Gourt > Society > Folklore > Literature > Riddles (3)
A riddle is a form of word puzzle designed to test someone's ingenuity and lateral thinking in arriving at a solution.
Ancestry
Riddles have a distinguished literary ancestry, although the contemporary sort of conundrum that passes under the name of "riddle" may not make this obvious. Riddles occur extensively in Old English poetry, and also in the Old Norse literature of the Elder Edda and the skalds. The Exeter Book, a manuscript in Old English, preserves almost sixty versified riddles from the Old English literature. An example:
- Moððe word fræt. Me þæt þuhte
- wrætlicu wyrd, þa ic þæt wundor gefrægn,
- þæt se wyrm forswealg wera gied sumes,
- þeof in þystro, þrymfæstne cwide
- ond þæs strangan staþol. Stælgiest ne wæs
- wihte þy gleawra, þe he þam wordum swealg.
Rocking the Riverland with the Riddles, missing tea with the Tomlinsons, but marrying off the McCulloughs!
sarah_tomlinson (Sarah Tomlinson) Sat, 19 Dec 2009 02:41:41 -0000
Rocking the Riverland with the Riddles, missing tea with the Tomlinsons, but marrying off the McCulloughs!
@canusis Congratulations. Give him our riddles.
randallh9673 (Randy Hodges) Sat, 19 Dec 2009 02:33:46 -0000
@canusis Congratulations. Give him our riddles.
The Anti-Aging Code and learn the secrets of the Chinese to uncover the riddles of aging. http://bit.ly/7jzegF
Aiza_V (ResVMax) Sat, 19 Dec 2009 02:19:28 -0000
The Anti-Aging Code and learn the secrets of the Chinese to uncover the riddles of aging. http://bit.ly/7jzegF
@RondaTodd Yeah...I think we are going to Riddles to see Phat Noiz, it is one of my bandmate's birthday.
KetzerMusic (S. Eric Ketzer) Sat, 19 Dec 2009 01:34:20 -0000
@RondaTodd Yeah...I think we are going to Riddles to see Phat Noiz, it is one of my bandmate's birthday.
@darealdream LOL Are u talkin in riddles? u tryna say u know imma get snowed in 2morro?
N0R3_STTR (N0R3) Sat, 19 Dec 2009 01:00:40 -0000
@darealdream LOL Are u talkin in riddles? u tryna say u know imma get snowed in 2morro?
as gincanas e riddles do foforks são mto tensos D: /pramimqenãofuncionosobpressão
zombiemaay (maay.) Sat, 19 Dec 2009 00:57:35 -0000
as gincanas e riddles do foforks são mto tensos D: /pramimqenãofuncionosobpressão
Aenigmata - The early Medieval riddle collections by Symphosius and Aldhelm (in Latin), with an introduction.
Ambiguity, Classification and Change: The Function of Riddles - Article by Ian Hamnett discussing how riddling reflects social structures, illustrated by Bantu riddles.
Grecian Riddle-Jokes - Article by Evangelos Gr.Avdikos on riddle-jokes, which use word patching for parodying social situations.
Homefun on Riddles - A guide to general questions about riddles, their significances, and forms.
Mambila Riddle Machine - Interactive introduction to riddles collected in the village of Somié, Cameroon.
Old English Riddles - Paper by Hazel Brewer on the history of Old English riddles.
Sexual Riddles: The Test of The Listener - Article by Annikki Kaivola-Bregenhøj discussing the history and context of sexual riddles.
Sirandanes - Riddles - Riddles of Mauritia in Mauritian Creole, French and English.
Meta Description: [ There are three different orthographies for Mauritian Creole which are distinguished in terms of if and how nasalisation is marked ]
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Syllabus for Puzzling Narratives - Online course materials exploring the function of charms and riddles in traditional and modern literature.
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The Morrison Collection - Dengmi Yadiao - Collection of 67 Chinese lantern riddles (in Chinese) with introduction, from a collection of Chinese books at SOAS.
Yahoo! Groups: ClassicRiddles - Forum keeping the classic rhyming riddles alive.
Meta Description: [ ClassicRiddles: Rhyming riddles like Who am I? and What am I? type. Keeping the Classic Riddle alive and not forgotten. ]
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