Death Around the World Trivia

1. In the village of Tana Toraja in Indonesia, funerals are known as 'rambu solo'. Which animal is traditionally sacrificed at such funerals?

From Quiz Punk Rock Funeral

Answer: Water buffalo

According to local tradition in Tana Toraja, a water buffalo must be slaughtered in order for the soul of the dead person to enter the afterlife; the more buffaloes sacrificed, the easier the passage. The buffalo is paraded through the village before being slaughtered, and its meat is eaten by the villagers. The sacrifice is the second part of the ritual, with the first part involving the corpse being dressed and carried in a procession inside a miniature tongkonan (the traditional ancestral house of the Torajan people, which resembles a boat on stilts). Rambu solos are very costly and can take months to organise; in the run-up, the dead person is wrapped in cloth, placed in the family tongkonan and watched over by loved ones.

From Quiz Political Assassinations

Answer: Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam

Her victim was Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi of India. Gayatri bent to touch his feet at a temple in Chennai, India, and detonated six grenades in her suicide bomber belt, killing him instantly as well as at least 14 others, and wounding another 30. She was allegedly a part of the LTTE in Sri Lanka, and the assassination was in response to Gandhi sending Indian troops to Sri Lanka to fight the Tamil insurrectionist forces.

From Quiz Coffins, Caskets and Other Burial Containers

Answer: Their shape

The standard British coffin is wider at the shoulders and then narrows towards the head and the feet. It usually has a one piece lid that is a separate piece and attached to the bottom of the coffin with screws. It will often have six sides or an anthropomorphic shape. A casket has four sides, is rectangular in shape and has a hinged lid that is made in two pieces. This is done so that the casket may have the top part opened for a viewing. This is not a practice that is done in all English-speaking countries as many find it distasteful and disrespectful. The two terms are often used interchangeably.

From Quiz One Dying and a Burying

Answer: Catafalque

The actual Italian word is 'catafalco' and they can range from a simple platform to an ornately decorated edifice. One of the most famous is perhaps the Lincoln Catafalque, which has been used for Lyings in State in the Capitol building, in the USA, since it was first used for Abraham Lincoln in 1865.

From Quiz Crazy Little Thing Called Love

Answer: Chimpanzee

The clue: native to central Africa. Kalu's owner, heiress Patricia Cavendish O'Neill, had spent most of her life living among animals in Africa and wanted to make sure that her menagerie, which included baboons, donkeys and goats, was cared for after her death. Kalu was 15-years-old when she was designated to be the recipient of the Kalu Animal Trust, and with an average chimpanzee lifespan of about 50 years, Kalu could look forward to many years of pampered care. But she would have to change her diet; O'Neill's husband complained that Kalu had a fondness for his cigarettes and beer.

From Quiz Death in Various Cultures

Answer: Archbishop

From Quiz Political Assassinations

Answer: Hosni Mubarak

Anwar Sadat, Egyptian president, was assassinated in Cairo by TanTHim al Jihad. At the time, Hosni Mubarak was the vice president of Egypt. Mubarak eventually became Egypt's fourth president and served for over 30 years until the Arab Spring. He resigned as president in 2011.

From Quiz Thank God It's Finally Over

Answer: Resurrection Cemetery

Resurrection Cemetery is actually located just outside of Chicago in the suburb of Justice, Illinois. The ghost (dubbed "Resurrection Mary") is thought to be that of a young woman killed on her way home from the Oh Henry Ballroom in the 1920s. She has supposedly been seen dozens of times; some witnesses claim to have talked to her - and even danced with her!

From Quiz Veni Vidi Vici

Answer: Killed by a hippopotamus

Most archeologists believe Menes was another name for the Pharaoh Narmer, the King of Upper Egypt, who conquered Lower Egypt and unified the country around 3150 BC. The historian Manetho, writing around 230 BC, tells us that the Menes died while he was out hunting, and was mauled to death by a hippopotamus. This isn't as strange as it sounds. Hippos may look cute, but they kill almost 3,000 people a year in Africa.

From Quiz Vaults, Sarcophagi and Other Places of Rest

Answer: New Orleans, Louisiana

The Saint Louis Cemetery is an 18th century group of three cemeteries in New Orleans, Louisiana. Complete with fancy above-ground family vaults and narrow walk-ways, thousands of tourist flock to these places of rest every year. Both Spanish and French influences can be seen in the architecture of these vaults. Many of these vaults resemble small houses complete with metal fences. The high water table in the city has made this type of burial more secure and prevented bodies from possibly floating to the surface during flood season. Tours through these "cities of the dead" are available daily.

From Quiz Coffins, Caskets and Other Burial Containers

Answer: They use no metal

In Orthodox Judaism the coffin must be plain wood with a lid. It cannot have any kind of metal, or decoration. Wooden pegs are used in the place of nails. There are no name plates or handles. While variations do occur, the idea of simplicity is paramount.

From Quiz Crazy Little Thing Called Love

Answer: African grey parrot

The clue: the lifespan. African grey parrots can have human-length lifespans so it was fortunate that Basil's owner, Miss Ferguson of Brighton, England, provided for him in her will. African greys are considered to be among the most intelligent of birds, and their mimicry ability makes them popular pets. They are native to central and western Africa, and their diet in the wild includes nuts, fruits, seeds and leaves. In captivity, they are also fed pellets, grains and vegetables.

From Quiz Funeral Rites And Rituals

Answer: Judaism

"Shomerim" means "guards", and they stay with the body of the deceased as a sign of respect. While vigil is kept, the Shomerim do not eat, drink, or smoke, as this would be disrespectful to the deceased. Judaism requires the body to be buried as soon as possible after death, with a shroud rather than a casket (coffin).

From Quiz Death in Various Cultures

Answer: 1

Arnold Boecklin did a painting illustrating this in the 1880s -- 'Self-Portrait with Death as the Fiddler.' It's a good painting. I recommend it.

From Quiz Punk Rock Funeral

Answer: Leaving the corpse on a mountain to be exposed to the elements and/or eaten by scavengers

The principle behind sky burial is that the body, now minus the soul, is an empty vessel, and does not need to preserved. Therefore, it is left to the elements, and for scavengers such as vultures to pick at. Burying the corpse in the ground is also difficult in mountainous areas, due to the rocky ground. Once the flesh has been picked off the bones, the bones are ground up with tsampa (a mix of yak butter, tea and barley flour) and given to crows and hawks to eat. Vultures are encouraged to eat the corpse, as it is considered unlucky if they do not.

From Quiz Political Assassinations

Answer: No: he was not assassinated

Idi Amin fled Uganda in 1979, and eventually died (of liver complications) in exile in Saudi Arabia, never having returned to his homeland. He survived at least seven assassination attempts throughout the course of his life, but died of natural causes.

From Quiz Vaults, Sarcophagi and Other Places of Rest

Answer: Taphophile

A tapophile is someone who enjoys visiting cemeteries. Most tapophiles are interested in the history of cemeteries, seeing unusual headstones, vaults etc. They often hunt for the graves of the rich and/or famous.

From Quiz One Dying and a Burying

Answer: Peace Tower

Standing just over ninety-two metres high, the Peace Tower's full name is "The Tower of Victory and Peace", and it is a very famous Canadian landmark. It even appears on two of the currency bills in Canada, the fifty and twenty dollar notes. Flags are also flown half mast from various other public buildings during the mourning period for a State Funeral too. The practice in Canada is to offer a State Funeral to former or serving Governors General, former or serving Prime Ministers, and Members of the Cabinet who die in office.

From Quiz Funeral Rites And Rituals

Answer: Water of the last moment

The "Water of the last moment" ceremony is performed along with several other rituals which are believed to ward off evil spirits and speed the soul of the departed on its way. 99% of all Japanese people are cremated when they die, and 90% of the ceremonies are Buddhist.

From Quiz Death in Various Cultures

Answer: Nirvana

From Quiz Punk Rock Funeral

Answer: Madagascar

Famadihana means 'turning of the bones'. The reason behind it is that once the body has completely decomposed, the spirit of the dead person is free to go to the ancestral world. The bones are dug up every 5-7 years, unwrapped and rewrapped in new silk shrouds. The dead person's loved ones drink and dance, and place the bones back in the tomb before sunset. The ritual has declined in recent times due to the cost of silk shrouds, and Evangelical Christian Malagasy abandoning the practice, though the Catholic Church does not frown on the practice as it believes it to be cultural, not religious.

From Quiz Political Assassinations

Answer: Thomas Sankara

Sankara is remembered for the progressive ideas he had regarding women, and for his commitment to seeing his country more egalitarian. However, international organizations documented human rights abuses by his administration, and he was intolerant of unions in any field or industry. He was assassinated during a coup led by subsequent president Blaise Compaore, and it is believed that Liberia's notorious Charles Taylor assisted this operation.

From Quiz Thank God It's Finally Over

Answer: The Valley of the Kings

Over 60 tombs have been discovered in the Valley of the Kings, although not all are royal burials. The most famous tomb is that of Tutankhamen, discovered by Howard Carter in 1922. Despite well over a century of intense excavations, discoveries are still being made here. In 2011, the tomb of Nehmes Bastet, a temple singer of the 22nd Dynasty was found by Swiss archeologists.

From Quiz Vaults, Sarcophagi and Other Places of Rest

Answer: They are some of the largest pet cemeteries in the world

These are all examples of pet cemeteries. Hartsdale Cemetery, founded in 1896, is the largest as well as the oldest pet cemetery in North America. Cimetiere des Chiens, which dates from 1899, claims to be one of the first public pet cemeteries in the world. Ashkelon National Park Cemetery, which dates from the 12th century contains the largest privately owned dog cemetery dating to ancient times.

From Quiz Coffins, Caskets and Other Burial Containers

Answer: It was made of glass

Lenin's glass sarcophagus sits in Red Square inside an elaborate mausoleum. His body is open to public viewing between the hours of 10:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. There is no photography, or filming allowed inside. No one may wear a hat; there is neither smoking nor profanity allowed. Breaking of these rules can result in imprisonment. The glass sarcophagus and its embalmed body are considered treasures of the state and are guarded around the clock.

From Quiz One Dying and a Burying

Answer: Tangiwai rail crash

The Tangiwai rail disaster happened when a bridge across the river Whangaehu was partially washed away. As the train crossed, the bridge collapsed and carried the engine and seven carriages with it. Almost half the people on board died, and some of the bodies were never recovered. The State Funeral arranged to honour the victims was attended by Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh, as he and Queen Elizabeth were in New Zealand at the time.

From Quiz Crazy Little Thing Called Love

Answer: Sheep

The clue: even-toed ungulate. The even-toed ungulates are animals that equally distribute their weight between their third and fourth toes. These include hoofed animals such as sheep, cattle, pigs, camels and deer. Odd-toed ungulates have an odd number of functional toes with the weight supported by the middle toe. These include horses, tapirs and rhinoceroses. Clwyd's owner, a Mr. John Leeming, had written a book about him called "One of the Family", which probably explains the inheritance. A bottle-raised lamb would make a devoted pet as it would bond with its owner, and Clwyd reportedly always followed Leeming around.

From Quiz Funeral Rites And Rituals

Answer: Sikhism

At a Sikh funeral, once the Antim ardas has been recited, the eldest son or closest male relative of the deceased ignites the cremation fire (or presses the button to begin the process in a crematorium). Later on, the ashes of the deceased will be scattered over water.

From Quiz Death in Various Cultures

Answer: evil

This psalm is attributed to David.

From Quiz Punk Rock Funeral

Answer: Judaism

'Shiva' is Hebrew for 'seven' and accordingly, the practice of sitting shiva lasts for a week. It is a required observation for parents, siblings, children or partners who have died, and starts immediately after the dead person has been buried and the grave covered with earth. In some streams of Judaism, all mirrors in the house are covered and a candle is kept burning. Some Jews also tear their clothing, a practice called keriah, and wear the torn clothing throughout the shiva period, and do not wear leather shoes, as a sign of forsaking creature comforts. The 'sitting' bit refers to sitting on low stools or the floor. Relatives of the dead person are encouraged to talk about them, and are visited by neighbours and other well-wishers.

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Last Updated Jul 05 2025 5:50 AM

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