Religious Symbology Trivia Quiz

Answer: Wheel of Dharma

Also called the dharmachakra, this symbol is used in Indian religions. It is a wheel with four, eight or more spokes on it. It's used in Jainism, Hinduism and Buddhism. In Buddhism, it is used to represent the Buddha's teachings, Buddha himself, and his path to enlightenment.

It is also sometimes connected with the Noble Eightfold Path which is a summary of the path of Buddhist practices that lead to nirvana and the freedom from rebirth. The symbol is widespread and is found in many different places including in art, on flags and ancient coins.

Answer: Triskelion

The triskelion is an ancient triple spiral symbol. The symbol can be either spirals or three bent legs. As a Celtic symbol it is used by various Neo-Pagan religions, including Druidism. In Druidism, the symbol takes the form of the spirals and can be found in jewellery and architecture among other places.

Answer: Om

The sound Om has an interesting significance to Hindus. Hindus believe that a vibration happened, that represented all consciousness, took place as a result of creation. This vibration is represented by the sound Om. The syllable Om is found at the beginning and end of Hindu religious texts and recited during prayers and other ceremonies.

Answer: Star and crescent

The star and crescent became aligned with Islam during the 1900s. It is seen on flags and used as the symbol of Islam by the Nation of Islam. Historically the star and crescent represent the sun and moon or moon and morning star. The symbol gained prominence when it was used on the flag of the Ottoman Empire.

It's also seen on the flags of Malaysia, Pakistan and Singapore. Interestingly, although the symbol has also been used by national Islamic movements, it is rejected by some modern Muslim scholars.

Answer: Star of David

The Star of David is known in Hebrew as the Magen David. It is a six pointed star, made up of two equilateral triangles. The symbol has been found on Jewish flags dating back to the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries; however, the Star of David as a representation of the Jewish community was first recorded in the seventeenth century. The symbol is the focal point of the flag of Israel.

Answer: Sigil of Baphomet

The Sigil of Baphomet is the official sign of the Church of Satan. It first started to be used during the 1960s, was copyrighted by the church and appears on the front of the Satanic Bible. It is a goat's head inside a pentagram inside a circle. Baphomet is half-human and half-animal, half woman and half man, and a mixture of good and evil. Baphomet was allegedly worshipped by the Knights Templar.

It is the head of Baphomet (the goat's head) that is featured in this symbol.

Answer: Christian cross

The cross is the best-known symbol associated with Christianity and has been used since 32AD. For a while the cross was a T shaped cross and not the Latin cross in use popularly today. The cross is in use throughout Christianity in everything from adorning churches to jewellery to other architecture. The cross is included in the altar table and hangs in many Christian homes.

Answer: Torii

For followers of Shinto, the torii is a gate that is symbolic of an entrance to a sacred place. The torii is most commonly found at the entrance to a Shinto shrine. It is an easy way to identify Shinto shrines and a torii icon is included in maps so that Shinto shrines can be easily found.

They were traditionally made of wood or stone, but are now made of other materials such as concrete or copper.

Answer: Pentacle

The Pentacle was adopted by Wiccans for use in the 1960s. It has long been used as an object with magical qualities. For Wiccans, the Pentacle is the Pentagram enclosed in a circle. It can be made of various materials such as cloth or paper and sometimes other protective symbols are included in the design.

Answer: Faravahar

The faravahar is a national symbol of Iran and is a symbol for Zoroastrians. It is typically thought of as either representing the God of Zoroastrianism (Ahura Mazda) or a Fravashi which is like a guardian angel, fighting evil in the world. It looks like a winged sun disk with a man riding on top of it. It symbolizes immortality.