The Year of the Goat Online Trivia | Thematic Fun

Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. Which half goat-half man Greek mythological figure is considered to be the god of shepherds and their flocks?

Answer: Pan

Pan is often depicted with the legs and horns of a goat while the rest of his body is that of a man. The word 'panic' is also derived from Pan who is credited with the ability to cause sudden fear among crowds, a feature that rendered him of immense help during battles.

Aeolus is the god of wind, Apollo is the god of medicine and music among many others and Bootes is the demi-god of ploughs and weapons.

2. 'The Lonely Goatherd' is a popular song that featured in both the film and musical version of 'The Sound of Music'. Which distinct form of singing was used in this song?

Answer: Yodeling

Yodeling is a form of singing that developed in the Alpine regions and was primarily used as a means of communication. In the film, the song is used during a puppet play put up by the Von Trapp children with the help of their governess, Maria.

3. Eid al-Adha, also known as Bakri Eid (where bakri means goat), is one of the important Muslim festivals. Which religious event does this festival commemorate?

Answer: Ibrahim's (Abraham's) willingness to sacrifice his son to obey God

While Jews and Christians believe that Abraham was asked by God to sacrifice his son Isaac as a test of his faith, Muslims believe the son to have been Abraham's first born, Ishmael. According to all three religions, God asked Abraham to sacrifice his son to prove that he loved God more than anything else. When Abraham obeyed God without questioning, God was moved and instead provided a ram for Abraham to offer as a sacrifice.

Eid al-Adha means the Festival of Sacrifice. However, in the Urdu language the festival is commonly known as Bakri Eid since goats are traditionally sacrificed on this day.

4. Which of these birds is sometimes mistakenly called a goatsucker?

Answer: Nightjar

Nightjars are part of the bird family erroneously named Caprimulgidae, stemming from a belief that they sucked milk from goats. These nocturnal birds are found in most parts of the world with a diet consisting mainly of insects.

5. The naming of the Tropic of Capricorn can be traced to the time when the sun was entering the Capricorn constellation. Which of the following countries does this tropic NOT pass through?

Answer: Indonesia

The Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn both lie at 23.5 degrees latitude. The area that falls between these two is known as the tropics and generally doesn't undergo much seasonal variation.

While Indonesia is to the north of the Tropic of Capricorn, the equator does pass through it.

6. Makar Sankranti is an Indian festival that marks the transition of the sun from Sagittarius to Capricorn. While the festival is celebrated all over the country, what of the following is a characteristic of the celebrations in the state of Gujarat?

Answer: Kite flying

Each time the sun moves from one zodiac sign to another, it is known as Sankranti. This is one of the rare Hindu festivals that follows a solar rather than a lunar calendar. The Hindu goddess of knowledge, Saraswati, is also worshipped during this festival.

The other options all relate to the celebrations of different festivals in India - people play with colours during Holi, light oil lamps for Diwali and during Janmashtami, which celebrates the birth of Krishna, young boys form pyramids to break pots of curd suspended high above the ground.

7. If you happened to spot a man sporting a goatee, what exactly does he have?

Answer: A beard

A goatee is a type of beard which consists of a small tuft of hair on the chin. The beard probably derived its name due to its resemblance to a goat. Famous examples of men sporting a goatee include Tony Stark, the alter ego of Iron Man and Master, the antagonist in the British television programme 'Doctor Who'.

8. In the Bible, one of the parables taught by Jesus concerns the day of judgment where He uses goats and sheep to explain how people will be judged based on whether they helped those in need as Christ Himself did. In which of the four Gospels is this parable found?

Answer: Matthew

Jesus first separated the goats to the left and the sheep to the right. He then invited the sheep to the Kingdom of God because they helped the hungry, thirsty, lonely and the sick and in doing so pleased God. On the other hand, the goats didn't show any concern for the needy, inviting the wrath of God upon them.

9. Based on a Norwegian fairytale, which mythical creature harassed three billy goats who were attempting to cross a bridge?

Answer: Troll

The three goats wanted to climb up the mountains to eat the grass growing there. To reach the mountain, they first needed to cross a turbulent river that had only one bridge built across it. Unfortunately, a troll lived beneath the bridge and ate up whoever tried to use it. The billy goats, however, managed to get the better of the troll providing a happy ending for the story.

10. Which of the following fabrics is NOT derived from goats?

Answer: Qiviut

Qiviut, an Inuit term, denotes wool obtained from the muskox.

Cashmere is obtained from the goat of the same name and both are named after a variant spelling of the region of Kashmir in India.

Pashmina wool derived from pashmina goats is a fine form of cashmere. The pashmina goat also known as changthangi are indigenous to the Himalayas.

Mohair comes from the Angora goat, which is native to Turkey.

Source: Author zorba_scank

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor Pagiedamon before going online.
Any errors found in FunTrivia content are routinely corrected through our feedback system.

The Year of the Goat Trivia Quiz

From the Bible to Greek myth and movies to fashion, goats seem to be turning up everywhere.

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