Quizology.Online

Tag: fantasy

  • Seconds Out — Answers

    Here are the answers to my earlier questions.

    See question three.
    Brünnhilde pleads with her sisters to rescue Sieglinde: (Arthur Rackham, 1910).
    Image Wikimedia Commons

    These questions are not date-related but do follow a theme mentioned in the title.

    One

    What is the title of the second volume of J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings novel?

    Answer: The Two Towers.

    Published in 1954, The Two Towers is the second volume of J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings. Its title remains ambiguous, as five towers appear in the text. The narrative creates suspense through interwoven storylines. Critics have praised its epic and romantic qualities, and it became the basis for Peter Jackson’s 2002 film The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers.

    Two

    When it is visible, it is the most brilliant planet in the sky.

    — Encyclopædia Britannica

    The above sentence is from an Encyclopædia Britannica article about a planet. What planet?

    Answer: Venus.

    Venus, second from the Sun and closest large body to Earth, appears near sunrise or sunset as the brightest planet. Although today named after the Roman goddess of love and beauty, ancient records, which include Babylonian, Chinese, Central American, Egyptian, and Greek, show it was studied by multiple civilisations.

    Three

    The third drama conceived and written, yet the second opera in Wagner’s tetralogy Der Ring des Nibelungen. Which mythic creatures does this drama take its name from?

    Answer: Valkyries.

    Die Walküre, the second opera in Wagner’s Der Ring des Nibelungen (The Ring of the Nibelung), premiered in Munich in June 1870 and as part of the cycle in 1876. Based on Norse mythology, it follows Volsung twins Sieglinde and Siegmund, whose love angers the gods. Brünnhilde defies them, saving Sieglinde and her unborn child.

    Four

    The … Revolution created the second independent country in the Americas after the United States became independent in 1783.

    — Office of Historian, U.S. Department of State

    An adjective has been omitted from the preceding quote; which nation does the term describe?

    Answer: Haiti.

    Haitian was removed from the quote. The Haitian Revolution established the second independent American nation after the U.S. in 1783. Haiti, formerly St. Domingue, was a profitable French colony reliant on slave labour. The French Revolution sparked a slave revolt in 1791, led by Toussaint L’Ouverture. U.S. leaders, many of whom were slaveowners, were ambivalent about the revolt. Initially, they aided its suppression but later supported L’Ouverture. Due to policy shifts and domestic issues, the U.S. didn’t recognise Haiti’s independence until 1862. Jefferson initially aided L’Ouverture but later isolated Haiti.

    Five

    Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s second Sherlock Holmes novel involves the theft of the Agra treasure. What is the title of the novel?

    Answer: The Sign of the Four (aka The Sign of Four).

    The Sign of the Four is Arthur Conan Doyle’s second novel featuring Sherlock Holmes. In it, he investigates Mary Morstan’s case involving her missing father. Dr Watson, Holmes’ companion, marries Mary Morstan. Published in February 1890 it followed the first novel, A Study in Scarlet. 

  • Seconds Out

    See question three.
    Brünnhilde pleads with her sisters to rescue Sieglinde: (Arthur Rackham, 1910).
    Image Wikimedia Commons

    These questions are not date-related but do follow a theme mentioned in the title.

    One

    What is the title of the second volume of J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings novel?

    Two

    When it is visible, it is the most brilliant planet in the sky.

    The above sentence is from an Encyclopædia Britannica article about a planet. What planet?

    Three

    The third drama conceived and written, yet the second opera in Wagner’s tetralogy Der Ring des Nibelungen. Which mythic creatures does this drama take its name from?

    Four

    The … Revolution created the second independent country in the Americas after the United States became independent in 1783.

    An adjective has been omitted from the preceding quote; which nation does the term describe?

    Five

    Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s second Sherlock Holmes novel involves the theft of the Agra treasure. What is the title of the novel?

    Good luck! I’ll post the answers later.

  • Leading Lady — Answers

    Here are the answers to today’s questions.

    Vigdís Finnbogadóttir President of Iceland.
    Image Wikimedia Commons

    All of today’s questions are related to the date, 1 August.

    One

    In 1980, for the first time anywhere in the world, a woman was elected head of state in a national election. This election was the first of four terms in this role. Who is she, and of what country was she president?

    Answer: Vigdís Finnbogadóttir; Iceland.

    Vigdís Finnbogadóttir served as Iceland’s president from 1980 to 1996 and was the first woman globally elected head of state. After retiring from office Finnbogadóttir chaired the UNESCO World Commission on the Ethics of Scientific Knowledge and Technology from 1997 to 2001 and became UNESCO’s goodwill ambassador for languages in 1998.

    Two

    In 1996, George R.R. Martin published the first volume of a book series. What is the book series called?

    Answer: A Song of Ice and Fire.

    George R.R. Martin, born in 1948, is an American fantasy writer known for his A Song of Ice and Fire series, adapted into Game of Thrones and House of the Dragon. He began his career with short fiction and television writing before returning to novels.

    Three

    What Formula 1 driver, who suffered extensive burns in a severe accident in the 1976 German Grand Prix at the Nürburgring, returned to racing still heavily bandaged, having only missed two races?

    Answer: Niki Lauda

    Niki Lauda, after a near-fatal crash in 1976, won his second championship with Ferrari in 1977. He took a two-year hiatus before returning with McLaren, winning his third championship in 1984, and retiring in 1985.

    Four

    On this date, the Guam Organic Act was signed, officially establishing Guam as an organised unincorporated territory of the United States. Who was the U.S. president at the time? 

    Answer: Harry S. Truman.

    Guam, a territory since 1899, was acquired at the end of the Spanish-American War. It’s home to Naval Base Guam and Andersen Air Force Base. Organised under the Guam Organic Act of 1950, it granted U.S. citizenship to Guamanians and established a local government. The act was amended in 1968 to allow for the election of a governor.

    Five

    In 1620, Myles Standish, his wife Rose and others sailed from Delfshaven, Netherlands to England where they would join with the Mayflower to sail to America. What is the name of the ship on which Standish and his wife sailed from Delfshaven, and in what modern country is Delfshaven?

    Answer: Speedwell; Netherlands.

    On 1 August 1620, the Pilgrim Fathers left Delfshaven on the Speedwell. After delays due to leaks, they departed Southampton on 5 August with the Mayflower. The Speedwell was abandoned, and its passengers, including the Standishes, joined the Mayflower for the voyage to the New World.

  • Leading Lady

    See question one.
    Image Wikimedia Commons

    All of today’s questions are related to the date, 1 August.

    One

    In 1980, for the first time anywhere in the world, a woman was elected head of state in a national election. This election was the first of four terms in this role. Who is she, and of what country was she president?

    Two

    In 1996, George R.R. Martin published the first volume of a book series. What is the book series called?

    Three

    What Formula 1 driver, who suffered extensive burns in a severe accident in the 1976 German Grand Prix at the Nürburgring, returned to racing still heavily bandaged, having only missed two races?

    Four

    On this date, the Guam Organic Act was signed, officially establishing Guam as an organised unincorporated territory of the United States. Who was the U.S. president at the time? 

    Five

    In 1620, Myles Standish, his wife Rose and others sailed from Delfshaven, Netherlands to England where they would join with the Mayflower to sail to America. What is the name of the ship on which Standish and his wife sailed from Delfshaven, and in what modern country is Delfshaven?

    Good luck! I’ll post the answers later.

  • 42-0-20-(Z 16-102–8-15-39)-13 — Answers

    Here are today’s answers.

    George Orwell’s Nineteen Eighty-four.
    Image Pinterest

    Today’s questions are not related to the date; instead, they share a theme linked to the title in a subtle or hidden manner.

    One

    ZZ9 Plural Z Alpha, an appreciation society and their publication Mostly Harmless is connected to what science fiction franchise?

    Answer: The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy.

    ZZ9 Plural Z Alpha organises gatherings and social events, produces the magazine Mostly Harmless and sells Beeblebears modelled on Zaphod Beeblebrox. It celebrates The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy and Douglas Adams’s works.

    Two

    What single word can mean nought, a strong-lined fabric, a quick immersion, a bivalve mollusc, a lowering of the head or a bird and in which sport did the meaning ‘nought’ originate?

    Answer: Duck: cricket.

    All of the above are from definitions of duck.

    • Nought: in cricket a batter’s score of zero. Origin mid 19th century: short for duck’s egg, used for the figure 0 because of its similar outline.
    • Fabric: a strong cotton or linen fabric. Origin mid 17th century: from Middle Dutch doek ‘linen, linen cloth’; related to German Tuch ‘cloth’.
    • Immersion: to dip under water. Origin Middle English: of Germanic origin; related to Dutch duiken and German tauchen ‘dive, dip, plunge’.
    • Mollusc: a pure white thin-shelled bivalve mollusc found off the Atlantic coasts of America. Genus Anatina, family Mactridae.
    • Lowering head: lower the head or the body quickly. Origin Middle English: of Germanic origin; related to Dutch duiken and German tauchen ‘dive, dip, plunge’.
    • Bird: a waterbird with a broad blunt bill. Origin Old English duce, from the Germanic German tauchen ‘dive, dip, plunge’.

    Three

    Where is the mythical Snow Lion a celestial emblem?

    Answer: Tibet.

    The Snow Lion, Tibet’s celestial emblem, symbolises power, strength, fearlessness, joy, east, and earth. Featured on Tibet’s flag from 1916 to 1950, it remains used by the Tibetan Government-in-Exile. Depicted as white with a turquoise mane, it represents hermits and yogis, and is prominent in Tibetan culture.

    Four

    What character is named when symbols for sulphur, nobelium, oxygen, phosphorus and yttrium are placed together in order?

    Answer: Snoopy

    S-sulphur
    No-nobelium
    O-oxygen
    P-phosphorus
    Y-yttrium

    Five

    What are the three super-states in the novel Nineteen Eighty-four, and in which of these is London located?

    Answers: Oceania, Eurasia and Eastasia; Oceania.

    In April 1984, Winston Smith lives in Airstrip One (previously Great Britain), a province of Oceania, under totalitarian rule by ‘the Party’ and Big Brother. The Party enforces conformity through surveillance and Thought Police, erasing dissenters as “unpersons”. Winston, an Outer Party member at the Ministry of Truth, secretly rebels against the regime.

    42-0-20-(Z 16-102–8-15-39)-13

    The numbers in the title offer clues, perhaps obscure, to each of the questions in the correct order. The information breaks down like this

    1. 42: In The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy 42 is the answer to the ultimate question of life, the universe, and everything.
    2. 0: A duck is 0 as explained above, see ‘Nought’ under the second answer.
    3. 20: The 20th letter of the alphabet ‘T’ is the initial to this answer.
    4. (Z 16-102–8-15-39): Z is the symbol for atomic numbers and 16 is the atomic number for sulphur, 102 is nobelium 8 is oxygen 15 is phosphorus and 39 is yttrium each of which make Snoopy.
    5. 13: : ‘It was a bright cold day in April, and the clocks were striking thirteen.’ Thirteen concludes the opening line of George Orwell’s Nineteen Eighty-four.

  • 42-0-20-(Z 16-102–8-15-39)-13

    George Orwell’s Nineteen Eighty-four.
    Image Pinterest

    Today’s questions are not related to the date; instead, they share a theme linked to the title in a subtle or hidden manner.

    One

    ZZ9 Plural Z Alpha, an appreciation society and their publication Mostly Harmless is connected to what science fiction franchise?

    Two

    What single word can mean nought, a strong-lined fabric, a quick immersion, a bivalve mollusc, a lowering of the head or a bird and in which sport did the meaning ‘nought’ originate?

    Three

    Where is the mythical Snow Lion a celestial emblem?

    Four

    What character is named when symbols for sulphur, nobelium, oxygen, phosphorus and yttrium are placed together in order?

    Five

    What are the three super-states in the novel Nineteen Eighty-four, and in which of these is London located?

    Good luck! I’ll post the answers later.

  • Enchanted Forest — Answers

    Here are today’s answers.

    Rivendell.
    Image Jerry Vanderstelt, LOTR Fandom

    The first question is connected to today, 29 July. The remainder are not date-related but continue a theme leading you on a quest through the fantasy worlds of fiction.

    One

    In 1954, the first volume of J.R.R. Tolkien’s epic The Lord of the Rings was published. What was the title of this volume?

    Answer: The Fellowship of the Ring.

    In 1954, J.R.R. Tolkien published The Fellowship of the Ring and The Two Towers, the first parts of The Lord of the Rings, followed by The Return of the King in 1955. The Fellowship of the Ring refers to the company made up by Frodo, Merry, Sam and Pippin: all Hobbits; Aragorn and Boromir: both men; Legolas, an Elf; Gimli, a Dwarf; and Gandalf, a Wizard.

    Two

    What author’s work is home to the battle poet William the Gonnagle?

    Answer: Terry Pratchett.

    In Pratchett’s Discworld series, William the Gonnagle, a 96-year-old battle poet and musician, speaks in the lowland Scots of Robert Burns and with a slow careful voice. He plays mouse pipes that drive Grimhounds mad. Unlike bards, gonnagles compose poems to frighten enemies during battles causing their ears to explode. His name is derived from the notoriously poor poet William Topaz McGonagall.

    Three

    What series of books, the first published in 1995, included the character Fra Pavel Rašek, an alethiometrist of the Consistorial Court of Discipline (CCD), and of what organisation is the CCD a branch?

    Answers: His Dark Materials; Magisterium.

    Philip Pullman’s trilogy unfolds across a multiverse, with Northern Lights set in a world akin to Edwardian Britain, featuring zeppelins instead of cars or planes. The Church, led by the Magisterium, mirrors the Catholic Church’s authority, with the CCD as one of its most active branches.

    Four

    Who were Paul and Alia’s parents in the novel Dune?

    Answer: Lord Leto Atreides and Lady Jessica

    Dune, a 1965 novel by Frank Herbert, is set in a feudal interstellar society where noble houses vie for control of Arrakis, the sole source of the valuable spice melange. The story follows Paul Atreides as he navigates politics, religion, and ecology in this epic science fiction tale.

    Five

    In the world of Harry Potter, the Killing Curse (Avada Kedavra), the Cruciatus Curse (Crucio), and the Imperius Curse (Imperio) are known collectively as what?

    Answer: Unforgivable Curses.

    The Unforgivable Curses, Avada Kedavra, Crucio, and Imperio, are the most powerful and sinister Dark spells in the wizarding world. First classified as ‘Unforgivable’ in 1717, they carry the strictest penalties for their use, being tools of the Dark Arts.

    Enchanted Forest

    The title refers to a common feature in fiction: an enchanted forest.

  • Enchanted Forest

    Rivendell.
    Image Jerry Vanderstelt, LOTR Fandom

    The first question is connected to today, 29 July. The remainder are not date-related but continue a theme leading you on a quest through the fantasy worlds of fiction.

    One

    In 1954, the first volume of J.R.R. Tolkien’s epic The Lord of the Rings was published. What was the title of this volume?

    Two

    What author’s work is home to the battle poet William the Gonnagle?

    Three

    What series of books, the first published in 1995, included the character Fra Pavel Rašek, an alethiometrist of the Consistorial Court of Discipline (CCD), and of what organisation is the CCD a branch?

    Four

    Who were Paul and Alia’s parents in the novel Dune?

    Five

    In the world of Harry Potter, the Killing Curse (Avada Kedavra), the Cruciatus Curse (Crucio), and the Imperius Curse (Imperio) are known collectively as what?

    Good luck! I’ll post the answers later.

  • Everywhere to Anywhere — Answers

    Here are today’s answers.

    Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom.
    See question three.
    Image Lucasfilm

    Today’s answers are all fictional places

    One

    In the 2000 film, in what fictional town did Billy Elliot live?

    Answer: Everington.

    In 1984, 11-year-old Billy Elliot from the fictional town of Everington in County Durham secretly pursues ballet despite his father’s disapproval. With support from his dance teacher and community, Billy auditions for the Royal Ballet School. Accepted in 1985, he later performs Swan Lake, watched proudly by his family.

    Two

    Where is home to all of these fictional characters Magrat Garlick, Corporal Buggy Swires and Professor A.A. Dinwiddie?

    Answer: Discworld.

    The witch Magrat Garlick was the original Maiden in the Lancre coven with Granny Weatherwax and Nanny Ogg. She is a gentle parody of New Age pagans, believing in crystals and folk wisdom. Corporal Buggy Swires, a gnome with a tough personality, leads the Ankh-Morpork City Watch’s Airborne Section. He uses birds for reconnaissance and messaging. Professor Dinwiddie, a quiet and reserved individual, became the Unseen University’s Bursar due to his affinity for numbers and less competition for the role. 

    Three

    At the start of Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, Indiana meets singer Willie Scott in a nightclub which is named after a character from another Harrison Ford franchise, although not his character. What is its name?

    Answer: Club Obi Wan.

    Club Obi Wan, a Shanghai hideaway for the wealthy, was a nightclub, brothel, and gaming establishment. It featured fine furnishings, decorations, and entertainment and was the headquarters of Lao Che’s criminal enterprises. It was named after Star Wars’ Obi-Wan Kenobi.

    Four

    In Tolkien’s Middle-Earth Ered Luin, also known as Ered Lindon or Mountains of Lune, became the new home for Durin’s Folk who were exiled by Smaug the Dragon. What two-word term, which includes a primary colour, is Ered Luin known as in English?

    Answer: Blue Mountains.

    After the Two Lamps fell, the Blue Mountains formed Arda’s western wall. Dwarven Fathers founded Nogrod and Belegost under Mount Dolmed. In the First Age, they separated Eriador from Beleriand. Ruined in the War of Wrath, the mountains split, forming the Gulf of Lune. Dwarves later settled in the east. Exiled from Erebor by Smaug, Durin’s Folk found refuge under the Blue Mountains. King Thráin II established a throne there, succeeded by his son Thorin. Prosperous during Thorin’s reign, many Longbeards joined. Erebor was retaken in T.A. 2941, likely prompting most of Durin’s Folk to return.

    Five

    What is the fictional prison in the Harry Potter films and where is it located?

    Answer: Azkeban; (somewhere in the) North Sea.

    In Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Azkaban is located ‘somewhere in the North Sea’. It serves as a prison for British and Irish wizarding criminals, guarded by Dementors who cause inmates to lose happiness and often starve. Sirius Black was the first person to escape. After Voldemort, Kingsley Shacklebolt abolishes the Dementors at Azkaban. 

    Everywhere to Anywhere

    The post title was a bit of a hint to the answers going from Everywhere (E) to Anywhere (A) — the first five letters of the alphabet in reverse: E, D, C, B and A.

  • Everywhere to Anywhere

    Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom.
    See question three.
    Image Lucasfilm

    Today’s answers are all fictional places

    One

    In the 2000 film, in what fictional town did Billy Elliot live?

    Two

    Where is home to all of these fictional characters Magrat Garlick, Corporal Buggy Swires and Professor A.A. Dinwiddie?

    Three

    At the start of Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, Indiana meets singer Willie Scott in a nightclub which is named after a character from another Harrison Ford franchise, although not his character. What is its name?

    Four

    In Tolkien’s Middle-Earth Ered Luin, also known as Ered Lindon or Mountains of Lune, became the new home for Durin’s Folk who were exiled by Smaug the Dragon. What two-word term, which includes a primary colour, is Ered Luin known as in English?

    Five

    What is the fictional prison in the Harry Potter films and where is it located?

    Good luck! I’ll post the answers later.