It’s possible that the most famous riddle in the world is the Riddle of the Sphinx. It is considered to be the oldest in the world. Chances are, even if you haven’t read Oedipus Rex, someone has at least asked you the riddle.
“What is the creature that walks on four legs in the morning, two legs at noon and three in the evening?”
If you know the answer to that, than maybe you can tackle these other ancient riddles:
Would that I had now what I had yesterday, find out what that was; mankind it mars, speech it hinders, yet speech it will inspire.
This riddle ponder…
In Nordic Sagas, Odin is often the trickster as well as the father of Thor. In the Hervarar saga, Odin tricks a king into thinking he is Gestumblindi, a man about to be imprisoned, and challenges the king to series of riddles in exchange for his freedom. Can you figure out Odin’s Riddle?
There is a house. One enters it blind, and comes out seeing. What is it?
This riddle is one of the oldest ancient riddles ever told. Writing by Sumerians, one of the earliest Mesopotamian civilizations, it actually wasn’t translated until the 1960s. Why? We are still learning about Sumer.
But this riddle isn’t too hard. I’m sure you can figure it out.
I have heard of a something-or-other, growing in its nook, swelling and rising, pushing up its covering. Upon that boneless thing a cocky-minded young woman took a grip with her hands; with her apron a lord’s daughter covered the tumescent thing.
Those Anlgo-Saxon Britains had dirty minds. So much for God fearing men, right?
This particular riddle is written in The Exeter Book, a large book of poetry written in Old English. It starts off with beautiful religious poems, and then sort of devolves into silly puns and a long list of ancient riddles. No answers were recorded in the book. But over the years, translations have given some possible answers.
What do you think?
What is it which swallows what is before it and what is behind it, as well as anyone who is watching?
You may have heard this riddle before, but it is another from Ancient Greece, found in Delphi, city of Apollo. Delphi is considered to be the center of culture, and in myths is said to be where Zeus looked for the center of the earth. Not surprising, then, that the city is associated with the arts and, interestingly, riddles. Most riddles are said to come from oracles, and therefore the gods. So of course a god would ask something as important as this…
Leave a comment with your guesses as to the answers of these ancient riddles!
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Can You Solve These Ancient Riddles?
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