History of Riddles - PRE/INTERMEDIATE

Riddles – a small word that encompasses many different kinds of puzzles nowadays. But where ❌ it come from? And for ❌ has mankind had it?

Origin and Meaning of the Riddle

The word ‘riddle’ describes a statement or question, ❌ directly requires a concrete answer or presents a puzzle whose hidden meaning has ❌ deciphered. There are two kinds of riddles. First ❌ the enigma – a metaphorically expressed riddle – and second there is a conundrum – a very tricky problem ❌ including a pun in its question or answer. An example for a conundrum would be: “What is the difference between a jeweler and a jailer?” – “One sells watches and the other watches cells.”

The word ‘riddle’ has the same origin ❌ the word ‘read’. It is an Old English word which meant interpret or guess. It always revolves around the same meaning of ‘to understand/ interpret the symbols’.

Ancient Riddles

The ❌ preserved riddle is from ancient Mesopotamia. Another Sumerian riddle asks the answerer to name a certain institution, ❌ you can guess:

“There is a house. One enters it blind and comes out seeing. What is it?”

In the Near East the riddle ❌ spread through classic ancient Greece. The philosopher Aristotle mentions a close relationship ❌ the riddle and the metaphor:

“Good riddles do, ❌, provide us with satisfactory metaphors; for metaphors imply riddles, and therefore a good riddle can furnish a good metaphor“.

Ancient and medieval literature is ❌ riddles. They were used ❌ to bring suspense to the text and to pass on cultural tradition. One example ❌ be the double meanings hidden in the written words that composed the foundation of the knowledge of medieval scholars. In that sense, riddles also had an educational ❌e, because they were designed to approach their audience through one of the many meanings a single word could have in ❌ given situation.

Riddles in the Folk Tales of the Brothers Grimm

In modern times a lot of medieval riddles ❌ preserved in old folk tales, ❌ in the collection of Children’s and Household Tales (1812) of the Brothers Grimm. The two German culture experts lovingly preserved ❌ 200 tales in their books, ❌ became extremely popular the world over.

There is ❌ a German fairy tale called The Riddle collected by Brothers Grimm ❌ solving a riddle also leads ❌ a royal marriage. So ❌ we can see, riddles ❌ served the same purpose in old folk tales: solving a riddle was rewarded with a prize and emphasized the wise and noble character of the story’s hero.

Types of Riddles

The riddle has stood the test of time and is ❌ a popular medium for spending free time or sharpening mental abilities. Nowadays there are many kinds of word- or letter-based riddles ❌ the poetic ones. A short selection can be ❌ here:

Riddles as Poems or Prose: these riddles are small texts set in poetry or prose.

Anagrams are a small kind of riddle. They usually ❌ one word, but can also be extended to ❌ sentences. Their letters can be reordered to form ❌ word or sentence. Thus anagram riddles hide a second meaning in themselves.

A ❌ example comes from the book and film series Harry Potter. In Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets the name of early student TOM MARVOLO RIDDLE ❌ the real identity of the person within its letters: it can be rearranged to I AM LORD VOLDEMORT.

Crosswords
A very young type of riddle is the crossword, ❌ questions and answers are arranged in grids. The answer words cross ❌, which is how it got its name. The first modern crossword puzzle was produced ❌ Arthur Wynne in the New York World in 1913.

One of ❌ is the so-called cryptic crossword, ❌ is especially famous in North America. These crosswords use cryptic clues, which do not reveal their real statement or question at ❌. You need to think ❌ to understand the hint with all ❌ hidden meanings.

Of course there are many other types of riddles nowadays.