Riddles are carefully thought out poems that act like a puzzle, and are usually expressed in allegorical or metaphorical ways. Requiring meticulous thinking to answer the conundrum.
Origins
Riddles are also one of the oldest forms of entertainment and have been around since the beginning, when language started. You can trace the origin of "riddles" back to the Old English word rǣdels, which is a Germanic term from the verb, rēdaną, which means to interpret or to guess.
Typically riddles were remembered and handed-down, acting as a cultural touchstone that preserved local knowledge, humour and metaphors. Riddles started showing up in manuscripts, and became part of the ritual of storytelling, where audiences were being asked to participate by guessing, debating and learning.
Through Time
Through time riddles started developing with printing and literacy, gradually moving into newspapers and children's books.
In today's digital world riddles are seen as cognitive exercises that illustrate lateral thinking. Constantly adapting and evolving into puzzles, games, and brainteasers.
History
Learning about the history of riddles allows us to value their role in learning, as we start to see the cryptic cultural references, and how they use language playfully, as well as inspiring problem solving.
Used throughout time for different social functions, they were used as learning devices in verbal tradition. Assisting elders who conveyed their knowledge and values through commentary. In the context of legal or initiation, riddles would serve as scholarly tests. With a correct answer, this would motion preparation for a new social role or access into a group. Communities would exchange riddles during festivals and family gatherings where language became a shared game.
Once printing and literacy started spreading riddles moved into books, periodicals and curated collections. The study of riddles gives readers a greater understanding of how language, local knowledge and metaphor blend together to form puzzles that are culturally specific and universal.
Today
Riddles have been given a new lease of life on digital forums, puzzle sites and social media, enabling users to remix, adapt and submit riddles.
Diving into the history of riddles informs us that a good riddle is a piece of storytelling. Which is why riddles have survived, because they are pocket-sized exercises in creative thinking that teach us how to ask questions and see things in a novel manner.
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