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Quiz about Diagnosis Death
Quiz about Diagnosis Death

Diagnosis: Death! Trivia Quiz


All cultures have practices and rituals that relate to death and dying. They are many and varied. This will be a quiz on the different death rituals practiced by different cultures at different times in history.

A multiple-choice quiz by dcpddc478. Estimated time: 4 mins.
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Author
dcpddc478
Time
4 mins
Type
Multiple Choice
Quiz #
322,023
Updated
Dec 03 21
# Qns
10
Difficulty
Average
Avg Score
6 / 10
Plays
4438
Awards
Top 10% Quiz
Last 3 plays: mulder100 (9/10), bradcole87 (1/10), Guest 202 (6/10).
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Question 1 of 10
1. What kind of death ritual almost wiped out the Fore tribe of Papua New Guinea in the mid 20th century? Hint


Question 2 of 10
2. Suttee, the funeral practice of having the widow of a deceased man burned to death on his funeral pyre, is found in branches of which religious culture? Hint


Question 3 of 10
3. In the ancient Roman death and funeral culture, extensive use of something called a columbarium was seen. What is a columbarium? Hint


Question 4 of 10
4. The Norse culture often used which of the following items in their death and funerary rituals? Hint


Question 5 of 10
5. In ancient Hawaii, after much feasting, most people were laid to rest in which of the following locations? Hint


Question 6 of 10
6. In what modern country did the Bo civilization inter their deceased in a solid wood coffin that was then suspended on the side of a limestone cliff? Hint


Question 7 of 10
7. Tibet sky burial was practiced for many years. In this practice the deceased was ritually dissected and left as an offering to which animal? Hint


Question 8 of 10
8. This culture once believed that there was no natural death. Anyone who died or was dying was being murdered. What cultural group would question everyone in the tribal community to make sure that they were not responsible for the death of the deceased? Hint


Question 9 of 10
9. In September of 2009, Lonnie Holloway of Saluda, South Carolina was interred with what unusual piece of personal property? Hint


Question 10 of 10
10. There is a religion that will disinter the bodies of those they believe to be very holy years after they are interred. Which world religion will put these bodies in elaborate glass caskets and display them to the public? Hint



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quiz
Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts
1. What kind of death ritual almost wiped out the Fore tribe of Papua New Guinea in the mid 20th century?

Answer: Cannibalism

The Fore tribe practiced a type of ritualistic endocannibalism. When someone died, they would eat pieces of the deceased in an attempt to gain the life force of the person who had died. It was done as a sign of respect. The men would eat muscle and the women and children would eat organ meat including the brain. Eating of the brain caused a fatal prion disease called Kuru.

It is related to mad cow disease and Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease. The disease caused uncontrollable shaking and hysterical laughter.

It had an incubation period of as long as 20 years and was uniformly fatal.
2. Suttee, the funeral practice of having the widow of a deceased man burned to death on his funeral pyre, is found in branches of which religious culture?

Answer: Hinduism

The Hindu practice of suttee (or sati) is very rarely practiced today. At one time it was much more common and was practiced as a voluntary and sometimes forced ritual by the widow. The widow was often dressed in bridal finery before she was led to the funeral pyre.

The fire was then lit by the eldest son. The practice was seen as a testament to the grief suffered by the surviving spouse.
3. In the ancient Roman death and funeral culture, extensive use of something called a columbarium was seen. What is a columbarium?

Answer: Storage for cremated ashes

Columbaria were large underground vaults used for storing the ashes of the deceased after cremation. Even the poorest of the poor were helped to pay for a small vestibule in a columbarium so that the family would have a place to keep their ancestors sacred remnants.

The Romans also had an unusual ritual wherein the eldest surviving male of the dying persons family would attempt to lean over and inhale the dying person's last breath. It was thought to bring them strength and good health. It is unknown how much disease may have been passed nor how many thousands of people died from this practice.
4. The Norse culture often used which of the following items in their death and funerary rituals?

Answer: Ships

The Norse would often bury their dead in the ground inside large stone and/or wooden ships. Sometimes they would put the deceased inside a ship and fill it with food and other provisions, set the ship on fire and send it out to sea. Because ships and the sea was very important to the Nordic culture it was frequently found in their death and funerary rites.
5. In ancient Hawaii, after much feasting, most people were laid to rest in which of the following locations?

Answer: Ocean

Most, but not all, people were laid to rest in the ocean. Their spirits returned to that which gave them and their people life and sustenance. Bodies were often wrapped in red cloth in the belief that this attracted sharks. If sharks were seen disposing of the deceased, it was thought that this provided a measure of safety to the deceased's sons and grandsons when they went to sea. Occasional burials in caves and sacred areas of the island did take place, and there was a tribal shaman who was called the keeper of the bones. But, by and large, burial was at sea, and the funeral celebrated the deceased as opposed to mourning him.

This was common practice until the 20th century.
6. In what modern country did the Bo civilization inter their deceased in a solid wood coffin that was then suspended on the side of a limestone cliff?

Answer: China

The unusual hanging coffins of the Bo civilization are found in the southwestern part of China. Extensive works has been done to save these unique relics. When someone of the Bo tribe died, a solid piece of wood was hollowed out and the deceased was put inside. Men would hang off the side of limestone cliffs and bore holes in the cliff wall to put wooden braces.

The deceased was then lowered over the side and laid to rest in the open air cemetery. Other than their hanging coffins, very little is known about the Bo. Most of their culture and its beliefs have disappeared in time. Extensive work is being done at this time to try and save these important relics of China's unusual and varied past.
7. Tibet sky burial was practiced for many years. In this practice the deceased was ritually dissected and left as an offering to which animal?

Answer: Vulture

The deceased were taken to areas similar to charnel grounds where the body was prepared. The remains were then taken to high secluded areas at the tops of the mountains where they were donated to the vultures. The land in the area is not favorable for underground burial plus the cadaver is only seen as a vessel from which the spirit has departed.

It is believed that the spirit will be reborn.
8. This culture once believed that there was no natural death. Anyone who died or was dying was being murdered. What cultural group would question everyone in the tribal community to make sure that they were not responsible for the death of the deceased?

Answer: The Australian Aborigine

The disbelief in natural death was part of the Australian Aborigine culture. When someone was dying, the village became very calm and contemplative. They believed that any dead person was poisonous and could ruin hunting for the tribe. The could also cause a lack of drinkable water.

When someone died, loud wailing and crying would start throughout the village. The family of the deceased questioned everyone to make sure that they did not murder the deceased. The body was then smeared with red earth which was reminiscent of the blood present at birth.

The idea was that the deceased was born into an alternate plane of existence. Clan designs were painted on the body and then the body was put into the tallest tree in the area. About 90 days later the remains were retrieved, the bones were cleaned, and they were kept in the living area for three months.

After this, there was a quiet celebration that included a bonfire in which food was prepared and the bones were burned to ash. The spirit was eased into the next world and the tribe was then safe from retribution by the deceased.
9. In September of 2009, Lonnie Holloway of Saluda, South Carolina was interred with what unusual piece of personal property?

Answer: His 1973 Pontiac Catalina

Mr. Holloway was interred sitting in the front seat of his Pontiac with all his guns beside him. Videos of this can be seen on YouTube and various other websites. He is not the first person to do this and will probably not be the last. After the vehicle, complete with body was lowered into the ground the whole thing was sealed with over a thousand pounds of concrete. Talk about taking it with you!
10. There is a religion that will disinter the bodies of those they believe to be very holy years after they are interred. Which world religion will put these bodies in elaborate glass caskets and display them to the public?

Answer: Catholic

It may surprise many people to know that this is a practice of the Catholic Church. The Catholic Church has been known to disinter deceased persons that they think may be saints. The disinterment can happen after a few months or many years after death. If minimal signs of decay are noted these people are declared "Incorruptible" and are "reburied" in elaborate above ground glass coffins for the world to see.

They are often said to smell sweet and no odor of putrefaction can be detected. Enter the words "The Incorruptibles" into your tool bar when you are done this quiz to see some fascinating ritualistic death practices still done today, in the "modern world".
Source: Author dcpddc478

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