D) Merwîp
  • 28. Which Middle English bestiary describes sirens as mermaids?
A) Liber Monstrorum
B) Mid-13th century bestiary
C) Nibelungenlied
D) Old French verse bestiaries
  • 29. What is a common trait transferred from classical sirens to mermaids?
A) Having wings
B) Living in forests
C) Being sea hags
D) Using their beautiful song as a lure
  • 30. What does the term 'sjókonur' translate to?
A) Sirens
B) Water sprites
C) Mermaids
D) Sea-women
  • 31. In which century was the Physiologus that illustrated sirens as mermaid-like manufactured?
A) Twelfth-century
B) Eleventh-century
C) Thirteenth-century
D) Ninth-century
  • 32. In what context were the mermaid's mirror and comb held as symbols?
A) Etruscan art
B) Greek mythology
C) Christian moralizing
D) Roman history
  • 33. Who speculated that mermaids might have been brought from the Middle East?
A) Dorothy Dinnerstein
B) Pliny
C) Jane Ellen Harrison
D) Homer
  • 34. Which deity was depicted with a fish tail and was prophetic?
A) Glaucus
B) Athena
C) Apollo
D) Poseidon
  • 35. In Mesopotamian artwork from the Old Babylonian Period onwards, what type of figures with human upper bodies and fish tails are usually depicted?
A) mermen
B) mermaids
C) gods
D) dragons
  • 36. What is the possible name for the mermaid figure in Mesopotamian mythology, meaning 'fish-woman'?
A) *atargatis
B) *derceto
C) *semiramis
D) *kuliltu
  • 37. Who fed the child Semiramis after Derceto abandoned her?
A) wolves
B) doves
C) monkeys
D) humans
  • 38. Which city was noted by Lucian as having a grand statue of Derceto that appeared entirely human?
A) Babylon
B) Athens
C) Ashkelon
D) Hierapolis Bambyce
  • 39. Who is Semiramis's first husband according to the myth?
A) Ea
B) Onnes
C) Lucian
D) Alexander
  • 40. Which Mesopotamian sage is compared by some scholars to Semiramis's husband Onnes?
A) Marduk
B) Enki
C) Oannes
D) Gilgamesh
  • 41. Who saved four captured mermaids in Korean folklore?
A) Sinjike
B) Princess Hwang-ok
C) Lee Jin-su
D) Kim Dam Ryeong
  • 42. In Chinese folklore, what unique feature does the female hairenyu possess?
A) Scales covered with multicolored downy hair
B) Hair like a horse's tail and legless
C) Red mane extending to the back of her elbows
D) White skin like jade without scales
  • 43. What did the fishing family give regularly to the mermaid for prosperity?
A) Cheese
B) Apples
C) Fish
D) Bread
  • 44. In the Swedish epilogue, where was Viðga/Witige brought after being rescued?
A) Ravenna
B) Italy
C) Sjælland
D) Moselle
  • 45. What is the name of the unofficial histories that recorded Kim Dam Ryeong's actions?
A) Geomun Chronicles
B) Eou yadam
C) Nangan Legends
D) Dragon Palace Tales
  • 46. What is the name of the mythical undersea kingdom from which Princess Hwang-ok originated?
A) Geomun
B) Naranda
C) Busan
D) Pyongyang
  • 47. What is the Japanese term for mermaid?
A) Nyai Roro Kidul
B) Ningyo
C) Magindara
D) Sirena
  • 48. Which artist painted 'Sadko'?
A) Kazimir Malevich
B) Ilya Repin
C) Mikhail Vrubel
D) Vasiliy Surikov
  • 49. Which historical figure's feats resemble the chronology of Queen Semiramis according to Diodorus?
A) Hannibal
B) Cleopatra
C) Alexander the Great
D) Julius Caesar
  • 50. What is the Old Norse name for 'sea women' in Þiðreks saga?
A) sjókonar
B) merwîp
C) Hadeburg
D) Wâchilt
  • 51. In the Rabenschlacht, what is the name of the mermaid who carries off Wittich?
A) Wâchilt
B) Hadeburg
C) Sigelinde
D) Villcinus
  • 52. What did the Binalatongan mermaid do after marrying Maginoo Palasipas?
A) Propagated and spread through union
B) Sailed the Southern Seas
C) Ruled humanity for a time
D) Built a bridge to Lanka
  • 53. What is the Faroese term for mermaid?
A) margýgur
B) hafmey
C) sjöjungfru
D) havfrúgv
  • 54. What term did Danish Bishop Pontoppidan suggest using instead of 'merman'?
A) marmæle
B) sea-ape (hav-abe)
C) sjöjungfru
D) marbendill
  • 55. Which saga associates merfolk with a place in Denmark, Sjælland?
A) Þiðreks saga
B) Rabenschlacht
C) Das Rheingold
D) Nibelungenlied
  • 56. What happens to voyagers lulled by the margygr's singing in the Saga of St. Olaf?
A) They are driven insane
B) They drown
C) They gain insight into the future
D) They become immortal
  • 57. Which language's folklore includes the term 'haffrú' as an etymological source for a water-sprite?
A) Icelandic
B) Old Norse
C) Swedish
D) Danish
  • 58. Which tale type involves a fisherman asking questions to a mermaid?
A) The Legend of the Water Sprite
B) The Saga of the Storm Bringer
C) "The Mermaid's Message" (Havfruas spådom, ML 4060)
D) The Tale of the Sea Witch
  • 59. What does the mermaid foretell in 'Clerk Colvill'?
A) The title character's doom
B) The arrival of a new king
C) An upcoming celebration
D) A great fortune for the title character
  • 60. What was Oannes described as in cuneiform texts?
A) a fish-man
B) a serpent-man
C) a bird-man
D) a lion-man
  • 61. What is the Danish term for mermaid?
A) havmand
B) sjörå
C) margýgur
D) havfrue
  • 62. What did the mermaid suggest as the best material for a flail in her wisdom imparted to a fisherman?
A) Stone
B) Wood
C) Iron
D) Calf's hide
  • 63. Who is the British author that proposed mermaids were human women skilled in diving?
A) Hagen von Tronje
B) William Bond
C) Anaximander
D) Grimm
  • 64. Who did English writer Arthur Waugh propose Oannes had as a fish-tailed wife?
A) Semiramis
B) Atargatis
C) Ea
D) Derceto
  • 65. Who postulated that mankind originated from an aquatic animal species?
A) Hagen von Tronje
B) Anaximander
C) Grimm
D) William Bond
  • 66. What is the Old Swedish translation for 'mermaid' found in a late version of Þiðreks saga?
A) haffru
B) sjókona
C) merwîp
D) Wâchilt
  • 67. In which country was the havfrue considered a harbinger of storm and bad weather?
A) Scotland
B) Japan
C) Norway
D) England
  • 68. What are the Isle of Man's mermaids called?
A) Ceasg
B) Ben-varrey
C) Kelpie
D) Selkie
  • 69. What is the modern Icelandic term for mermaid?
A) havfrúgv
B) hafmey
C) haffrú
D) sjörå
  • 70. What year is recorded in the Azuma kagami for a beaching of a 'big fish' tied to an event?
A) 1234
B) 1256
C) 1247 (Hōji 1)
D) 1268
  • 71. Which island is associated with Sinjike, who warned fishermen of storms?
A) Dongabaek Island
B) Nangan Island
C) Geomun Island
D) Busan Island
  • 72. What are the Slavic counterparts of Greek sirens and naiads?
A) Vampires
B) Rusalkas
C) Werewolves
D) Banshees
  • 73. Which composer created an opera based on the tale of Sadko?
A) Sergei Prokofiev
B) Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov
C) Dmitri Shostakovich
D) Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky
  • 74. Which shogunate recorded mermaid omens in Japan?
A) Ashikaga shogunate
B) Kamakura shogunate
C) Minamoto shogunate
D) Tokugawa shogunate
  • 75. How long was Lí Ban transformed into a mermaid in Irish lore before being baptized?
A) Three centuries
B) Two decades
C) Five centuries
D) One century
  • 76. What is the name of the mermaid in Hindu mythology?
A) Suvannamaccha
B) Binalatongan
C) Magindara
D) Nyai Roro Kidul
  • 77. Which Korean island features a tale about Princess Hwang-ok from Naranda?
A) Nangan Island
B) Busan Island
C) Dongabaek Island
D) Geomun Island
  • 78. What is the name of the mermaid-like character in European folklore who became associated with heraldry?
A) Marmæle
B) Melusine
C) Hafsfrun
D) Margýgr
  • 79. What is the literal meaning of 'margýgr'?
A) Two-tailed mermaid
B) Mer-troll
C) Sea-ogress
D) Water elemental
  • 80. Who is the son of a mermaid and Villcinus in Þiðreks saga?
A) Sigelinde
B) Hagen von Tronje
C) Vaði
D) Wâchilt
  • 81. What is the name of Vaði's son, who became a famed smith?
A) Hagen von Tronje
B) Velent (Wayland the Smith)
C) Wittich
D) Villcinus
  • 82. Were analogues to the English-language Child ballad found outside the English language by Child?
A) Yes, in Norse mythology
B) No
C) Yes, in Japanese folklore
D) Yes, in American folklore
  • 83. In which Scottish folklore term is a freshwater mermaid known?
A) Selkie
B) Banshee
C) Ceasg
D) Kelpie
  • 84. What did a baby ben-varrey give to atone for stealing a doll?
A) A silver bracelet
B) A gold coin
C) A diamond ring
D) A pearl necklace
  • 85. What activity are rusalkas known for doing after dark?
A) Hunting with wolves
B) Dancing together under the moon
C) Singing lullabies to children
D) Weaving magical tapestries
  • 86. At what age did Nangan climb Moranbong before going missing?
A) 100
B) 300
C) 200
D) 400
  • 87. In the context of mermaid folklore, what is a common theme across both Western and Eastern cultures?
A) Harbinger of prosperity.
B) Signifying bad omens.
C) Bringing good luck.
D) Symbol of peace.
  • 88. In Byzantine Greek folklore, what type of creature was the siren sometimes depicted as?
A) A mermaid-like creature
B) A centaur
C) A dragon
D) A minotaur
  • 89. What is associated with mermaids during the Romanesque period?
A) Immortal souls through marriage
B) Future insights for fishermen
C) Singing that lulls voyagers to sleep
D) Lust
  • 90. Which Child ballad number is associated with the mermaid as a harbinger of shipwreck?
A) 456
B) 123
C) 289
D) 789
  • 91. What term is used for the children of a mermaid and a merman in Norwegian folklore?
A) Margýgur
B) Hafsfrun
C) Melusine
D) Marmæler (sea-talkers)
  • 92. Which opera by Richard Wagner features three Rhine maidens inspired by merwomen?
A) Tristan und Isolde
B) Parsifal
C) Das Rheingold
D) Die Walküre
  • 93. In Scandinavian folklore, what is a common consequence of harming a havfrue?
A) She transforms into a human.
B) She causes a storm that nearly drowns the perpetrator.
C) She grants three wishes to the victim.
D) She disappears forever.
  • 94. What is the name of the Alexander romance that tells Thessalonike's story?
A) 'Odyssey'
B) 'The Iliad'
C) 'Phylláda tou Megaléxandrou'
D) 'Metamorphoses'
  • 95. What is the name given to mermaids among all ethnic groups in the Philippines?
A) Magindara
B) Siyokoy
C) Nyai Blorong
D) Sirena
  • 96. What is the mermaid form of Nyai Roro Kidul called?
A) Sirena
B) Nyai Blorong
C) Binalatongan
D) Magindara
  • 97. What should a Swedish fisherman do if he sees a sjörå?
A) Offer a sacrifice to the sea.
B) Strike flint against steel to light a spark.
C) Sing a song to calm the waters.
D) Tell his comrades immediately.
  • 98. In the Nibelungenlied, who encounters two prophetic merwomen?
A) Sigelinde
B) Hagen von Tronje
C) Anaximander
D) Nibelung
  • 99. Who is the sea goddess and Queen of the Southern Seas in Javanese culture?
A) Binalatongan
B) Nyai Roro Kidul
C) Suvannamaccha
D) Magindara
  • 100. Which Korean kingdom is associated with the Tale of Nangan?
A) Goguryeo
B) Joseon
C) Silla
D) Baekje
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