FREE! Click here to Join FunTrivia. Thousands of games, quizzes, and lots more!

The Meaning Behind the Magic Trivia Quiz

The "Harry Potter" books are full of references to ancient mythology, legends and language. This is my quiz on how much of this you have picked up on. I hope you enjoy it and find out something interesting.

A multiple-choice quiz by GeneralKala. Estimated time: 4 mins.

Author
GeneralKala

Time
4 mins

Type
Multiple Choice

Quiz #
95,720

Updated
Dec 03 21

# Qns
10

Difficulty
Tough

Avg Score
6 / 10

Plays
20283

Awards
Top 35% Quiz

Last 3 plays: Guest 68 (10/10), Guest 115 (8/10), Guest 38 (2/10).

One at a Time - Single Page - Timed Game

Question 1 of 10

1. What does "Albus" mean? Hint

Pure

Clean

Good

White

NEXT>

Question 2 of 10

2. What does the spell "Densaugeo" do? Hint

Makes teeth grow

Makes things disappear

Repels water

Stops things

NEXT>

Question 3 of 10

3. Nicholas Flamel was a real person.

True

False

NEXT>

Question 4 of 10

4. What is the command that makes the Dark Mark appear? Hint

Mortmorde

Morsmordre

Mortsmorde

Montmorde

NEXT>

Question 5 of 10

5. Aragog's name is most probably based on two names from mythology. What are these the names of? Hint

A woman from Greek legend and a mythical giant

A cat from Eygptian legend and an ancient city

A crab from Norse legend and a water spirit

A druid from Celtic legend and a forest

NEXT>

Question 6 of 10

6. The word "pensieve" comes from two words: "penser" and "sieve." What language is this? Hint

Latin

English

French

Greek

NEXT>

Question 7 of 10

7. Where does Sirius Black get his first name from? Hint

A Latin word

A star

A mythical creature

A Roman god

NEXT>

Question 8 of 10

8. Which character in the book derives her name from the daughter of the ancient Greek King Menelaus and Helen of Troy? Hint

Ginny

Hermione

Minerva

Sybil

NEXT>

Question 9 of 10

9. "Lupin" is Latin for "wolf" but where does Lupin's first name (Remus) come from? Hint

Greece

Brazil

France

Rome

NEXT>

Question 10 of 10

10. Which of these names from the books is the name of a saint? Hint

Bagshot

Poppy

Hedwig

Aberforth

(Optional) Create a Free FunTrivia ID to save the points you are about to earn:

Select a User ID:

Choose a Password:

Your Email:

Most Recent Scores

Apr 20 2024 : Guest 68: 10/10
Apr 16 2024 : Guest 115: 8/10
Apr 14 2024 : Guest 38: 2/10
Apr 13 2024 : Guest 117: 6/10
Apr 09 2024 : Johnmcmanners: 10/10
Apr 07 2024 : boombaby: 9/10
Apr 03 2024 : Guest 76: 7/10
Feb 27 2024 : AusSteve: 2/10

Score Distribution

Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. What does "Albus" mean?

Answer: White

Albus is, of course, Dumbledore's first name. It is a Latin word.

2. What does the spell "Densaugeo" do?

Answer: Makes teeth grow

It comes from the Latin "dens" ("teeth") and "augeo" ("to thicken").

3. Nicholas Flamel was a real person.

Answer: True

He was born near Paris in 1330(ish). He was apparently visited by an angel in a dream who showed him a book. The next day he saw this book in a shop, bought it and translated it. He discovered that it was a manual for turning base metals into gold. Fantastic! The only problem was the requirement of a mysterious ingredient known as the philosopher's stone.

4. What is the command that makes the Dark Mark appear?

Answer: Morsmordre

In French this means "take a bite out of death." Death Eaters - get it?

5. Aragog's name is most probably based on two names from mythology. What are these the names of?

Answer: A woman from Greek legend and a mythical giant

The name comes from a combination of two; Gog (a mythical giant - thanks to yunakage) and aranea, a Latin word and the basis for our word "arachnid." This comes from mythical woman Arachne. She was really good at weaving so she challenged the Greek goddess of crafts, Athena, to a weaving competition. She won but Athena was so angry she turned her into a spider.

6. The word "pensieve" comes from two words: "penser" and "sieve." What language is this?

Answer: French

"Penser" means "to think" and "sieve" has the same meaning as in English (a tool to strain liquids and to seperate things).

7. Where does Sirius Black get his first name from?

Answer: A star

Sirius is the name of a star in a constellation called "the Great Dog." It is commonly known as "The Dog Star." It originally came from the Greek word "burning." They called it this because it is the brightest star in the sky. It is also a symbol for the Egyptian goddess Isis.

8. Which character in the book derives her name from the daughter of the ancient Greek King Menelaus and Helen of Troy?

Answer: Hermione

A character in "A Winter's Tale" by William Shakespeare called Hermione gets turned into a statue. This echoes what happens to Hermione in "Chamber of Secrets" when she is petrified by the Basilisk.

9. "Lupin" is Latin for "wolf" but where does Lupin's first name (Remus) come from?

Answer: Rome

Legend states that Rome was founded by Romulus and Remus who had been raised by wolves. (Actually I think that Romulus killed Remus - hence why it's "Rome" and not "Reme")

10. Which of these names from the books is the name of a saint?

Answer: Hedwig

Saint Hedwig lived in Germany in around the 12th century. She was patron to a group of nuns who educated orphans, orpahans like Harry.

Source: Author GeneralKala

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor minch before going online.
Any errors found in FunTrivia content are routinely corrected through our feedback system.