Did you know that the first recorded riddle dates back to Ancient Sumer culture? Or that even the bible features one of these word puzzles and that Samson got into trouble because of it? Get to know these and many other fun facts about riddles!
Fun facts about riddles throughout history
1. The dawn of riddles: Ancient Sumer
It is highly likely that riddles first came along with language itself, but until writing was invented, there were no other means to record them for future generations.
The earliest known riddle hails from Ancient Sumer, what is today known as Iraq. While studying this civilization, one of the first known to develop an early form of writing, archeologists, historians, and scholars, in general, were surprised to find a riddle written on a wall of the ruins of an ancient building. The riddle goes as follows: “There is a house. One enters it blind and comes out seeing. What is it?"
Unfortunately, its answer was nowhere to be found, so we cannot be 100% sure of its solution. Nevertheless, historians and scholars are quite confident that the solution is none other than “A school”, reflecting the Sumerians' high regard for education.
2. Riddles in the Bible: Samson’s riddle
The Bible is a book rich in many literary and language elements, be it metaphors, analogies, or parables, just to name a few. Thus, it is no surprise that even riddles feature in this religious book.
More specifically, they take up the central role in the tale of Samson in the Old Testament. According to the Bible, Samson posed the following riddle to his dinner guests: “Out of the eater, something to eat; out of the strong, something sweet." If the guests failed to find the solution, they had to pay a penalty. If they succeeded, Samson would be the one shouldering the punishment.
He was highly optimistic because the solution to the riddle (“Bees making a honeycomb inside the carcass of a lion.”) refers to the episode of Samson’s tale when he kills a young lion with his bare hands and later returns to find a honeycomb inside the carcass. Unfortunately for him, his guests decided to play dirty and threaten his wife so she would tell them the right answer. Maybe they didn’t know how to solve riddles? Or maybe they never intended to solve it in the first place.
3. The riddle of the Sphinx
Perhaps the most famous riddle in history is the riddle of the Sphinx from the Greek tale of Oedipus. The Sphinx, a mythical creature with a woman's head and a lion's body, would pose the following riddle to all travelers trying to enter the Greek city of Thebes: "What goes on four legs in the morning, on two legs at noon, and on three legs in the evening?" Oedipus was the first to find the solution and declare that the answer was “A man”, because humans crawl on all fours as babies, walk on two legs as adults, and use a walking stick when they are old.
A fun fact about riddles such as this one based on a myth is that sometimes there are more versions of the same story. For example, in the case of the riddle of the Sphinx, some versions mention a second riddle: “There are two sisters: one gives birth to the other and she, in turn, gives birth to the first. Who are the two sisters?”. Oedipus also solved this enigma. The two sisters were none other than “day” and “night”, two nouns that are feminine in Ancient Greek).
4. The wit of Shakespeare’s riddles
Europe has a rich history when it comes to riddles, with their popularity reaching its peak during the Middle Ages. One notable figure who incorporated these word puzzles into his works was none other than the renowned playwright William Shakespeare. Known for his exceptional command of language and cleverness, Shakespeare included riddles in several of his plays.
One of the most well-known examples is the "Riddle of Venice" found in his play 'The Merchant of Venice'. In it, the merchant devises a clever riddle to be presented to his daughter’s suitors. Only the one who solves the puzzle can be considered worthy of his beloved Portia.
The merchant set up three caskets with the winning one containing a photo of his daughter inside. The caskets were made of gold, silver, and lead.
The golden casket had the clue: “Who chooseth me shall gain what many men desire.” On the silver casket was: “Who chooseth me shall get as much as he deserves.” And lastly, the lead casket had the message “Who chooseth me must give and hazard all he hath.”
The riddle is a testament to Shakespeare's ability to entertain and challenge his audience with his wit and wordplay. The lead casket contained the photo because marriage is made of sacrifices and hard work.
A fun fact about riddles is that, sometimes, wrong answers can become more famous than right ones. The puzzle of “The Merchant of Venice” may not be known by those unfamiliar with the works of Shakespeare, but the wrong answer hidden inside the golden casket has become a famous saying worldwide: “All that glisters is not gold.”
5. Neck riddles: when riddles save lives
Neck riddles are a particular type of riddles - one that saves necks! Both historically and in fiction, these refer to riddles that are impossible to solve by anyone except the person asking them. The lack of an answer or an incorrect one results in a benefit for the riddler, usually their salvation from certain death.
An example of a neck riddle can be found in J.R.R. Tolkien's 'The Hobbit'. Both the book and the film feature a tense riddle competition between Bilbo Baggins and Gollum, in which the first has agreed to his death if Gollum wins. The competition is fierce and both players prove to be worthy opponents, but when Bilbo is on the verge of losing - both the game and, consequently, his life - he comes up with a neck riddle: “What have I got in my pocket?”. Only Bilbo would know and, in fact, only he knows because the answer was never disclosed.
From history to literature, there are many fun facts about riddles to be explored, none the least because of its universal appeal that has spawned through millennia. These are only a few examples, but you can be assured that there are many more waiting to be told… or their solution to be found.
