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