ABSTRACT
The study of riddles has followed the trends of the study of folklore in general, from the reconstruction of ancient mythology and mythical thinking, through the historic-geographic method of Antti Aarne and the comparative notes of Archer Taylor, to functionalism, structuralism, and the performance-centered approach, with excursions into Freudian and literary interpretations. Myths, by definition, are important: they explain how the world came to be the way it is. One often finds the opinion that riddles are somehow, at a fundamental, basic level, akin to myths. Courtship offers another widespread occasion for riddling. Love songs with riddles in them are common in northern and eastern Europe and in Asia. Riddling can encourage either mental agility or rote learning. Riddles thus can exercise the intellect beyond the common needs of everyday life. The riddles used in tales range from the profound to the ridiculous.
