What was the first riddle?

Answer 1

The initial poster said, "This is a tough one, because anyone that would know that would be dead by now, unless they wrote it down.... Good question but this one needs lots of research."

Well, it WAS written down more that 3000 years ago! We can find it in The Bible, in the Book of Judges, in chapter 14. Starting at verse 12 we read,

"And Samson said unto them, I will now put forth a riddle unto you.... Out of the eater came forth meat, and out of the strong came forth sweetness."

"And they could not expound the riddle.... and they said unto Samson's wife (Delilah), Entice thy husband, that he may declare unto us the riddle, lest we burn thee and thy father's house."

"And she wept before him the seven days.... and it came to pass.... that he told her.... and she told the riddle to the children of her people."

Ohhh, that witch, but then again her own people were going the burn her house down!

"And the men of the city said unto him.... What is sweeter than honey? and what is stronger than a lion?"

"And he said unto them, If ye had not plowed with my heifer, ye had not found out my riddle."

And that, I do believe, is the oldest riddle. Clocking in at 1050 BC.

As a final side point, what IS sweeter than honey? Well, in the nature world, quite frankly, NOTHING is sweeter than honey, even to this day. Amen.

* verses quoted here are from the non-copyrighted King James version of the Bible.

To the person above, The Riddle of the Sphinx dates back to as early as 5000 BC, so if both is true (Date of bible, and date of records for Sphinx) then Sphinx is older. "What walks on four legs in the morning, two legs in the afternoon, and three at night?" "Man, As a baby you crawl on all fours, adult on two, and as an elder on a cane."

Answer 2

The first riddle known was found in a 4500 year old burial mound at Xiaquan in Yunnan province in central China. The riddle is:

Mr Riddle puzzle me in and puzzle me out.
Riddle me dark from the cave to shout.
The question is easy the answer is not.
It lives in the future that has yet to arrive.
I would if I could I could not and died.
Had I have lived I would have not lied.

Mr Puzzle riddle me left riddle me right.
Puzzle me bright from the fire to light.
The answer is easy the question is not.
It lies in the past that time has forgot.
Do I just jest or do I jest not.
I know the truth do I or do I not.

What was the question and answer?

Answer 3

A few really old riddles:

Q: Why did the chicken cross the road? A: To get to the other side.

Q: Why did the ___ wear red suspenders? A: To hold his/her/its pants up.

Q: How much wood could a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood? A: ???

The oldest riddle is often said to be the riddle of the Sphinx, a mythological creature in Ancient Greece:

"What goes on four legs in the morning, on two legs at noon, and on three legs in the evening?"

The answer is "a man" as we crawl as babies, walk as adults and an old man walks with a stick.

The Sphinx would bar the road to travellers and eat them if they couldn't answer correctly. Oedipus solved the riddle, and the Sphinx destroyed herself.

Answer 4

"If you have it, you want to share it." If you share it, you haven't got it." What is it? ANSWER: Shhh! I can't tell you- its a secret!

Answer 5

Why did the chicken cross the road?

To get to the other side ha ha ha.....

Answer 6

I'm gray and as dull as can be,and as hard as a rock.

What am I?

Answer 7

Why is a raven like a writing desk?

Answer 8

What came first the chicken or the egg?

Answer 9

the pme tjat tou can figr fdas