Quizology.Online

Tag: fantasy

  • Initial Answers — Answers

    Here are the answers to today’s questions   Initial Answers.

    Today the first question relates to today’s date, May 23rd. The following questions follow a theme which is explained here. 

    Theme

    • The gist of today’s quiz is that the first question results in you having three five-letter words in the answer.
    • One of those words supplies the initial letters for the remaining questions. 
    • Firstly, discount the initial letter as it has already been used. The remaining four letters supply the initial letters to the answers to the remaining questions but they will not necessarily be in the correct order. 
    • Once you have answered all the questions you should be able to take the initial letters of the five answers, rearrange and have one of the words from the answer to question one.
    Potala Palace, Lhasa, Tibet.
    Image Encyclopædia Britannica

    One

    The country that is home to the building in the image above was annexed by a neighbour on this day in 1951. In what city is the building, and what two neighbouring countries are referred to?

    Answers: Lhasa; Tibet and China.

    The Potala Palace, pictured, in Lhasa, Tibet, served as the winter residence of the Dalai Lamas from 1649 to 1959. Built in the dzong style, it’s named after Mount Potalaka, the mythical dwelling of Avalokiteśvara.  Lhasa, Tibet’s capital, stands at 11,995 feet (3,656 m), making it one of the world’s highest cities. The incorporation of Tibet into China in 1950 remains a contentious issue. While China considers it a rightful part of its territory, many Tibetans and the international community view it as an occupation.

    Two

    In what film from the 1990s is El Toro air base destroyed?

    Independence Day.

    Independence Day is a 1996 American science fiction action film directed by Roland Emmerich. The film, which focuses on a worldwide attack by extraterrestrials, was a significant turning point in the history of the Hollywood blockbuster and grossed over $817.4 million worldwide.

    Three

    What explorer, in c.986 CE, was the founder of the first European settlement on Greenland?

    Answer: Erik the Red.

    While exiled, Erik the Red explored a land later known as Greenland, which he named to attract settlers. He returned to Iceland, successfully recruiting colonists, and in c.986 CE, established two settlements on Greenland’s southwest coast, the Eastern and Western Settlements.

    Four

    Who in The Lord of the Rings is described by Gandalf as ‘the oldest living thing that still walks beneath the Sun upon this Middle-earth’?

    Answer: Treebeard.

    Treebeard, an Ent, recounts to Merry and Pippin how the Ents were created to protect trees and how he remembers the vast forests of Middle-earth. He learns of Saruman’s treachery and, realising the danger he poses, rallies the Ents to attack Isengard, destroying it and trapping Saruman in his tower. After the war, Treebeard remains at Isengard, now called the Treegarth of Orthanc, and is entrusted with its care by the king, Elessar (Aragorn).

    Five

    The Beagle Channel, the Straits of Magellan to the north, and the open-ocean Drake Passage to the south are the three navigable passages around South America between the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans.
    — Wikipedia 

    What body of water is missing from this quote?

    Answer: Beagle Channel.

    The channel was named after HMS Beagle, which surveyed South America’s coasts from 1826 to 1830. During a second voyage, captain FitzRoy took Charles Darwin, who saw glaciers for the first time in the channel, and noted

    It is scarcely possible to imagine anything more beautiful than the beryl-like blue of these glaciers, and especially as contrasted with the dead white of the upper expanse of snow.
    — Charles Darwin, Voyage of the Beagle

    Explanation

    Answers

    1. Lhasa; Tibet and China = T
    2. Independence Day = I
    3. Erik the Red = E
    4. Treebeard = T
    5. Beagle Channel = B
      T I E T B 🔄 TIBET

  • Initial Answers

    Today the first question relates to today’s date, May 23rd. The following questions follow a theme which is explained here. 

    Theme

    • The gist of today’s quiz is that the first question results in you having three five-letter words in the answer.
    • One of those words supplies the initial letters for the remaining questions. 
    • Firstly, discount the initial letter as it has already been used. The remaining four letters supply the initial letters to the answers to the remaining questions but they will not necessarily be in the correct order. 
    • Once you have answered all the questions you should be able to take the initial letters of the five answers, rearrange and have one of the words from the answer to question one.
    Image Encyclopædia Britannica

    One

    The country that is home to the building in the image above was annexed by a neighbour on this day in 1951. In what city is the building, and what two neighbouring countries are referred to?

    Two

    In what film from the 1990s is El Toro air base destroyed?

    Three

    What explorer, in c.986 CE, was the founder of the first European settlement on Greenland?

    Four

    Who in The Lord of the Rings is described by Gandalf as ‘the oldest living thing that still walks beneath the Sun upon this Middle-earth’?

    Five

    The … …, the Straits of Magellan to the north, and the open-ocean Drake Passage to the south are the three navigable passages around South America between the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans.
    — Wikipedia 

    What body of water is missing from this quote?

  • A Drop in the Ocean — Answers

    Here’s the answers to my earlier questions.
    All of today’s questions are related to the date, April 28th.

    Kon-Tiki, on display inside the Kon-Tiki Museum, Oslo.
    Image Wikimedia Commons

    One

    In 1947, Thor Heyerdahl set sail in Kon-tiki, a handmade balsa wood raft, in an attempt to reach the islands of Polynesia. From what country did he set out?

    Answer: Peru.

    Thor Heyerdahl and five companions sailed the Kon-Tiki raft from South America to Polynesia in 1947, demonstrating the possibility of ancient American colonisation. The Kon-Tiki expedition, led by Heyerdahl, aimed to prove that pre-Columbian South Americans could have reached Polynesia by raft. Funded by private loans and equipment donations, the expedition successfully sailed 6,900 km across the Pacific Ocean in 101 days. Although Heyerdahl’s hypothesis of a Caucasian people reaching Polynesia has been rejected, the journey’s feasibility was demonstrated. The Kon-Tiki is now preserved in a museum in Oslo.

    Two

    In 1923, Wembley Stadium opened in London. What was it initially named?

    Answer: Empire Stadium.

    The original Wembley Stadium, or Empire Stadium, in London, was a renowned football venue that hosted the FA Cup final, the 1966 World Cup final, and Euro 1996. Demolished in 2003, it also hosted five European Cup finals, two European Cup Winners’ Cup finals and the 1948 Summer Olympics. Wembley was a key rugby league venue, hosting the Challenge Cup Final from 1929, and it also welcomed various sports, including speedway, stock car racing and American football. It hosted events such as the Horse of the Year Show, Live Aid, and concerts by Michael Jackson, Queen and U2, and is linked to an urban legend about a buried locomotive.

    Three

    Born in 1758, the fifth president of the United States is commemorated by a city at these coordinates: 6°18′48″N 10°48′5″W. Which city is it and in which country is it situated?

    Answer: Monrovia, Liberia.

    Monrovia, Liberia’s capital, sits on the Atlantic coast and serves as a political, administrative, economic and cultural centre. Established in 1822 by the American Colonisation Society as a settlement for formerly enslaved and freeborn African Americans, it was named after James Monroe and became the capital in 1847. The city’s population reached 1.76 million in 2022 with the metropolitan area exceeding 2.2 million.

    Four

    Born in 1948, Terry Pratchett is best known for a series of novels which began in 1983 with The Colour of Magic, and introduced Great A’Tuin, Berilia, Tubul, Great T’Phon and Jerakeen. In the prologue of The Colour of Magic… 

    1. What one word describes Great A’Tuin? 
    2. What are Berilia, Tubul, Great T’Phon and Jerakeen?

    Answers

    1. Turtle
    2. Elephants

    Wikipedia describes Discworld as follows

    The Discworld is the fictional world where English writer Sir Terry Pratchett’s Discworld fantasy novels take place. It consists of an interstellar planet-sized disc, which sits on the backs of four huge elephants, themselves standing on the back of a world turtle, named Great A’Tuin, as it slowly swims through space.

    Five

    A piece of paper found in China in 1986 has been dated to which century: Second century BCE; First century CE or Third century CE?

    Answer: Second century BCE.

    In 1986, archaeologists discovered over 400 artefacts in nearly 2,000-year-old Chinese tombs, including the world’s oldest surviving paper map fragment. Found in Fangmatan, Gansu Province, this second-century BCE map forced a rewrite of paper-making history.

  • A Drop in the Ocean


    All of today’s questions are related to the date, April 28th.

    Kon-Tiki, on display inside the Kon-Tiki Museum, Oslo.
    Image Wikimedia Commons

    One

    In 1947, Thor Heyerdahl set sail in Kon-tiki, a handmade balsa wood raft, in an attempt to reach the islands of Polynesia. From what country did he set out?

    Two

    In 1923, Wembley Stadium opened in London. What was it initially named?

    Three

    Born in 1758, the fifth president of the United States is commemorated by a city at these coordinates: 6°18′48″N 10°48′5″W. Which city is it and in which country is it situated?

    Four

    Born in 1948, Terry Pratchett is best known for a series of novels which began in 1983 with The Colour of Magic, and introduced Great A’Tuin, Berilia, Tubul, Great T’Phon and Jerakeen. In the prologue of The Colour of Magic… 

    1. What one word describes Great A’Tuin? 
    2. What are Berilia, Tubul, Great T’Phon and Jerakeen?

    Five

    A piece of paper found in China in 1986 has been dated to which century: Second century BCE; First century CE or Third century CE?

    Good luck! I’ll post the answers later.

  • Aquarius — Answers

    Here are the answers to the earlier questions.

    The Picnic (1846) by Thomas Cole. See questions five.
    Image Wikimedia Commons

    Today’s first question is related to the date, April 14th, and the answer is an acronym. The following questions are not date-related but are all in a similar abbreviated vein, be they acronyms, initialisms, or abbreviations.

    One

    Juice is an European Space Agency spacecraft launched in April 2023 to study Ganymede, Callisto, and Europa for potential habitability. What four words does Juice represent?

    Answer: Jupiter Icy Moon Explorer.

    Juice was originally JUICE, a complicated acronym for JUpiter ICy moons Explorer. ESA has since simplified the name to Juice, the Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer. (The Planetary Society). Juice was launched in April 2023 to study Jupiter’s icy moons Ganymede, Callisto, and Europa for potential habitability. It will reach Jupiter in July 2031 and enter orbit around Ganymede in December 2034.

    The remaining questions while not date-related continue the same abbreviated theme.

    Two

    Soweto, an urban complex in Gauteng province, South Africa, has a name that was derived from what? 

    Answer: South-Western Townships.

    Soweto, the largest Black urban complex in South Africa, originated from shantytowns and slums. It became notable for the 1976 Soweto Rebellion, a protest against Afrikaans in schools. Initially designated for Black residents by the apartheid government, Soweto is in Gauteng province, bordering Johannesburg. The name is formed from SOuth-WEstern TOwnships. Post-apartheid, municipal services were decentralised, dividing Soweto between two Greater Johannesburg regions, highlighting its historical and socio-political importance.

    Three

    What does the acronym NATO stand for, and in what decade was it founded? 

    Answer: North Atlantic Treaty Organisation; 1940s.

    NATO, founded in 1949 to counter Soviet threats, evolved into a cooperative-security entity with 32 members, focusing on collective defence under Article 5. First invoked after the 9/11 attacks, it expanded by 16 members, including former Warsaw Pact states. Relations with Russia deteriorated post-Crimea and Ukraine invasion, leading to Finland and Sweden’s membership. NATO intervened in conflicts like Bosnia and Afghanistan, with headquarters in Brussels. Members pledge 5% GDP to defence, ensuring readiness.

    Four

    Doctor Who flits about the universe in all its dimensions in the TARDIS. What six words does this name represent?

    Answer: Time And Relative Dimensions In Space.

    The TARDIS — Time And Relative Dimensions In Space — a fictional time machine and spacecraft from the British sci-fi series Doctor Who, debuted in 1963. It typically resembles a police box, a British telephone kiosk from the 1940s and 50s, and is “bigger on the inside.” The police box shape is now more linked to the TARDIS than its original purpose. The TARDIS’s name and design are BBC trademarks, though initially created by the Metropolitan Police Service.

    Five

    In computing, especially in customer support, what six words does the error PICNIC translate to?

    Answer: Problem in chair not in computer.

    Some User Errors are … 

    • PICNIC ‘Problem in chair, not in computer’
    • PEBMAC: ‘Problem exists between monitor and chair’
    • IBM Error ‘Idiot in machine error’

    Aquarius

    The post title is itself an acronym, albeit a rather convoluted one:
    Abbreviations Quiz: Users Adroitness Regarding Initialisms Under Scrutiny.

  • From Island to Island — Answers

    Here are the answers to my earlier questions.

    Today’s questions are all about literature.

    One

    What geographic feature is the third word in the title of a 1973 work by Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn?

    Answer: Archipelago.

    The Gulag Archipelago: An Experiment in Literary Investigation, a three-volume non-fiction series by Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn, explores life in the Soviet labour camp system. Initially smuggled out of Russia and published in Paris, it circulated underground until the Soviet Union’s collapse after which it became more available.

    See question two. William Blake: Christian Reading in His Book, The Pilgrim’s Progress.
    Image Wikimedia Commons

    Two

    In what century was The Pilgrim’s Progress first published?

    Answer: 17th century.

    The Pilgrim’s Progress, a 1678 Christian allegory by John Bunyan, is a significant work of Protestant devotional literature. Written during Bunyan’s imprisonment, it has been translated into over 200 languages and remains influential, cited as the first novel written in English.

    Three

    Digital Fortress (1998) and Deception Point (2001) were the early novels of an author better known for a series of books, some of which have been made into films, featuring an academic protagonist. Who is this author, who is the academic protagonist, what novel published in 2000 is the first in the series, and what, published in 2025, is the most recent?

    Answer: Dan Brown; Robert Langdon; Angels & Demons and The Secret of Secrets.

    American writer Dan Brown is best known for his thriller novels, particularly the Robert Langdon series (Angels & Demons, The Da Vinci Code, The Lost Symbol, Inferno, Origin and The Secret of Secrets) which often centre on cryptography, art, and conspiracy theories. His books have sold over 200 million copies and have been adapted into films and a television series.

    Four

    What author’s work includes a Mr. and Mrs. Maggot who live at Bamfurlong?

    Answer: J.R.R. Tolkien.

    In The Lord of the Rings Frodo, Frodo, Sam and Pippin visited Maggot’s farm, where Farmer Maggot recognised them and shared his story about a stranger inquiring about Bilbo’s treasure. Maggot and his wife gave them refreshments and he offered them a ride to the Ferry, which they accepted.

    Five

    HARI SELDON … born in the 11,988th year of the Galactic Era: died 12,069. The dates are more commonly given in terms of the current Foundational Era as -79 to the year 1 F.E.
    The Psychohistorians, which is part I of a book published in 1951, opens its first chapter with the quote shown. What is the title of the book, and who was its author? 

    Answer: Foundation by Isaac Asimov.

    Foundation is the first book of Isaac Asimov’s Foundation series, originally a trilogy, which explores the fall of a Galactic Empire and the efforts of Hari Seldon to shorten the ensuing dark age through the new science of psychohistory. The series, which includes sequels and prequels, won the Hugo Award for ‘Best All-Time Series’ in 1966.

    From Island to Island

    The post title is from a quote by Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn in The Gulag Archipelago…

    Thin strands of human lives stretch from island to island of the Archipelago.

    — The Gulag Archipelago

  • From Island to Island

    Today’s questions are all about literature.

    One

    What geographic feature is the third word in the title of a 1973 work by Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn?

    See question two. William Blake: Christian Reading in His Book, The Pilgrim’s Progress.
    Image Wikimedia Commons

    Two

    In what century was The Pilgrim’s Progress first published?

    Three

    Digital Fortress (1998) and Deception Point (2001) were the first novels of an author better known for a series of books, some of which have been made into films, featuring an academic protagonist. Who is this author, who is the academic protagonist, what novel published in 2000 is the first in the series, and what, published in 2025, is the most recent?

    Four

    What author’s work includes a Mr. and Mrs. Maggot who live at Bamfurlong?

    Five

    HARI SELDON … born in the 11,988th year of the Galactic Era: died 12,069. The dates are more commonly given in terms of the current Foundational Era as -79 to the year 1 F.E.

    The Psychohistorians, which is part I of a book published in 1951, opens its first chapter with the above quote. What is the title of the book, and who was its author?

    Good luck! I’ll post the answers later.

  • Posing Questions Referencing Selected Trivia — Answers

    Here are the answers to the questions posted earlier.

    Continuing the alphabetical theme with today’s questions having answers beginning with the letters from P to T, with each letter being used only once. Please note they are not in alphabetical order. If a question has more than one part it is only the first that conforms to the theme.

    See question four. Muggle quidditch or quadball.
    Image Wikimedia Commons

    One

    In Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings, by what twelve-letter word does Éowyn, a noblewoman of Rohan, describe herself? 

    Answer: Shieldmaiden

    Éowyn, a noblewoman of Rohan and shieldmaiden, kills the Witch-King of Angmar in the Battle of the Pelennor Fields, fulfilling a prophecy. Her brief courtship by Faramir is seen as influenced by Tolkien’s experience with war brides. In Nordic folklore and Norse mythology Shield-maidens are female warriors.

    Two

    1. What three words completes this sentence from Encyclopædia Britannica: ’At the summer solstice in the Northern Hemisphere, around June 21, the Sun attains its greatest declination north and is directly over the …’
    2. At what latitude does the above answer lie? 

    Answers

    1. Tropic of Cancer.
    2. 23°26’

    The Tropic of Cancer, the northernmost circle of latitude where the Sun can be seen directly overhead, is currently 23°26′09.2″ north of the Equator. Its position changes due to the tilt of Earth’s axis. The Tropic of Capricorn is its southern equivalent.

    Three

    Which fairy tale features a miller, his daughter, a king and the transformation of straw into gold? 

    Answer: Rumpelstiltskin.

    Rumpelstiltskin, a gnomelike man, spins straw into gold for a miller’s daughter in exchange for her firstborn child. When the miller’s daughter, now the queen, begs for her child’s release from the bargain, he gives her three days to guess his name.

    Four

    In 2022, the sport formerly known as muggle quidditch changed its name to what? 

    Answer: Quadball.

    Quadball, formerly known as muggle quidditch, is a team sport inspired by the Harry Potter series. Two teams of seven players compete to score points by passing a ball through hoops while defending their own.

    Five

    Cobblepot: does he live in a rookery? 

    Answer: Penguin.

    Oswald Chesterfield Cobblepot, aka The Penguin, a Gotham City criminal and Batman adversary, is known for his distinctive appearance and criminal activities centred around his nightclub, the Iceberg Lounge. Created by Bob Kane and Bill Finger, he is one of Batman’s most enduring enemies and has been featured in various media adaptations. Penguin colonies are known as rookeries.

    Posing Questions Referencing Selected Trivia

    The post title is simply representing the five letters for today’s answers as I’m sure you all noticed.

  • Posing Questions Referencing Selected Trivia

    Continuing the alphabetical theme with today’s questions having answers beginning with the letters from P to T, with each letter being used only once. Please note they are not in alphabetical order. If a question has more than one part it is only the first that conforms to the theme.

    See question four. Muggle quidditch.
    Image Wikimedia Commons

    One

    In Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings, by what twelve-letter word does Éowyn, a noblewoman of Rohan, describe herself? 

    Two

    1. What three words completes this sentence from Encyclopædia Britannica: ’At the summer solstice in the Northern Hemisphere, around June 21, the Sun attains its greatest declination north and is directly over the …’
    2. At what latitude does the above answer lie? 

    Three

    Which fairy tale features a miller, his daughter, a king and the transformation of straw into gold? 

    Four

    In 2022, the sport formerly known as muggle quidditch changed its name to what? 

    Five

    Cobblepot: does he live in a rookery? 

    Good luck! I’ll post the answers later.

  • Every Picture Tells a Story — Answers

    The answers to my earlier questions are shown below.

    Five pictures and some questions all of which are related to today’s date, March 24th.

    One

    Brandenburg Gate, Berlin.
    Image Wikimedia Commons

    In 1721, a collection of six instrumental works—the composer’s own title was Six Concerts Avec plusieurs Instruments (Six Concertos With several Instruments)—were presented by Johann Sebastian Bach to Christian Ludwig, a marquess and younger brother of King Frederick I of Prussia. Using the above picture as a clue, by what name is this collection commonly known today?

    Answer: Brandenburg Concertos

    Johann Sebastian Bach’s Brandenburg Concertos, now his most popular work, were likely never performed during his lifetime. Bach sent the original manuscript to the Margrave (Marquess) of Brandenburg in 1721, possibly as a job application, but the Margrave never acknowledged the gift. The concertos were forgotten for over a century until they were rediscovered and published in the 19th century.

    Two

    James VI and I.
    Image Wikimedia Commons
    Elizabeth I.
    Image Wikimedia Commons

    The male monarch pictured above succeeded the female one on her death in 1603. 

    1. Who is the queen?
    2. Who was the king?
    3. What was the familial relationship between them?

    Answers

    1. Queen Elizabeth I
    2. King James VI and I
    3. Cousins.

    Queen Elizabeth I’s death in 1603 ended her reign of England and Ireland, leading to her cousin King James VI of Scotland’s succession as King of England and Ireland. Now both James VI and I, his reign saw the beginning of the Plantation of Ulster and English colonisation of the Americas.

    Three

    From Jules Verne’s novel Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea.
    Image Wikimedia Commons
    From the Earth to the Moon by Jules Verne
    Image Wikimedia Commons

    The two illustrations above are from novels by an author, ‘the father of science fiction’, who died in 1905, aged 77. Since 1979, he has been the second most translated author.

    1. Who was the author?
    2. From what novel is the first illustration?
    3. From what novel is the second illustration?

    Answers

    1. Jules Verne 
    2. Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea
    3. From the Earth to the Moon

    Jules Verne was a French novelist, poet, and playwright, best known for his adventure novels like Journey to the Centre of the Earth and Around the World in Eighty Days His work, often set in the 19th century, incorporated contemporary scientific knowledge and technological advances. Verne is considered an important author in Europe and has been the second most-translated author in the world since 1979.

    Four

    Harry Houdini, performing The Chinese Water Torture Cell.
    Image Wikimedia Commons

    Erik Weisz, who was born in 1874, is pictured above during one of his acts, although he’s better known by his stage name.

    1. In what European city was he born?
    2. Who is he better known as?

    Answers

    1. Budapest
    2. Harry Houdini.

    Harry Houdini, a Hungarian-American escapologist, gained fame for his daring escape acts, including freeing himself from handcuffs, chains, and straitjackets. He also pursued a crusade against fraudulent spiritualists and was a pioneer aviator.

    Five

    Stalag Luft III.
    Image Wikimedia Commons

    The prisoner of war camp above was made famous by a 1963 film which features the inmates attempts to leave it on the night of 24 March 1944.

    1. By what name is this POW camp commonly known?
    2. What was the 1963 film?
    3. In what modern country is the site of the camp today?

    Answers

    1. Stalag Luft III
    2. The Great Escape
    3. Poland

    Stalag Luft III (in full Stammlager Luft III; literally meaning Main Camp, Air, III) was a World War II POW camp for Allied airmen, known for escape plots including the Great Escape. Of the 76 men who escaped that night, 73 were recaptured, and fifty of those were executed. The camp, which was liberated in 1945 and is now a museum, was the subject of two feature films about the escape attempts that were made: The Wooden Horse (1950) and The Great Escape (1963).