Thematic Death Trivia

1. Basing their arguments on the calendar of which Meso-American culture did some people predict that the world would end on 21 December 2012?

From Quiz The End of the World

Answer: the Mayans

The Mayan calendar spanned over 5000 years from 3114 BC to AD 2012. Presumably, had the culture survived, their calendar would have "flipped over" and begun again in 2012. It was never intended to predict the end of the world. Many traveled to historic religious sites in Mexico and Guatemala to await the end of the world but 21 December 2012 turned out to be no more than the routine winter solstice.

From Quiz You, Me, and the Apocalypse

Answer: Seeking a Friend for the End of the World

Dodge (Steve Carell) copes by maintaining his routine at his job at an insurance company where no one is buying and none will collect. He finds himself in the midst of a world gone berserk. He tries suicide himself using a combination of codeine-laced cough syrup and window cleaner but this is unsuccessful. He finds an abandoned dog with a sign around his neck that says 'Sorry'. A neighbor, Penny, (Keira Knightley) bonds with him and they try to escape the mayhem on the streets and end up pledging their love before the screen goes black. The film lost money at the box office and had mixed reviews with a 55% Rotten Tomatoes rating. Many found the grimness of the story jarring with the attempted humor.

From Quiz Humankind's Finish Line

Answer: Revelation

The final book of the Christian Bible, The Book of Revelation chronicles a series of prophetic visions of John (possibly John the Apostle, though the exact identity of the author is unknown) regarding the end of times. The Book was a letter written from John to the "Seven Churches of Asia" regarding the visions he'd received. Due to the vivid, confounding imagery recounted, there is a whole range of differing opinions and analyses from theologians regarding the book. Revelation concludes with the prophesied Second Coming of Jesus, following from a series of apparent signs of his imminent arrival. Much of western culture's tropes and beliefs about the "apocalypse" are drawn from the book.

From Quiz Otherside

Answer: Styx

Souls were brought to Charon by Hermes, the messenger of the gods. Only those who were properly buried or burned and who paid an obolus, a silver coin, were accepted for passage.

From Quiz Until the End of the World

Answer: Doomsday

The Science and Security board of "The Bulletin of Atomic Scientists" move the hands of the clock based on how they interpret the current condition of the world. It was first set in 1947 at seven minutes to midnight. Since then it has been shifted back and forth. The farthest it was from midnight was in 1991 at 17 minutes. It stayed there until 1995, a calm-seeming period. In 2020, the clock was set at 100 seconds to midnight. Tick tock, goes the clock...

From Quiz Keep Your Head Together

Answer: The French Revolution

Lasting ten years, the French Revolution was a landmark uprising in the history of France when the bourgeoisie attempted to throw off the shackles of oppression and bring an end to the French aristocratic regime of the time. The famous storming of the Bastille prison on July 14, 1789 sparked the revolution and the events that followed. Upon its end, the revolution brought a new wave of much-needed democratic, social and cultural evolution to France.

From Quiz The Flaming Four Horsemen: Death

Answer: Pale Rider

The title for "Pale Rider" comes from Revelation chapter six, the chapter that speaks of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. As the movie begins, 16 year-old Megan is reading Revelation out loud, "And when he had opened the fourth seal, I heard the fourth beast said: 'Come and see.' And I looked, and behold a pale horse. And his name that sat on him was Death." Then Preacher rides by and Megan continues, "And Hell followed with him." (Rev. 6:7-8a KJV) The clear implication is that if Clint Eastwood's character is not Death himself, he brings death with him. Eastwood as producer and director was very careful to leave the Preacher's identity and motives a mystery, in a way mythologizing the character. It is interesting to note that of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, only the rider of the pale horse is given a name, Death, and yet in the movie Eastwood's character is unnamed. Death is the fourth and final rider and hell or Hades follows after him. The part that Megan does not quote in the movie is the end of verse eight, "And power was given unto them over the fourth part of the earth, to kill with sword, and with hunger, and with death, and with the beasts of the earth." Although the movie leaves this part out, it could be argued that the movie is in fact a visual representation of this part of the verse. The Preacher certainly brings death and the sword to the world as it exists in this little mining community. It is clear that the Preacher has a history with the gunmen who come to town to face him. Right before he kills the final gunman, a look of recognition comes over the gunman's face as if he is seeing someone who should be dead. Once the Preacher sees this look of recognition and fear, he shoots him dead. This question was created by tazman6619.

From Quiz Heads You Lose

Answer: 1981

Undoubtedly the most well-known head-severing device in human history, the guillotine's bloody past began in 1789 when the unfortunately-named Doctor Joseph-Ignace Guillotin spoke in front of the French National Assembly. Guillotin was giving a presentation on capital punishment, which the French citizenry protested was being given arbitrarily and asymmetrically. Guillotin proposed that all capital punishment cases be punished in the same way: instantaneous death, through decapitation. The National Assembly liked the idea so much that they named the device after him! Little did they know that the guillotine would ultimately claim, according to some counts, 30,000 lives during the French Revolution. The guillotine in Paris was set up in the Place de la Revolution, now the Place de la Concorde, the largest square in Paris. The guillotine was a popular humane way to kill people during the eighteenth century. No one had to get up and personal to completely sever head and neck with a sword, and the authorities could also avoid the messy screaming with people condemned to burning. In fact, the guillotine's use wasn't disallowed in France until 1981; before then, it was the only legal way that civil criminals could be executed! The unofficial title for "King of the Guillotine" probably belongs to Maximilien Robespierre ("The Incorruptible", apparently), leader of the Committee of Public Safety during the 1793-1794 Reign of Terror. After Marie Antoinette and Louis XVI were tragically shortened in 1793, very few of France's problems were actually solved. There was still foreign war and civil war, and general panic reigned. Robespierre, a member of the ironically-named Committee of Public Safety and author of the even more ironically-named "Report on the Principles of Political Morality," helped install a program of guillotining people who didn't agree with him. Unfortunately, it all caught up with him, and he was one of the more-than-a-thousand people who were executed in the summer of 1794.

From Quiz Armageddon Out Of Here!

Answer: Olmec

The Olmec are considered to be the first Mesoamerican civilization, and laid the foundations upon which many of the cultures to follow were based. The Olmec thrived between 1500 BCE and 400 BCE. The Mayan civilization reached its zenith during the Classic period from 250 CE to 900 CE. The Zoque developed some time after the Mayan and were conquered by the Aztec in 1494, just prior to the Spanish conquest of the New World. The Aztecs ruled central Mexico during the 14th, 15th, and 16th centuries. The Inca Empire came into existence in the 13th century in South America and reached its zenith in the 15th and 16th centuries. The Long Count calendar has the mythical beginning of the world happening on a date which corresponds to August 11, 3114 BCE of the Gregorian calendar. The Long Count calendar was the one widely used by the Pre-Columbian civilizations on monuments throughout Central America. It is based upon this calendar and the Pre-Columbian religions that the date of Dec. 21, 2012 has been derived for the end of the fourth world and the beginning of the fifth, although many scholars are skeptical that this is what the Mayans actually believed.

From Quiz 101 Damnations

Answer: Arthur Rimbaud

In Rimbaud's native French the poem is entitled "Une Saison en Enfer". Rimbaud was (in)famous for his prodigious consumption of absinthe, and also his use of opium, which scholars think greatly influenced his work.

From Quiz Murder, Most Foul

Answer: Samson

According to the book of Judges, he slew 1000 Philistines with his rudimentary weapon. Perhaps he should have killed more because it was the Philistines who convinced Delilah to deduce the secret of Samson's super-human strength.

From Quiz Potpourri of Death

Answer: Dentist

And they wonder why people don't like visiting them! The design of Old Sparky, as the chair was known in Sing Sing prison, was such that the first jolt of electricity caused unconsciousness and brain death, and the second jolt finished the job off. The electric chair was first used in 1890. Designed by our worthy dentist Alfred Southwick, the chair was built by two employees of Thomas Edison - but using a purloined generator of Edison's rival, Westinghouse Electrical Company. It was used by 25 American states for execution purposes for most of the 20th century, but by the close of that electrifying period, its use had almost ceased. Instead, prisoners were later given a choice of how they wished to depart this mortal...er...coil.

From Quiz Off With Their Heads!

Answer: St. John the Baptist

St. John the Baptist was executed by Herod. This was done upon the request of his step-daughter Salome, who asked for the Saint's head to be presented to her on a platter.

From Quiz Oh No! - He's Fallen In The Water

Answer: Natalie Wood

Natalie Wood was one of the ill-fated stars of "Rebel Without a Cause". Co-stars James Dean and Sal Mineo also died young. Dean famously in a car crash while Mineo was stabbed to death by Lionel Ray Williams. She drowned in an accident while on a weekend break with her husband Robert Wagner and co-star Christopher Walken.

From Quiz The World's End

Answer: Revelation

The Book of Revelation is the last book in the New Testament, and was written by John the Apostle likely around the year 96 AD. It was written during a time of great persecution against the Christians, and is still debated amongst Christian scholars as to its symbolic meaning versus literal meaning and relevance to modern times.

From Quiz It's the End of the World

Answer: First man and woman to be executed in the USA using the electric chair

They were the first man and first woman to be executed in the electric chair - Kemmler in 1890 and Place in 1899. Kemmler was convicted of the hatchet murder of Tillie Ziegler, his common law wife, and Place was convicted of killing her step-daughter Ida.

From Quiz Cannibalism for Dummies

Answer: Anthropophagy

The word cannibal is a corruption of caribal, the Spanish name for the natives they found on their voyages to the West Indies. Anthropophagy comes from the Greek anthropos for human and phagein meaning to eat.

From Quiz I See Dead People

Answer: comedy

The term "flop sweats" comes to mind, wherein the failing comedian must endure the blank stares of an unappreciative audience until the routine is completed.

From Quiz The Graveyard

Answer: cemetery & catacomb

A recent survey I saw regarding this question claimed that only about half of all adult Americans could spell this word correctly. The most common mistake is "cemetary". I guess this is a good way to test the survey.

From Quiz Morbid Wardrobe

Answer: Mercury

Mercuric nitrate, an inorganic form of mercury, was used in the process of making felt until as recently as the 1940s in the US, while France and Britain started using a safer substitute in the 1890s. Symptoms of erethism tend to mirror those of dementia; changes in personality are often noted. More serious symptoms include arrhythmia and tremors.

From Quiz The End of the World

Answer: T.S Eliot

T.S. Eliot (1888-1965) wrote "The Hollow Men" in 1925. It was one of his most popular poems. The quoted lines, which conclude the work, have had wide cultural influence, quoted by Stephen King in "The Stand," in the motion picture "A Star is Born" (1954), in Neville Shute's "On the Beach" (1957), and in the British television series "Doctor Who."

From Quiz Humankind's Finish Line

Answer: R.E.M.

"It's the End of the World as We Know It (And I Feel Fine)" featured on R.E.M.'s fifth studio album "Document", released in 1987. Guitarist Peter Buck admitted in an interview with "Guitar World" that Bob Dylan's song "Subterranean Homesick Blues" was a notable influence on the track. The track peaked at 69 on the US Billboard Singles chart and 39 on the UK Singles Chart. "Document", however, fared better commercially, reaching ten on the US Billboard Albums chart and lasting in charting territory for 33 weeks. The album was also critically acclaimed, with "Rolling Stone" claiming it to be the band's "finest to date". The other groups are also notable American rock bands.

From Quiz Otherside

Answer: Klingon

Klingons first appeared as an interstellar race in the original "Star Trek" television series in 1967. They were intended to be enemies of the human race, but eventually became allies. Klingons had a code of honour and a 'heaven' and 'hell' - Sto-Vo-Kor and Gre'Thor. The fate of the deceased could be determined by the actions of living relatives.

From Quiz Until the End of the World

Answer: Mayan

The Mayan Calendar started August 11, 3114 BCE and ended December 21, 2012. While the Aztec calendar was based on the Mayan calendar, they were not the same. The calendar was based on a 5,126-year cycle and there were some loud voices that attempted to predict that there would be a spiritual or physical transformation to the human race. Mayans, however, pointed out that the calendar was merely that, and calendars cycle back to the beginning. On December 21, 2012, when everybody woke up, the world was unchanged.

From Quiz Keep Your Head Together

Answer: Harry Potter

Also known as Sir Nicholas de Mimsy-Porpington, Nearly Headless Nick is the house ghost for Gryffindor. His nickname came about because his execution didn't quite go as planned. The axe that was supposed to behead him was, in fact, blunt and repeated attempts to remove Nick's noggin failed to completely do so. Thus, Nick lived on as a ghost with an almost detachable head. In Harry, Ron and Hermione's first year, they befriend Nick and even get invited to a party in their second year in celebration of his death. This particular scene didn't make it into the film adaptation of 'Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets', but Nick's petrification by the Basilisk did appear. In the films, Nick was played by star of 'Monty Python' and 'Fawlty Towers' John Cleese.

From Quiz The Flaming Four Horsemen: Death

Answer: Despair

In the game, Death has set forth to clear War's name from events set in motion from the first "Darksiders" game. Death is voiced by the actor Michael Wincott, known for his film roles in "The Crow" and "The Three Musketeers". In the "Death Lives" trailer for "Darksiders 2" it states, "What starts with War, ends with Death". That statement could be very prophetic, as THQ, the owner of Vigil Games who was the developer for the "Darksiders" series, filed for bankruptcy in 2012. This question was created by zonko.

From Quiz Heads You Lose

Answer: Medusa

The story of Perseus, the killer of the Medusa, begins with the hero's grandfather, Acrisius, who was told by an oracle that he would be killed by his grandson. Furious, Acrisius locked his daughter Danae up in a tower, determined that she'd never conceive, and therefore, he couldn't have any grandchildren. Well, that didn't work, because Zeus, the chief Greek god and general luster for beautiful mortal women, visited Danae in a shower of gold and impregnated her. Of course, when Acrisius found out that his daughter had given birth, to a son of Zeus no less, he was so irritated that he threw Perseus and Danae into a coffin and shipped them off to sea. They were saved by the gods, though, and arrived at the island of Seriphos, home of King Polydectes, who ended up marrying Danae. Polydectes didn't like his pesky step-son, so he maneuvered Perseus into going on a quest for the head of Medusa, surely an impossible goal. Medusa had been cursed by Athena to have the hair of snakes, which was so terrifying that it turned onlookers to stone. It wouldn't be an easy quest. So, Perseus got even more help from the gods, who were apparently fawning over him, since Hades gave him a helmet of invisibility, Hermes gave him winged sandals, and Athena gave him a mirror shield. Perseus cut off Medusa's head by gazing at her in his shield rather than looking right at her, apparently because a perfect reflection of a hideous face is less hideous than the actual hideous face. After some more fun adventures, he delivered the head back to Polydectes in a flourish, turning the king to stone. And for fun, he later went to an athletic competition to prove how strong he was, and threw his quoit so hard that it tragically killed an innocent onlooker. The onlooker was, of course, Acrisius, so the prophecy was fulfilled too. Athena took Medusa's head and placed it atop her shield, or aegis, striking fear into her enemies in war.

From Quiz Armageddon Out Of Here!

Answer: Def Leppard

Def Leppard released "Armageddon It" as a single from their album "Hysteria". It was the group's fourth Top Ten hit on the US Billboard Hot 100. The album has sold 20 million copies worldwide. The title has nothing to do with end times or doomsday scenarios but rather is a play on the words "I'm a gettin' it". Legendary producer Mutt Lange produced the album and had so much input that he received a writing credit on all songs on the album. The Ramones and Bon Jovi are both American bands; only the Stones are another British band.

From Quiz Off With His Head

Answer: Futurama

Apparently invented by the creator of Mr. Microphone, Ron Popeil, this technology allows people from the twentieth and twenty-first centuries to remain alive (at least their heads) in the thirty-first century. Notable heads in jars include Al Gore, Richard Nixon (as President of the Earth), Pamela Anderson, and the Beastie Boys. The concept of heads in glass jars also appeared in creator Matt Groening's earlier series, "The Simpsons" when, in a flashforward, Bart was on a game show with the head of Kitty Carlisle.

From Quiz Murder, Most Foul

Answer: Shelley Winters

The movie is based on the old fairy tale, "Hansel and Gretel". Fiendish Auntie Roo is trapped in her kitchen by two orphans who proceed to set fire to her house.

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