Riddles

• The Ancient World used Riddles in Religion and Mythology.
• Listed below are two from Egypt and one from Greece.

1. Riddle from Ancient Egypt

• What is the Room you leave without entering?
• The Womb.
• What is the Room you enter without leaving?
• The Tomb.

2. Riddle from the Egyptian Book of the Dead

• Thoth would ask the deceased on the Day of Judgement:
  • “Tell me, Who is He whose Roof is of Fire?
  • Whose Walls are living Serpents?
  • Whose Floor is a running Stream?
  • Who is He?”
• The Deceased would give the answer:
  • “Osiris”

3. Riddle of the Sphinx from Ancient Greece

• The name Sphinx derives from Greek Mythology. In Greek Legend, the Sphinx was a female being who guarded the entrance to Thebes in Greece. She strangled all the unfortunate souls who failed to give the correct answer to her famous Riddle, which according to Apollodorus was:

• • ‘Which creature has one voice, and yet becomes four footed, then two footed then three footed?’

• The Riddle was solved by Oedipus who answered:
  • ‘Man: who crawls on all fours as a baby, walks on two feet as an adult, then uses a walking stick in old age.’
• After this reply, the Sphinx leaped off a high cliff and killed herself.

4. The Sphinx’ Second Riddle

• Legend tells of a second Riddle:
  • ‘There are two sisters. The second sister is born by the first, then the first is born by the second. Who are they?’.
• The answer was:
  • ‘Day and night’.