Australia Trusted Brands 2025

ANSWERS: (CONTINUED FROM PAGE 22) 1 a ) The mythical creature can purify poisoned water with its horn. In art history, it is often depicted as a white horse with a horn on its forehead. 2 a+b ) Francis Ford Cop- pola’s film Bram Stoker ’ s Dracula won three Academy Awards and is considered to be par- ticularly faithful to the original. The director did take some liberties however: in his version, Mina Harker kills Dracula at his request. Her love and compassion redeem him. 3 c )  The rainbow serpent moves from one waterhole to anot- her, underground or with the help of rain clouds. The guardian of the wa- ter is either female, male or ambigu- ous, depending on the region – and is the master of life and death and deserves appropriate respect. 4 d )  The story is the founding myth of East Timor. 5 a) In Greek mythology, Pe- gasus is a winged horse. In 1939, Lila Acheson Wallace, co-foun- der of Reader’s Digest, chose it as the magazine’s logo as it is associated with inspiration, creativity and artis- tic achievement – qualities that fit well with the magazine. 6 d )  According to Hobbes’ Leviathan , the power of the state is similar to that of the biblical sea monster. 7 d ) In Chinese mythology, the dragon stands for luck, power and wealth. It also stands for goodness and intelligence. It is no coincidence that this mythical crea- ture was one of the symbols of the Chinese Emperor. 8 c )  The Hydra’s breath is poisonous. This didn’t frighten the hero Heracles, nor did her many heads – two of which grew back every time one was cut off. With the help of his nephew Iolaus, Her- acles decapitated the regenerating heads while Iolaus cauterised the neck stumps to prevent the heads growing back. 9 a )  Nessie is first mentioned in an account of the life of St Columban of Iona. According to it, he passed Loch Ness, where the monster, which had already killed several people, was about to attack a man. The saint ordered it to retreat – and the creature obeyed. 10 b ) Reportedly, as early as the 14th century, a devout Muslim cleric had the nose of the Sphinx cut off because he was dis- turbed by the large pagan sculpture. 24 June/July 2025 READER’S DIGEST