Give Me an M Trivia Quiz

Answer: Monotheism

The prefix mono- comes from a Greek word which means one (in the incorrect options as well as the correct one), and the -theism comes from the word 'theos', or god. Monotheism may refer to a belief that there is a single god, or to a belief that there is unity in all the aspects of god. Religions such as Judaism, Islam and Baha'i are considered monotheistic, as opposed to such religions as Hinduism which worship a collection of gods, and are often referred to as polytheist.

It is a matter of debate among theologians whether Christianity is truly monotheistic, as the concept of the Trinity expands the godhead beyond a unitary figure. Nevertheless, most Christians consider themselves monotheists.

Answer: Saint Stephen

Saint Stephen (or Stephan) was active in attempting to convert Jews to Christianity in the years following Jesus' crucifixion. According to the Biblical Book of Acts, he was denounced for blasphemy, and condemned to death by the Sanhedrin (Jewish court). Saul of Tarsus, known as Paul after his later conversion to Christianity, "was standing by, and consenting unto his death, and kept the raiment of them that slew him." (Acts 22:20, King James Version). This is thought to have occurred around 34 or 35 CE.

We do not know for sure how the others died, but tradition holds that Saint Paul was beheaded, probably around 60 CE. Saint Peter is thought to have been crucified around 64 CE, and Saint John the Evangelist is thought to be the only one of the original twelve apostles to die of natural causes at an advanced age, possibly around 95 CE.

Answer: Jainism

Jain monks are also called sadhus, and nuns, sadhvis. They lead an extremely ascetic lifestyle; with no permanent residence, they carry no possessions as they walk barefoot from place to place, and subsist on food provided by the generosity of those they meet.

They follow the five Mahavratas (vows) as laid out by Mahavira, who established the basic tenets of Jainism in the 6th century BCE: nonviolence, truth, non-stealing, chastity and non-possession. Through this they seek to achieve moksha, a Sanskrit word meaning liberation, which is a state of existence completely free from the cycle of birth and death.

Answer: Moses

The story of Moses is featured in the sacred texts of Judaism (the Torah), Christianity (the corresponding books of the Old Testament) and Islam (scattered throughout the Qur'an). His story and teachings are told in the books of Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy in the Torah, and are far too lengthy to recount in full here.

It starts with his mother hiding him because the Pharaoh had ordered that all male Jewish children be slain, continues through a few meetings with God, some run-ins with various people including the Pharaoh, a number of miracles and extensive teaching of the way to live a righteous life, and ends when he is around 120 years old. According to Rabbinical Judaism, he lived from 1391-1271 BCE; Jerome's 'Chronicron', written in the 4th century CE, is the basis for most Christians setting the dates as 1592-1472 BCE.

Answer: Matthew

The Sermon on the Mount appears in the Gospel of Matthew (Chapters 5-7) and includes eight statements in the form "blessed are ... for ..." - in the American Standard translation, the first reads "Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven." They are called beatitudes because the Latin for blessings is 'beatitudines', and the Bible was best known in Latin translation in many parts of the world until the Reformation led to the practice of producing translations into the vernacular for easier comprehension.

The Gospel of Luke includes a similar Sermon on the Plain, which includes four of the same blessings as are in Matthew's account.

Answer: Mohammed

Mohammed Ibn `Abd Allāh Ibn `Abd al-Muttalib, to give his full formal name, is regarded by followers of Islam and Baha'i as a prophet, although Baha'is consider there have been others since, while Muslims consider him to be the last of God's prophets, in the line established by Abraham, Moses and Jesus. According to tradition, he was about 40 when a vision of the angel Gabriel provided the inspiration for him to begin preaching, and compiling his teachings in the text called the Qur'an. About ten years later he found himself in a precarious position in Mecca, and moved to Medina to continue his work.

After some years of armed conflict between the two cities, Mohammed and his followers established supremacy over Arabia. In 632 he established the tradition of the hajj, a ritual visit to Mecca, shortly before his death at the age of 63.

He was buried in Medina, in the house of his wife Aisha.

Answer: Shiva

Shiva and Vishnu are considered the two Mahadevas; along with Brahma, they form the Trimurti. Among the three, they represent the three major forces of the Hindu cycle of existence: Brahma is the creator, Vishnu is the protector, and Shiva is the judge (sometimes called the destroyer of evil). Each of them has a matching goddess, of nearly equal importance: Brahma works with Saraswati, goddess of knowledge; Vishnu is supported by Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth and prosperity; Shiva works in tandem with a number of consorts, of whom Parvati, the goddess of power, is one.

The above is a vast simplification of a very complex belief system. Not only do the gods have different names and attributes in different traditions, they also change form and power. This can be partially ascribed to the fact that many individual traditions have been brought together to form what we now know as Hinduism.

Answer: Karma (Action)

The three marks of existence are a summary of those characteristics of living things that keep them tied to this world, and prevent release from sansara. When one understands them completely, one attains enlightenment, and can be released to Nirvana (Peace), which is sometimes called the fourth mark of existence. The single-word names for the marks summarize complex ideas, the full comprehension of which is a goal which most will never attain. The differing schools of Buddhism have developed slightly varied interpretations of the three marks, as well as of their relative significance.

Karma is the underlying force that causes the sansara cycle. The term is used in a number of Indian religions, and probably originated in the Sramana tradition of Hinduism.

Answer: Great soul

The literal translation of mahatma is 'great soul'. It indicates someone who either has achieved or is close to achieving enlightenment, and is, in a way, an equivalent to the Christian term saint, but more rarely used. The term was popularized by the Theosophist movement in the late 19th century. Madame H. P. Blavatsky used the term mahatma interchangeably with the word adept to describe her teachers, who she claimed had taught her about their role in guiding the spiritual development of humankind, and their role as a source of occult knowledge lost to the majority of humanity. Several of the seminal works expounding the ideas of Theosophy are written in the form of correspondence to and from these adepts.

Answer: Mangar-kunjer-kunja

The name Mangar-kunjer-kunja literally means fly-catcher, and refers to a lizard totem god. Here's a summary of the story of the creation of mankind. The world was originally covered on water, with a few hills emerging from the waters. On these hills were primordial beings called 'rella manerinja' ('people grown together'), which were basically embryonic humans. Using a stone knife, Mangar-kunjer-kunja separated them into individuals, and carved out their features - giving them arms and legs, as well as facial features such as eyes, nose, mouth, and ears. After teaching them how to make fire and cook food, he left them armed to face the world with knives, spears, shields and boomerangs. He also left them tjuringas, sacred objects (usually polished wood or stones with carvings) which linked descendants with their ancestors and extended the totemic protection to them.

Many of the creation stories of indigenous Australians involve accounts of the development of humans from an incomplete form with the assistance of one or more of the totem gods. The story of Mangar-kunjer-kunja is found in a five-volume book written by Carl Strehlow in 1907, based on his research about the Aranda people. (I used a summary from 'Storytracking: Texts, Stories and Histories in Central Australia' by Sam D. Gill, which provided a translated passage, since my German amounts to about five words. I have also used Strehlow's spelling for the name of the people - there are several variant spellings to be found.)

For those who are interested, Manawanui is a racehorse, Manawatu Gorge is on the North Island of New Zealand, and Mangara of Corondor is a character from 'Magic the Gathering'.