“ Religious riddles, relating to beads, bells, church, crucifixes, are common enough and are necessarily due to outside influence, but even such sometimes show a non-European attitude of mind, metaphorical expression or form of thought.
Everywhere riddles vary in quality and value. Many are stupid things, crudely conceived and badly expressed. Only the exceptional is fine. Examine any page of one of our own riddle books Page 9and you may criticize almost every riddle upon it for view-point, or form, or flavor. We must not demand more from Filipino riddles than from our own. ”

“ The word for riddle varies with the population. In Ilocano it is burburtia, in Pangasinan boniqueo, in Tagal bugtong, in Gaddang ———, in Pampangan bugtong, in Bisayan tugmahanon.
Riddles are common to all mankind. They delighted the old Aryans and the ancient Greeks as they do the modern Hindu and the Bantu peoples of darkest Africa. Many writers have defined the riddle. Friedreich in his Geschichte des Räthsels, says: “The riddle is an indirect presentation of an unknown object, in order that the ingenuity of the hearer or reader may be exercised in finding it out.... ”

“ It is only by such an analysis of riddle forms that a comparative study of riddles can be made. Any single riddle is best understood, by the constant holding before the mind this pattern framework and noting the degree of development of the case in hand.
The Filipinos themselves recognize several classes of riddles. An old Tagal lady told us there were three kinds:
1. Alo-divino: concerning God and divine things 2. Alo-humano: concerning persons 3. Parabula: all others
There is no science in this classification, which embodies considerable corrupted Spanish. ”

“ We know of but two references to Malayan riddles; one is Rizal, Specimens of Tagal Folk-Lore, the other is Sibree's paper upon the Oratory, Songs, Legends, and Folk-Tales of the Malagasy. This is no doubt an incomplete bibliography but the field has been sadly neglected and even to secure Page 7this list has demanded much labor. It suffices to show how deeply the riddle is rooted in Oriental thought and indicates the probability that riddles were used in Malaysia long before European contact.
To what degree Filipino riddles are indigenous and original is an interesting but difficult question. ”

“ Filipino riddles are mostly given out by young people. When several are gathered together they will question and answer; they are much in vogue when a young gentleman calls upon his sweetheart; among Tagals and Pampangans at least the chief occasion for giving bugtong is when a little group are watching at night beside a corpse. In propounding a riddle it is not uncommon to challenge attention by repeating as witty a rhyme, which is quite as often Page 18coarse as witty. One Tagal example runs ”

“ Most inane of all, but with plenty of analogues among ourselves, are those where the answer itself is introduced into the question with the intention to mislead; “Its skin is green and its flesh is red like a watermelon.” ”

“ Bahay ni San Gabriel
punong puno nang barel.
Just as in European riddles certain set phrases or sentences are found frequently at the beginning or end of the riddle. In Ilocano and Pangasinan a common introductory form is “What creature of God” or “What thing made by Lord God,” the expression in reality being equivalent to a simple “what.” These pious forms do not at all necessarily refer either to animals or natural objects; thus, a boat or a house is just as good a “creature of God” as a fowl is. ”

“ Filipino riddles deal largely with animals, plants and objects of local character; such must have been made in the Islands even if influenced by Spanish models and ideas. Some depend upon purely local customs and conditions—thus numbers 170, 237, etc., could only originate locally. Some, to which the answers are such words as egg, needle and thread, etc., (answers Page 8common to riddles in all European lands) , may be due to outside influence and may still have some local or native touch or flavor, in their metaphors; thus No. 102 is actually our “Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall;” ”

“ Of “true riddles” there is a vast variety of form and content. Most typical is the descriptive riddle of a single object to be guessed. In its complete and normal form Petsch claims that such a riddle consists of five elements or parts. 1 Introduction; 2 denominative; 3 descriptive; 4 restraint or contrast; 5 conclusion. 1 and 5 are merely formal, trimmings; 2 and 3 are inherent and essential; 4 is common and adds vigor and interest. Such complete and “normal” Page 12riddles are rare in any language. Usually one or more of the five elements are lacking. ”

“ Akin to personification is bold metaphor and association. In this there may or may not be some evident analogy; thus a crawfish is “a bird,” the banca or canoe is “rung” (like a bell.) Not uncommonly the word “house” is used of anything thought of as containing something; thus “Santa Ana's house,” “San Gabriel's house;” this use is particularly used in speaking of fruits. “Santa Ana's house is full of bullets” is rather pretty description for the papaya. The word “work” is often used for a thing made, or a manufactured article. ”

“ Krauss emphasizes the fact that everywhere riddles tend to coarseness and even to obscenity and discusses the reasons. What is true elsewhere is true here; a considerable number of Filipino riddles are coarse; we have introduced them but emphasize the fact that any scientifically formed collection of German or English riddles would contain some quite as bad.
Probably few of our readers have considered the taxonomy of riddles. Friedreich offers a loose and unscientific classification as follows:
I. The Question Riddle. II. The Simple Word Riddle (with seven sub-divisions) . ”

“ My own collection was begun among Ilocano of Union Province from whom about two hundred examples were secured. Others were later secured from Pangasinan, Gaddang, Pampangan, Bisayan and Tagal sources. My informants have chiefly been school-boys, who spoke a little English; they wrote the text of riddle and answer in their native tongue and then we went over them carefully together to make an English translation and to get at the meaning. Many Filipinos know how to read and write their native language, although few have had actual instruction in doing so. ”

“ The word parabula is Page 13Spanish in source and equivalent to our parable; biniyabas is Tagal.
Some features of our riddles call for comment. Filipino riddles, in whatever language, are likely to be in poetical form. The commonest type is in two well-balanced, rhyming lines. Filipino versification is less exacting in its demand in rhyme than our own; it is sufficient if the final syllables contain the same vowel; thus Rizal says—ayup and pagud, aval and alam, rhyme. The commonest riddle verse contains five or seven, or six, syllables, thus ”

“ When a riddle occurs in different languages, the text of the question is given in one, but the fact of its occurrence in others is indicated.
We are indebted to many for assistance. The list is too long for individual acknowledgment. To our original Ilocano helpers this little book is dedicated. To Messrs. George T. Shoens, Francisco A. Santos (Calumpit) , Rufino Santos (Arayat) and Conrado Benitez (Pagsanghan) , we are so deeply indebted that their names must be mentioned. To Page 21school boys in Agoo, San Fernando (Union) , Malolos, Manila and Tayug, we owe many thanks. ”

“ Louis Dahle. Dahle's book is entitled Specimens of Malayasy Folklore and its material is presented in Malagasy Page 19only. Mr. Sibree translates twenty of his riddles. They are in character and flavor like many of the Filipino riddles. As Sibree does not give the native text and I have not seen Dahle's book, I cannot know whether they are rhymed. They are all of the type of true riddles to be guessed, descriptions wherein one or two characteristics or striking features are presented, either directly or figuratively. ”

“ There is a lemon-tree growing in the middle of the sea; many people desire to take it, but cannot; only one person can succeed.
Your sister
To be married.
Mat. 223 Mig quera cu babo ebus, lalam sasa cu me tudtud.
(Pamp.) Dase
I lay down upon the buri, under the nipa I slept.
Petate
The sleeping mat is laid down upon the floor (of buri) ; the roof is of nipa.
224 Sa gabey dagat sa arao ay bumbong.
(Tag.) Baneg
At night it is a sea, in the day it is the bambu carry-tube.
Petate
The petate is the sleeping mat of rushes; in the day-time it is rolled up and set away ”

“ More scientific than Friedreich's work is Petsch's Studien über das Volksrätsel. His analysis and dissection of riddle forms best enable us to test the indigenous content of our Filipino riddles. He recognizes two fundamental riddle types. ”

“ Bell
The curved side of the bell is compared to a washed out slope or curve of the bank; the bagsang are small fishes; the bell is the church bell—the little fishes are the people.
17 Otin nen laquic Tapal ni baleuet ed corral manaquis, ya agnaecal.
(Pang.) Campana
Tapal's ——— hanging within the corral is crying to get out.
Bell
Tapal is a nickname for an old man.
Betel. 18 Adda tallo nga babbalasang quet no mapanda maquimisa; iti caoes ti maysa ata berde, quet dadiay maysa Page 29ata porao, quen dadiay maysa ata lomabaga; quet norommuardan ata malabaga amin iti caoesdan. ”

“ You have not cleaned yourself;
If you do not guess it
You are dirty.
We have mentioned two references to Malay riddles. Of the eight given in Rizal's paper five have been given us by our informants. As Rizal's entire paper will be reprinted in another volume of this series we have not copied the other three. Sibree's paper is important for comparison, since it presents matter drawn from the uttermost point of Malaysia, Madagascar, which has been unaffected by Spanish influence. Sibree's article is translated from a little book by another missionary, the Rev. ”

“ The mother is the vine; the child is the fruit. The riddle gains point, by suggesting Page 128a reversal of the natural conditions.
403 Ania iti parsua ni Apo Dios nga aoan ti matana aoan ti ngioatna quen aoan ti obetna quet mangan ti ladoc-ladoc?
(Iloc.) Tabungao
What creature of Lord God has no eyes, no mouth, no anus—and eats ladoc-ladoc? ”

“ Friedreich gives examples of similar expository religious riddles from Europe.
A curious group are the relationship riddles, numbers 286–289, which closely resemble trick questions among ourselves. The evidence of outside influence is here conclusive in the fact that the ideas and terms of relationship in them are purely European, in nowise reflecting the characteristic Malayan system and nomenclature. ”

“ Compare “Coarse rafia cloth outside and white robe inside?” “Manioc root” with the “Poor Page 20outside; rich within,” “Langca” of the Ilocano.
The order of presentation of these riddles has been a considerable problem. To arrange them rigidly in Petsch's order of development might have been fairly satisfactory but would have rendered the finding of any desired riddle difficult. ”

“ We have struck out a crude arrangement in alphabetical order of the English answers, with subdivisions under some general headings. The arrangement is not scientific nor completely developed, but it will perhaps work fairly well in practice. The original text is first given for riddle and answer ”

“ Pot and flame
352 Ing caballero cung negro makasake yang attung cabayu dapat kikiak yang anting loco.
(Pamp.) Balanga ampong nasi.
My black horseman rides three horses but he is crying like a fool.
A pot of cooking rice
The three horses are the firestones or the three supports of the pot in the pottery stove; the bubbling is the crying. ”

“ Bambu shoot
The bud is covered with a down, which disappears.
256 Nang munte ay may tapis, nang lumaki ay bulisles.
(Tag.) Caoayan
When young she wore a tapis; when grown she is unclad
Bambu shoot
The tapis is the most characteristic part of the woman's dress. It is a wide band of dark cloth (black or brown) worn over the other clothing, around the whole middle part of the body. ”

“ Betel-leaf
White lime is smeared upon the green leaf, which is then used to enwrap a bit of areca nut for chewing.
Birds. 22 Nagcapa dimet nagpadi; Nagcorona dimet nagari.
(Iloc.) Manoc
Gown but not priest; crown but not king.
Cock
23 Nancorona agimiet ari; nan capa agmuet pari.
(Pang.) Manoc
The king's crown but not king; the priest's cope, but not priest.
Cock
24 Ania ti pinarsua ni Apo Dios nga ag-gungon ti maquimbaba quet agpidot ti maquin ngato? ”

“ Lighted candle
85 Isang butel na palay punong puno ang bahay.
(Tag.) Ilao
A grain of rice fills the whole house.
Light
The flame of a candle is a little thing, comparable to a rice grain; yet it gives light to the whole house.
Cardinal Points. 86 Adda uppat a nga amigos; idi naparsua toy lubong inda naisigud. ”

“ Lamp. 214 Metung a butil a pale kitmu ne ing bale.
(Pamp.) Sumbu
A single grain of rice, filled the whole house.
A lamp
215 Memala ya ing labak meto ya ing tugak.
(Pamp.) Sumbu
The swamp dried up and the frog died.
An oil lamp
216 Adda lognac quen adda met agtaytayab daytoy nga agtaytayab aggiyan ditoy nga lognac quet no mamamagaan daytoy nga lognaquen matay met datoy agtaytayaben.
(Iloc.) Lamparaan
There is a pond and a bird; this bird lives in the pond. When the pond dries up, the bird dies.
Lamp
Love. ”

“ The trunk cocoanut; the leaves swords; the fruit bullets.
Buri palm
267 Angibitinac na liquen tangtanga yey mamasiquen.
(Pang.) Camantilis
I was hung by a potring; the old men looked up at me.
Camachili
The pendent fruit suggests the riddle.
268 Nano nga sapat nga ang iya palod hayang pero ang iya tudlo culub?
(Bis.) Packing sang lubi
What animal is it which has its palm upside up but its fingers upside down?
Cocoanut leaves
269 Payung y Santa Maria amena mabata.
(Gad.) Tafal
Saint Mary's umbrella cannot be wetted. ”