Mythologies are found in every culture on Earth (even modern societies with their urban myths and characters such as Father Christmas), and so they must have some king of importance. A culture’s shared stories grant a sense of belonging, a guide to expected behaviour and lessons in morality. It has also been suggested (most notably by Joseph Campbell) that myths are a means of understanding universal psychological truths and a necessary part of life.
This is the second of our two quizzes on mythology. In it you’ll find more taxing questions about gods and goddesses, heroes, monsters and magical beings. Are you up to the task? You are required to recollect such names as Volturnus, Oedipus, Zeus, Odin, the Dioscuri, the Naiads and Thor – and not only their names but also the cultures they came from and the roles they had; alternatively you could always go to another quiz!