A molecular biologist from Madurai, our quizmaster enjoys trivia and music, and is working on a rock ballad called ‘Coffee is a Drink, Kaapi is an Emotion’. @bertyashley
Quiz: Easy like Sunday morning – All about national anthems
‘Wilhelmus’, the anthem of the Netherlands, is the oldest in the world, dating back to 1572.
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1 / 10 |
On September 14, 1814, Francis Scott Key witnessed the attack on Fort McHenry from a ship in Baltimore and wrote the poem ‘Defence of Fort M’Henry’. He wrote about the large flag with 15 stars and stripes, and the “rockets’ red glare” and “bombs bursting in air”. This eventually became the National Anthem of which country?
Answer : The United States of America
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2 / 10 |
‘Namo Namo Matha’ was a song composed by Ananda Samarakoon, which in 1951, became the national anthem of this country. The lyrics were inspired by a Bengali poet under whom he had studied in Santiniketan and was responsible for the national anthems of India and Bangladesh. Which country and who was this poet?
Answer : Sri Lanka, Rabindranath Tagore
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3 / 10 |
The tune for the national anthem of this country comes from a very popular song called ‘Terang Bulan’. When its Sultan went to London for the coronation of King Edward VII in 1902, he was asked to provide the anthem. Not wanting to disclose that they didn’t have one, he hummed the tune, and eventually it became the official melody. Which country’s anthem is this, now known as ‘Negaraku’?
4 / 10 |
In 1853, this country held a competition to find out who could write the most inspiring poem, which could be the lyrics for their national anthem. Francisco Bocanega’s girlfriend was convinced he was the right person to do so, contrary to his own beliefs. So, she locked him in a room filled with historical pictures till he slid a poem under the door. Which country’s ‘himno nacional’ is this?
5 / 10 |
‘Wilhelmus’, the anthem of the Netherlands, is the oldest in the world, dating back to 1572. It tells the story of Willam van Nassau, the Dutch leader and ‘Father of the Nation’. If the anthem has 15 stanzas, how does it pay tribute to him?
Answer : An acrostic. The first letters of each stanza spell out his name.
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6 / 10 |
The national anthem of Andorra is unique in the way it tells the story of the nation’s founding. The English translation starts, “The great Charlemagne, my Father, liberated me from the Saracens.” This gives the anthem what unique characteristic among all the anthems?
7 / 10 |
When this Central European country was formed in 1918, the national anthem was created combining one verse from an opera called Fidlovačka and another verse from a folk song ‘Kopala studienku’. When the country was split in two in 1993, the anthem was split as well, and each country retained its line as its national anthem. Which two countries are these?
8 / 10 |
The national anthem of this country was written after the declaration of war against Austria in 1792, hence it refers to blood-soaked flags and fighting bloodthirsty soldiers. Which country’s anthem is this, whose evocative melody appears in a lot of popular culture?
9 / 10 |
There are only four national anthems with a peculiar characteristic. Kosovo, San Marino, Bosnia & Herzegovina, and the most famous country whose anthem is called ‘Martha Real’. They produce a lot of sports champions who, upon winning, do not behave as others normally do. Which country and what is different about these?
Answer : Spain; and no words, it is completely instrumental
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10 / 10 |
The national anthem of this country was adopted in 1997 and is the only one in the world that is written in five different languages. Which country is this if four of those languages are Xhosa, Zulu, Sesotho and English?
Answer : South Africa (Afrikaans being the fifth language)
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