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Pillow Fight! Trivia Quiz

Everyone sleeps, but not everyone sleeps the same way, or with the same type of pillow. This quiz is about pillows and their use around the world and throughout history.

A multiple-choice quiz by jcpetersen. Estimated time: 4 mins.

Author
jcpetersen

Time
4 mins

Type
Multiple Choice

Quiz #
377,396

Updated
Dec 03 21

# Qns
10

Difficulty
Average

Avg Score
7 / 10

Plays
420

Awards
Top 35% Quiz

Last 3 plays: Johnmcmanners (10/10), xchasbox (9/10), Guest 1 (2/10).

One at a Time - Single Page - Timed Game

Question 1 of 10

1. The oldest surviving pillows date from 9000 years ago, in Mesopotamia (now Iraq). What material was used to make these pillows? Hint

feathers (down)

stone

leaves

reeds

NEXT>

Question 2 of 10

2. Men of the Turkana people in Kenya carry headrests called ekicholong to use as pillows. What are ekicholong made from? Hint

stone

feathers

bone

wood

NEXT>

Question 3 of 10

3. The Chinese used pillows made of wood, stone, porcelain, jade, and other hard materials. Why weren't softer materials used? Hint

insects/vermin would infest the soft materials

soft pillows stole energy from the body

all soft pillows belonged to the emperor

soft pillows are bad feng shui

NEXT>

Question 4 of 10

4. Were pillow makers valued in Ancient Greek and Roman societies?

Yes

NEXT>

Question 5 of 10

5. King Henry VIII banned the use of soft pillows for everyone except whom? Hint

clergy

land owners

knights

pregnant women

NEXT>

Question 6 of 10

6. In the Old Testament of the Bible, who dreamed of a ladder when he used a stone as a pillow? Hint

Jacob

Abraham

Isaac

Noah

NEXT>

Question 7 of 10

7. People in East/Southeast Asian countries would often sleep with one of these. What is it? Hint

leafy panda

noisy cricket

feather duck

bamboo wife

NEXT>

Question 8 of 10

8. Children in Guatemala will sometimes sleep with these under their pillows. What are they? Hint

coins

worry dolls

prayer beads

candies

9. Some hotels will place a chocolate or mint on your pillow. Which actor, famous for his starring role in "North by Northwest" (1959), is known to have used a similar system to lure willing females to his bedroom? Hint

Clark Gable

Cary Grant

Gary Cooper

George Clooney

NEXT>

Question 10 of 10

10. In Japan, the game Makura-Nage involves doing what? Hint

throwing pillows

staying up all night

playing pranks on a sleeping person

putting snow/ice inside someone's pillow

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Dec 14 2024 : Johnmcmanners: 10/10
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Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. The oldest surviving pillows date from 9000 years ago, in Mesopotamia (now Iraq). What material was used to make these pillows?

Answer: stone

While other materials may have been used as early pillows, the stone pillows are the only ones that survived.

The stone pillows were carved with a semi-circle for neck support. The head was kept off the ground, preventing insects from crawling into the head and hair.

2. Men of the Turkana people in Kenya carry headrests called ekicholong to use as pillows. What are ekicholong made from?

Answer: wood

The Turkana men carry these ekicholong everywhere, hanging from their wrists. The ekicholong are used as stools to avoid sitting on the thorny ground, and as headrests to protect their hair and head decorations.

Such headrests exist throughout African cultures, even going back to ancient Egypt, where they have been found in tombs. Headrests found in the tomb of the Pharoah Tutankhamen were made of turquoise glass, ivory and faience (a type of ceramic).

3. The Chinese used pillows made of wood, stone, porcelain, jade, and other hard materials. Why weren't softer materials used?

Answer: soft pillows stole energy from the body

While soft pillows stole energy, hard pillows could increase your energy and have other beneficial effects, such as curing illness. Sleeping on jade pillows would make you smarter.

Porcelain pillows have been used in China since the Sui Dynasty (600 AD).

4. Were pillow makers valued in Ancient Greek and Roman societies?

Answer: Yes

The Ancient Greeks and Romans used pillows that we would recognize as such today: cloth filled with a soft material, such as feathers, straw, or reeds.

These pillows were often embroidered by a skilled craftsperson.

5. King Henry VIII banned the use of soft pillows for everyone except whom?

Answer: pregnant women

In Europe in the Middle Ages, soft pillows were seen as unmanly and a sign of weakness.

Therefore, the banning was probably unnecessary since most people didn't use pillows anyway.

6. In the Old Testament of the Bible, who dreamed of a ladder when he used a stone as a pillow?

Answer: Jacob

When Jacob woke, he set the stone he used as a pillow into a pillar, anointed it with oil, and called the place Bethel (House of God) (Genesis 28).

A pillow is also mentioned in the New Testament, when Jesus is asleep on a pillow in the stern of a boat during a storm. When he was woken up, he commanded the wind and sea to be still (Mark 4).

7. People in East/Southeast Asian countries would often sleep with one of these. What is it?

Answer: bamboo wife

A bamboo wife is a hollow tube woven from bamboo about the length of a person. Holding it when sleeping helps to keep cool during hot nights. They have become less popular in modern times, most likely due to the increased use of air conditioning and electric fans.

Another term is "Dutch wife", from their use in the Dutch colonies in the area, such as Indonesia.

8. Children in Guatemala will sometimes sleep with these under their pillows. What are they?

Answer: worry dolls

Children can tell their problems to their worry dolls (mu�ecas quitapenas) before going to sleep. The doll will do the worrying, and the child can get to sleep.

The small and colorful dolls are a common souvenir item bought by travelers and tourists in Guatemala.

Answer: Cary Grant

Sometime in the 1950s, Cary Grant (1904-1986) used a trail of chocolates in his hotel room to lead "female acquaintances" from the door of the penthouse to the pillow on the bed. It is worth noting that the women in question were not Betsy Drake, his wife at the time.

The staff at the hotel (the Mayfair Hotel in St. Louis, Missouri) picked up on this idea and other hotels followed.

10. In Japan, the game Makura-Nage involves doing what?

Answer: throwing pillows

"Makura" means "pillow" and "nage" means "throwing".

Makura-Nage scenes are used in Japanese manga and anime to symbolize the simpler, innocent time of childhood.

Source: Author jcpetersen

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor Bruyere before going online.
Any errors found in FunTrivia content are routinely corrected through our feedback system.

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This quiz is part of series Commission #33:

Home-bodies unite! This series of quizzes, all written for the thirty-third Author's Lounge Commission, all had to have items from around the house in their titles. This Commission commenced in May 2014!

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