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Quiz about Ancient Symbols
Quiz about Ancient Symbols

Ancient Symbols Trivia Quiz


See how many of the following symbols you recognize by their descriptions.

A multiple-choice quiz by nmerr. Estimated time: 4 mins.
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Author
nmerr
Time
4 mins
Type
Multiple Choice
Quiz #
353,316
Updated
May 08 23
# Qns
10
Difficulty
Average
Avg Score
8 / 10
Plays
1455
Awards
Top 35% Quiz
This quiz has 2 formats: you can play it as a or as shown below.
Scroll down to the bottom for the answer key.
1. Swiss psychiatrist Carl Jung believed that this symbol, two snakes wound around a rod with wings, represented a homeopathic method of healing. What is the name of this symbol that now represents the American medical profession? Hint

Cadmus
Caduceus
Cadmium
Caudum

2. Which common household pet has long been identified as a female symbol? Hint

Snake
Goldfish
Cat
Dog

3. In Tantric doctrine, wheels along the spine direct the flow of life energy. What are these wheels called? Hint

Chantras
Rakshas
Chakras
Mantras

4. Also known as a dung beetle, which ancient emblem symbolizing renewal is associated with the Egyptian god Khepri? Hint

Wasp
Ladybug
Scarab
Black beetle

5. Early Christians believed this symbol to be a sign of the cross. The apostle Paul used it as a symbol of salvation. What symbol is it? Hint

Sword
Bread
Lamp
Anchor

6. A type of cap worn during the Roman Empire represented freedom and the pursuit of freedom. It was conical in shape. What was this cap called? Hint

Friesian cap
Dutch cap
Phrygian cap
Republica cap

7. The next time you sprinkle sodium chloride on your fries, you might be surprised to learn that it was once an ancient symbol of incorruptibility. What is sodium chloride better known as? Hint

Black pepper
Salt
Vinegar
Honey

8. Long associated with fire, which chemical element, represented by the alphabetic symbol "fe", did ancient Egyptians believe protected them from evil? Hint

Silver
Tungsten
Gold
Iron

9. Death and rebirth are part of the symbolism of a circular image of a snake swallowing its own tail. There is a name for this symbol. What is it? Hint

Ouroboros
Ourobacchus
Ourocados
Ouromassos

10. Which five-pointed geometric shape was regarded by Pythagoras as being a symbol of mystic harmony? Hint

Hexagram
Pentagram
Septagram
Nonogram


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Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts
1. Swiss psychiatrist Carl Jung believed that this symbol, two snakes wound around a rod with wings, represented a homeopathic method of healing. What is the name of this symbol that now represents the American medical profession?

Answer: Caduceus

The healing power of snakes dates back to ancient times. Over the years doctors have discovered that the proteins found in snake venom can also be used in the treatment of a variety of diseases. Some even believe that the venom, if used carefully and sparingly, can help to slow the growth of cancer cells.

In Greek mythology, the god Hermes carried a staff which was referred to as a caduceus. Originally the caduceus was a herald's protective badge of office until it evolved into the symbol of medicine.
2. Which common household pet has long been identified as a female symbol?

Answer: Cat

One possibility for the connection is that cats are night hunters and the night is associated with the moon. Diana is the Roman goddess of the hunt and moon while Artemis is her Greek counterpart. The Egyptian goddess, Sekmet, later merged into worship of the fertility goddess, Bastet. Bastet is depicted with the head of a cat and the body of a woman.

In Japanese folklore malevolent cats have been known to have taken over the bodies of women.
3. In Tantric doctrine, wheels along the spine direct the flow of life energy. What are these wheels called?

Answer: Chakras

Chakras symbolize the power gained by harnessing one's inner consciousness. Each chakra, of which there are seven, is associated with a major organ of the body as well as a different color and deity. The word "chakra" means wheel in Sanskrit.
4. Also known as a dung beetle, which ancient emblem symbolizing renewal is associated with the Egyptian god Khepri?

Answer: Scarab

Khepri is the god of the rising sun. Due to the scarab's habit of rolling its egg in a pile of dung it was believed to represent the sun's progress across the sky. Scarabs were also worn as amulets in ancient Egypt.
5. Early Christians believed this symbol to be a sign of the cross. The apostle Paul used it as a symbol of salvation. What symbol is it?

Answer: Anchor

Paul used the anchor for its broader significance as an important instrument of safety at sea during stormy weather. In Hebrews 6:19 he tells the Christians to rely on salvation as "an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast."
6. A type of cap worn during the Roman Empire represented freedom and the pursuit of freedom. It was conical in shape. What was this cap called?

Answer: Phrygian cap

The cap was named for the people living in Phrygia, a region of Anatolia which is now part of Turkey. The cap is shaped like a cone with the top part falling forward. During the French revolution the cap was worn as a symbol of liberty. In a famous painting by Eugène Delacroix, "Liberty Leading the People", Liberty herself is wearing the cap.
7. The next time you sprinkle sodium chloride on your fries, you might be surprised to learn that it was once an ancient symbol of incorruptibility. What is sodium chloride better known as?

Answer: Salt

In the Book of Leviticus, salt is decribed as a necessary offering to be given with all Hebrew meat sacrifices because it represented the pure and unchanging bond of God's covenant with his people. Jesus referred to his disciples as the "salt of the earth". In the Arab world, salt represented good faith. In the Greek and Roman cultures it represented purity.
8. Long associated with fire, which chemical element, represented by the alphabetic symbol "fe", did ancient Egyptians believe protected them from evil?

Answer: Iron

This belief in the properties of iron warding off evil may explain why the Chinese hammer extra nails into house posts to drive away malevolent spirits. The Romans had their own custom of driving a nail into a wall of Jupiter's temple every September as a ceremonial act of insuring themselves against disaster.
9. Death and rebirth are part of the symbolism of a circular image of a snake swallowing its own tail. There is a name for this symbol. What is it?

Answer: Ouroboros

The name comes the Greek words for tail (oura) and eating (boros). In its religious form the Egyptian symbol represented the circular journey of the sun. According to Gnosticism, the symbol represents the endless cycle of nature itself, even suggesting eternity.
10. Which five-pointed geometric shape was regarded by Pythagoras as being a symbol of mystic harmony?

Answer: Pentagram

Pythagoras referred to the pentagram as Hugieia, most often translated as "health." Two points of the pentagram represent feminine and terrestrial. The other three points represent masculine and celestial. The sum of the points suggests the balance of harmony between heaven and earth.
Source: Author nmerr

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