Swimming With Sea Monsters Trivia Quiz

Answer: Heracles

According to Greek mythology, the Lernaean Hydra was a many-headed sea serpent. If one of these heads was chopped off two more grew back and thus an exact count of the number of heads was impossible. Associated with the underworld, the Hydra was killed by Heracles during the second of his legendary "Twelve Labors". Hydra was believed to live in Lerna Lake and guarded an entrance into the underworld.

Although there are variations to the story, Heracles managed to kill the Hydra by cauterizing each head after it was cut off.

When he cut off the final head, the beast finally died.

Answer: Hindu

The Hindu sea monster Makara is depicted in many ways. The front half of the creature is terrestrial, usually an elephant or deer, and the rear is depicted as having the tail of a fish or seal. The Makara was used by the river goddess Ganga and the sea god Varuna for transportation.

The word "Makara" is a Sanskrit word for "water-monster", and is also applied to crocodiles. Depictions of Makara can be found in jewelry, pottery, and architecture throughout southeastern areas of Asia.

Answer: It brings good luck

The Gunakadeit is a sea monster that is believed to bring good luck. Each tribe of Tinglit has its own personal Gunakadeit. This beast is described as a serpentine, dragon-like sea monster that prevents famine and illness and is believed to guide prey animals into the hunters' nets.

The image of the Gunakadeit is often seen on artwork made by the Tinglit peoples and is sometimes carved into their boats.

Answer: Souls of drowned Buddhist monks

Umibozu were sea monsters depicted as having bald heads, like the shaven heads of drowned Buddhist monks. The have an opaque, gray torso with arms and legs that look likes snakes. The possibility of running into one of these horrible monsters was on the minds of all Japanese sailors and fisherman, as a visit from one meant the ship was going to sink shortly.

The Umibozu are part of the Japanese belief system that says that any soul who does not have someone to tend to their grave is doomed to wander the sea.

Answer: Mediterranean Sea

The Strait of Messina separates the island of Sicily and mainland Italy. Ancient Greek myth tells of a terrible sea monster that inhabits these waters and is known to devour unlucky ships. There are many differing descriptions of this monster, but most describe her as a female entity with flippers who has a mouth large enough to create whirlpools by alternately sucking in and spewing out water. Greek mythology credits her as being the daughter of the sea god Poseidon and the earth goddess known as Gaea.

Answer: Dungeons & Dragons

The Babylonian sea monster Tiamat is a primordial goddess of salt water that mates with Abzu, the god of fresh water. Usually depicted as a cross between a mermaid and a dragon, Tiamat was believed to have the power to sink any ship. She is also said to have been the mother of many of the Babylonian deities, and to have been killed by her son Marduk, the god of the storm.

In the video game Dungeons & Dragons she is depicted as having multiple heads and as being the mother of all evil dragons.

Answer: True

The Kraken is one of the most well-known sea monsters and there are those who still believe this animal exists. Ancient depictions of this monster show it to be large and powerful enough to attack the largest ships. It is believed to make its home off the coasts of Greenland and Norway.

Many oceanographers believe that this sea monster may have come about from actual sightings of the animal known as the Giant Squid (Architeuthis), which has been found to grow as long as 43 ft.(13m) in length.

Answer: False

In 1808 a large unknown type carcass washed up on the island of Stronsay in the Orkney Islands off the coast of Scotland, and was promptly dubbed the Stronsay Beast. The globular mass of rotting flesh was measured at over 55 ft. (16.7m) in length. At the time, it was thought that this was a new species of an unknown type of sea serpent.

The animal has never been conclusively identified, but modern scientists have put forward a large basking shark or an oarfish as probable suspects. Large rotting carcasses have washed ashore for centuries and have helped support the belief in sea monsters, both by ancient peoples and by modern cryptozoologists.

Answer: Capricorn

The constellation Capricorn is a depiction of a goat with the tail of a fish. One early legend tells that the goat-god Pan was attacked by the monster known as Typhon. When this happened he dove into the Nile river, becoming half fish. The origin of this sea monster is believed to be Babylonian. Many old Sumerian and Babylonian pottery pieces depict this feared sea monster.

Answer: The Bible

In the book of Job (41:1-41:34), in the Hebrew Bible, the Leviathan is described in detail. This fire-breathing sea-serpent with impenetrable skin cannot be killed until the end of days. He cannot be caught even by the strongest and smartest of men. This creation of God is believed to live in all bodies of water and the mere sight of him can cause a man to drop dead with fear.