Bucknallbabe and the Journey of a Lifetime Quiz

Answer: Anahita

For many, life is considered to begin at the moment of conception. Like Anahita, whose name means "Immaculate One", the Virgin Mary was conceived without sin according to the Roman Catholic doctrine of the "Immaculate Conception". Anahita also features in modern Zoroastrianism, where she represents water, fertility and war. Hunt's exhibit is a three-dimensional picture made of plaster, entitled "The Horses of Anahita" or "The Flight of Night". Drvaspa and Haurvatat were other ancient Persian goddesses. Fajita was the Mexican food that came into my mind.

Answer: Islam

The next milestone along the journey of life is birth. Most religions have ceremonies linked to this. In Islam, as well as the date rubbing, which is also believed to help the digestive system to get going, the father will whisper the Muslim call to prayer into the baby's right ear. Seven days after the birth, the baby's head will be shaved, the hair weighed and the value of its weight in silver will be donated to charity.

It is traditional for the baby to be named on the seventh day and also for male babies to be circumcised.

Answer: The Five Ks

Many religions have some form of baptism or symbolic rebirth ceremony to mark becoming part of the spiritual community. In Sikhism this can take place at any age provided the believer has reached the age of "accountability". Sikhism is unusual in that the water is drunk, not used as a symbol of cleansing.

The "Kes" is unshorn hair. Sikhs are not permitted to cut their hair as a symbol of their obedience to God. The "Khanga" is a wooden comb used for keeping the hair tidy but it also symbolises keeping order in one's life.

The "Kara" is a steel bangle worn on the right wrist as a reminder of one's duties. The "Kachh" or "Kaccha" is a loose-fitting undergarment symbolising high moral character and spiritual freedom. The "Kirpan" is a small dagger worn to symbolise the battle for faith, defending the weak and powerless, and upholding the truth.

Answer: Coming-of-age of a daughter

Coming-of-age, or taking over responsibility for one's own adherence to a faith, is an important milestone in many religions. According to Jewish Law, for males this happens at age 13 and for females at age 12, although in some synagogues the age is 13 for both.

The term Bar or Bat Mitzvah technically refers to a person but is also used as the name of the ceremony which usually involves reading from the Torah or participating in a discussion of some scriptural text at a meeting of the synagogue.

There may be a celebratory meal afterwards but this is not a requirement.

Answer: Handfasting

For many, the next milestone along the journey of life is finding a partner. "Handfasting" may go back to Celtic times and has been a traditional way of signifying commitment to one person in several European cultures. In some cases it acted as a betrothal, in others as a formal marriage. Typically, the people committing themselves, who nowadays may be mixed or same sex couples or small groups, have their wrists symbolically tied with cords.

The term of the betrothal is often "a year and a day" but this can vary.

In times when having children to work and look after aged parents was important, "handfasting" may have served to ensure that both partners were fertile.

Answer: Sake

Marriage according to the ritual of the chosen faith community is considered by many to be one of the most important milestones of life's journey. Although Shinto, "the way of the gods", is one of the earliest religious traditions of Japan, predating Buddhism, Confucianism and Taoism, the wedding ritual only recently took on its present form.

The modern ceremony is based on that of Crown Prince Yoshihito in 1900. The drinking of sake symbolises the union between bride and groom and also between the two families.

The private, formal religious ceremony is often followed by a gathering of friends and well-wishers who bring gifts of money in special envelopes.

Answer: Romanian Orthodox

The accepting of a "vocation", or calling to the spiritual life, may be another milestone along the journey of life. Some people choose not to live their lives following temporal pursuits but devote themselves to their faith, living a monastic life. Not all religions have a monastic tradition but it has played an important role in Christianity, Buddhism and Hinduism over the centuries.

The Romanian Orthodox Church is part of the Eastern Orthodox tradition which traces its history to the first days of Christianity.

The painted frescoes of the monasteries of Bucovina are a popular tourist attraction. Sinaia was named after a monastery at the base of Mt Sinai where Moses received the Ten Comandments.

Answer: Small figurines buried with the dead

Death marks the the end of the corporeal journey of life and for believers in many religions the start of the spiritual afterlife. There were many rituals and customs associated with death and burial in Ancient Egypt, many of them associated with helping the deceased to perform his/her duties in the afterlife. "Shabtis" or "ushabtis" were usually small figurines which were supposed to take the place of the deceased in the event that these duties included manual labour.

A tomb could contain numerous shabtis and they are common exhibits in museum collections - and in the tourist destinations, although these may be of more recent origin!

Answer: Shangri-la

"Shangri-la' was the fictional earthly paradise created by James Hilton in his 1933 book "Lost Horizon". The concept of a spiritual afterlife spent in "heaven" is common to many religions but the characteristics and requirements for entering vary. "Paradise" is a place of perfection and may or may not be synonymous with "heaven". "Nirvana" is the Buddhist concept of a perfectly peaceful state of mind, achieved when the soul is free from the suffering and rebirth of the cycles of life.

Answer: Blinded with a fork

If the earthly journey of a lifetime has been one of goodness and keeping the faith, an individual may be a candidate for "sainthood". Although most closely connected with Christianity and Roman Catholicism, which recognises over 10,000 saints, there are equivalents in other religions such as Hinduism. St Lucy, also known as Lucia, refused to marry a pagan who then denounced her as a Christian and when she would not give up her faith, her eyes were gouged out.

She is often depicted in paintings and sculptures with her eyes on a plate.