Riddle
A puzzle using double meaning, found globally across cultures.
A riddle is a statement, question, or phrase with a double or veiled meaning, presented as a puzzle to be solved. Riddles are classified into two types: enigmas, which use metaphorical or allegorical language requiring careful thought, and conundrums, which rely on punning. They are considered a universal art form, appearing across hundreds of cultures worldwide.
- types
- enigmas and conundrums
- etymology
- from Common Germanic *rēdaną, meaning 'to interpret' or 'guess'
- earliest recorded
- Ancient Sumer, circa 2000 BCE
- key scholars
- Robert Petsch, Robert A. Georges, Alan Dundes, Archer Taylor, Elli Köngäs-Maranda
Lore & Background
Some of the earliest recorded riddles come from Ancient Sumer, with the oldest tablet dated around 2000 BCE. In Babylon, these were primarily copied for schoolbooks, theorized to have been written from oral tradition. The Sumerian genre term for 'riddle' is i-bi-lu-(dug-ga), meaning both tēltu and hittu. The most well-known Sumerian riddle describes a house with a mouth like a plow, a hand like a hand, and a foot like a foot, whose answer is a (scribal) school. Many riddles appear in similar form across many countries and continents; borrowing happens both locally and across great distances, as with the Riddle of the Sphinx documented in the Marshall Islands.
Reader's Guide
Riddles have been a prominent literary form in ancient and medieval worlds, extensively attested in written records. Academic research has focused on collecting, cataloguing, defining, and typologising riddles, with key work by Antti Aarne and Archer Taylor. The rise of anthropology in the 1950s and 1960s encouraged study of the social role of riddles, highlighting their function in re-orienting reality in the face of fear and anxiety. Elli Köngäs-Maranda noted that while myths encode social norms, 'riddles make a point of playing with conceptual boundaries and crossing them for the intellectual pleasure of showing that things are not quite as stable as they seem'—though the point may ultimately be to affirm those boundaries. Riddles have also attracted linguists studying them from the perspective of semiotics, and the twenty-first century has seen extensive work on medieval European riddles from an eco-critical viewpoint, exploring how riddles inform about people's conceptualisation of their environment. Wide-ranging studies have tended to be limited to Western countries, with Asian and African riddles relatively neglected.
Did You Know?
- The modern English word 'riddle' shares its origin with 'read', both from the Common Germanic verb *rēdaną, meaning 'to interpret' or 'guess'.
- Some of the earliest recorded riddles come from Ancient Sumer, with the oldest tablet dated around 2000 BCE.
- The Riddle of the Sphinx has been documented in the Marshall Islands, possibly carried there by Western contacts in the last two centuries.
Frequently Asked Questions
What exactly is a riddle as a game form?
A riddle is a puzzle posed as a statement, question, or phrase that hides a double or veiled meaning, challenging the solver to uncover the intended answer. It is recognized as a universal art form documented in hundreds of cultures worldwide.
What are the two main types of riddles?
Riddles divide into enigmas, which rely on metaphorical or allegorical language that demands careful interpretation, and conundrums, which depend on punning and wordplay to mislead the solver.
Who are the key scholars in riddle studies?
Notable researchers include Robert Petsch, Robert A. Georges, Alan Dundes, Archer Taylor, and Elli Köngäs-Maranda, each contributing to the academic understanding of riddle traditions across cultures.
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