ABSTRACT

First Published in 2005. The true folk riddle of oral traditions that have been rapidly disappearing from the face of the earth in the last hundred years is one of the most ancient threads of culture. One of the smallest genres of verbal culture—usually under a dozen of words, it is an intensely articulated utterance. It is eccentric and as such breaks every logical mould. This volume presents results of a study driven by the sheer intellectual curiosity of the author.

chapter 1|2 pages

Introduction

chapter 2|8 pages

Methodological Reflections

chapter 4|6 pages

The Problem of Riddle's Functioning

chapter 5|3 pages

The Folk Riddle: Genus and Species

chapter 6|8 pages

The True Riddle

chapter 7|6 pages

The True Riddle and Its Environs

chapter 8|5 pages

Classification and Taxonomy

chapter 9|4 pages

Classification According to Archer Taylor

chapter 10|5 pages

The Post-Taylorian Perspective

chapter 11|6 pages

The Folk Riddle as a Figure of Concealment

chapter 12|5 pages

The Implicit Target of the Riddle

chapter 13|4 pages

The Nexus of Morphology and Function

chapter 15|4 pages

In the Wings of Taylor's Classification

chapter 16|10 pages

The Eidetic Core of the Folk Riddle

chapter 19|6 pages

The Poetic Form of the Folk Riddle

chapter 20|3 pages

Final Notes

chapter 21|4 pages

Summary