Monday, October 29, 2018

Riddles

Riddles are solved all over the world. There are riddles from Mongolia, Hungary, India, Persia, Africa, Russia, China, Finland, Scandinavia and The Philippines. The Ancient Egyptians, the Ancient Greeks as well as the American Indians all admired riddle solvers. Riddles have been in existence since before recorded history. In certain cultures, they had been one of the ways folklore was handed from one generation to the next.

Based on Greek mythology, the Sphinx sat outside of Thebes and asked passing travellers a riddle. In case they couldn't answer, they will die.

"What goes on 4 legs in the morning, on 2 legs at noon, and also on 3 legs in the evening?"

When Oedipus gave the correct answer, male, the Sphinx destroyed herself.

The Ancient Greeks thought highly of riddles as they were meant to demonstrate the intelligence of a male. Homer, who published the story of Oedipus, was thought to have died indirectly due to a riddle he was not able to solve.

"What we caught we threw away. What we did not catch, we kept."

The answer is Lice.

There's the riddle Samson uses to outwit the Philistines, in the Bible.

"Out of the eater came something to eat, And outside of the good came something sweet."

The solution was that Samson had taken honey from a hive that had been created in the carcass of a lion.

In the Middle Ages, street entertainers lived by asking riddles. In case they might think of a fascinating riddle, they could entice travellers to pay them.

In Africa, riddles were previously used as a rite of passage for folks that are young. Sometimes today, they're worn as a non violent form of competitive game.

In Fiji, they previously held the champions and riddle tournaments will have a feast held in the honour of theirs.

This riddle was said to be a favourite of Theodore Roosevelt.

I talk, but I don't speak the mind of mine.
I listen to words, but I don't listen to thoughts.
When I wake, all see me.
When I sleep, all hear me.
Many heads are on the shoulders of mine.
Many hands are at the legs of mine.
The strongest steel can't break the visage of mine.
But, probably the softest whisper is able to destroy me.

The solution is an actor.

Riddles continue to be widely used today although getting the proper solution isn't a case of death or life, as it was in old times.

https://riddlesdb.com/hard/

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