μῦθοι Mythoi
Motif

Riddle of the year.

Tests. · Tests of cleverness. · Riddles. · Metaphorical riddles. · view the constellation · filed as H721

In our texts — keyword-matched, unreviewed
Cited in the index
  • general **Aarne FFC XXVI 74ff.
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Filed under Metaphorical riddles.

4 finer motifs beneath it
Riddle: tree with twelve branches, each with thirty leaves, black and white. Year, month, days and nights Riddle: tree with leaves white on one side and black on other. Year made up of nights and days Riddle: twelve cypresses with thirty boughs each. Years and months Riddle: palace consisting of 8760 stones; twelve trees, thirty branches, each with black and white cluster of grapes. Year, months, days, hours
Filed beside it
Riddle of the day and night. (Cf. H721.1, H721.2, H721.4.) Riddle of the course of the sun Riddle: who are the real travellers? The son and the moon Riddle of king and courtiers Riddle: what is the mother who devours her children when they grow up? (Ocean and rivers.) Riddle white field, black seed. (Paper with writing.) Riddle: two legs, three legs, four legs. (Man, three-legged stool dog.) Riddle: four hang, four walk, two show the road, one wags behind. (Cow's teats, feet, eyes, tail.) (Other answers: cat, dog, horse, hog, etc.) Riddle: six legs, four ears, two faces, etc. (Horse and rider.) Riddle: bill white, horns on feet, knob on head (cock) Riddle: who of fourfold beard is he, of azure foot and neck so ruddy? Arrow Riddle of the Sphinx: what is it that goes on four legs in the morning, on two at midday, and on three in the evening. (Man, who crawls as a child, walks in middle life, and walks with a stick in old age.) Riddle: what is the creature that is of all countries, that is loved by all the world, and that has no equal? (The sun.) Riddle: the father not yet born, the son already at the top of the house. (Flame and smoke.) Riddle: bird without feathers flies on tree without leaves. (Snow falls on bare tree.) From wooden spring iron bucket makes stones from which water flows. (Metal stick picks stone from eye. If you rub lids with it, tears come.)

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