Not So Common Queries! Trivia Quiz

Answer: Salvation

The term 'salvific' is from the Latin 'salvus', meaning 'safe'. Salvific figures appear in nearly every religion; for example in Buddhism one may encounter a bodhisattva, a saintly figure whose purpose on the earth is to promote salvation amongst his fellow men.

Answer: Stamps

Not the most exciting scholarly subject to some, timbrology has its share of adherents. A timbrologist, also known as a philatelist (the more common expression), may use tools such as magnifying glasses, tweezers and, yes, even microscopes!

Answer: Asoka

Asoka became ruler of India c. 273 BC, the heir of Chandragupta Maurya (his grandfather). After attempts to extend the empire of the Mauryan Dynasty to which he was heir, Asoka decided to renounce further aggression and turned to the Buddhist religion, which he made the official faith of his people.

Answer: Castile

Isabella I of Castille became Queen of Castile in 1474, upon the death of her half-brother Henry IV. The kingdom of Castile was united with the kingdom of Aragon in 1479 when Isabella's husband Ferdinand claimed the throne of that land. By 1492 the royal couple had united virtually all of modern Spain under their royal watch.

Answer: Scholars

The traveling Goliards were scholars whose poetic verse was often bawdy. The book of poems called the 'Carmina Burana' is an interesting record of the types of stories and poems that were created by these men who were often itinerant monks!