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The Phoenix Trivia Quiz

Phoenix, a bird that erupts in a burst of flames and is reborn from its own ashes when it dies. My favourite mythical creature and a fascinating historical symbol.

A multiple-choice quiz by ardhoniel. Estimated time: 4 mins.

Author
ardhoniel

Time
4 mins

Type
Multiple Choice

Quiz #
266,389

Updated
Dec 03 21

# Qns
10

Difficulty
Average

Avg Score
6 / 10

Plays
2024

One at a Time - Single Page - Timed Game

Question 1 of 10

1. The phoenix is closely associated with which Ancient Egyptian god? Hint

Amun-Ra

Horus

Anubis

Baset

NEXT>

Question 2 of 10

2. The Egyptians invented the phoenix, but it was the Greeks that gave it the name 'phoenix'. What was the Ancient Egyptians name for the phoenix before the Greeks named it? Hint

Bennu

Hathor

Ankh

Sobek

NEXT>

Question 3 of 10

3. Christians adopted the symbol of the Phoenix. What did it represent to them? Hint

The holy spirit

Omnipotence

Life after death/resurrection

The afterlife

NEXT>

Question 4 of 10

4. Before the phoenix dies it builds itself a nest of what material? Hint

Palm leaves

Cinnamon

Myrrh

Feathers

NEXT>

Question 5 of 10

5. Dumbledore, the headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry in "Harry Potter", has a pet phoenix. What is the name of his phoenix? Hint

Armagedon

Fawkes

Magma

Mallorn

NEXT>

Question 6 of 10

6. Something from a phoenix is said to have the power of healing. What is it? Hint

tears

feathers

claws

saliva

NEXT>

Question 7 of 10

7. Egyptians said that the phoenix was similar to which type of bird? Greeks said it looked like another? What did each civilisation say that the phoenix was similar to? Hint

Egyptian: falcon, Greek: hawk

Egyptian: peacock, Greek: heron

Egyptian: heron, Greek: peacock

Egyptian: hawk, Greek: falcon

NEXT>

Question 8 of 10

8. Where was the phoenix first mentioned in Egyptian history? Hint

Book of the After-Life

Book of the Dead

Book of Necromancing

Book of Ra

9. The Greeks believed that the phoenix had a beautiful song. Apollo (god of the sun) would stop his chariot (the sun) to listen to its fair song. What did the phoenix live beside in this myth? Hint

A well

The sea

A river

A lake

NEXT>

Question 10 of 10

10. The Egyptians had to get the inspiration for the phoenix somewhere. One theory is that the idea came from the African flamingoes that live on the salt flats. It is too hot on the salt flats to put a chick or egg on, so the flamingoes build nests several inches tall to put the chick/egg on. This protects them from the heat. What feature of the flamingo or salt flats gave them the idea of flaming plumage? Hint

The flamingoes' pink/red plumage

Convection currents

The heat that the salt flats give out

None of the above

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Oct 23 2024 : Guest 76: 5/10
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Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. The phoenix is closely associated with which Ancient Egyptian god?

Answer: Amun-Ra

Amun-Ra, otherwise known as Ra, was god of the sun and the Egyptians' most important god. They associated the phoenix with Ra because the phoenix is a symbol of the rising sun, and Ra is the god of the sun.

Anubis, Horus and Baset are all other Egyptian gods. (Baset is more commonly known as Bast.)

2. The Egyptians invented the phoenix, but it was the Greeks that gave it the name 'phoenix'. What was the Ancient Egyptians name for the phoenix before the Greeks named it?

Answer: Bennu

Bennu is the Ancient Egyptian name for the phoenix, and the original name for it.

The Ankh, known as the original cross, is the Egyptian symbol of life.
Hathor and Sobek are both Egyptian gods. Sobek is the god of crocodiles and the River Nile. Hathor is the goddess of love, music and beauty.

3. Christians adopted the symbol of the Phoenix. What did it represent to them?

Answer: Life after death/resurrection

Because the phoenix is reborn from its ashes when it dies, the Christians saw it as a symbol of resurrection and related it to the resurrection of Christ.

4. Before the phoenix dies it builds itself a nest of what material?

Answer: Cinnamon

The phoenix builds itself a nest of cinnamon twigs that it consumes when it ignites. Both nest and bird turn to ashes and the reborn chick rises from the ashes. Some versions say that the chick embalms the ashes into an egg made of myrrh (a sap-like substance).

5. Dumbledore, the headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry in "Harry Potter", has a pet phoenix. What is the name of his phoenix?

Answer: Fawkes

Fawkes is Dumbledore's pet phoenix. Fawkes saves Harry from an otherwise fatal wound and gives him the sword of Godric Gryffindor, which he uses to defeat the Basilisk.

6. Something from a phoenix is said to have the power of healing. What is it?

Answer: tears

The tears of the phoenix contain the power to heal any wound. This is displayed by Fawkes in "Harry Potter" when Harry is bitten by the Basilisk, a giant snake which has a venomous bite. Fawkes heals him by using his tears. Fawkes also pecks out the Basilisk's eyes, which have a fatal stare.

7. Egyptians said that the phoenix was similar to which type of bird? Greeks said it looked like another? What did each civilisation say that the phoenix was similar to?

Answer: Egyptian: heron, Greek: peacock

The Ancient Egyptians depicted the phoenix as a similar type of bird to the heron or stork. The Greeks saw it as a peacock-like bird, very elegant and tall.

8. Where was the phoenix first mentioned in Egyptian history?

Answer: Book of the Dead

The first records of the Phoenix were mentioned in the "Book of the Dead" where it says that the phoenix is a sacred symbol of worship.

9. The Greeks believed that the phoenix had a beautiful song. Apollo (god of the sun) would stop his chariot (the sun) to listen to its fair song. What did the phoenix live beside in this myth?

Answer: A well

The phoenix lived in Arabia next to a well. It would drink from the well at dawn. He would sing as he drank.

Answer: Convection currents

The convection currents caused by the heat gave the illusion of the turbulence of flames, thus giving the Ancient Egyptians the idea of flaming plumage.

Source: Author ardhoniel

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor stuthehistoryguy before going online.
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