Mythology and Folklore Final Exam

What is the name of the most famous surviving Greek temple, dedicated to Athena?

Parthenon

Which location in the world is particularly known for its many cenotes?

Yucatan Peninsula

Which modern practice is MOST similar to the concept of ethnogenesis?

genetic lineage sites like Ancestry.com or "23andme"

What did the Aztecs sacrifice for Huitzilopochtli, supported by their practice of xochiyaoyotl?

humans

From which discipline was the concept of a mytheme "borrowed"?

linguistics

What phenomenon do the majority of superstitions relate to?

luck

What did the three treasures of the Japanese emperor represent?

three primary virtues

Where is the cave where humans were created, according to Aztec myth?

Teotihuacan

For which culture is the diversity of languages a gift from the gods, not a punishment?

Yuki (indigenous Californian)

What is described by the Norse kenning "raven-harvest"?

a corpse

A folklorist is compiling stories attributed to the Aztec and is working to verify their legitimacy. Among the stories dealing with ways the world has been (or will be) destroyed, which tale should they be MOST suspicious of because it doesn't match any known Aztec tales?

a swarm of locusts

What cryptid is also known as the goat-sucker?

chupacabra

What was the universe created from according to Aztec mythology?

clay and dirt

In folklorist studies, what perspective was most popular in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries?

comparativist

The concept of "men in black" refers most to urban legends of which category?

conspiracy theory

What form of writing would an anthropologist need to understand to MOST be able to interpret written stories of Mesopotamia?

cuneiform

Christianity is almost unique among Great Flood myths in that the survivors knew the flood was coming ahead of time.

false

What is one structural explanation for why modern Americans don't tell young children about bogeymen who will steal them away if they wander at night?

fences and locks replace the function of these stories

Why do people most likely believe in superstitions?

gaining a sense of control

What precious stone was MOST associated with the Aztec goddess of water and childbirth?

jade

According to Dante, Cleopatra and Helen of Troy were damned to Hell due to committing which sin?

lust

Which culture's myths describe the universe as consisting of nine worlds divided into three levels?

norse

What is an example of a creature though to be a cryptid but whose existence has been verified?

okapi

To which ancient poet do we owe much of our current understanding of Greek and Roman mythology?

ovid

In late Roman mythology, Medusa was originally a human woman but was transformed into a monstrous gorgon by the goddess Minerva (Athena) as punishment for defiling a temple. What would Alexander Eliot consider this part of the story of Medusa?

pagan myth

What is the purpose of a Norse kenning?

poetically communicating ideas

What is the societal purpose of the bogeyman?

protecting children from dangerous behavior

Which pair of "domains" was the responsibility of one Aztec god or goddess, representing the common theme of duality of responsibilities in their pantheon (excluding their creator deity who represented duality in ALL things)?

purification and filth

Elena encounters a real-world kappa! Which technique would be LEAST likely to save her if the kappa were to attack?

singing it a lullaby

What explanation for ships lost in the Bermuda Triangle involves ships suddenly losing buoyancy and sinking quickly?

sudden releases of methane gas

What is an example of an urban legend that inspired real-world imitators?

the "people can lick too" story

What is an example of a myth that has been associated with real-world historic events?

the anger of pele

In the original story of Beauty and the Beast, Beauty willingly lives with the Beast, who treats her kindly and respects her wishes from the start, even after Beauty becomes convinced he had kidnapped and jailed a prince. The broad strokes of the rest of the story follow modern retellings. What theme does this original version of the story try to tell?

the importance of looking beyond first appearances

What is an example of something that is both a morpheme and a phoneme?

the pronoun "I"

Which religious tradition is represented in the Sistine Chapel's ceiling, painted by Michelangelo?

Christianity

The Western practice of folkloristics has only existed for about 50 years.

False

What is one of the major powers represented by the I Ching?

Fire

Which culture is MOST accurately described as the cradle of Western civilization?

Greek/Roman

In Egyptian mythology, the pharaoh is the avatar of what god?

Horus

Based on only their version of the World Flood myth, what culture would be LEAST likely to have had a major shipping or sailing practice in their most ancient times?

Incan

Based on the shared root between words, what can someone familiar with cryptozoology guess about cryptocurrency?

It has no physical, visible form.

The English alphabet falls into which category of alphabet?

Latin

Which broad geographic term MOST accurately describes the location of Mesopotamia?

Middle East

Which Norse realm serves as an afterlife?

Niflheim

In which direction were the Hyberboreans believed to live, according to the Greeks?

North

Where is the Bermuda Triangle located?

Atlantic Ocean

The religious ceremonies of the ancient Greeks, such as animal sacrifices, took place on top of their temples.

False

From which Norse god's name did the word "Friday" derive from?

Frigg

What is the translation for the Indigenous American name for Death Valley?

Ground Afire

What did the Greeks believe caused volcanic eruptions? Question options:

Hephaestus working at his forge

Although folktales are largely works of fiction, they often have elements of truth in them—enough that they can provide valuable clues to the existence and locations of cryptids.

True

Why do mythemes exist?

many human needs are universal

For both the Japanese and the Incans, the royal families were believed to descend from what natural feature?

the sun

Approximately how many phonemes are found in the English language?

44

What culture's myths MOST accurately describe the actual way language spreads through the world—branching off from a handful of core languages?

Amazonian

Which society utilized a logo-syllabic writing script?

Mesopotamia

Which mountain's entire top is considered a sacred site today?

Mount Fuji

Who is considered the most important god of the Egyptian pantheon, responsible for creation?

Ra

Which cryptid's name translated to "child of hammer"?

tsuchinoko

What does legend claim is responsible for lost ships in the Devil's Sea?

underwater dragons