Cool Zooms, Part XXXIII Trivia Quiz

Answer: Charles II

After the dour and austere years of the Cromwells and puritanism, Charles II (son of the beheaded Charles I) returned monarchism to England. Although he returned to London in May 1660 to great public acclaim, his coronation was not held for nearly a year (23rd April 1661) partly due to the need to make new regalia including a crown. The previous items of royalty were destroyed at the end of the Civil War. His early rule was marked by flamboyance and frivolity, as indicated by his elaborate and spectacular coronation procession. Not long afterwards, London was hit with both the return of the Bubonic Plague and the Great Fire (1666) followed by war with the Dutch. Charles II died in 1685 and is remembered for his statesmanship, his great support of science (including the establishment of the Royal Observatory) and his extra-marital dalliances.

And the link with Christmas is the wreath. The Christmas wreath, which is seen as having no end and no beginning, is also seen to symbolize the never ending love of God.

This question was directed to the very front of this Zoom parade by MikeMaster99, who is constantly amazed, but never surprised, by the manner in which historical royalty had such a profound effect on the mood of the times.

Answer: Martin Luther

Not the regular intake of our ornithological friends, the Diet of Worms was a deliberative assembly convened by Emperor Charles V in the German city of Worms.

The Protestant Reformation had begun in around 1517 with the publication of Martin Luther's "Ninety-Five Theses". Seen as a threat to the universally dominant Catholic church, Pope Leo X issued a Papal Bull to counter many of Luther's writings. Luther was called to account in January 1521, appearing before political rather than religious authorities (after a promise of safe conduct was obtained) in April that year. Luther refused to repudiate his writings unless convinced either of Scriptural error or by reasoned argument.

The members of the Diet were not in complete agreement, but Charles V signed an edict, ordering Luther's writings be burned. The strictures placed on Luther meant that he remained in hiding for several years, depending on his sponsor, the King, for assistance. He continued developing his ideas, however. His insistence that the Bible, as the sole source of religious authority, should be translated into the common language was revolutionary, and made a huge contribution to the ideals of religious freedom of thought.

It has been claimed that Martin Luther 'invented' Christmas trees, by adding candles to a fir tree. The inspiration for this was seeing the sky filled with stars among the branches of the trees of a nearby pine forest.

Phoenix Rising member VegemiteKid is glad to celebrate the ongoing effect of Luther's writings.

Answer: Virgin druidesses

It is a part of Breton legend that a group of virgin druidesses occupied the Ile de Sein and were blessed with magical powers. Amongst these were the ability to take the shape of various animals, calm the winds and predict the future. This was enhanced by the Irish poet Robert Graves who, in his 1948 work "The White Goddess", speaks of such an island on which there were based nine virgin priestesses who supposedly had magical powers and aided sailors.

So, what is the link between these druidesses and Christmas? The druids looked upon the mistletoe as a symbol of fertility. Amongst their rituals is one called the "Oak and Mistletoe" in which they climb a sacred oak tree, gather the mistletoe and use it to make an elixir that would cure infertility and the effects of poison.

This question was presented by Phoenix Rising's pollucii19, who struggled to write it so he druid.

Answer: Roger Delgado

"The Wild Geese" is the story of a British financier who engages a group of mercenaries, lately demobbed from World War II, to rescue Julius Limbani, a deposed African President, (portrayed by Winston Ntshona) from the hands of a corrupt African dictator.

Richard Burton plays Colonel Allen Faulkner; he rounds up former comrades Lieutenant Shawn Fynn (Roger Moore) and Captain Rafer Janders (Richard Harris) to help him. They (and others) organise a dangerous extraction flight, only to find that it has been cancelled at the last moment, because President Limbani has been exchanged for copper mining assets. Only thirteen of the forty-two original mercenaries survive to escape on a Douglas Dakota aircraft to safety in Rhodesia, one of whom dies soon after.

The theme song "The Wild Geese," is sung by Joan Armatrading. It's not quite the same as the six geese a-laying in the song "The Twelve Days of Christmas"!

This question was flown in just in time for inclusion in the quiz by Phoenix Rising member VegemiteKid.

Answer: Odin

In Norse myth, those that are slain in battle will travel to one of two places. One is Valhalla where Odin presides, and the other is Folkvangr that is ruled by the goddess Freyja. There is a thought that Odin selects his half and the rest go to Freyja, however, in the 13th century collection, the "Poetic Eddas", it is revealed that it is Freyja who selects first, and the rest go to Odin. This privilege was conveyed by Odin to Freyja as a token of friendship to the Vanir, of whom Freyja was a member, and prepare a pathway to end the war between them and the Aesir.

That Christmas link... In Medieval Germany children were encouraged to leave out items of food in a bid to lure the god Odin into delivering Yuletide gifts to them. This is believed to be one of the origins of leaving out milk and cookies for Santa Claus.

Phoenix Rising's pollucci19 was not afraid (bad pun intended) to take on this question.

Answer: Poinsettia

Also known as the Flame Leaf Flower, the poinsettia is native to Mexico and flowers in their autumn, in time for the Northern hemisphere Christmas. The red crown on the plant, often referred to as a flower is comprised of bracts, or modified leaves. Most commonly red in colour, poinsettias may also be white, yellow or pink. To sprout a vibrant colour they require at least ten hours of darkness at night, and bright sun during the day.

There is a Mexican folklore tale of a young girl saddened by the fact that she had nothing to offer to her church on Christmas Eve. An angel appeared and told her to gather some roadside weeds and place them at the foot of the altar. Upon doing so they immediately burst into bright red flowers. The flower is thought to represent the Star of Bethlehem and the red colour the blood of Christ.

This question was cultivated and potted by leith90, who sadly does not possess a green thumb.

Answer: Drink it

A posset (aka poshote, poshotte) was originally a popular British hot drink made of milk mixed with wine or beer, spices added, and was often used as a remedy for colds and/or as a restorative. The recipe was simple: milk was boiled then mixed with wine or ale, which curdled it, and to the hot mixture nutmeg and cinnamon were added.

The drink got a bad rap when Lady Macbeth used poisoned possets to eliminate the guards outside Duncan's bed chamber in William Shakespeare's "Macbeth" (Act II, Scene II).

It is assumed that the posset evolved into the dessert syllabub and the Christmas drink eggnog.

This question submitted by Phoenix Rising team member 1nn1 who quite likes an eggnog at Christmas but has never tried a posset in case it was tainted with poison.

Answer: General Electric

Edward Hibberd Johnson was an associate of Thomas Edison and partner with him in a company that would evolve into General Electric (GE). Johnson earned the title of "Father of Electric Christmas Tree Lights" by having been credited with the creation of the first electrically illuminated tree in his home in 1882. GE offered assembled kits of Christmas lights in 1905.

GE (not to be confused with the British GEC) was one of the original 12 companies listed on the Dow Jones Industrial Average and over the years has manufactured everything from jet engines, locomotives and nuclear reactors to light bulbs and appliances. It has also embroiled itself with charges of pollution, fraud and bribery.

Phoenix Rising's mike32768 was employed as an electrical engineer for only a short time by GE and, in light of this, generally prefers not to advertise about this life experience. See what he did there?

Answer: Parliament

The collective noun parliament is used for crows, rooks and owls, but not peacocks. Muster, ostentation and pride are all applied to groups of peacocks.

Three different names may seem a lot, but, according to the website "Bird Spot", there are five different collective nouns for penguins, geese and magpies; six for sandpipers, eight for crows and swans; nine for ducks and eleven for robins!

William Bell Scott was a Scottish artist and poet who, in 1892, wrote a slightly modified set of lyrics to the carol "Twelve Days of Christmas" in which he replaced the "partridge in a pear tree" with "a very pretty peacock upon a pear tree".

This question was ostentatiously mustered into the quiz with great pride by Phoenix Rising member lg549.

Answer: Rick Moranis

"Strange Brew" is a movie that evolved from the comedy sketch "Bob (Moranis) and Doug McKenzie". Bob and Doug were fictional brothers who saved the world from an evil brewer, who'd laced his product with a mind-control drug. They also seemed to spend an inordinate time testing the beer! As part of the publicity for the movie, they released a book, with the grandiose title of "The Adventures of Bob & Doug McKenzie in Strange Brew: The Book About the Movie About the TV Show About the Men!".

Bob and Doug would release the chart-topping album "Great White North" in 1981 that featured their improvised version of the "Twelve Days of Christmas".

This question was presented by Phoenix Rising member, ozzz2002, who enjoys silly comedic movies.

Answer: Nicholas

The "Three Flavours Cornetto" trilogy of films are "Shaun of the Dead" (2004), "Hot Fuzz" (2007) and "The World's End" (2013). The three films are also referred to as the "Cornetto" trilogy and the "Blood and Ice Cream" trilogy. These British relationship comedies were directed by Edgar Wright and starred Nick Frost and Simon Pegg.

"Shaun of the Dead" has been labelled a "rom-zom-com" as it is a romantic comedy set in a zombie uprising (strawberry-flavour: blood and gore colour). "Hot Fuzz" is a buddy cop comedy (original blue Cornetto: police theme). "The World's End" is an apocalyptic comedy during an alien occupation (mint chocolate chip: little green men). The three films are linked by specific Cornetto ice cream flavours as indicated.

Nicholas John Frost (b. 1972) is an actor, comic, author and painter. Some of his other film credits include "Kinky Boots" (2005), "The Adventures of Tintin: The Secret of the Unicorn" (2011), "Ice Age: Continental Drift" (2012), "Asterix: The Mansions of the Gods" (2016) and "Tomb Raider" (2018).

Advent calendars were, reportedly, originally called "Nicholas Calendars" and were given out on December 6, St. Nicholas Day. The concept was to show children how much time was left before Christmas and help increase their anticipation for the festive event.

Phoenix Rising's psnz recalls not needing an Advent calendar in his childhood: anticipation of Christmas was always strong in his family.

Answer: Hallmark

In the early 18th century, dealers in precious metals were required to have their product certified at Goldsmith's Hall, in London. Those metals that passed the purity tests were stamped with a 'Hall' mark, indicating the maker or place of origin. Its meaning has since transmuted into meaning a distinguishing style of a person.

The Hall Brothers were among the first to issue folded cards with envelopes (1915), and are the names behind the very successful Hallmark greeting cards.

This question posted by Phoenix Rising member, ozzz2002.

Answer: Nylon Curtain

Billy Joel called this 1983 album his favourite. He wanted to record an album that reflected the pessimistic Reaganomics of the time. As the album was about Baby Boomers, this song cycled album is very much influenced by the Beatles. Like Paul McCartney, Billy Joel was inclined to write big melodies, and has the same eye as John Lennon, for social commentary. Stand out tracks are "Allentown", "Goodnight Saigon" and "She's Right on Time". The album sold two million copies.

Nylons are also known as stockings, which are a popular Christmas symbol. One of the legends surrounding their use at Christmas centres on a man with three daughters who could not afford a dowry for them and, as a result, feared they would never be married. He had washed their stockings at Christmas Eve and set them by the fire to dry overnight. Saint Nicholas snuck in that night and filled them with gold.

This question was written by Phoenix Rising team members 1nn1 and Pollucci19, both of whom can never remember finding gold in their Christmas stockings but would be pleased to find a new Billy Joel album in same.

Answer: Victoria

The House of Hanover (in German, Haus Hannover) ruled Hanover in the German state of Lower Saxony, Great Britain, and Ireland at different times between the 17th and 20th centuries.

Great Britain's first Hanoverian monarch was George I in 1714. The successive five monarchs were George II (1727), George III (1760), George IV (1820), William IV (1830) and Victoria (1837). Edward VII (1901), son of Victoria, became the first British Monarch of the House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha.

Queen Victoria and the Victorian era saw many Christmas traditions introduced throughout her lengthy reign. Several of these were from her native Germany and remain to the present time. Among them are Santa Claus (Sinter Klaas), Christmas crackers, Christmas cards (via the Penny Post), Christmas trees, carolling, Christmas holidays and affordable mass-produced gifts. Food wise, Victorian traditions included turkeys and gingerbread cookies.

Phoenix Rising's psnz is pleased to present this question to the quiz.

Answer: Mistletoe

Baldr was the Norse god of light, joy, purity, and the summer sun. He was the gentlest and most beloved of all the gods and gladdened the hearts of all those who kept company with him. So, when in dreams he sensed his own impending doom, his father hastened to the underworld to seek the counsel of a dead seer. Odin returned in sorrow, but Frigg was not about to yield to fate. She travelled all over the cosmos to entreat every living and non-living thing to do no harm to Baldr. After she returned with oaths, the gods made sport of throwing rocks and sticks and other things at Baldr with great merriment because of his apparent invincibility.

But Loki, the god of mischief, went to Frigg in disguise and discovered that she had failed to obtain an oath from mistletoe because she had deemed it too small and innocent a thing to be of any significance. Loki fashioned a spear out of the plant forthwith and handed it to the blind god Hod to throw at Baldr. The spear impaled the god and he fell dead.

Kissing under mistletoe at Christmas is a fairly well-known tradition hearkening back to many ancient cultures. At least one version of the above myth has Baldr resurrected by the gods. Frigg declares mistletoe a symbol of peace and promises to kiss any who pass beneath it.

This question bounced off Baldr by Phoenix Rising's JCSon.

Answer: Evergreen

The 1976 movie "A Star Is Born" was a romantic drama starring Barbra Streisand and Kris Kristofferson. It was directed by Frank Pierson and was a remake of the 1937 film of the same name which starred Janet Gaynor and Fredric March. Other versions appeared in 1954 (starring Judy Garland and James Mason) and 2018 (starring Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper).

All the answers are songs from the 1976 movie soundtrack. "Evergreen" was the 1976 film's theme song, written and performed by Barbra Streisand with Paul Williams supplying the lyrics. The duo received an Academy Award for Best Original Song. Streisand was the first female composer honoured in this way. In 1997, the song appeared on the "Diana, Princess of Wales: Tribute" album.

"Love soft as an easy chair
Love fresh as the morning air
One love that is shared by two
I have found with you"

Evergreen trees have green functional foliage all year round. They are the colour of Christmas trees and are meant to signify everlasting hope and eternal life.

Phoenix Rising's evergreen psnz loved researching this question for the quiz.

Answer: Shepherd

"Firefly" is a science fiction series set in the year 2517. In the show, humans have inhabited a new star system and China and the United States merge to form an Alliance. The spaceship "Serenity" serves as the main setting. It is a transport ship manned by a crew of nine. Derrial Book, who spent ten years in an abbey as a shepherd and later chose to become a missionary, boarded Serenity as a passenger headed to another planet.

The candy cane, an iconic Christmas staple, is said to have been created in Germany in 1670. A choirmaster started giving out sticks of sugar to children to keep them quiet during worship. To justify handing out sweets during services, a crook was added to the sugar stick to represent the shepherds who visited Jesus.

This question was herded into the quiz pen by Phoenix Rising team member purelyqing.

Answer: The Holly King

The two kings also represent light and dark in addition to crop renewal and growth. The Oak King reigns through Spring and Summer, while the Holly King rules through Autumn and Winter. The legend of the Oak King and the Holly King is a prominent feature in pre-Christian folklore, such as in Celtic and Wiccan mythologies.

In Christian times, holly has become a traditional Christmas decoration, with its leaves symbolising the crown of thorns that Jesus wore, and its berries representing the blood that was shed during crucifixion.

This question was decked with boughs of holly by Phoenix Rising team member purelyqing. Fa la la la la, la la la la.

Answer: Jingle

D.J. Coakley, in his publication "Cork; Its Trade & Commerce" (1919), described the vehicle as being "peculiar to County Cork" and, in 1837, it was estimated that there were some 300 jingles (also spelled as gingle) making the ten kilometre run from Cork city to the port town of Passage West. Passengers sat face to face in the jingle though they were sideways to the direction in which the carriage was going. The shafts from the carriages to the horse's back was pitched rather high, which meant that the carriage moved at an angle of thirty degrees to the ground. (Note) All of the other carriages listed above are "open" carriages.

The link to Christmas, here, was rather obvious, those most famous bells from the carol "Jingle Bells". We did manage to find out a fun fact about that carol and that it was, reportedly, the first song broadcast from space. In December of 1965 astronauts Tom Stafford and Wally Schirra had smuggled a harmonica and a set of sleigh bells on board Gemini 6. At one point in the journey, they announced to mission control that they had spotted a sleigh flying past and then proceeded to sing the song to control.

This question was brought to you by Phoenix Rising's pollucci19 who reckons Santa didn't pay anything for his sleigh, said it was "on the house".

Answer: Myrrh

The story of the Magi (wise men) as told in the Gospel of Matthew chapter 2 does not specify their number. Nor does it refer to them by name or country of origin. Matthew does tell us that they came from the East bearing gifts of gold (precious metal), frankincense (perfume or incense), and myrrh (anointing oil). The fact that there were three gifts lends some credence to the idea that there were three wise men, but the evidence is thin at best.

There are many theories related to the significance of the gifts themselves. They generally fall into two categories: 1) that the gifts signify the Kingship of Jesus (all three were commonly presented as gifts to kings), and 2) that the gifts represent earthly kingship (gold), the deity of Christ (frankincense), and His death (myrrh).

This question was guided into the quiz by Phoenix Rising star, JCSon.