He's a Hero Trivia Quiz

Answer: The Trojan War

Agamemnon was the king of Argos and Mycenae, and the leader of the Greek forces during the Trojan war. He married Clytemnestra and had several children with her. He incurred the wrath of the Greek warrior Achilles when he took Briseis from Achilles and made her his concubine.

After the sack of Troy he did the same with Cassandra, the daughter of King Priam. After returning home from the war he was slain by his wife and her lover Aegisthus, who went on to kill Cassandra also. The homecoming of Agamemnon and its aftermath were often portrayed in Greek tragedies of the time.

Answer: Denmark

Holger Danske was thought to be a soldier of the French king known as Charlemagne. This national symbol of Denmark is portrayed as being the son of the Danish king Gudred. He appears in the Danish saga "Karlemagnussaga", thought to have been written around 1200.

In 1845, Danish author Hans Christian Andersen wrote the fairytale "Holger Danske", describing him as sitting fast asleep in the cellar of the Castle Kronborg. He is portrayed as having a long beard that has grown into the table sitting in front of him.

He sits with his mighty sword in his lap, ready to jump into action should anyone threaten Denmark.

Answer: Japan

Yorimasa is a character from Japanese mythology. According to legend, when a monster was found on top of the emperor's palace, he bravely attacked and killed the monster. The emperor rewarded him by giving him the beautiful Lady Ayame as his wife. He then awarded him the famous magical sword known as "shishi-o" which translates as "Master of Lions".

Answer: False

The Valkyries are beautiful young women, mounted on winged horses, found in Nordic mythology. Armed with spears and helmets, they cruise battlegrounds looking for the bravest warriors who have been slain. They take these earthly heroes to Valhalla to become warriors for Odin in the upcoming, final battle known as Ragnarok.

The Aurora Borealis was thought to be reflections from the Valkyries as they rode across the night sky in search of brave warriors.

Answer: Mikula Selianinovich

Mikula Selianinovich is depicted as a strong, handsome farmer who works his fields with a plow made of gold, silver, and maple wood. He is said to be the strongest man, a fierce hunter, and is endowed with a superhuman ability to work. Much of Russian mythology represents noblemen and warriors, while Mikula represents the common man and his value to society.

Answer: Castor and Pollux

Castor and Pollux are heroic figures from Greco-Roman mythology. They saved their sister, Helen of Troy, after she was kidnaped by Theseus. They are also credited with accompanying Jason during his voyage on the Argo. Castor was killed in battle and Pollux was granted immortality by Zeus. Pollux persuaded Zeus to allow him to share the gift with Castor.

This resulted in them alternating days as Gods on Olympus and as deceased mortals in Hades. They also give their names to the two brightest stars in the constellation Gemini.

Answer: Australian Aborigines

Bunjil is the god of creation in the mythology of the Kulin nation, an Aboriginal people of southeastern Australia. He is credited with creating all plants and animals. Bunjil saved the people of the world from a great flood that was occurring because of the constant bickering between the people of the world.

He is credited with creating the laws for humans to follow and was rewarded with becoming the star Altair, the twelfth brightest star in the night sky.

Answer: Ox

Paul Bunyan is a heroic figure found in American folklore. While involved in his superhuman activities he is accompanied by his blue ox named Babe. He is credited with creating the 10,000 lakes found in Minnesota and digging the channel that was to become the Mississippi River, as well as creating the Grand Tetons.

He is depicted as a giant lumberjack and originated from the oral traditions of North American loggers. Compared to many of the other figures in this quiz, he is fairly new, and he is first mentioned in literature in a 1916 pamphlet for the Red River Lumber Company.

Answer: False

Found in ancient Greco-Roman mythology, Cerberus is definitely not a heroic figure. He is the three-headed dog of the underground. He has a mane of snakes, lions claws, and a serpents tail. He guards the gates of Hell, preventing the dead in their attempted escapes to leave the underground world.

Answer: Agreed to be born a human

Gesar Khan appears in the mythology of both Mongolia and Tibet. He reluctantly agrees to be reborn as a human in order to fight the demons who have migrated to the earth. He is said to have been born from an egg which emerged from his mother's head. He was born with three eyes to allow him to see all evil, and has to ability to return to earth at any time that evil threatens to take over.