RIDDLES Presented by Fretzie F Alfaro DEFINITION According

RIDDLES Presented by: Fretzie F. Alfaro

DEFINITION According to the Encyclopedia Americana, it is a statement or a question, having a double or veiled meaning, put forth as a puzzle to be solved According to the Oxford Encyclopedia of Children’s Literature, these are enigmatic questions that are frequently used in narratives as contests and puzzles. Mostly entail a question that needs to be

HISTORY Riddles are of very ancient origin and are found in most cultures. In early years… -riddles are often portentous, used by oracles and soothsayers to convey messages from the Gods. Ex. Delphic oracle -riddles appear in the Bible and in the Quran (Koran) Ex. Samson’s riddle “Out of the eater came forth meat, and out of the strong came forth sweetness” (Judges 14: 14) HONEY

-philosophers like Aristole analyzed riddles as metaphorical expressions related to natural phenomena -in classical mythology, the famous riddle was told by the Sphinx and solved by Oedipus “What animal in the morning goes on four feet, at noon on two, and in the evening on three? MAN

In medieval years… -riddles figures significantly in European writings, such as the Anglo-Saxon Exeter Book -part of Shakespeare’s Macbeth as Macbeth’s downfall is foretold enigmatically “Macbeth shall never vanquished be until Great Birnam Wood to high Dunsinane Hill shall come against him. ” -riddles, particularly conundrums, are now primarily part of children’s play

In recent years, riddles have found their way from literature into other art forms. -in the plot of Giacomo Puccini’s opera Turandot -the musical riddles of Sir Edward Elgar’s Enigma Variations -in the fine arts the appeal of riddles is suggested in the metaphysical paintings such as Giorgio de Chirico’s Enigma of an Autumn Afternoon

CHARACTERISTICS Rely on the unusual use of everyday language for description Use of language in confusing or unusual ways Playful format Are most often oral but can also be pictorial in nature Uses metaphor

TYPES OF RIDDLES 1. Enigma -problems generally expressed in metaphorical or allegorical language and which require ingenuity and careful thinking for their solution -include proverbs and fables Example: Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall, Humpty Dumpty had a great fall. All the king's horses and all the king's men Couldn't put Humpty together again.

2. Conundrum - questions the effects of which are based on punning, in either the question or the answer Example: What is black and white and read all over?

RIDDLES IN THE PHILIPPINES Riddles have been a central part of Filipino tradition since well before the country became a colony of Spain, and the tradition persisted throughout the colonial period and into modern times. They are an important part of the oral history tradition of the country and have been passed down for several generations. When told in the native Filipino language, the riddles employ many poetic devices. They usually rhyme and they often rely on simile and metaphor to offer clues. The rhyming is lost in English translations of the riddles. Filipino riddles deal largely with animals, plants and

BUGTUNGAN TAYO! Let’s ask Riddles! 1. Hindi pari, hindi hari, nagdadamit ng sari. CLOTHESLINE (Not a priest, not a king but wears different kinds of clothes. ) 2. Bugtong-pala-bugtong, kadenang umuugong. (Riddle me, riddle me, here comes a roaring chain). TRAIN 3. Heto na si Kaka, bubuka-bukaka. (Here comes Kaka, walking with an open leg. ) SCISSOR 4. Buhok ni Adan, hindi mabilang.

Baboy sa lasang, ang tunok puro lansang. A wild pig of the forest is covered with spikes. Nangka or Jackfruit Tigmo, tigmo agokoy, ugma ra kita mag-asoy. Riddles made in the night will be answered in the morning light. Damgo or dream Kabayo ni Adan, dili moka-on ug dili kabay-an. The horse of Adam does not eat unless someone rides on it. Kudkuran or coconut grater

Tarheta ko nga plastic Subra pa sa magic Ibag-id lang nakun Bayad tanan nga balaklun. (Tarheta kong plastic Sobra pa sa madyik Ikaskas ko lamang Binili ko’y nababayaran. ) Answer: credit card

Telegrama sang reyna Mabaton insigida Kun ikaw magsabat sa iya Tagpiso kada padala. (Telegrama ng reyna Mabilis agad na nakuha Kung sasagutin mo siya Piso bawat padala. ) Answer: text message

Wala nagapakilimos Pero ginadahuan kwarta Indi siya hari Pero may trono sia. (Hindi siya namamalimos Pero inaabutan ng pera Hindi siya hari Pero may trono siya. ) Answer: jeepney driver

Ate ko, ate mo, ate nang lahat ng tao. ATIS Dumaan si kabo negro, namatay lahat ng tao. BUWAN Ang baka ko sa Maynila, abot dito ang unga. KULOG Bahay ni Tinyente, iisa ang poste. PAYONG

REFERENCES Encyclopedia Americana. International ed. Danbury, Connecticut: Scholastic Library Publishing Inc. , 2005. The Oxford Encyclopedia of Children’s Literature. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2006.