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 solved using

intelligence and reasoning apart from mere guessing.
 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
BirnamWood 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
EnigmaVariations
-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 objects of
local character.
BUGTUNGAN TAYO! Let’s ask Riddles!
1. Hindi pari, hindi hari, nagdadamit ng sari-
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.
(Adam's hair, you can't count.) RAIN
5. Bibingka ng hari, hindi mo mahati.
(Rice cake of the king, that you cannot divide.) WATER
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.