Dark Powers in Ancient and Modern Stories Quiz

Answer: Tiamat

Tiamat was the mother of the first generation of gods. Her husband Apsu was killed after going to war with the younger gods who were planning to overthrow him. Tiamat sought revenge against her husband's killers and gave birth to 11 monsters to wage war on them. However, she was killed by Marduk who sliced her body in half and used her body parts to create the world.

Kingu was Tiamat's son and later lover (gods operate by their own rules in matters like this), who was also killed by Marduk, who used his blood to create the first human beings. Enki was an important god who murdered Apsu. Leviathan is a sea monster mentioned in the Bible.

Answer: Typhon

Typhon was considered the deadliest creature in Greek mythology and was said to be the father of many monsters with his mate Echidna, a half-woman half-snake monster. Typhon was later identified with the Egyptian god Set.

Tartarus was both a primordial Greek deity and a place in the depths of the underworld where the gods sent those they wished to punish. Apep was a primordial serpent who tried to swallow the sun each day. Jörmungandr was the Midgard serpent from Norse mythology that surrounded the whole of the earth.

Answer: Hel

Hel was also the name of the realm that she ruled that was the abode of the dead. Hel was not an evil deity as such, but her name is the origin of the English word "Hell."

Hades was the name of both the Greek god of the underworld and the realm that he ruled. Sheol is the Hebrew name for the underworld, which is translated as "Hades" in some versions of the Bible. Abaddon is another Hebrew word used in the Bible to refer to a "place of destruction" and is sometimes identified with the realm of the dead in conjunction with Sheol. In the New Testament though, Abaddon is identified as a destroying angel of the abyss who rains down a plague of locusts on the earth.

Answer: Angra Mainyu

Angra Mainyu, or Ahriman, is an evil spirit who represents falsehood and darkness. Zoroastrianism had a big influence on middle-eastern religions including Judaism and Christianity as it introduced the concept of ethical dualism; that is, a supremely good God who is opposed by a completely malevolent spirit.

Mithra was an important deity within Zoroastrianism, although worship of Mithra later became a religion in its own right during Roman times. Zurvan was another important deity within Zoroastrianism who was the personification of time. Asmodeus was a demon from Hebrew legends who was known for interfering in people's sex lives.

Answer: Soulcrusher

Lord Foul is the kind of guy who likes to take everything that is good and pure and turn it into something corrupt and horrible. In particular, he tries to foster despair in his enemies.

The Giants also referred to him as "Satansheart," which suggests another famous character the author might have modeled him on. Satansfist was a name adopted by one of his lieutenants, while the other two names I just made up.

Answer: Morgoth

Morgoth or Melkor, as he is also known, is described in detail in "The Silmarillion". He is the chief antagonist of the Valar, the great powers who created the earth, and is responsible for introducing evil into the world. He is eventually banished entirely from the world, although his servant Sauron continues the evil work he started.

Ulmo was another of Tolkien's characters, and was the benevolent King of the Sea. Saruman played a prominent role in "Lord of the Rings" as an initially good wizard who was corrupted by his lust for the One Ring and turned evil. Eru was a name of the most high god in Tolkien's mythology.

Answer: Azathoth

Azathoth apparently is the ruler of time and space who is described by Lovecraft in such lurid terms as "a primal horror too horrible for description." (As well as being fond of purple prose, Lovecraft had a rather bleak outlook on reality.)

Nyarlathotep and Cthulhu are other dark gods created by Lovecraft, while August Derleth was actually a writer who authored original stories that extended Lovecraft's mythos.

Answer: Yog-Sothoth

"Illuminatus!" was a weird and wonderful novel that satirized many popular conspiracy theories. One of the plot points was that the shape of the Pentagon was deliberately chosen for its magical ability to contain Yog-Sothoth, who was imprisoned within by the Illuminati. Unfortunately for them, the Pentagon building is damaged near the end of the story, and Yog-Sothoth breaks free to wreak revenge against those who have crossed him! The novel also features a cameo appearance by Tsathoggua, another Lovecraft creation, who is also known in the book as "St. Toad" - more because of his appearance than any saintliness!

Shub-Niggurath was another fictional character created by Lovecraft, while Dagon is mentioned in the Bible as a fish-god worshiped by the Philistines. Lovecraft wrote a short story in which Dagon is a monstrous sea creature.

Answer: Shai'tan

Shai'tan is the enemy of the Creator, who wants to destroy the Wheel of Time and remake creation in his own image. The name Shai'tan is very similar to that of the evil Jinn in Islam (Shayṭān), who is also known as Iblis, and is rather similar in nature to Satan from the Bible.

Melek Taus, known as the Peacock Angel, is a central figure in the Yazidi religion. Melek Taus is regarded by Yazidis as a good, benevolent angel who once fell from grace but later redeemed himself in the eyes of God. However, some Muslims have accused Yazidis of devil worship because of the similarities between the stories of Melek Taus and of Iblis.

Answer: Sutekh

Sutekh, better known as Set, was an Egyptian god associated with chaos, the desert, and storms. Set was once worshipped as an important deity but was later vilified and became regarded as an evil god who murdered his brother Osiris. In the "Doctor Who" story, Sutekh was the last of an alien race with formidable mental powers, who had long ago gone insane and decided he must destroy all life. He was imprisoned on earth after a great battle with his own people, and had been waiting for thousands of years for the chance to escape. The ancient Egyptians believed these aliens were gods, and based their myths on them.

Sebek was the name of the Egyptian crocodile god, while Imhotep was the name of a legendary architect who was later deified. World-Ender is the name of a villain from the cartoon "Rick and Morty" who is built up to be a terrifying adversary but who turns out to be rather pathetic, as he is defeated by the titular Rick while the latter was on a drunken bender!