Grave! Danger! Trivia Quiz

Answer: Taphephobia

This ancient fear is called taphephobia (or taphophobia). For many centuries it was a valid fear, as being buried alive was a very real possibility. Medical practitioners nor the common layperson could always tell that someone was dead as opposed to being in a coma or a vegetative state.

There are also diseases that can mimic death for a short time. Tocophobia is the fear of pregnancy and giving birth. Taurophobia is the fear of bulls. Tonitrophobia is the fear of thunder.

Answer: The Raven

"The Fall of the House of Usher" deals with a man who accidentally buried his sister prematurely. "The Premature Burial" is a narrative tale by a man who suffers from catalepsy and suffers severe taphophobia. "The Cask of Amontillado" deals with a man planning to kill a friend by immurement.

This is the practice of burying someone in a wall while they are still alive, usually used as a punishment or possibly for revenge. "The Raven" deals with the descent into madness of a man in mourning and is the correct answer.

Answer: Safety Coffin

Safety coffins were built with safety measures that would allow the undead corpse to signal that they were still alive. There were many patents awarded in the 18th and 19th century for safety coffins. They included devices that would ring a bell, raise a flag, or even set off pyrotechnics.

The fault with all of these was that they would detect the natural swelling of the corpse during natural decomposition and would often have false alarms.

Answer: Turkey

The war-torn country of Turkey was the origin of this story about a practice called "honor killings". Young unmarried females who dishonored the family reputation by being immodest or not being properly chaperoned were being buried alive. While the exact number of females murdered in this way cannot be proven, the article provided the number of over 200 a year! Being buried alive has been a punishment for thousands of years in many differing cultures in several parts of the world.

Answer: Saint Castulus

Saint Castulus was buried alive in a sand pit in 286 A.D. A church was built upon the site in Rome in the 7th century. His torture and burial were ordered by Fabian the prefect of Rome. His crime was arranging for the baptisms of new converts and for conducting religious services inside the palace of the Emperor.

Answer: George Washington

Washington had suffered from taphephobia for years. His last words have been reported to have dealt with delaying his burial. An urban myth has stated that this occurred because his wife Martha had been prematurely buried after suffering a bout of catatonia. As Martha outlived George, this is impossible and simply an oft repeated falsity.

Answer: False

The movie "Awakenings" dealt with the true story of the temporary revival of patients suffering from Economo disease. These patients had been catatonic for decades. The doctor in the movie, portrayed by Robin Williams, awakens the patients with the then-experimental medication L-Dopa.

The patients have to deal with suddenly being middle-aged and the fact that they have missed the majority of their lives. The side effects of the medication are soon evident as the patients become depressed, agitated and experience violent tics and aggressive tendencies.

The medication is discontinued in the movie, and all the patients go back into a catatonic state. This movie also starred Robert De Niro, Max Von Sydow, and Vin Diesel. It was nominated for three Academy awards.

Answer: Harry Houdini

Near Santa Ana, California, Houdini had himself buried in a pit that was six feet deep. He was not buried in a casket. He panicked while trying to dig himself out and was heard yelling for help. When he got one hand above ground, he was pulled to safety, alive but unconscious.

In his personal diary he noted the weight of the dirt was "killing" and that the escape had been extremely dangerous.

Answer: Lazarus Syndrome

Lazarus Syndrome is an extremely rare occurrence that is not well understood. It is believed that adrenaline may play a role. An overdose of some drugs or medications can suppress breathing and circulation to the point that it is not measurable. This occurrence is sometimes known by the anagram SROC, or "spontaneous return of circulation".

Answer: False

This is modern myth. The term came from the sport of boxing, in which a person being counted out could be saved if the bell rang marking the end of the round.