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