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This test consists of 5 multiple choice questions, 5 short answer questions, and 10 short essay questions.

Multiple Choice Questions

1. _____ is the cry that is made when an offering is presented to the gods.
(a) "Vasat!".
(b) "Soma!".
(c) "Agni!".
(d) "Visvakarman!".

2. What is symbolic of primeval chaotic matter, the seed of the creator, and the sacrificial oblation?
(a) Water.
(b) Sky.
(c) Butter.
(d) Milk.

3. Susna is the demon of _____.
(a) Day.
(b) Drought.
(c) Night.
(d) Flood.

4. Which river surrounds heaven and earth in the unknown god myth?
(a) Rasa.
(b) Euphrates.
(c) Ganges.
(d) Tiber.

5. What are the human and demonic enemies of the invading Indo-Aryans?
(a) Saramas.
(b) Agnus.
(c) Atmans.
(d) Panis.

Short Answer Questions

1. What word is often identified with the soul?

2. How many of the horse's thirty-six ribs are distributed to the universe in ritual sacrifice?

3. What is the piece of wood attached crosswise at the top of the stake used in the horse sacrifice?

4. "The Origins of Sacred Speech" hymn speaks of the recreation of the origins of sacred speech through _____of the Vedic sacrifice.

5. What is the name of the sacrificial drink pressed from a plant?

Short Essay Questions

1. What is the function of the enclosing-sticks in "The Hymn of Man" as opposed to the fuel-sticks?

2. What is the significance of the membrane in "The Gods Coax Agni Out of the Waters"?

3. In the hymn "The Child of the Waters", what do the three women give to the deity, and why?

4. What is the state of clarity of the early stages of creation in "The All-maker", according to the author, and why?

5. What are the the three forms of speech highlighted in the hymn, "Speech", and what do they represent?

6. What is the role of the goat in "The Sacrifice of the Horse" and for whom does it do this?

7. What is the actual content of the secret in "The Mystery of Agni"?

8. What is the sacred grass in "The Hymn of Man" and what is it used for?

9. What is the back story about the priest of the oblation's getting angry in "The Birth of Agni", and what does the priest do that is mentioned in this hymn?

10. Who are the three brothers in "The Riddle of the Sacrifice" and with whom are they associated in the text?

(see the answer keys)

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