So This Is Heaven? Trivia Quiz

Answer: walled garden

Though the word "paradise" entered Latin, and subsequently French and English, via the Greek "paradeisos", its origins lie in the Avestan "pairi-daeza", meaning "walled garden", "enclosure". Avestan was the liturgical language of Zoroastrianism, the religion of the ancient Persian Empire, which is still practiced in some parts of northern India.

This concept of a garden surrounded by walls later became the foundation for the formal gardens of Middle Eastern and European countries. The Greek word "paradeisos" came to be associated with the biblical Garden of Eden, and then became a synonym for heaven.

Answer: Osiris

Placed in the east, where the Sun rises, Sekhet-Aaru was described as eternal fields of reeds, much like those found on the Nile delta. To reach it, the soul had to undergo a dangerous journey, and pass through a series of gates guarded by demons. Osiris, who had been killed and dismembered by his brother Seth, and brought back to life by his sister-wife Isis, reigned over the afterlife.

He was the god of transition, resurrection and regeneration, and was associated with the cycles of nature. The sky god Horus was the son he conceived with Isis after his temporary resurrection, while the jackal-headed god Anubis was in charge of weighing the heart of the deceased, whose soul was permitted to journey onward only if the heart was found to be lighter than a feather.

Answer: Island of Apples

The Elysian Fields, also known as Elysium, were the final resting place for the souls of heroes and virtuous men. This concept evolved throughout the centuries - from a field beyond the river Lethe, in the underworld, to an island. or group of islands, located on the far western shores of the river Okeanos, which circled the Earth. The Islands of the Blessed and the White Isle were identified with islands situated in the Atlantic Ocean or in the Black Sea.

Island of Apples is the most likely meaning of the name Avalon, the legendary island where King Arthur was taken after being mortally wounded by Mordred.

Answer: rainbow bridge

In Old Norse mythology, the flaming rainbow bridge Bifröst connected Asgard, the abode of the gods, with Midgard, the Earth. The bridge, guarded by the god Heimdallr, would be destroyed by the fire giants of Muspellsheim at Ragnarök, the end of the world.

The unknown author of the poetic piece about the Rainbow Bridge, written between 1980 and 1992, was clearly inspired by Norse myth. According to the poem, when pets die, they reach a green meadow adjoining the Rainbow Bridge, where they are restored to health, and spend their days running and playing. However, they miss the owners they left behind. When a pet owner dies, their pet will wait for them at the Bridge, and together they will cross into Heaven, never to be separated again.

Answer: 9

The number 9 has been invested with a special significance in many cultures. In Western tradition, it represents three (the perfect number, identified with the Holy Trinity) multiplied by itself. In the medieval model of cosmology, derived from Ptolemy, the nine spheres of heaven - containing the planets and the stars - surrounded the Earth.

The Empyrean, the abode of God, was believed to be beyond physical existence, therefore different in nature from the other regions of Heaven.

Answer: moksha

The Sanskrit word "moksha" means emancipation, liberation or release. In the framework of Hindu theology, it refers to the state attained by a human soul when it is finally freed from "samsara", the cycle of death and rebirth. The "nirvana" of Buddhist doctrine is a similar (though not identical) concept.

"Ahimsa" refers to the doctrine of non-violence, while "dharma" can be roughly translated as "cosmic law and order", and is often used to refer to the teachings of the Buddha. Hinduism and Buddhism also believe in the existence of various heavens and hells, which are nevertheless connected to the cycle of birth and death.

Answer: True

Compared to the Christian view of heaven, the Islamic paradise (known as Jannah, "garden") puts a lot of emphasis on sensual pleasures, with descriptions of exquisite banquets, lush greenery and heady scents. However, according to the Qu'ran, the nearness of God will be the greatest source of joy for the souls of the blessed.

Answer: kami

Shinto was originally an animistic religion, so it should not come as a surprise to learn that "kami" include natural phenomena (rain, wind, lightning...), natural objects (sun, moon, mountains, rivers...) and some animals, as well as ancestral spirits. Being added to the pantheon of "kami" after death is the hope of most Shinto believers. In older Japanese legends, the afterlife was a gloomy underground place called "yomi", similar to the Greek Hades. Because of this negative view of death and the afterlife, most funeral rites in Japan are conducted by Buddhist priests.

The remaining three choices are all Japanese words that, however, have nothing to do with religion: nori is a kind of seaweed used in sushi and other dishes; geta (wooden sandals) and obi (sash) are traditional items of clothing.

Answer: Ethiopia

Ethiopia was the birthplace of Ras Tafari Makonnen (who in 1930 became the last Ethiopian emperor, Haile Selassie), the man Rastafarians worship as an incarnation of Jah (God the Father). Most Rastafarians believe that the chosen will live forever in their physical bodies, and see heaven as a place on earth rather than outside it. Ethiopia (and the whole of Africa) is also known as Zion, the Promised Land, as opposed to Babylon, the degenerate society of injustice and corruption often identified with Europe and the US.

Answer: Summerland

The Summerland is synonymous with the Wiccan concept of the afterlife, which does not involve the idea of eternal punishment for one's sins. It is, as the name implies, a place of beauty and peace where souls will spend some time before reincarnating. They will be free of pain and suffering, and have the opportunity to reflect on their past life before they try again when they are ready.

The other three choices refer to utopian concepts found in mythology and literature.