A Visit to the Seychelles Trivia Quiz

Answer: Seychelles Creole

Seychelles has three national languages. English and French are spoken, but 95% of the population speaks their mother tongue called Seychelles Creole. It is a French-based language that was developed in the 1700s AD so that French settlers could communicate with the enslaved population in the Seychelles. It intermixes French vocabulary with different African languages like Malagasy.

In 1981, the Seychelles became the first Creole-speaking nation in the world to declare its Creole an official language. However, over 38% of the population also speaks English, which is used extensively in government, business, and education. And, of course, it is used to communicate with the wide variety of tourists who flock to the island country.

Answer: Palm tree seed

The coco de mer is a rare palm tree native to the Seychelles, famous for producing one of the world's largest and heaviest seeds. The seed, resembling a woman's pelvis, has deep roots in the country's history and traditions. In the late 1800s, British General Charles Gordon visited a valley in the Seychelles and became convinced it was the original Garden of Eden. He famously claimed the coco de mer was the "forbidden fruit" from the tree of knowledge.

Because of its suggestive shape, the nut has been a symbol of fertility and sexuality. Its use in daily tasks over the years (such as bowls) as well as in rituals to ward off evil spirits, have made it a symbol of the uniqueness of the people. Its silhouette is on the country's coat of arms, its currency, and even on its official passport stamp.

Answer: Fruit bat

The Seychelles flying fox, a large fruit-eating bat, is utilized in the meal. The bat is skinned and chopped up before being marinated in vinegar. It is then simmered in a spicy curry sauce with garlic, ginger, turmeric, and occasionally coconut cream. The dish is very bony and requires diners to gnaw the meat off the little bones.

The act of eating bats dates back to early settlement and the days of slavery, when it was a necessary source of protein. Since the early 2010s, however, the practice has been frowned upon by conservationists who state that the act is unsustainable for the environment. It is not legally prohibited, however.

Answer: A large bonfire

Created in the 1770s by enslaved people, the Moutya was performed in secret, deep in the forest at night, far from the plantation owners. The people gathered around a bonfire and sang in code, using riddles to vent their anger and grief without their masters understanding. Centuries later, the dance is a symbol of the Seychelles.

The Moutya begins with a ritual of heating large, flat goatskin drums over the bonfire to tighten the skin and achieve the correct pitch. Men then lead in song with women responding. Dancers start off slowly but continue to increase their movement to an almost frenzied activity around the flames.

Answer: Wax

In the Seychelles, batik clothing is a celebrated art form that blends Indonesian wax-resist dyeing techniques with the islands' distinct tropical symbols. To create it, people apply hot wax to fabrics like cotton or rayon. The wax sticks to the fabric and protects that area of the cloth from dye. Once the cloth has gone through multiple dyeing cycles, the wax is scraped off and the undyed area acts as a unique contrast to the design.

The textile artists also employ a "crackle" into the cloth where the dye has seeped through tiny cracks in the wax so there is a slight pattern in the mostly undyed section. The batik in the Seychelles features local symbols such as tropical flowers, marine life, and scenes of everyday people on the island.

Answer: Olivier Levasseur aka "La Buse"

In 1721, Olivier Levasseur, known as "La Buse" or "The Buzzard", captured a Portuguese ship full of gold including a solid gold cross studded with diamonds so heavy it required three men to carry. In 1730, La Buse was captured and sentenced to hang in Reunion, near Madagascar. As he stood on the gallows, he yelled out "Find my treasure, ye who can understand it!"

This simple sentence has led to treasure hunters flocking to the area for centuries. In 1923, a woman named Rose Savy found mysterious carvings on rocks at the Seychelles - symbols of dogs, snakes and tortoises. These were believed to tie into the clues. The cliffs nearby have been continually searched but to no avail. Legend says the treasure is guarded by sophisticated water-trap systems that flood the chambers if the wrong stone is moved. So the hundreds of millions of dollars are still there for the finding!

Answer: Pineapple skins

Lapot is a traditional, fermented drink that has a long history and showcases the people's ingenious use of local foods. It is mostly made from pineapple skins and scraps. Rather than wasting the rinds after eating the fruit, locals will collect them. Water, sugar, and ginger is then added in the fermentation process. The concoction is left to ferment in large jars or barrels for anywhere from 2 to 5 days.

The result is a cloudy, fizzy, and slightly sour beverage. It has a distinct pineapple aroma and taste. It is compared to a form of a hard cider. The drink has deep roots in the culture because it was a staple at local gatherings and work parties. Neighbors would help each other clear land or build houses in exchange for food and plenty of this drink (although they may not have been productive the next day).

Answer: An amulet

The "Man of the Woods" is a traditional healer who acts as a bridge between the physical and spiritual world. Despite most of the country's citizens practicing Catholicism, people secretly visit these healers to solve problems that "medicine or prayer cannot fix". This could be for physical healing or protection from bad luck, or a glimpse into the future.

The healer typically operates in a secluded cabin or a room filled with specific items such as leaves, feathers, bones, and herbs. The healer will listen to the problem and then produce gris-gris, usually in the form of a hand-made pouch that should be worn as an amulet. Inside will be written spells or items from nature or personal items (e.g. a lock of hair). This customized gris-gris will help with the specific problem.

Answer: Volleyball

While football (soccer) is an extremely popular sport in Seychelles by participation, volleyball is widely recognized as the country's most successful team sport in terms of achievement. ARSU (Anse Royale) is a prominent women's volleyball club that has won the Indian Ocean Club Championship a record-setting 10 times.

Angelique Adeline is a four-time national "Best Female Volleyballer" award winner and is an extremely popular and very well respected athlete in the Seychelles. She and her peers have helped put the Seychelles on the map in the field of volleyball.

Answer: A clock tower

The "Little Ben" clock tower stands approximately 25 to 30 feet tall (7-9 m) and is at the intersection of Independence Avenue and Albert Street in Victoria, the capital of the Seychelles. It is the Kilometer Zero for the country. The tower itself is a cast-iron replica of the so-called "Big Ben" in London, England (which is actually the name of a bell in the tower, not the tower itself). It was built in 1903 to commemorate the life of Queen Victoria, who died in 1901.

For many years, the clock didn't chime. It wasn't until a major restoration in 1999 that the mechanism was modernized to ensure it keeps perfect time and sounds its bell-though locals often joke that it still has a "personality" of its own. The monument represents endurance through the country's transformation from a colony to an independent republic and is often seen in tourists' photographs.