The Rainbow and the Rose Trivia Quiz

Answer: Tears

This saying is a very old Native American proverb from the Cherokee people. Its origins are unclear, but it may have been handed down orally from generation to generation for centuries. It seems to suggest that beauty and joy are both all the more appreciated when one has also endured sorrow and loss. The Cherokee people came from North and South Carolina, Tennessee and Georgia, but their oral traditions say they originated from the area of the Great Lakes.

This proverb is also claimed by the ancient people of Africa as well. Perhaps it doesn't matter from where it originated, but the timeless message it contains.

Answer: Blossom

China is one of the oldest civilisations in the world. It sprang up around the banks of their mighty Yellow River and dates back some 250,000 years. Much of this large and beautiful nation remains a mystery to the rest of the world. This proverb, with an exact origin that is unknown, takes some thinking about initially before its essence can be absorbed.

In its simplest meaning, it tells us that if you go searching for trouble, trouble is certainly going to find you. It could also mean that there are some things, some secrets, that man is not yet ready to know because he doesn't have the capacity to deal with them yet. Or, giving it a more modern slant, it could be saying that if you damage nature too much, it will surely strike back.

The beauty about this proverb is that it can be interpreted on many levels.

Answer: Things

Another Native American proverb, this one is given to us from the Hopi people who sprang came from the areas of Arizona, New Mexico, Utah and Colorado. With no written records to state with certainty when it first arose, this proverb's wisdom is certainly ageless.

The Hopi name means "The Peaceful Little Ones" and their belief structure is deeply spiritual and calm, and encompasses a total reverence for all creation. At the centre of their beliefs exists the Caretaker of the Earth. This proverb reflects their deep connection to both the visible scenes of nature and their spiritual belief in the creator of same.

Answer: Thorn

This is an old French proverb, but once again, the origins of this expression cannot be found. It could be interpreted on several levels perhaps, by telling us on one hand that any gift, once it has been obtained, may prove to have unexpected consequences or costs - or to look before you leap - or to be prepared to accept the price for any course you have chosen to follow, however desirable the end result may have seemed in the beginning. Like several of the other proverbs in this quiz, this one is rather profound as well.

Answer: Fountains

The proverb comes to us from the Island of Sicily in the Mediterranean Sea. With a history dating right back to 12,000 BC, the people from this area of the world had thousands of years in which to observe, analyse and connect the phases and sights of nature with a follow up likely weather outcome.

This proverb is almost like a weather forecast then, but its practicality doesn't eliminate its truth.

Answer: Perfect

Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-1882) was an American writer and philosopher who will be forever associated with the Transcendentalist movement and its core beliefs in the inherent goodness and self reliance residing within people and nature, but which society, the chase for goods and wealth, religion, and civilisation do their best to divert. Basically he is telling us to stop and think, to find the true essence of life, that self-actualisation lies within and should not be imposed upon by others. His expanded quote, from his 1841 essay on "Self-Reliance" states "The roses under my window make no reference to former roses or better ones; they are what they are; they exist with God today.

There is no time to them. There is simply the rose; it is perfect in every moment of its existence." We need no past or future guidance by others, but that truth lies within every individual in its pure and simple form.

It is there to be sought.

Answer: Free

This somewhat cynical proverb originated in the Dutch Antilles, a country "belonging" to the Netherlands, but which was dissolved in 2010 with its people choosing autonomy, but opting to retain their close connection to that far away European nation. Indigenous peoples had lived on these islands long, long before the arrival of Europeans, however.

This proverb is almost insulting in nature, and seems to be saying that people only value beauty if there's a price tag attached. Because of that element of commercialism to the saying, it would suggest that is is not as old as the other proverbs used in this quiz, but, regardless of age, its origins cannot be located.

Answer: Rejoice

People have argued back and forth for some years about the original authorship of this profound piece of wisdom, with some coming down heavily on the side of Abraham Lincoln, others for different well known figures. Another notable possible source is French writer, Jean-Baptiste Alphonse Karr (1808-1890).

He seems to be the front-runner in the list of possible creators, simply because his is the first written copy of the quote. This appears in his 1853 work "Letters Written From My Garden" BUT even then, Karr appeared to be quoting from another unknown source. Who know then its original author? It could date back centuries before that. What is known, though, is that this is a remarkable quote about looking at life's tragedies, bad luck, or unfortunate happenings from a different angle, and what you initially see as an absolute calamity could be the best thing that has happened to you.

Answer: Storm

There are many quotes about rainbows following storms, all from assorted people or cultures, but this particular version of same is an old one which originated from the Nilotic people of Egypt, Sudan, Kenya and Tanzania. Nilotic describes peoples who live along the reaches of the famous Nile River in Africa. Cultures don't date back much further than that.

This proverb tells us that things are always bound to change for the better even after the worst that has happened - or to never give up hope.

It's uncertain when it first began to be used, but there is a certain timelessness and continuity to it that is peculiarly reassuring.

Answer: Thorns

The last quote goes once again to the fascinating nation of China, but, once more, with a source that cannot be located. This quote tells us - initially - that to dream and wish for anything is normal, BUT that, if you are prepared to chase your dreams with all your might, then you should be prepared to face the sometimes negative consequences that comes with the achievements of those dreams. Be careful what you wish for, in other words.