Cursed, You Say? Trivia Quiz

Answer: Execration

A curse is a charm put on someone, or some thing, intended to cause that person or object harm of some sort. It is associated by the one invoking the curse with a belief in supernatural forces.

Answer: The curse of Eve

Also known as a menstrual flower, a much nicer term, this cycle is part of the woman's fertility process. This miraculous event occurs once a month during a woman's reproductive years and helps to prepare her body afresh for a possible pregnancy.

Answer: Fakir

Fakirs, who are ascetics, were once known as wandering Dervishes whose work consisted of teaching the Islamic beliefs. Today, however, the term is more associated with Hindu or Buddhist Gurus. Fakirs are found for the most part today in northern India and are believed to be endowed with many spiritual and universal gifts and abilities.

Answer: Hoodoo

Hoodoo is a mix of African and native American traditional folk magic, with a touch of old European beliefs thrown in for good measure. Its origins were thought to have come to the Americas with the practice of slavery in the early days of European settlement. Anyone with a knowledge of magic can practice it because its powers don't rest with any spiritual leader as such.

Answer: An amulet in the shape of an eye

This is usually made from dark blue glass if it is available. The basic shape is that of an eye, with a black dot in the middle that is surrounded by a white ring. It is believed to ward off the evil eye.

Answer: Making a milking cow go dry

Curses in these cultures were usually known as hexes, and, because in its early days, most Germanic and Dutch communities were centred around small farming centres, placing a curse on a good milking cow was considered to be a curse indeed. Other animals could be cursed as well of course, such as making a horse go lame, or stopping the hens from laying, but milking cows in particular were a prime target because of the livelihoods earned from such.

Answer: Years ending in zero

This is a bit spooky if you're into being spooked, but from 1840 to 1960, every American President who was elected in a year ending in zero, died in office. William Harrison (won his election in 1840), Abraham Lincoln (won in 1860), James Garfield (won in 1880), Warren Harding (won in 1920), and John Kennedy (won in 1960).

Then along came Ronald Reagan who was elected in 1980, and who, though severely wounded in an assassination attempt, survived same. His, sadly, was to be a more dreadful death in 2004 as he descended into Alzheimer's disease. Tecumseh's curse is also known by several other names.

These include the Tippecanoe Curse, the Presidential Curse, and so on. The curse was said to be placed on all Presidents elected in a year ending in zero by the brother of Indian leader, Tecumseh.

His name was Tenskwatawah, which of course begs the question why isn't it known as Tenskwatawa's curse instead? Perhaps it was because they couldn't spell his name.

Answer: A curse placed on the Chicago Cubs

Apparently this curse was placed on the Chicago Cubs in 1945 by the owner of the delightfully named Billy Goat Tavern, one Billy Sianis. And why did silly Billy curse the Cubs I hear you ask? He was asked to leave a world series game at the Cubs home ground in Wrigley Field against the Detroit Tigers because he took his pet goat along with him - and it ponged. They take goats to baseball games in America? So enraged was Billy about his billy that he placed a curse on the unfortunate Cubs saying they would never win a World Series ever again.

For a long time they didn't - all because of a smelly old billy goat and his silly old billy goat of an owner. In 2016, however, the Cubs won the World Series, claiming their first championship since 1908.

Answer: Tutankhamen

A curse was supposed to have been placed on this tomb by Egyptian priests following the death and entombment of King Tut, and it would make it effects felt on anyone who defaced or broke into the tomb. Several people who entered the tomb following its discovery did in fact die afterwards, and the media had a wonderful time building up the myth of the curse at work - selling many papers in the process.

However, later calmer analysis of death records of the time showed no difference at all in the ages of those who had died entering the tomb and those of the team who hadn't entered the tomb at all.

But never let it be said that statistics interfered with a ripping good old yarn such as the Curse of the Pharaoh.

Answer: Barack Obama

What a terrible thing for a member of any church to do. This so called man of God, Pastor Wiley Drake, has a record of praying for the death of people who have displeased him in some way. These include members of the IRS (now now, it's no use complaining that that one is justified), any organisation that tries to separate church and state, and various doctors. Following an outcry at his revelations, the minister retracted his curse, or rather, deferred it.

He now wishes it held in abeyance until Mr Obama can be tried for treason.

Then, apparently on presumption of guilt, he thinks it's fine to go ahead and pray for his death again anyhow.