Sorry for this lousy and low standard write-up, but I have had better weeks than the former one.And that is an euphemism.
Let me first thank everybody who submitted, it was a new record for me and I think all of you did well.
However Adler17 (quelle surprise!) did "wellest" and ended up as primus inter pares, one point ahead of another professor LouLong. On the sad side it must be noticed that thetrooper failed his mission, and can reasonably expect some hardship in the time to come...
And so, the answers. I will try to provide more information if anybody wants it, and I can also take criticism tolerably well.
1.These four pictures hints at a person. Who is the person(2 p)?
Hans Christian Andersen (1805-1875), one of Denmark's greatest writer ever. Since everybody knew this, there should be no reason to elaborate.
The city is
Copenhagen, where he spent most of his life.
The woman is
Jenny Lind,"The swedish Nightingale", celebrated opera-singer whom Anderssen was in love with. She didn't love him though...
2. Which countries fought the "Football War"(1p) and why was it called so (1p)?
Honduras and El Salvador. The reason it was called so was that
the event that triggered it off was riots following a qualification match for the 1970 football match. There was of course other reaons for the war, as tension between those two countries had been high.
3. What was the miracle of Czestochowa(2p)?
In 1655, during the Swedish invasion of Poland, when Polish resistance was crumbling everywhere,
a small band of monks, mercenaries and civilians in the monastery of Jasna Gora in Czestochowa managed to repell a siege from a Swedish army. Credit for this was given to the famous Black Madonna. While this was without any military importance,it had a huge psychological and political impact showing that the Swedes were not invincible.
4. What event is depicted here(2 p)?
A central person in this event was this man.Who is he(1 p) and what was he called(1 p)?
The sack of Magdeburg (1631).
This incident during the Thirty year's war shocked whole Europe.After some months of siege, Imperial troops managed to capture Magdeburg. Then terrible things ensued as the soldiers went completely amok, killing something like 25 000 people (the whole city's population was about 30 000) and setting fire to the city. The word magdeburgization was to remain as a synonymous for destruction, rape and pillage for at least some decades.
The person is
Johan Tzerclaes,count of Tilly(1559 - 1632). This great army leader had a distinguished carreer leading the armies of the Catholic League and after Wallenstein's dismissal also the Imperial one, from victory to victory up to the debacle at Breitenfeld (1631) and was not to blame for the atrocities. A man of strict moral principles and deeply religious, Tilly was called
"the monk in armor".
He died as a consequence of wounds after the battle of Rain(1632).
I must frankly confess that it was my greatest surprise so far as quiz-master that none of our military men recognized him.
5.Which famous artefact is it claimed that the Church of Our Lady Mary of Zion in Axum contains(2 p)?
The Ark of the Covenant.
6.Who were the redstockings and why did they use this name(2 p)?Redstockings was
an influential but short-lived radical feminist groups of the Sixties.
The name "Redstockings" combines "bluestockings," the term pinned pejoratively on educated and otherwise strong-minded women in the 18th and 19th centuries,
with "red" for social revolution.
7. Which infamous person was called Citizen X (2 p)?
Andrei Chitihalko, Ukrainian serial killer who was convicted of the murder of 52 women and children between 1978 and 1990.
8. What was the Mannheim rocket (2 p)?
An ascending melodic figure, a rapid upward arpeggio over a large range, combined with a crescendo.It was invented at the famous Mannheim orchestra in the 18th century.
9. Below are the remains of a couple of buildings from an ancient city that once were an important site in a great empire. Which empire (1 p)? The ancient Persian Achaemenid empire.
And this city is today most well known by a name on another language. What was the name of the city in its own language (2 p)?
This city is today usually refered to by its Greek name, Persepolis. It's old Persian name was quite simply
Parsa.
10. Do you happen to know anything about Norse mythology? Fine, here is a couple of opportunities for scoring points.
a. The highest deity is Odin. Odin has only one eye. Why (2 p)?He gave it for being allowed a draught of the Well of Wisdom .
b. What was the purpose of the valkyries (2 p)?
Many colourful descriptions of scantily clad saucy maids here - you naughty guys, you!
As Odin's maiden's, they were according to some legends
the choosers of the slain, according to others collectors of the slain.
c. In what realm did humans live (1 p)?
Midgard.
d. What was the name of the tree that connected all nine worlds(1 p)?
Yggdrasil.
e. And finally, what was Ragnarok (1 p)?
Ragnarok, meaning "fate of the gods" and NOT "twilight of the gods" is
the end of the old world, where the gods meet the giants and monsters in the final battle resulting in the destruction of the old order and a new world appearing.
I plan to run some articles about Norse mythology here a bit later.
11. What is the name of the maker of this illustration(3 p)
and what country did he come from(1 p)?Jose Guadalupe Posada (1852 - 1913). Regarded as
Mexico's most famous graphic artist, he is specially known for his
engravings of the "calaveras" or skeletons miming different human activities, mostly to be sold on All Soul's Day, 2th November. The picture in the quiz is one of the most famous ones, entitled "The calaveras of the newscarriers", each bicyclist represening t a contemporary newspaper company between 1889 and 1895.
12.
The following to verses is from a poem named "The poor man's burden" by George E. MCNeill
This was one of many responses to a poem named "The White Man's Burden". Which famous writer wrote that poem(1 p)?And what was the event that caused him to write this poem(2 p)?
Rudyard Kipling, inspired by
US imperialism. The US Senate's ratification of the Treaty of Paris 6th February 1899, meant the end of the Spanish - American war and gave Puerto Rico, Guam, and the Philippines to the United States, as well as putting Cuba under its control. Kiplings poem is a reminder to the US that they now are taking over Spain's "responsibility". It triggered off a host of reactions from anti-imperialsts, as this one by "the father of the 8 hour day". Everybody interested in this as well as the history of anti-imperialism in the USA should really not miss this great page:
http://www.boondocksnet.com. The Kipling debate can be found here:
http://www.boondocksnet.com/ai/kipling/index.html
13.The man below is a national hero of his country.
What was his name(2 p) and what did he do to gain this status(2 p)?
The Korean admiral
Sun-Shin Yi (1545 - 1598). In 1592 Japan invaded Korea, overran Seuol and seemingly about to take the whole country.The Korean government turned to Yi,a master strategist who had seen the war coming and had with the help of his own money
constructed a small fleet of ships of a most remarkable kind - the turtle boats.They got this name because they resembled turtles, having low, rounded roof, bristling with spikes to prevent boarding. Its sails came down in battle, and it was powered by oars. Just above the oars were ports for cannon, small firearms, and arrows. Additionally they were equipped with rams as well as a dragon's head on the prow which poured out smoke to frighten the enemy and to lay a very effective smoke screen.A kind of early iron clads.
With the help of this secret weapon Yi was able to cause serious damage to the Japanese fleet and the war ended in a truce.
When Yi was imprisoned due to political intrigues, Japan launched a new invasion in 1597. He was released, and with 12(!) remaining warships he was able to turn the tables, sinking 31Japanese ships in less than one month's time, driving the rest off. When Japan launched a huge fleet of 500 ships next year, Yi was ready with his turtles, destroying over half of the Japanese ships. The next time Japan tried was in 1904...
14. And finally a bonus question, another person(3 p)
Robert James "Bobby" Fischer, world champion of chess 1972-75.
One of the greatest and most controversial chess players ever, Fischer got many admirers, partly due to his dynamic style of playing, partly because he was a challenger to the enormous Soviet dominance.
His eccentric behavior and his malicious anti-Judaism is something few admire, though.
About the pictures, Ficher was born in Chicago (pic 1),won his title in a match against Boris Spassky (2), the policeman on the picture is a bobby
(pic 3), and Fischer is now an Icelandic citizen (pic 4) as well as having won his world champion's title in Reykjavik.
This link contains a rather good biography:
http://encarta.msn.com/encnet/refpages/RefArticle.aspx?refid=761556045
So final score is:
Adler17 -29
Loulong - 28
jeriko one -25
sydhe -19
Rambuchan,
Taliesin -15
Oryctolagus,
thetrooper,
Till -14
(
Ciceronian - 13)
Over to you,
Adler17.
